If you've ever driven through Nashville, Chattanooga or Atlanta, you might have seen the huge Tellus Science Museum on the edge of Interstate 75 and wondered, "What the hell is that? I passed it without even noticing, but I'm pretty sure it's the largest science museum in the country.

Cartersville was founded in 1850 and was spared the severe damage caused by General Sherman's march to the sea during the Civil War. Today it houses the Bartow Historical Museum, which contains a collection of paintings, sculptures, artefacts and artifacts from the city's early history. The museum tells the story of the town from its beginnings as an Indian reserve in the late 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century. Paintings and sculptures are transported from all over the country, but also from New York and New Jersey.

The Tellus Science Museum is an enormous educational tool and attracts schoolchildren from a wide range of backgrounds. Enjoy your hands - on exhibits, let yourself be dazzled by sparkling minerals and take a first-hand look at the world's largest collection of fossils, fossils and minerals.

This Georgia State Park offers a fun-filled day outdoors in the heart of Cartersville, Georgia, just a short drive from downtown Atlanta. Fixed platform campsites, covered gazebos, picnic tables and picnic areas make it perfect for a family reunion, church or youth room.

For more information about Cartersville's cultural explorations, visit VisitCartersvilleGA.org or call 770-387-1357. In March 2019, the annual Georgia State Park Day of the Arts will kick off again, featuring arts and crafts, music, food, entertainment and more. Don't miss this free one-day event with free entry to the park on Saturday 31 March.

The Euharlee Welcome Center and History Museum is a modern facility that offers a lot of interesting information. If you want to learn more about the history of our region, there is also the Bartow History Museum in the three old courthouses of Cartersville. The 54 hectare site houses a collection of historic buildings, artifacts and even a borrowed pit, so take your visit further back in time.

US Highway 41, which runs parallel to State Route 3, is an old parallel to Interstate 75, which runs north along the eastern edge of downtown to Calhoun and Dalton. State Route 61 runs south of Dallas, Georgia through Cartersville, south to Dallas and east to Dalton, and then south again to Atlanta. The US-American Highway 411 runs westward from Rome and passes through the city center and some other small towns and neighborhoods.

Cartersville has a large parking lot near the train tracks, which allows you to park once and be parked anywhere in the city, even at the roadside, as well as in some parking lots. Nearby, the Smithsonian affiliated Tellus Science Museum offers an out-of-this-world experience. It is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and has the first digital planetarium in North Georgia. The Telluses Museum, opened in 2008, is dedicated to education and research in the fields of astronomy, astrophysics, geology, astronomy and geophysics (STEM).

Other attractions include the Booth Western Art Museum, which houses the largest art collection in North Georgia and the second largest art museum in Georgia. Located in the historic Cartersville City Hall building on the west side of the city, the booth features some of Georgia's most famous artists (without having to list them). It is also, according to its website, "the second largest art museum [in] Georgia," and houses the world's largest collection of paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints and other artworks.

The Etowah Hills are open seven days a week, but note that the museum is closed on Mondays; it is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

One stop worth visiting is the house and museum that was once the home of Thomas Ryman, the famous preacher who saved his life while pitching a tent in Nashville. Red Top Mountain State Park stretches along a long stretch of shoreline on Lake Allatoona and leads to an area known as "Beach." Atlanta's prominent black families spent their weekends on the beach, with summer gatherings such as the annual Atlanta Black Heritage Festival and the Georgia State Fair. The Atlanta Girl Scouts loved to use the park as a camp site, and in 1956 part of the estate became Camp Pine Acres. Since then it has become a popular destination for the city's youth, but also for the city's inhabitants and visitors.

The Black Bear Lounge restaurant exudes an atmosphere of mountain huts and is a great place to dine after a long day of hiking, camping or even a night out in the city. Step into the loft to enjoy an underground bar and barbecue, which feature an outdoor terrace overlooking Red Top Mountain State Park and the Atlanta skyline.