This state should rank higher.  It has a booming metropolis (Atlanta), a romantic, traditional southern city (Savannah), an Atlantic coastline with well-known, popular resorts and fascinating history from colonial times forward and much more.  Like frosting on the cake, it also is immortalized in Margaret Mitchell's "Gone With the Wind."

Don't order Pepsi in Atlanta. Coca-Cola originated in Atlanta.  The whole family will enjoy touring the World of Coca-Cola near downtown, along with other Atlanta highlights.  The 1994 Summer Olympics also brought Georgia to the minds of many visitors, who left praising the city for its cleanliness, friendliness, fine dining and shopping.

Visitors also talk about the Golden Isles of Georgia, especially Sea Island and St. Simons Island.  They boast lovely resorts where guests can play all kinds of sports, fish the Atlantic or relax on the beach or at the pool.  "Quaint," "peaceful" and "not too expensive" are terms often used to describe these islands.  Who goes there? Everybody. It's not just for one personality type, or for any particular geographical area. It also helps that Atlanta brings so many business travelers to Georgia.  Some of them inevitably choose it for leisure trips, as well.  When do they go? Like other southern states, Georgia is open all year.  It can get cold in the northern half of the state, but this isn't Minnesota.

Go tubing on the winding Chattahoochee River or whitewater rafting down the Chattooga River, the latter designated a Wild & Scenic River.

Kayak on the Altamaha and Ogeechee rivers. Or, go boating on Georgia's coast and travel the waters alongside dolphins.

Take a canoeing/camping trip in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, which has more than 120 miles of canoe trails. Overnight wilderness permits are issued, in limited numbers, by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Cycle along coastal paths around Brunswick and the Golden Isles. Or, push yourself and try the world's first Olympic mountain biking course in the Georgia International Horse Park.

On the coast, scuba dive to see Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary.

If you are a professional cyclist, enter the Tour de Georgia, a seven-day bike race covering more than 600 miles. It is called a tune-up race for the Tour de France and draws competitive teams from abroad. Alternatively, plan a trip to watch the professionals, and attend the festivals that host cities will stage each day along the route. See www.tourdegeorgia.com.

Tour Savannah, then seek some activity on the water. Go boating, deep-sea fishing or kayaking, depending on just how active you want to be.

Try hang gliding at Lookout Mountain (at Lookout Mountain Flight Park in Rising Fawn), or practice your parasailing in Brunswick or the Golden Isles.

They are not the Rockies, but Georgia's mountains offer options for climbers, from the cliffs of Tallulah Gorge to the so-called Rock Town at the Crockford Pigeon Mountain Wildlife Area.

Participate with a couple of friends in one of Georgia's adventure races. The Blue Ridge Mountain Adventure Race, started in 1998, involves teams of three who compete by hiking, kayaking, mountain biking and running.

Visit the Andersonville National Historic Site, locale of the Civil War's most infamous prison and, with its National Prisoner of War Museum, now dedicated to those who have been prisoners of war in all American wars.  Also, attend a spring or fall fair, with battle reenactments, at the nearby Andersonville Civil War Village. This historic village was the disembarkation point for Union soldiers headed to the prison.

Cruise across scenic Lake Chatuge, or choose an activity at Lake Sidney Lanier: canoeing, golfing, hiking, horseback riding, kayaking or waterskiing. Stay in a houseboat on Lanier.

Charter a boat on Saint Simons Island, or at several other island or coastal sites, to go fishing or for a dolphin watching trip.

For the state's most extensive collection of surviving antebellum architecture and charm, spend time in Savannah.  Get acquainted with the historic district's 22 squares aboard the Old Town Trolley. Flavor your trip by reading "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" before arrival.

Rent a kayak or canoe on Jekyll, Saint Simons or Tybee Island or in Brunswick and St. Marys for a guided tour on the Atlantic Ocean, the Intercoastal Waterway or nearby rivers.

Make use of Georgia's running trails, varying from options in Atlanta to the 15-mile Columbus Riverwalk along the Chattahoochee River to the cross-country Berry College Viking Trail which includes a run up Mount Berry.

Cruise the 1845 canal in the Augusta Canal National Heritage Area aboard a replica of the original canal cargo boats.

Choose a hiking trail and start walking. You can retrace the paths of the Civil War at the Pickett's Mill Battlefield Historic Site.

Go camping, hiking and fishing in one of Georgia's state parks.

Take a candlelight tour of the early 19th century Pebble Hill Plantation in Thomasville. Attend an open-air concert there. You can arrange to be married there, too.

Go fishing at the Florence Marina State Park.

While on Saint Simons Island, take a dinner or sunset cruise, or board a tour boat for a good look at Georgia's coastal islands and other points of interest. Saint Simons Transit Co. offers all these options, and others.

Give yourself a driving tour along one of Georgia's scenic highways. For example, the 100-mile Antebellum Trail features seven communities left nearly untouched by the Civil War. It starts in Athens and takes you through Watkinsville, Madison, Eaton, Milledgeville, Old Clinton and Macon. Another choice highlights Georgia's coastline.

If visiting Atlanta, tour the World of Coca-Cola, and follow that with the 55-minute guided walking tour of the CNN studio.

Sample local specialities: Brunswick stew, shrimp, soft-shelled crabs.

Try your luck on the Colonial Coast Birding Trail, a hiking trail where more than 300 bird species have been sighted.

Visit the Georgia Agrirama in Tifton. It is a living history museum where costumed reenactors depict life in rural Georgia of the 19th century against the backdrop of two working farms, country store, drug store, grist mill, Masonic Lodge, print shop, saw mill, steam train and Victorian home.

On most weekdays, you can see a working cotton gin (it produces 500-pound bales of cotton), and you can see mules turn the sweeps to grind cane stocks for their juice. Buy a sample of the resulting syrup, produced on site, to take home.

Attend the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta. Play golf yourself on any number of courses around the state.

Attend the October Oliver Hardy Festival in Harlem; Hardy, of Laurel and Hardy fame, was born in Harlem, Ga.

Shop and gawk on Savannah's River Street, where converted cotton warehouses now accommodate more than 70 art galleries, boutiques and restaurants. Then, check out the local seafood in one of the restaurants.

For more information, consult the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism at www.georgia.org

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