This bustling riverfront town offers good old-fashioned Southern hospitality, old-world charm and a treasure trove of discoveries for Civil War buffs. To really get the feel of another era, stroll through the National Historic District, a 28-block stretch of restored Victorian homes, gardens and gazebos, and tour the house museums in Heritage Corner. Situated on the Chattahoochee River, Columbus offers a mixture of old and new with the lovely 12-mile Columbus Riverwalk, which includes the Chattahoochee Promenade, a walking tour of historical markers. The town was a chief supplier for the Confederate Army, and its Civil War history is on display in myriad museums and historic sites like Port Columbus Civil War Naval Center, which contains some of the Civil War's most important artefacts. But it's not all just war memorabilia: Columbus boasts a rich cultural side, with opera, symphony and a performing-arts centre. And for family fun, head to the Coca-Cola Space Museum for a simulated flight and a look at the first Coke machine used in outer space.  More info