Southern hospitality in Alpharetta
With its radiant parks, historic buildings, and family-friendly atmosphere, Alpharetta exudes Southern charm wherever you look. With over 15 miles of trails to explore, you can be browsing and splurging in one of the many shopping districts one minute, and going on a spontaneous nature walk the next. Foodies will also be licking their lips, as the city is home to 100s of restaurants, and food trucks, serving up everything from Italian classics to beef burnt ends. You can become a member of the community with Alpharetta vacation rentals, which include bungalows with spacious backyards and outdoor grills – perfect for cooking up a storm in the Georgia sun.
Getting active in Alpharetta
One of the charming things about this city is that many of the major attractions consist of nature at its prettiest. Sprawling close to Alpharetta vacation rentals is the Big Creek Greenway, a trail that leads through woods and glades along Big Creek, which is a hit with mountain bikers and walkers alike. You can enjoy the outdoors in a more placid, laid-back way at Wills Park, while the Alpharetta Arboretum at Brooke Street Park gives you the chance to amble under flowering trees, sit by the rippling stream, or relax with a good book in the reading garden.
Shopping and entertainment in Alpharetta
Shopaholics will rejoice in Alpharetta, which has retail destinations galore. Downtown Alpharetta is an up-scale warren of cool boutiques where you can browse for cowboy boots or quirky ornaments for the home. For the big brand names, meanwhile, there’s always North Point Mall, or you could check out the bold Avalon complex – lively hub where shops and restaurants sit side by side. Then, come nightfall, you can catch live music at numerous venues putting on everything from country to rock to folk. Speaking of music, the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park is an al fresco entertainment spot where you can watch world-famous acts while reclining beneath the trees on impeccably sculpted parkland.
Any season is a good season in Alpharetta
There’s no right or wrong time to book an Alpharetta vacation rental. This Georgia city is worth visiting in every season, though there are certain major events that may particularly appeal. Foodies, for example, might like to come over in spring, for the popular – and mouth-watering – Taste of Alpharetta festival, with its countless food stalls and cookery demos. Fall, meanwhile, has the Scarecrow Harvest, when life-sized scarecrows pop up across town. It’s worth checking the social calendar to see what tickles your fancy.
Boating and basking near Alpharetta
While Alpharetta itself has plenty of parks and nature trails where you can spy blue herons, ducks, and deer, you can get an even bigger taste of the outdoors if you take an hour’s drive out to Lake Lanier. Formed from water that runs down from the Blue Ridge Mountains, this is the largest lake in Georgia, and is a fine place to go boating, kayaking, and swimming – or you can simply bask on the sandy beaches. It’s also surrounded by picturesque parklands, so you don’t necessarily have to get your feet wet to have a great time.
Transportation to and around Alpharetta
The nearest airport is in Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), located 31.3 mi (50.3 km) from the city center. If you can't find a flight that works for your travel itinerary, you might consider flying into Atlanta, GA (PDK-DeKalb-Peachtree), which is 13.4 mi (21.6 km) away.