Georgia's Charming City Is A Hidden Haven With Vintage Trains, Blooming Parades, And Southern Comfort

Travelers are always glad to discover underrated cities in Georgia with unique happenings, like the quiet town of McDonough. With its old brick buildings, quaint shops, and historic courthouse, weary travelers will enjoy stopping at this scenic town to discover its bittersweet history and experience some charming southern hospitality. Located just 25 miles from the world's busiest airport, Atlanta International Airport, this picturesque town is a welcome stop on any road trip and the perfect secret destination to disappear to for the weekend. 

History buffs will enjoy Heritage Park, located at 99 Lake Dow Road, where visitors can tour the Veterans' Museum and visit the Wall of Honor in memoriam to all the veterans who served. The park itself is essentially an outdoor museum comprised of cabins and structures designed to educate visitors about military and local history. The buildings include blacksmith shops, gardens, and cook houses. Walking through these cabins will make one feel like they've traveled back in time in this old southern town. The Military History Museum, housed in a bright red barn, contains a chapel of fallen heroes and various military artifacts, such as dog tags and soldiers' medals. The park also features a vintage locomotive, a library, and various recreation spots to spend the day.   

Plenty of Americans agree that the best type of public transportation might be the rail train. Still, sometimes there's a darker side to trains, like the turn-of-the-century disaster that caused a train to careen off the rails into the water below before it caught fire and killed 35 of its passengers. While this town is known for the infamous Camp Creek train crash in 1900, McDonough's tragic history is overshadowed by its southern charm and the desire to preserve its historical roots. 

The best time to visit is May, during the beloved Geranium Festival in McDonough Square. Since 1977, the town has been hosting this lively arts and crafts festival to showcase the work of local artisans and vendors. The event became known as the Geranium Festival because of a gracious, steady contribution of red geraniums from a local couple who owned a plant business. While the festival has seen some changes and growth since its beginnings, visitors still flock to buy jewelry, see creative art, and taste mouth-watering barbecue from the booths. There is free parking at the festival, and folks can roam around the streets safely since traffic is blocked off. This makes it the perfect family event if you are in town. 

May is also the time when McDonough holds a Spring Parade at Red Hawk Park, where attendees can view vibrant floats, enjoy delicious eats from food trucks, and peruse local craft booths. Autumn travelers can check out the town's Fall Festival in October, featuring food trucks, games, and a costume contest. The city also holds an annual Christmas Parade early in the holiday season, usually at the end of November. The Christmas Parade is in McDonough Square and features a sea of lights, a procession of impressively decorated floats, and vendors selling roasted nuts and a variety of other holiday delicacies. The city holds its Geranium Drop every December 31st, their version of Manhattan's famous ball drop, also at McDonough Square.

Travelers will find plenty of lodging at the various hotel chains in town, like the modern and spacious Woodspring Suites. If you are traveling in a mobile home and need a place to stay for the night, Atlanta South RV Resort is located right in town at 281 Mount Olive Road. 

Nothing says southern charm and hospitality like a trip to a family farm. Southern Belle, located at 1658 Turner Church Road, is a delightful 330-acre farm where you can pick berries, peaches, and flowers to your heart's content. The farm switches it up each season, adding a pumpkin patch experience in the fall. There is also a quaint country market on the premises where you can buy jams, honey, pickled vegetables, and homemade baked goods. Try samples of fresh raspberry and muscadine ciders, or grab a scoop of their delicious strawberry ice cream to cool off.

McDonough has it all, from southern belle charm to unfortunate accidents embedded in its lore. For those interested in a bit of spooky history, there are ghost tours allowing you to revisit the town's tragic past. If you haven't guessed it by now, McDonough Square is allegedly haunted by the ghosts of the passengers who were lost in the train accident. The Globe Hotel was the place where they took the Camp Creek Railroad disaster survivors after the horrible accident. The hotel, also known as the Dunn House, is located at 20 Jonesboro Street and is believed to be haunted. The Season's Bistro, located at 41 Griffin Street, is a former funeral home with additional ghost sightings on its premises.

The Haunted Ghost Walk starts at the McDonough Welcome Center, on 5 Griffin Street, and takes you on a 90-minute journey through the town's most haunted locations. For those who want their ghost tour with extra spirits, there is a Haunted Pub Crawl that takes ghost hunters through various boozy haunts. Groups can book private tours, as well as other fun events like Murder Mystery Dinners and Scavenger Hunts around town.