Teen Friendly Pit-Stops Along I-75 in Georgia

Who doesn’t love a road trip? Sometimes the journey is just as much fun as the destination, especially if you know where to stop along the way. Here are some fun teen friendly pit stops along I-75 in Georgia that will break up the drive and add a little off beat fun to your trip. Bonus, many of these stops are free.

Summer road trip season is upon us and that means lots of families are hitting the road. There are 339 miles of highway in Georgia, and many families take Interstate 75 (I-75) which intersects Georgia in the middle on the way from home to Florida’s theme parks or beaches. In between the exits extolling cheap gas and cheap food, are some fun pit stops to get you out of the car to stretch your legs and have a little fun.

Here are several easy stops your tweens and teen would enjoy less than three miles off the exit. Exit numbers are going from Tennessee to Florida. If you’re going the other way, check to make sure they are the same.

Gateway Antiques, Ringgold: Teens love to shop and the Gateway Antiques market is less than a mile off the highway on exit #353. Whether you buy anything or not, it’s an interesting place to walk around and get the circulation flowing again after a long car ride. Meander through Daniel Boone’s Trading Post, explore the Man Cave or find your favorite throwback from childhood in the Antique Toy Collection.

The Big Chicken, Marietta: You gotta eat somewhere, right? Pull off at Exit #263 for a meal at the Big Chicken. The Big Chicken sits atop a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant. This is the most well-known and quite beloved landmark in Marietta. In fact, if you ask locals for directions, they’ll give them to you based on your destinations location in relation to the Big Chicken, as in “it’s four blocks South of the Big Chicken.” The huge advertisement was almost torn down several times throughout the years, but each time public outcry saved the landmark.

Centennial Olympic Park, Atlanta: Less than a mile off exit #249C is Centennial Olympic Park. The park was built for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games that were held in Atlanta. Now Centennial Park is the epicenter of tourism in Downtown Atlanta, and you could spend several days here if you wanted. Along the park are several museums including the fantastic Center for Civil and Human Rights, as well as the College Football Hall of Fame, Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, Children’s Museum of Atlanta and CNN Studio Tours. For a quick attraction, check out the SkyView ferris wheel. If you’re on a budget, just walk around and read the memorial bricks throughout the park. If you’re there around mealtime, I highly recommend Googie Burger, located within the park for killer burgers and hand cut fries. The only downside to a stop here is you’ll have to pay for parking,

Museum of Aviation, Warner Robins, Ga: This one might be a little bit more than a pitstop on Exit #144. The Museum of Aviation is located just outside the entrance to Warner Robins Air Force Base and is free to the public. Although you may not have heard of this museum, it’s actually the second largest Air Force museum in the US, second only to the National Museum of the United State Air Force in Ohio. Of course there are lots of planes in this museum, but it also has an eclectic assortment of artifacts with loose ties to aviation, such as a display on the music of World War II and the Georgia Invitational Golf Tournament that helps to fund the museum.

Ellis Brothers Pecans, Vienna: You can’t go through Georgia without stopping for some pecans. Ellis Brothers is located less than a half mile off the highway on Exit #109. My boys are big fans of all the samples available. Try as much as you like to find the perfect snack for the rest of your trip.

Crime and Punishment Museum, Ashburn: Less than two miles off Exit #82 show your teens what happens when they misbehave at the Crime and Punishment Museum. If taking a selfie in ‘Old Sparky’ an accurate replica of Georgia’s electric chair is a little too much for them, visit the World’s Largest Peanut, a monument to Georgia’s number one cash crop, which is located nearby.