Only slightly older than Lake Lanier, Lake Allatoona is certainly longer lived in my memory. In the 1970’s my family would meet up with friends and their children close to my age on Allatoona several times a year, but by the early 80’s the focus turned to Lake Lanier in the area I grew up in near Northlake Mall. Allatoona had been all but forgotten.

Then along came the drought of 2007 and sky high gas prices and the blue of Lake Allatoona really started to jump out at me from the map. It’s just so close to Atlanta but it seems so far away. Rarely crowded, always fun and I’ve never been badly wake-shaken by a sea-faring suburban hoard of Biffs and Bettys.

Check out the boating or fishing yourself one afternoon or reserve a campsite at http://www.recreation.gov and relax close to home for a few days.