My favorite place to kick back and enjoy the environment is Kennesaw Mountain, an oasis in the northwest Atlanta 'burbs.

I should add that it's actually Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield Park, so you can see that my Civil War history taste buds are satisfied regularly.

That's a big clucker, eh? Between my home and Kennesaw is the "Big Chicken," one of Atlanta's most beloved - if tacky - landmarks. Every direction in the area begins with, "go past the Big Chicken..."

Down the very big hill/mountain that my apartment complex sits upon is the Chattahoochee River.

Good exercise going up and down the hill, and a gorgeous view to boot.

The area is the Western Palisades area of the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area. (pdf map)