For those who love that gritty, salt sea air, living in a landlocked city can be challenging.  Certainly not challenging compared to being in a city with abnormally high unemployment or rampant crime, but you know, everyone needs to relax now and then.

For those Atlantans that need a beach chair and a crisp paperback embedded with sand to really kickback, it takes a good 4 hour travel commitment – be it by car or air – to hear waves crashing on the sand.

But of course, there are other, smaller bodies of water out there amongst the forests, hills and sprawl that can help quench that  desire for watery bliss.  For some, they may not be equivalent to the seaside (or Seaside for that matter), but sometimes a little white-water noise can go a long way.

All this tedious set-up is just a roundabout way of asking:  When you’re in need of a water fix and can’t afford to take a couple days off to head to a coast, where do you go?

Rivers, lakes, streams, ponds (I suppose) are all fair game.

Photo of Sweetwater Creek above courtesy of Georgia State Parks website.