i am going to spend 3 or 4 days at both chattanooga and atlanta looking for spots to camp and things to do any ideas? david john

Stone Mountain has a campground (by that same name) that is pretty & popular, and one of the closest to Atlanta proper -- it's east of the city.

Stone Mountain is probably a good choice. I'm not a fan of the place, but it's likely your best bet. Hiking the mountain is always fun. There's at trail to the summit and one that circumnavigates the mountain.

If you're in Atlanta, visit the Fernbank Museum of Natural History. It's an excellent one. Rivals some of the better known such museums. Also the High Museum of Art.

I lived in Decatur for part of my childhood and the Atlanta area has some wonderful sites to visit. I'm not fond of the Confederate stuff--but if you can take it with a grain of salt, I guess it's okay.

I also lived near Chattanooga for a few years. I'd say use a nearby state park. If you like kitschy tourist stuff, Lookout Mountain has a lot of such things--commercial caves, incline railway to the summit, Rock City (it's actually nice).