2.  Be sure to take a trip to a firehouse or police station in your community.  It is a great "go see it" event. 

3.  Each year in the first week of March, the Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville offers the Southeastern Cowboy Gathering, including chuck wagon and dutch oven cooking, western art and poetry, music contests, cowboy church and a number of children's activities.

4.  There are many caves throughout the Southeast that conduct guided tours for the general public. Cub Scouts love to "explore" these caves.  Some commercially operated cave trips in the Southeast which are appropriate for Cub-Scout age boys are:

Mammoth Cave National Park
The Lost Sea
Forbidden Caverns
DeSoto Cavern Park

Some of the caves allow overnight sleepovers in the cave which is a great winter camping activity for Cubs.  Of course, hazardous, high-adventure caving trips are not appropriate for Cub Scouts.  Check the Guide to Safe Scouting for age-appropriate guidelines. 

5.  The John Wesley Forbes Big Trees Forest Preserve located at 7645 Roswell Road in Sandy Springs, Georgia is a 30-acre tree, plant and wildlife sanctuary located 4 miles north of I-285 immediately adjacent to the North Fulton Annex.  It includes a 1-1/2 mile self-guided nature trail that is a great nature activity for Cub Scouts. 

6.  For a great summertime trip for your Pack check out Patriots Point in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, the home of the aircraft carrier the USS Yorktown. This is an exciting summertime activity that your whole Pack will remember forever.

7.  One of the most useful things a Cub Scout leader can have is a game bag. Use it when its is necessary to create instant fun for Cub Scouts. Try to carry a variety of games, toys and props to keep the boys occupied or diverted while you are working with parents or other boys. Be on the lookout for small, inexpensive toys and games to put in the bag. For example, toss in one of the "give away" toys from the hamburger chains to use when needed. Consider marbles, a frisbee, a jump rope, a pick up sticks game, dominos, a bird book, a deck of cards, a book on knots, and lots of small balls, including a few "super balls" that bounce high when tossed by a boy. Also useful is the new Cub Scout Skills Game card set. The twisted nail puzzles from Cracker Barrel stump even adults. Around Christmas time, Pier One has inexpensive wooden games in small boxes which they sell as stocking stuffers. Pick up a bag of dyed turkey feathers at a craft store. Use these for feather races between two groups of Cub Scouts. Set up a couple of lines of boys and then have them toss the feather, pick it up, and toss it again. They touch the far wall, turn around, and then return while continuing to toss the feather. Then the next boy takes the feather and so on until we have a winner. This is a great game and the boys love it. The general idea of the game bag is to have a variety of toys and games for the boys that are very cheap and that you won't mind losing or breaking.   

8.  Scouting is all about the outdoors, and Atlanta has many wonderful places to enjoy nature. Here are a few places my Cub Scouts have enjoyed visiting:

Stone Mountain. The hike up the mountain actually is fairly easy, although at places the climb is steep and rest stops are welcome. Those of you who have made the hike know that the view from the top of Stone Mountain is spectacular, particularly in the morning. Patches are available at the store at the base of the mountain.

Kennesaw Mountain. Another great hike for your Cubs, this one a little longer and tougher. There are numerous trails in this park, but the trip up the mountain will never be forgotten. Also visit the historic earthworks and Civil War battle fields. Bird watching is a special treat here. The Visitors Center sometimes has patches but in my experience they are frequently sold out.

Chattahoochee Nature Center. This is a fantastic resource for the Atlanta area. There are several guided hikes, the famous Owl Prowl, and several programs that are specifically designed to help Cub Scout Achievements and Electives. Don't miss this!

Chattahoochee River National Recreational Area. There are numerous scenic hikes along the beautiful Chattahoochee River. The National Park Service publishes detailed trail maps which are free on the Web. Check out the West Palisades scenic overlook over the Devil's Racecourse Shoals for a trip your Scouts will remember.

Arabia Mountain. Located off of I-20 East near the Stone Creste Mall, this site has 12.7 miles of hiking and biking trails, and was recently designated a National Heritage Area.

Silver Comet Trail. A sixty mile trail running along a converted rail line from Atlanta to the Alabama line.

Red Top Mountain State Park. Twelve miles of hiking trails, overnight camping, fishing, lodge and recreational facilities located at Lake Allatoona. Ask about the Party with the Possums night hike on Friday nights.

Sweetwater Creek State Park. Nine miles of trails and a 215 acre reservoir for fishing and canoes. Explore ruins of a Civil War mill. I-20 West near Lithia Springs.

Etowah Indian Mounds Historic Site. Near Cartersville. This is a 54-acre site containing six large Indian mounds and a small museum with artifacts. Most intact Mississippian culture site in the Southeast.