Columbus is a hidden gem just 75 miles southwest of Atlanta that boasts a unique blend of small-town charm and big-city fun without the big-city traffic. With its rich history, vibrant arts scene and abundance of outdoor recreational activities, Columbus is the perfect destination to host your next sporting event while providing tons of fun things to do in your off time.

Here’s the short version of the story of Columbus: It’s a former mill town that is home to corporate heavy hitters, institutions of higher education and a U.S. Army base that dates back to 1918. But the longer, unabridged version is more interesting, closer to a New York Times bestseller that tells a tale of revival, renewal and rebirth. As in old times, the waters of the Chattahoochee River are driving economic prosperity, and the cheers of baseball fans can once more be heard at the historic Golden Park, which has been renovated and renamed Synovus Park.

It has been Amy Sherald’s fate to be known for one painting only. Her portrait of Michelle Obama, commissioned in 2018 by the National Portrait Gallery, brought the artist overnight fame. Ignoring the conventions of academic portraiture, a genre associated with pale men standing in front of burgundy drapes, Sherald liberated America’s first lady from the fusty, cigar-brown rooms of the past. Obama, dressed in a sleeveless gown, leans forward in her chair, channeling Rodin’s “Thinker.” The background, a featureless expanse of powder blue, suggests fresh air.