This week, Whim has a new destination that is sure to be exciting. If "y'all" are Dixie natives, than you're familiar with the new capital of the south, my hometown and the Olympic City, Atlanta, Georgia.
If shopping is on your list of favorite things to do, then Atlanta is your utopia on the East Coast. Many people would say that New York is the shopping Utopia. However, for the good Southerner, that pimple to the north is no comparison to Atlanta!
Down in Georgia we have sunny skies, warm days, and clean sidewalks. As a native of the jewel of the south, I would suggest taking an old army blanket with you on this trip and divulge in the simple pleasures that most Georgians take for granted. Lay out that tattered old blanket on the lush green grass and enjoy a cool glass of ice tea with your special someone. Of course, if you are the type that needs to be on the move, you can check out the many tourist attractions in the Atlanta area. Here are a few I suggest:
The Coke Museum
The greatest city in the south is home to the world's favorite beverage, Coca-Cola. The Coke museum is located downtown next to Underground Atlanta. It houses thousands of square feet worth of Coke memorabilia and offers all you can drink of the popular drink. I would warn the traveler that the prices in the Coke gift store are outrageous, and despite what the guides tell you, the junk they sell is available at a far lower price in the mall.
The Olympic Park
When the Olympics were held in Atlanta in 1996, one of the neatest places to attend was Olympic Park. This is still one of the most lively parts of Atlanta as it is located between Planet Hollywood, CNN Center, and Georgia Tech. This is a "must see" if you are planning to check out any other attractions downtown.
CNN Center
Other than Coca-Cola and myself, the third big resident of Atlanta is CNN. The CNN Center is located beside the Georgia Dome, home of the Atlanta Falcons, and Olympic Park. The tour offered by CNN is unparalleled. They show you behind-the-scenes of the live broadcasts and give you an up-close look at the technology that makes it all work. I would suggest this to any media studies or communications major.
Underground Atlanta
Years ago, a guy that most Georgians dislike named Sherman stopped by Atlanta. He was a tourist and decided to have a bonfire. Since he had his troops kill most of the people that stuck around town for the blaze, the fire department decided it would be a good idea to leave. Unfortunately, while they were gone, the fire got a little out of control. By the time General Sherman had left, Atlanta was burned to a crisp. Today, the only remnants of the old city can be seen in Underground Atlanta. Basically, this is a mall made out of the leftovers. This is a neat place to see, but plan on doing your real shopping in the various other malls in Atlanta as this one, like Sherman, will burn a hole in your wallet.
Stone Mountain
This is my favorite attraction in Atlanta. Stone Mountain is a huge boulder located east of Atlanta. Now by huge, I don't mean huge like Muse Hall, I mean huge as a mountain. This park is where many of the Olympic events were held, but is most known as a monument to the Confederacy. In the park you can tour a Southern plantation, take a cable car ride to the top of the mountain, ride an old train around the park, and watch the well-known laser show after dark. The train ride is very exciting, especially if you are lucky enough to have kids with you. They stop the train halfway around the mountain and stage an old west robbery with cowboys. This is really cool.
Restaurants in Atlanta are everywhere. For the tourist, the most likely destinations would be Hard Rock Café, Planet Hollywood, or the All-Star Café, all of which are in walking distance from Olympic Park, CNN, and the Georgia Dome. These are all good places to eat, but when I go home I always eat at the little known Mexican restaurants that are on every corner. In the past ten years, the Mexican population in Georgia has grown at an unbelievable rate. This has spawned some very good Mexican restaraunts.
A warning to adventure seekers who want to jump in the car and run to Atlanta on a whim: I suggest finding someone who lives there, or has lived there in the past ten years to be your guide. I am a native of Atlanta, but I still get slightly intimidated when I drive home from Radford and the road widens to seven lanes on one side and the speed increases to 90 mph. as a minimum. Good luck and be careful!
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Comments:
Sounds good! How do I get there?
Comments:
I agree with the last comment I really wish you guys had that summary section, it really helped me and my freinds out. otherwise I 'd enjoyed your indepthness
Comments:
Great article, but what happened to the summary and directions section as in the previous Washington road trip article. That was an interesting and helpful section of the article. YOu ought to make sure you add that section in future Road Trip articles.
