Photo by Ian Schneider on Unsplash
Growing up me and my family would take the occasional road trip up I-95. We rarely ever stopped unless we needed gas, the car broke down, or we reached our destination. I have passed through Georgia alone at least 20 times on the road, and hardly ever stopping long enough to use the bathroom.
The opportunity finally arose to take a small trip to Atlanta when my job gave me a free weekend stay at a hotel. Let me start off by saying that Atlanta is HUGE! There is so much to do and not enough time to fit everything into a two-day trip.
If you find yourself in Atlanta for a few days, then here are some quick places that you might want to check out!
Atlanta Botanical Gardens
My first morning in Atlanta I visited the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. It’s a bit of a drive away, but it is absolutely beautiful! It’s a relaxing way to start your day in Atlanta. Honestly, I could spend the entire day walking around if I had the time.
It is a beautiful place to take some Instagram pics, so make sure you bring your best photography friend along to take some awesome photos for social media. They even offer great events such as concerts, limited time exhibits, hidden away benches, and culinary experiences that are a must do!
Some Things to Check Out
1. Imaginary Worlds: Alice in Wonderland (2019)
2. Cocktails in the garden (5:30pm-9:30pm)
Civil Rights Museum
I am a huge history buff, and I heard so many great things about this museum. Just as a warning, it can get very emotional walking through the different exhibits, and can be overwhelming, to say the least. But I feel that it is very important to learn and remind ourselves that these things happened and are continuing to happen in our country.
Some things to check Out:
1. Lunch Counter Sit-In Simulation
2. The Global Human Rights Movement Exhibit
Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site
Who doesn’t know the name Dr. Martin Luther King jr.? The King Center and Martin Luther King National Historic Site are home to many historical civil rights monuments, statues, and historic buildings. Atlanta was known as the headquarters to the Civil Rights Movement in the 60s.
There are many walking tours that go through The King Center, but the one that I liked the most was Martin Luther King Jr. History Walking Tour I found on TripAdvisor. It is run by Atlanta History Tours, and they are truly the nicest people I have booked on TripAdvisor. The tour is about two hours long and goes through the center as well as the surrounding areas around the MLK National Park including Ebenezer Baptist Church, The Jackson Street Bridge, and MLK’s childhood home.
Food
How can I talk about a southern state without talking about soul food. One of my favorite things about growing up in the southeast is
- Atlanta Food Walks
- Colonnade
**Has the best fried chicken and mac n’ cheese I ever had!** - busy bee cafe
- MARY MAC’S TEA ROOM
HIGH Museum of Art
This is a great place to just get some piece and quiet- and some good old-fashioned AC! What I loved about this museum was the diversity of art pieces that were displayed. From Classical to contemporary to modern and historical pieces, there are many work of art to see at the HIGH Museum of art.
Ponce City Market and Piedmont Park
Ponce City Market has a lot of shops, restaurants, and an amazing rooftop bar. They have amazing restaurants, shops, and is a unique place to walk around.
About a 10 minute drive away from Ponce City Market you will find Piedmont Park. The park offers many historical walking tours and well as many beautiful monuments and of course, to rent a couple of segues.
Some other great Instagram photo locations:
1. The Rainbow Crosswalks in Midtown
2. Krog Street Tunnels
3. Atlanta Botanical Gardens
4. Piedmont Park
5. Ponce City Market
Things You Could Miss:
World of Coca Cola
I only spend 20 minutes at this “museum” beside a couple of old advertisement signs and a free can of coca-cola, there’s really nothing informative or interesting about this. It might be good if you have kids. Unless not, I’d call this a pass
Atlanta Aquarium
Every major city in every state has an aquarium. What would make Atlanta’s any different?
Bodies- Atlanta
The Bodies Exhibit is cool in theory. In reality, it kind of grossed me out. Again, when I go to a museum I take my time, read every sign and see every exhibit. It took me about 30 minutes and I was nauseous the entire time. It is only about 4 rooms tops, and cost about $26.
Zoo Atlanta
I for one love a good zoo. It’s a great way to spend the day and walk around. But I am going to make the same point I did about the aquarium. Zoos are everywhere, and all have the same things.
I definitely fell in love with Atlanta. I was only there for a short time, but it was one of my favorite trips of 2019. There was not enough time to fit everything I wanted to do in the two days I was there, and I am planning another trip as soon as possible (mostly for that chicken and mac n’ cheese).
Atlanta is not like any other big city I have been to. Your don’t need to rush around and push people out of the way to get on public transportation. The city is beautiful, full of art and history, and is an amazing place to visit.
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