I started this week off stressing because Nisheet and I did not have any plans for the 4th of July, and I couldn’t find any plane tickets for a reasonable price. We both had an extra day off from work, and I couldn’t just sit at home when there are so many cities to visit and adventures to be had. Luckily though, on Monday evening, Nisheet found a great deal for airline tickets to Atlanta if we flew on the 4th. I don’t think I have ever bought tickets so close to the time of travel for so cheap.

Let me share the secret we discovered about traveling on the day of a holiday. The airport is empty! The planes are empty! The trip started out like any other trip. We packed, drove to the airport, and headed to check in. Then we both got a surprise; since the plane was empty, we were upgraded to economy comfort! At the gate, Nisheet got another surprise. He is a silver member on Delta, so he was upgraded to first class! And, yes, he did send margaritas back to me while I suffered in my own empty row back in coach.

Atlanta:

Once in Atlanta, we took the train to downtown and checked into our king suite and then headed out for lunch. We were staying at a nice hotel right in downtown, so I thought safety would not be a concern. However, as soon as we stepped outside of the hotel in search of lunch, we were bombarded with very aggressive homeless people. I live near Chicago and am used to the homeless on streets, but I was not prepared for this and felt extremely uncomfortable by the situation. We tried to ignore it and continued on our quest for some grub. After walking around for a while, we discovered that NOTHING is open on the 4th of July in Atlanta except for some delis and chain restaurants, so we opted for a little deli near the Georgia Aquarium. Also, there were very few people out and about. I guess we should have expected that, but we were still a little disappointed. On the bright side, that meant that there weren’t any lines at the attractions, so we walked straight into The World of Coca-Cola without any wait!

The museum was great and well worth the money. A tour guide led us through the first couple rooms, and then we were free to explore the rest on our own. We especially enjoyed the tasting room where we could sample different Coca Cola products from all over the world. Other exhibits of interest were the Bottle Works display where they showed how the bottling process is done and the Perfect Pauses Theater where you can watch the good ole coca cola advertisements. The museum tour ends with the perfect touch; a free glass bottled coke!

After we finished going through the museum and browsing in the gift shop, we noticed that tons of people were sitting on the lawn right outside to watch the fireworks. So, of course, we joined the crowd and had a great view!

On the walk back to the hotel, a bomb (a little one in a trash can) went off and teenage girls were screaming and running all over the place. It was stupid, but I must admit that it kind of scared me. There were also numerous homeless, teens dressed like thugs, and cops sirens everywhere. For the 2nd time that day, I felt very uncomfortable in my surroundings. So, the next morning, we checked out of the hotel, rented a car, and drove to Stone Mountain.

Stone Mountain:

Growing up, I went to Stone Mountain several times, and I have very fond memories of hiking up the mountain, so that was the first thing we did. The hike seemed a lot longer and harder than I remember it ever being, but maybe it was because it was almost 100 degrees that day! After living in Yankee-land for the past 8 years, I’m just not used to the heat anymore. The hike to the top was well worth it though. Great views, a cold slushy, and watching others struggle in the heat.

And, of course we rode the train. I was disappointed in the ride though because the tour guide didn’t talk at all during the 30 minute trip and I knew from previous visits that they were supposed to. Nisheet went mentioned this to the manager so that other riders wouldn’t have the same experience as us, and we got our money refunded + free tickets for another train ride, mini golf, and a 4D movie!!!! Nisheet was very polite about the whole thing. His intention was to ensure that others would have a better experience and not for us to be refunded. The manager told us that it was unacceptable and our tour guide was supposed to have a 5 page script memorized to recite during the tour. So, A+ for customer service!

After the train, we spread out a blanket on the lawn, had a picnic dinner, and waited for the laser show. Kids were running around, families were laughing, and everyone was in a great mood. And, as always, the laser show was very patriotic and enjoyable.

Atlanta Again:

The following day (July 6th), we decided to give Atlanta another try, and stayed in a different hotel that was only 1 block from the Centennial Park (the other hotel was next to the Underground). This hotel location was MUCH better. I did not encounter many homeless people, and the walk to the attractions was shorter.

We decided to eat lunch at The Varsity near GA Tech because we heard the hot dogs are great and the atmosphere is unlike any other. It was super packed and the servers yell “What’ll Ya Have!!” We got a hamburger, slaw dogs, and an orange shake. The burger was just average, but the hot dogs and shake were amazing. I would definitely recommend this place if you are in the mood for something greasy and fast.

Our next stop was the GA aquarium. I usually get bored looking at fish for 8 hours, but this place is fantastic. My two favorite exhibits were the River Scout and the Ocean Voyager. In the River Scout, a river is running over your head, so you get a very unique perspective. The Ocean Voyage is amazing. It is currently has the world’s largest tank with 4 whale-sharks in it! It also has a moving walkway that goes through the tank, so you can stand and just soak in the views.

We stayed at the aquarium until almost 9 o’clock, so we were quite hungry when we left. I wanted to check out the Juke Joint, but they had a 1.5 hour wait, so we went and found some chicken and waffles instead. Gladys Knight’s also had a 1 hour wait, but we stuck it out since we were tired of walking, and man was it worth it. It was probably the best waffle I have ever eaten. The chicken was also pretty good. 🙂

For our last day in Atlanta, we went on the CNN tour. I had been on this tour before way back in highschool, but I enjoyed it just as much this time, maybe even more. We had an absolutely fantastic tour guide, and even though it was a Saturday morning, we got to watch live taping and see a few of the reporters that I watch on TV. Always fun to see famous people!

After then CNN tour, we decided to head to the MLK memorial. It was very informative, and I’m sure I normally would have enjoyed spending hours reading about southern history and equality, but we were simply worn out from our busy weekend and the hot muggy weather. Also, as a tip, it might be worth renting a car or taking a taxi if visiting this site. We took public transportation/walked and it was quite a hike!

Unfortunately this concluded our Atlanta adventure, and we had to head back to the airport. Our plane was delayed (like usual), but when we finally boarded the plane, we had a surprise waiting for us again. They bumped both of us to first class! Perfect ending to the trip.