14. Georgia

Month: November 2015

Location: Atlanta

I had first heard of Atlanta as a kid, because my Dad had once visited his cousin who lived there.  The cousin was a “legendary” figure, being the first in the family to travel to the US and as such, Atlanta had achieved a “mythical” status as well.  Then came the ‘Olympics’ in 1996 and all the prestige that accompanies that honor.  So when my friends suggested that I go to Savannah as my Georgia destination, I said no.  There was no doubt that I wanted to go to an “Olympic City”, the very first that I would visit.

My first view of downtown

I arrived in the early evening and made my way to the airport train station, which deposited me in downtown within 20 minutes.  The escalator to get from the subway to the street level is one of the steepest that I have seen and it seemed much lower than the subway of Chicago.  Emerging from the station, I looked for my Hotel and it wasn’t that far.  I had been able to secure a great deal at the ‘Ritz Carlton’ and it was as grand of a venue as I had imagined.  I had dinner reservations, but enough time to grab a drink in the Hotel restaurant.  I was an elegant place with a gentleman bartender and a relaxed start to the evening.  I took an ‘Uber’ to a restaurant called ‘Aria’ and was shown to a bar area where I ordered a cocktail named “The Stray Cat”!  Following this I went to an exquisite dining area where for the next couple of hours I was able to enjoy some excellent food in a nice ambience.  I returned back to the hotel and called it a night, having a big day ahead of me.

The 'Olympic Park'

The next morning had a nice autumn chill in the air and I took the train to a charming neighborhood.  My destination was a local breakfast spot called ‘Flying Biscuit Café’.  It was a typical neighborhood café with some amazing ‘Southern’ breakfast fare and well worth the detour.  I came back to downtown and walked over to the ‘Centennial Olympic Park’, which is at the heart of all the tourist attractions in Atlanta.  Built for ‘Olympics’, currently it acts as a site for general enjoyment of the public, including hosting concerts and fireworks.  Presently it had been decorated for the holidays and I could see a giant ‘Christmas Tree’, as well as other lights streaming the trees.

My first stop was ‘World of Coca Cola’, which is ‘Coca Cola Museum’ and one of the more popular destinations in the city.  I had purchased something called ‘VIP Tour’ which came with a guide I suppose.  As soon as you approach the building, you are greeted by giant bottles, a theme which continues in the lobby.  Our tour guide gathered all the folks in my party and asked what our favorite beverage was.  Now, I should have guessed that she was referring to a ‘Coca Cola’ product, but I said “Champagne”, at which she responded “Oh, we don’t make that”.  Nice start to the tour.

With the 'Coca Cola Bear'

We were taken to a room where another gentleman came over to talk about the history of the company.  Then we walked into an auditorium and for the next 4 minutes, saw an outstanding film which signifies ‘Coca Cola’s’ philosophy towards the product and the marketing campaign that they have always run – one that taps into on the “human” element rather than a “commercial” one.  Equal parts touching, funny and inspirational, it is perhaps the best film that I have ever seen for a product and at the end, when the screen went up for all of us to walk into the central atrium, we did so with our spirits lifted and excited for the remainder of the experience.  I recommend this to anyone who visits Atlanta, whether they like soda or not.

The famous vault

The big hall that we were in opens up to the various other parts of the museum, but I could not proceed unless I had taken a picture with everyone’s favorite ‘Polar Bear’.  Many others had the same idea and once all the pictures had been taken, we were taken through another hallway, which went further into the history on how the recipe was developed, the espionage behind it and how that has led to an empire.  Finally, we were shown the world-famous vault, behind which lies this coveted recipe from over 100 years ago.  The tour continued with a story and exhibits on ‘Coca Cola’s’ involvement in pop-culture, especially sports; and being in an “Olympic City”, they showed us the various torches that have lit the “Olympic Flame” and I even got to pose with the 1996 torch.  The final stop was in their huge “tasting room”, where there are hundreds of ‘Coca Cola’ products from all over the world and you can have as much as you want.  Well, after a few sips I knew that I would not last long, since most of the world prefers their drinks sweet…way to sweet.  Of all the things that I tasted there, the best was ‘Thums Up’, the brand I grew up drinking in India.  Before I left the facility, I was given a commemorative ‘Coca Cola’ bottle as a souvenir.

Looking down at the 'CNN' newsfloor

I had tickets to some known as “Imagination Nights” at the nearby ‘Georgia Aquarium’, but that wasn’t till 4 pm and I had a few hours to kill.  So I crossed the park to enter the ‘CNN’ building – another Atlanta institution – and got tickets for a tour of the studios.  The tour started at the top level, meaning I boarded another one of Atlanta’s steep escalators.  The tour itself was an inside look at how news broadcast is produced and showed us some of the tricks that they use, such as the “Green Screens” for weather.  We also took a look at some of their studios and I definitely left with a deeper appreciation of the skill that is required to produce a good news broadcast.

Under the giant tank

I waited in the food court of the building, until it was time to go to the Aquarium.  The light was starting to fade and the holiday lights in the park were being turned on.  I walked past an ice rink and saw a demonstration of a ‘Keurig’ machine for ‘Coca Cola’ products…because that’s what we need more of in our households!  I entered the aquarium and was just in time for the “Dolphin Show” which was in an arena consisting of a huge pool.  The show was amazing, as was the rest of my stay at the aquarium, the highlight of which was a moving walkway that takes visitors underneath a giant tank, with aquatic creatures literally swimming above you.

I emerged from the aquarium to see that the park was now full of visitors and the holiday lights were looking spectacular, especially the 'Christmas Tree'.  The evening was pleasant, as was the walk back to my hotel.  After a quick change and a cocktail in the same restaurant as before, I took an ‘Uber’ to a restaurant names ‘Bacchanalia’, which is comfortable hidden at the back of a store.  Anyone passing by would have no idea that there was a restaurant here unless they were looking for it.  After another exciting meal, I came back to my room and retired.

The park under the holiday lights

Inside 'Georgia Dome'

Month’s ago, when I had decided to come to Atlanta, I was debating between 2 weekends that I could have picked.  I chose this one because that allowed me to attend a ‘NFL’ game between the ‘Atlanta Falcons’ and the visiting ‘Indianapolis Colts’.  I checked out  of my hotel and after a breakfast at a Southern establishment called ‘Juke Joint’, walked over to the ‘Georgia Dome’ stadium amidst thousands of other fans.  While they were in a higher section, I had great seats, since they were on the 50 yard line.  I had arrived early enough and stadium was quite empty.  But it soon filled up and for the next 3 hours, as the game ebbed and flowed, I was caught between the constant chatter of the fans of both teams.  While the home team lost, it had been a great experience, but now it was time to head back.  I returned to the hotel – passing by an established which had the minimalist but brilliant name of ‘Coffee & Cocktails’.  Before catching the train to the airport there was one last thing to do.  I asked the barman at the lobby bar for an opener and drank from the souvenir bottle that I had received yesterday.  I would not have been able to take it with me in the carry-on luggage.  I took the subway to the airport and the unique way that the terminals are designed in Atlanta meant that I had to walk almost a mile to get to my gate.  It is so long that the walk actually takes you through some museum exhibits.  It had been a short, but productive visit.  I had now visited an “Olympic City” and at ‘Coca Cola’, had seen a film to cherish. That's a win for sure.