WHERE TO SLEEP?: There are plenty of places to choose from in Atlanta I spent my time at the Glenn Hotel in downtown because it is across the street from CNN center. (There is also a very nice Omni Hotel attached to CNN center) My experience at the Glenn has been exceptional. The minute you walk in the door the staff makes you feel at home.
The bar in the lobby has “mixologists” not bartenders that can whip you up a unique drink you’ve never heard of. I happen to like the Glenntini. A refreshing drink with mint and cucumber. If you want to sit outside grab a couch up on the roof. Nothing beats the view of downtown Atlanta than the Glenn’s rooftop skylounge.
THINGS TO DO: Eat! There are so many great restaurants in this town but I will get to that later. In and around downtown’s Olympic Park there are a few must sees:
The Georgia Aquarium
World of Coke
The King Center
World of Coke
A Tour of CNN
MUSIC: Looking for a nice laid back place to listen to some live music then go to KAT’S cafe (they have pizza and other food) but the main reasons to go is the JAZZ is awesome and Kat is a sweetheart. She sings on Thursday nights. Located in 970 Piedmont Road in Midtown.
Deals: You MUST download ScoutMob to your phone if you are in Atlanta. Once you have the app the daily deals automatically update and they are yours for the using. A lot of 50% off for restaurants around town just pull up the offer and show it to the server.
Yoga Rejuvenate Spa in downtown (next to the Hyatt and Marriott Marquee) has a beautiful yoga studio with a nice view of the town.
MARTA Train to Airport/Movies/Malls: There is a train stop right downtown called Five Points. From the Airport follow the signs to MARTA and you can jump on any train and it will stop at Five Points, downtown. Movies/shops/restaurants: Just a few stops north of Five Points is Arts Center. If you get off here you can hop on a FREE shuttle to Atlantic Station. It’s a nice area to walk around and the IMAX and Theatre are here. MALLS for Perimeter Mall get off at Dunwoody Station and follow the signs to the mall. Lenox Square Mall is just across the street from the Lenox Station stop.
Restaurants: There are so many that I am going to list the ones that I really enjoyed. I will update this list as I continue to eat my way around this city and find places worth passing on:
Local 3 / South City Kitchen / The Reserve at Cafe Circa
Flip Burger / Goodie Burger / Eclipse de Luna for Tapas
Prime (at CNN Center in the Omni Hotel) has wonderful themed lunch buffets.
La Tavola Trattoria- went back because the veal was so good!
Amicacola Falls State Park:
$5 to enter the park. If you are into hiking you have several option and the one I would recommend isn’t that hard. You start by parking at the visitor’s center and taking the trail behind it thru the arch. Going up you won’t see the fall until you are at the top. When you come down take the stairs all the way down then follow the signs to the visitor’s center. Round trip it took about an hour and a half. The advertised time is 2 hours.
There is a lodge you can drive to at the top of the mountain. They have a restaurant no menus, it’s a buffet. The soup and salad bar was about $9. You may want to bring your own lunch and have a picnic. But if you go to the lodge swing by the gift shop and say hello to Barbara. She is so helpful and happy to answer questions about the trails.
