Neither of us had been in downtown Atlanta. We may have passed through, been stuck in the airport for hours, and I have been there for a 1 day seminar while in grad school…but never have we stayed for an exhilarating 72 hours! Despite the gray skies, fog, and downpour…I pulled on my rain boots, Andrew rolled up his pants, and we grabbed our camera, money and tickets to head in the fast lane!
Again, we visited Priceline and landed a 4+ star hotel – Hyatt Regency Downtown for $50/night!!! Priceline is great for reasonable weekend trips…just select the area of town, choose a 4+ star hotel, and bid your price. Then the research began to plan a fun-filled weekend!
The view of the lobby of Hyatt Regency Downtown Atlanta.
We usually work half Fridays whenever we drive long hours for weekend trips. The great thing about visiting in Atlanta is that there are so many things to do. When planning a trip whether it’s with family, friends, or significant others, there are events for everyone! We did some research and found 50 Fun Things to Do in Atlanta. Since we were somewhat on a budget, we decided to plan for the following: Braves game, Georgia Aquarium, and the World of Coke in addition to attending my cousin's wedding party. The money saving hint…buy combo packages! Click here to see the various packages you can purchase through the Georgia Aquarium! We ended up purchasing scalped tickets for the Braves game (since we didn’t know how the weather would be nor did we think we’d make it on time) and bought the Pemberton Pass for $36.50. To get the best bang for your buck…purchase the City Pass if there for a few days. Over a period of 9 days, you can visit 6 Atlanta attractions for $69.
MLB - Atlanta Braves
We barely made it for the game! The weather was terrible – gloomy with some major rain in Memphis as well as during the majority of the drive to Atlanta. Needless to say, we literally dropped our things off at the Hyatt, hopped in a cab, bought scalped tickets via our cab window, and arrived at the game by the 3rd inning! My heart was racing the entire time! I didn’t think we’d make it since the cab driver was SOOOO SLOW!! I thought cab drivers were crazy, maniacs?! We still gave him an extra dollar for tip in the end :) Despite the big loss….we had a blast and Andrew somehow captured me on the megatron during the change of pitchers. I was a dancing fool once I heard Andrew say, “Tiff…you’re on the screen!!” Transportation back to the hotel was a little confusing once we got on the MARTA train…no signs, no announcements…just guess where to get off. We ended up walking a little further back to the hotel. We were fortunate to have made it through the night with no rain.
After we returned from the game, I gave Andrew his early Anniversary present…a swiss, skeleton watch he’s been wanting for years! He thought he was getting it next week, but I had it shipped overnight and gave it to him early. He LOVED it!!
Under the Sea - Georgia Aquarium
The Georgia Aquarium is the largest aquarium in the world!! Our favorite part of the visit was sitting in a room where it felt like you were “under the sea”! In the tunnel - you could see a 7-foot ray, large whale sharks, and other creatures big and small swimming all around you. There were different sections of the aquarium – river creatures, cold water swimmers, whales, and so much more! There were parts where you could pet the rays, sharks, star fish, and some type of slimy things that have rubber tentacles. You could also watch the divers feed the reefs and do their maintenance duties. They also have a 3-D movie but it was extra and it didn’t come with the Pemberton Pass. Great place for a family to tour!!!
FYI...to alleviate jellyfish sting pain...apply vinegar!
So cute!!
Afterward, we headed over to Taco Mac to meet up with the family and watch the Big Game – Cards vs. Cats! GO CATS!!! Poor Andrew…he cheered hard for his team until the end but showed good sportsmanship and congratulated us (the Cross clan – bleeds BLUE). Andrew says that is not biologically possible.
Nick & Brenna's Party(ies)
My oldest cousin, Nick, (on my dad’s side) married a beautiful, fun, young gal – Brenna, in Santa Barbara, CA. While we didn’t get to see their wedding in the hills of God’s beautiful nature (we saw pictures), we did have fun partying down with them on Saturday night at their wedding party at The View of King Plow Art Center and “after party” on the rooftop at Whiskey Blue in W Hotel (a party after a party – literally). Andrew and I had been looking forward to this for a long time and it was a swanky, schnazzy party! It was a formal cocktail event that was well-organized and much fun! In fact, I probably danced for 2.5 to 3 of the 4 hours!
Then we headed over to Whiskey Blue for the private after party where we gave them the code name to get in. The elevator door opened and oh my…a contemporary, leather couch in an elevator!!!! Seriously! By the way, the elevator was like the size of a small bedroom! The elevator took it’s time up to the rooftop terrace. We headed over to see Nick’s party and it felt like we were at a high-roller party. We had so much fun…or I did at least. Andrew was already getting a headache from the loud music at the 1st party. But, popped some relievers and felt better. I just LOVE my hubby. He truly cares about me and knows how much I love my family and visiting with them. He has already made several sacrifices since I really pull him out of his shell :) He was the one that actually volunteered to party until 3am with my cousin! Our night ended young and fun then we got up at 8am to eat breakfast with my Uncles and the family at their rental house. And boy does my Uncle make some mean, organic veggie scrambled eggs and turkey bacon!
Open Happiness – World of Coke
Do you know how to enjoy the fulfillment of the taste of Coke – drink at 36 degrees F. We toured the World of Coke on our last rainy day after the big breakfast and our favorite was the 4-D movie! Andrew had to mention an important fact…that humans can’t see 4-D. So he asked what’s the difference between 3-D and 4-D – moving seats! The movie was incredible! It reminded me of the time my family and I went to see a Bug’s Life in 4-D at Disney World…where they create illusions and senses. I’m talking wind blowing, water splashes, bugs poking, and bees flying! The one at the World of Coke…had the same effects! We felt like kids laughing so hard and screaming at the back pokes and critters crawling under your legs! The tours itself was really interesting, especially seeing and learning the history behind Coca-Cola. Coke was developed in 1886 by a Pharmacist, John S. Pemberton. It’s just his syrup formula and soda water! If you like Coke…this place is a must to visit! 
The original American Idol couch from 2005.
After tasting all 64 flavors of Coke...he got Coke drunk!
My cousin's wife, Meagan, warned us about Beverly...GROTTY. Worst than I expected!
We’re hoping to come back to Atlanta again to visit with Nick and Brenna! I had planned on doing another triathlon in Atlanta next summer, the Iron Girl. Definitely looking forward to coming back for some more fun in Atlanta!
No comments:
Post a Comment