June 19th, 2008
Are you in the know about Atlanta? And about where to go when you want to leave the city?
Do you know where to go to see great art, listen to fantastic music, eat delicious food, and mellow out over a beverage with friends? Do your friends ask you for suggestions about what to do on the weekend? Do you the know the famous attractions, as well as the infamous?
If you have a passion for your city, and would like to share it with others, The Atlanta Traveler wants YOU!
We’re hiring a blogger to take over duties here, so if you’re interested in taking over those duties email me expressing your interest and providing links to other relevant writing. Convince me that you’re the right person for the job.
Knowledge of Word Press and photo editing is preferred. Blogging experience is nice, but is not as important as passion for the topic. Pay is a monthly base plus traffic bonus.
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By Mary Jo -- 0 comments
June 16th, 2008
Wishing all of the dads out there a Happy Father’s Day!
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By Claudine -- 0 comments
June 15th, 2008
I have to admit that I thought that the Cyclorama had to do something with bicycles. Actually, a Cyclorama, is a huge cylindrical painting in which the viewer gets a 360-degree view of the painting. The Cyclorama, located in Grant Park has been entertaining folks in Atlanta since 1893. The Cyclorama also has Civil War museum located mainly on the top floor of the building. The main attraction of the Cyclorama, however, has to be the gigantic three-dimensional painting depicting the Atlanta Campaign in the Civil War in July 22, 1864. It is the largest oil painting in the world, weighing over 9,000 pounds. It’s 42 feet high and 358 feet long. The Cyclorama was painted by 11 German artists who were chosen for their various specialities. For example, artists who specialize in painting skies, painted the sky for the Cyclorama.
The tour of the Cyclorama begins after a short film narrated by James Earl Jones introducing the Battle in Atlanta. Next, you go into an auditorium, the actual Cyclorama (higher seats get the better view) and the auditorium revolves around the painting while a different narrator explains significant points in the paining. As he tells the story of this massive painting, the areas that he refers to light up. Here are some interesting parts in the painting that our guide mentioned.
- Old Abe, an eagle war mascot from Wisconsin, flew over more than three dozen battles, but not over the Atlanta Campaign as he is shown in the painting.
- There’s a tiny figure in red at the bottom of Stone Mountain; that’s a woman, the only woman depicted in the painting. She’s a nurse, taking care of a federal soldier.
- The only African America man in the painting is a slave observing the battle when from 1861 to 1865 over 200,000 African Americans fought in the Civil War. There were 23 African American soldiers who earned medals of honor.
- There is a gentleman, a dying soldier, who is a copy of Clark Gable as Rhett Butler from Gone with the Wind. Apparently Gable felt that his character should play a part of the Cyclorama. Someone actually muttered, “Oh God!” when our tour guide pointed that out. It was too funny! Anyway, during the premiere of Gone With the Wind in 1939, the cast and crew came to the Cyclorama and Gable felt that no painting of the Civil War was complete without a depiction Rhett Butler. I don’t think that Rhett depicted as a dead and bloody Union soldier was what he had in mind.
The Cyclorama was entertaining; the story of the battle in Atlanta of the Civil War is told in surround sound with sound effects from the battle. On the bottom of the painting are 128 replicas of soldiers in the battle, among realistic looking fallen trees and debris. The tallest soldier is three feet and the smallest is about 11 inches. Visitors, feel as though they are looking into a life-sized 3D replica of the battle. Children will love the Cyclorama, and it’s a great place for them to learn about Atlanta’s part in the Civil War.
How Much:
Adults $7
Seniors $6
Kids $5
Where:
The Atlanta Cyclorama is adjacent to Zoo Atlanta.
800C
Cherokee Ave. SW
Atlanta
404-624-1071
Hours:
8:50 to 4:30 p.m., Tuesdays through Sundays
Photo Credit: Claudine Williams
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By Claudine -- 2 comments
June 13th, 2008
Photo: Maggie has her photo opportunity at Hotel Indigo. The sign on the chair says,
Don’t Forget the Little People. Courtesy of Hotel Indigo.
Pampered pets in Atlanta know to urge their owners to take them to Hotel Indigo, a boutique hotel where they dine and enjoy cocktail hour with their two-legged friends. The pets have their own bar, called Ruff Age Bar. For the health conscious pet, this bar serves vegan doggie treats. Yes. The pets are living it up at Hotel Indigo, where pets are not tolerated, they are catered to. Every Tuesday, the pets can enjoy cocktail hour on the patio. Pooches dine on gourmet steak and chicken, and drink bottled water. Pet owners can order from the casual Golden Bean restaurant and choose from weekly signature drinks including, aptly named, the Salty dog, Greyhound, and the Yellow Lab. The humans can make selections for the fury friends from Hotel Indigo’s doggie menu.
For everyone’s listening pleasure, the Hotel Indigo’s new band debuted this week. The band, The House Band with a Little Sax, features Brian Myler the Food and Beverage Director of the hotel on drums, and Eddie Barton, the front desk office manager on saxophone. Tunes that humans can sing to and pets can howl to are featured. So, don’t be surprised if you hear the band play, Ain’t Nothing But a Hound Dog.
Hey, if you are looking for a pet, come out to the festivities. The Atlanta Humane Society also brings pets looking to be adopted to the cocktail party. You may just make and new friend.
Now you’ve got to see this in person.
When: Every Tuesday (All summer long)
6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Where: Hotel Indigo- Midtown Atlanta
(Across from The Fox Theatre)
683 Peachtree St. NE
404.874.9200
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By Claudine -- 0 comments
June 12th, 2008
Take a look at this video that I made of a ritzy suite in the Omni Hotel downtown. Who lived in this two-story suite? How much does it cost to rent this pad? Well, I gave the answers away early in the video. Watch it and find out. These days, the room is rented out to bigwigs who are visiting for fun or company executives who are in town for a conference.
The Omni Hotel is located in the CNN Tower in Atlanta. The address is:
190 Marietta Street
Atlanta, Ga.
404-659-0000
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By Claudine -- 0 comments
June 12th, 2008
I went to this place last night. I arrived late, caught up in horrible traffic on 285 East and I-85 North. A snail moved faster than I in that rush hour traffic. I had to be at this place at 7:30 p.m., and I showed up there at about 8 a.m. Thankfully, when arrived, I was greeted by a couple of wenches and escorted to my seat by a fine lass. I was happy to be in the presence of a king and queen in this guest, and there were rowdy, blood-thirsty, cheering guests. While there, I tore into a feast of roasted chicken, potato, and pastry. As you can tell, there was a great battle in this place. Sparks flew as swords clashed and brave, beautiful stallions danced with intricate footwork, definitely better than I.
I shouted out loud to support a man dressed in red in this place. I booed a traitor and watched a princess get swept off her feat with love for another man. This is a place that is fun to see once with friends and family. Even couples can have a good time watching the pageantry. Children will love this place, and want to return again and again. This is the sort of place that I would enjoy once, but the second or third viewing may be less thrilling for me. Can you guess where this picture is from in Atlanta?
The answer will be revealed by this Sunday, June 15th, so stay tuned.
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By Claudine -- 0 comments
June 11th, 2008
Atlanta is the home of Coca Cola, and I promised you all pictures of the New World of Coca Cola. When I make a promise, I try to deliver. The New World of Coca Cola is right next door to the Georgia Aquarium and walking distance from the CNN Center in Atlanta.
Oh my goodness! I love this bear. He’s so extremely cute and cuddly. I wonder if he’s good with poodles.
This was one of the displays in the museum. It’s a replica of an old-fashioned soda counter.
Have you seen any of these Coca Cola signs in person?
If I haven’t mentioned it already, my favorite part of the tour was guzzling down the free coke products. They had me when I saw the grape (and oh so many different flavors of Fanta). I think that I had enough to fill all of the bottles above, and I’m not a soda drinker. I’m Miss Pure and Natural, a proponent of drinking water, and maybe some sweet tea.
Wouldn’t you want this sofa in your living room?
Want to Go?
121 Baker Street NW
Atlanta, GA 30313-1807
(404) 676-5151
Tickets are:
$15 for adults
$13 for Seniors 55+
$9 for children 3-12
Children under 2 are free
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By Claudine -- 2 comments
June 10th, 2008
Inside CNN is a tour of the CNN broadcasting tower, located at 100 CNN Center in Atlanta. First you take an 8-story escalator up to the an atrium area where you will hear facts about CNN. There, you will also have the opportunity to take a photo at a mock CNN newsroom desk. One person on the tour may read a teleprompter, simulating delivering a CNN broadcast. Although you may not take photos on the tour, you can buy photos of you at the mock CNN anchor desk. The photos are $20 a package, sold in the gift shop after the tour.
After leaving the anchors’ desk, you’ll continue with the Inside CNN tour. You will watch at least one film about CNN and the tour guide will talk about the history of CNN, the role CNN played in the Gulf War, CNN’s international impact, and see an 
example, on a monitor and through audio, of how live broadcasts are made to be visually appealing to viewers through the use of graphics.
The 55-minute tour takes you to a viewing window, the CNN Overlook, where you can look down and watch Atlanta’s CNN newsroom in action. You will learn how news flows into the newsroom and is eventually aired on television.
Throughout the tour of the CNN building, you will learn interesting facts, like that CNN has over 2 billion viewers and that the CNN building was purchased by Ted Turner in 1985. You probably didn’t know that the three cameras used for the Atlanta broadcast cost $300,000 each. These huge cameras are operated using a joystick.
It was cool to find out how some stations create weather reports. CNN meteorologists can see the screen (with the weather map information) behind them. Meteorologists at other stations may see only a green screen (not the map behind them). Watching the writers and editors on the floor of the newsroom was also interesting. I enjoyed hearing the directions for creating a live broadcast in the replica of the control room.
You ride up the escalator to begin the tour, but you walk down the eight flights of stairs during the tour. The walk down is fairly comfortable, since you go down a couple of flights at a time while the tour guide is presenting information on different floors in the center. Definitely call 404-827-2300at least 72 hours in advance if you or anyone in your party is disabled or is concerned about the stairs.
If you watch CNN or are curious about television camera tricks, you will enjoy the Inside CNN tour. The tour costs $12 for adults, $9 for children. You can buy tickets here. Have any of you been on Inside CNN tours in other cities? I understand that there was one in New York. What was your tour like?
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By Claudine -- 0 comments
June 10th, 2008
I was recently invited to a luau at Lake Lanier in Flowery Branch. Lake Lanier is 26 miles long. Members of the Black Boaters Club shuttled myself and members of the 30+ meetup group to a private cove. Little did I realize that there are at least two marinas in the small town of Flowery Branch. Unfortunately, I ended up at the wrong marina! I was supposed to meet them at Aqualand Marina., said to be the largest inland marina in the United States. I ended up at Starboard Cove Marina, which was down the street, well down the street and around a few corners. Check out my YouTube video to view the rest of my story!
About Lake Lanier
Lake Lanier in Flowery Branch, is located about 45 miles north of Atlanta. The lake is a popular summer destination for boating, skiing, and bass fishing. I am told that people also go swimming in the lake. According to the Great Lakes of Georgia about 8 million people visit the lake a year. Lake Lanier has been severely affected by a drought in the area, see photos in The Diatribune. According to the Diatribune, the lake receded to 19 feet below normal and has impacted many people who live there (property depreciation) and depend on the lake for their livelihoods. When I went the water off of the Aqualand Marina was fine for a luau or other water activities. So that you have better luck getting to the marinas, here is a list of some Lake Lanier marinas. I’m in a generous mood today, so here are some driving directions to Flowery Branch from Atlanta.
Accommodations
The Lake Lanier Islands Resort, 7000 Holiday Road, Lake Lanier Islands, is a 216-room resort and spa with 30 villas and additional houseboats. Call 770.945.8787 for reservations.
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By Claudine -- 0 comments
June 8th, 2008
Located at 190 Marietta Street, the Omni Hotel is a four diamond hotel in Atlanta. The hotel is centrally located near Atlanta attractions like the CNN Center, the Georgia Aquarium, the New World of Coca Cola, Phillips Arena, the Georgia World Congress Center and Centennial Park. In fact, the CNN Center is in the same plaza as the Omni. The Omni and the CNN broadcasting center, Phillips Area and the Georgia World Congress Center are connected. Most of the aforementioned attractions and venues are within walking distance, about 10 to 15 minutes away. By the way, the Omni is also the closest hotel to the Georgia Dome.
The luxurious 1,070 guestrooms boast Chinese granite countertops, marble floors, workstations. A sate-of-the art 24-hour fitness facility. and an outdoor pool are also available for guests. Rooms at the Omni have fabulous views of Atlanta. You will be enthralled by the view of Atlanta city lights seen from your room.
Stressed out or simply need a little pampering? The Natural Body Spa is located inside of the hotel, providing a myriad of services included facials, massages, and body treatments. Although prices are subject to change, to get an idea of the costs for services, he signature facial is about $90 and massages start at $50 for 30 minutes.
Meeting Facilities
The Omni has a 120,000 square foot functional space for dinners and other special events. Included are the 12,000 square-foot Atrium Terrace and the 15,000 square-foot exhibit hall. There are also several break-out rooms available for smaller meeting and gatherings. The Omni is usually bustling with name-tag-wearing visitors who are in town for conferences or business meetings. Meeting planners seek to schedule meetings and special events in the beautifully lavish Omni.
Dining
The elegant Prime Meridian Restaurant, and comfortable Latitudes Bistro and Lounge are both located inside the Omni. I enjoyed the Baby Spinach Salad $8, the Grilled Black Angus Tenderloin $33, and I sampled desserts called Sinless Indulgences. They range from fresh fruit in a glass to key lime pie in shot glasses. I adored the chocolate mousse.
Reservations
Room prices vary according to the season, but during the summer months a single king guestroom may be reserved for a one-night (Friday night) stay for $179. Packages are available to accommodate families, ladies getaways, and tours to the CNN Center, the Georgia Aquarium, and other attractions. U.S. residents can call 1-888-444-OMNI for reservations.
Photos Courtesy of: Omni Hotel
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By Claudine -- 2 comments
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