The Atlanta Traveler

The Atlanta Cyclorama

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 15:26:53 +0000

Often when you live in a town with spots that attract tourists, you put off visiting them unless you have out-of-town company. Well, if you have missed seeing the Cyclorama, or haven’t been in a while – now’s the time to go. According the AJC the budget is tight and some staff have been furloughed. Hours are from 9 – 4:30 Tuesday through Sunday and the website is www.atlantacyclorama.org.

Claudine wrote about the Cyclorama here in June. See http://www.theatlantatraveler.com/what-is-a-cyclorama-in-atlanta-anyway/

It is truly an icon here in Atlanta. The painting was completed in 1896 and it depicts the Battle of Atlanta. It was given to the city by George Gress, the founder of the Grant Park Zoo, in 1898. The diorama was added in 1936. This is old Atlanta, but worth your time.

Post from: The Atlanta Traveler

Titanic Aquatic at the Georgia Aquarium

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 21:40:57 +0000

I recently went to the Titanic Exhibit at the Aquarium and I left with the impression I’d been on luxury liner. A lot of the display is about class – there were first, second and third class passengers. In fact, one of the reasons that there were enough lifeboats for only half of the passengers is that the British shipping company, the White Star Line, had made the decision that all those boats cluttered up their luxury ship.

You will walk through a first-class cabin and a third-class room. There are eye witness accounts, photos and many exhibits, including pieces of the china used in both first class and third class. My “Boarding Pass” was in the name of a second class passenger traveling to Akron, Ohio, who was, coincidentally, my age. At the end a list of all the passengers and crew is presented with diginity, as well as the individual stories of some and how they came to be on that particular ship. Even if you have no interest in the romance of the popular movie, this is a fascinating trip back into time.

I have been to the Aquarium before but it is still beautiful and awe-inspiring. Just watching the whale shark and a manta ray swimming overhead is other-worldly. The music adds to the tranquility of the place. I can see why the belugas are such a popular exhibit. They are big and well, almost huggable.

The Titanic exhibit will only be here until Spring. See www.georgiaaquarium.org.

Post from: The Atlanta Traveler

Charles Seabrook’s nature column returning to the AJC

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 16:08:52 +0000

If you’re a nature enthusiast, you will be glad to know that Charles Seabrook’s column on natural Georgia will be back at the Atlanta Journal Constitution this Sunday. Among the many changes the paper is making to try and survive, Seabrook’s column got canned. But the newspaper leadership listened to its readers and will return the column.

If you’re not familiar, Seabrook writes about places in Georgia with unique flora and fauna as well as explaining when you can expect to see which variety of hummingbird coming through or what kind of owl it is in your neighborhood making that strange noise. He has written books on Cumberland Island (Cumberland Island: Strong Women, Wild Horses, John F. Blair Publishing, $16.95) and the kaolin industry in Georgia ( Red Clay, Pink Cadillacs and White Gold: Georgia’s Kaolin Chalk Wars, Longstreet, 1995)

Really – there’s nothing like being “out there” and knowing what you are seeing. Here are links to several recent columns:

Mushrooms fill a variety of vital roles -

http://www.ajc.com/living/content/printedition/2008/11/23/wild.html

Owls rule autumn’s nighttime chatter –

http://www.ajc.com/living/content/living/homeandgarden/stories/2008/10/05/wild_1005_owls_autumn.html

Invading bugs ravage our forests -

http://www.ajc.com/living/content/printedition/2008/11/02/wild.html

Post from: The Atlanta Traveler

Lighting and fun nearby

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 17:42:12 +0000

Whoops – it’s Saturday morning and you haven’t made plans. Or there’s lots to do, but you just don’t want to go very far today. Log onto the website of your nearest small town. Everyone is having some kind of Christmas festival, Tour of Homes or Lighting of the Tree. Here are just two examples:

In Clayton County, the Festival of Trees and Lights at Clayton County International Park until December 21. $7 per car wkends, $5 Tue-Thur.

The annual Celebration of Light will be at the Norcross Cemetery beginning at 5 p.m.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has an interesting list: www.ajc.com/holiday/content/atlanta-holiday-guide/entertaining/great-holiday-decorations.html

Let us know what your community is doing!

Post from: The Atlanta Traveler

Learn about the Leo Frank case before the exhibit ends this year.

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 18:45:10 +0000

Nothing to do with the holidays but ending December 31 is the Breman Museum’s exhibition, “Seeking Justice: The Leo Frank Case Revisited.”

This is the truly tragic story of a murder that happened in 1913 that had a tremendous effect on Georgia and the nation. Very briefly, Leo Frank was a manager at a pencil factory and was accused of murdering 13-year-old Mary Phagan in the basement of the factory. The eye-witness was an African-American janitor. It was a very racially charged and sensational story, but was built on and used by politicians and competing city newspapers to inflame people even more. Then-Governor Slaton bravely commuted Frank’s death sentence (there were many doubts, even at that time.) The governor and his wife had to flee the state. Meanwhile, Frank was taken from jail by an angry mob and driven to Marietta, where he was hanged.

The exhibit will be leaving for New York at the end of the year. Much has been written about this story, movies made (and even a musical.) It is a powerful exhibit and worth a visit. The Breman is located at 1440 Spring St. NW in Atlanta. Admission is $10 adults, $6 seniors, 4 students and $2 children. It is open Mon-Thur 10 – 5, Fri. 10 -3 and Sunday 1 -5. For more information, call 678-222-3700 or see the website, www.thebreman.org.

Post from: The Atlanta Traveler

Helen’s Christkindlmarkt

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 21:39:24 +0000

In the German tradition of combining food, music and entertainment with markets of imported and local Christmas specialties, Georgia’s “Alpine” village is holding its first annual Christkindlmarkt. Long a tradition in Chicago, there are Christkindlmarkts in Pennsylvania, Colorado and Ohio. You can enjoy Georgia’s in (relatively) much warmer weather this weekend and next. The Helen Christmas parade is Dec. 6. Bands are scheduled during various times and Santa will be there too. (Christkindlmarkt is German for Christ child market.)

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Lake Lanier’s Magical Nights of Lights

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 19:56:30 +0000

About an hour north of Atlanta, Lake Lanier Islands offers six and a half miles of lights and a carload price. It bills itself as the “world’s largest animated light extravaganza” and includes a live nativity scene, carnival rides, pony rides and the Santa Shop. The Holiday Village includes a bonfire for roasting marshmallows. The price is $40 per car Friday through Sunday and holidays, $30 Monday through Thursday. Discount tickets are available at Publix and McDonalds (good for $5 off) or make your reservations on-line at www.lakelanierislands.com for the same discount. Lake Lanier Islands Resort has partnered with Toys for Tots, so bring an unwrapped toy for a $5 discount. (Only one discount per car.) You might also check out Breakfast with Santa or the Magical Nights of Lights dinner buffet at the Legacy Lodge’s Windows Restaurant. To get there, take I-85N to I-985N to exit 8 (Friendship Road). Follow the signs to Lake Lanier Islands Resort. Or take GA 400N to exit 14. Go East on GA 20, turn left on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard and left on Friendship Road. The website is www.lakelanierislands.com, or call 770-945-8787 for more information.

(Photos courtesy Lake Lanier Islands Resort)

Post from: The Atlanta Traveler

Fantasy in Lights a Christmas Tradition

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:45:24 +0000

With gas prices so low at the moment, you might consider driving south of town to the Fantasy of Lights at Callaway Gardens, just over an hour away. Famous for its azalea trails in the spring, the gardens light up for the holidays with 8 million lights. If you’re concerned about your carbon footprint, you can take the tram. It is open and this is a cold drive, so bundle up and bring a thermos of something warm. (You can purchase hot chocolate in the Christmas Village and under the Pavilion on the way to the trolley.) By the way, Callaway Gardens offsets 100 percent of its electricity use with wind power credits, so the Fantasy is compensated with “green” power. But back to the lights – cars line up by their allotted time and then are released for this drive. It’s a tradition among many families, now stretching back 17 years. It has been recognized by the Southeast Tourism Society as a Top 20 Event, the American Bus Association as one of the Top 100 Events and by America’s Best and Top Ten as the Top Three Light Shows in America, so while it may be expensive, it is a good value. (Weekdays are cheaper than weekends. Check out the website at www.callawaygardens.com for pricing and reservations.) If you can do an overnight, Callaway offers a range of very nice accommodations, good food and plenty of other things to do. To get there, take Interstate 85 south to Interstate 185 (exit 21). From Interstate 185, exit at U. S. Hwy. 27 (exit 42). Follow Hwy. 27 South to Pine Mountain. In Pine Mountain, turn right onto Hwy. 354 West. Proceed to Ga. Hwy. 18 and turn left into Callaway Gardens.

(Photos courtesy of Callaway Gardens.)

Post from: The Atlanta Traveler

Legendary eating at the Dillard House

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 19:51:51 +0000

I had heard a lot about the Dillard House before I went. The food is delicious, the service is great, it’s just something you have to do in the mountains – so my expectations were high. There is a long line at traditional meal times, but it moves quickly. (You can admire the view from the porch rocking chairs while you wait.) When we were seated, the server promptly came and took our drink orders. The menu on the wall outside had listed fried chicken, steak and gravy, sliced country ham and catfish. It was hard to choose but I had decided what I wanted. The drinks arrived and still, I waited for someone to come and take our food order. Instead, the server came out with a huge tray, with some of everything in the kitchen.

The food is Southern and as local as the seasons allow. In addition to the meats, at various times I have had corn on the cob, fried okra, sweet potatoes, cheddar potatoes, squash casserole, peas, green beans, butter peas, tomatoes, cabbage. There are biscuits, rolls and cornbread. No foil wrapped jellies for the Dillard House customers – you get apple butter served in a little bowl. And you can have more of anything you ask for.

The Dillard family has lived in this area since 1820. The cookbook sold in the gift shop includes plenty of history about the operation. In addition to the restaurant, there are rooms, cabins, a swimming pool and horseback riding. You can find out more at their website, www.dillardhouse.com. The restaurant and resort is located on Highway 441 in Dillard, Georgia. And yes, they are open for Thanksgiving.

Post from: The Atlanta Traveler

Goats lure North Georgia tourists

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:48:09 +0000

There you are driving along enjoying the mountain views and trying to ignore whatever the kids are doing in the backseat when the clamor becomes a little louder, “Those are sheep!” and “No they aren’t. It was goats on that roof. Dad, tell her that goats have horns.”

What? Indeed there are goats on the roof. This little place makes a great pit stop on your way north. There is specialty coffee for the adults and the kids can get a little exercise pedaling the stationary bicycle that moves a cup of goat food up to the roof.

Under that roof is seasonal produce, gourmet-farm goodies, ice cream and fudge, local produce, Georgia-made cheese and Ohio-farm produced jellies, even wines with goat-themed names. Upstairs where the restrooms are you’ll find a showroom of Amish made furniture. Goats On the Roof is located at 3026 Hwy. 441 South in Clayton. They can be found on line (with an imaginative explanation for the presence of the goats on the roof) at www.tigergoats.com.

Post from: The Atlanta Traveler