Atlanta is the capital of and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia, with an estimated 2013 population of 447,841.[6] Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, home to 5,522,942 people and the ninth largest metropolitan area in the United States.[7] Atlanta is the county seat of Fulton County, and a small portion of the city extends eastward into DeKalb County.
I had been traveling to Atlanta for over a month and I had not been able to see any of the city so I decided to stay for a weekend and visit the major tourist sites in town. I came across the not so touristy part of town but every major city in every country has a run down or bad part of town. Having said that, let’s move on to the fun parts of town and things to see.
One quick disclaimer, all pictures were taken with my mobile phone on this trip so the quality will not be as good as on some of the other pages.
Now before people start saying that aquariums and zoos are cruel for animals and they should all be closed; I am very much a fan of nature and I have my own personal debates about the good and bad viewpoints of aquariums and zoos. I know I have been lucky enough to travel to many places on this planet to see nature in the wild, and it has been awesome, but I realize for many people the only chance they have to see these creatures is at a zoo or aquarium. The sacrifices these captive animals make often helps educate and inspire others that may make a difference in nature. That’s the positive viewpoint and I just hope the animals are treated as well as possible, I always leave with mixed feelings.
Georgia Aquarium
The Georgia Aquarium is a public aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It houses tens of thousands of animals, representing several hundred species, all of which reside in 10 million US gallons (38,000 m3) of marine and fresh water,[1][2] and is the largest aquarium in the western hemisphere. It was the largest aquarium in the entire world from its opening in 2005 until 2012, when it was surpassed by Marine Life Park in Singapore.[4]
I had heard many great things about the Georgia Aquarium and had some high expectations and I must say we were impressed. They had plenty of the typical “fish tank” exhibits which are small and show a few wonderful creatures but when you look up and see fish above you, you know this is not your typical aquarium. They have obviously aimed many of the exhibits and their dolphin show at a younger audience which is fine but their obvious claim to fame are their huge tanks. The first large tank you come across hosts a pair of beluga whales which are wonderful calm looking animals. With their penguin exhibit you can actually pop your head up in the middle of the exhibit to get up close – OK, this is probably just meant for kids but it was great to crawl through the tunnel for a chance to stare eye to eye with a penguin! 🙂
The big tank, wow, what a tank it is. Huge manta rays and whale sharks, not just one but I counted at least three of these massive creatures. Ohhh I could have sat there and watched them for hours but a full day was planned.
Now, I mentioned earlier that the aquarium aims at a younger audience with lots of kids activities and their dolphin show is a prime example. It’s a little stage show with cast members singing and dolphins jumping etc. I was hoping for something a little more educational but I am sure the many families with young children enjoyed it.
World of Coca-Cola
The World of Coca-Cola is a museum showcasing the history of The Coca-Cola Company that contains a host of entertainment areas and attractions, and is located in Atlanta, Georgia (where the company’s headquarters are located) at Pemberton Place (named in honor of John Pemberton, the inventor of Coca-Cola). The 20-acre (81,000 m2) complex is located across Baker Street from Centennial Olympic Park that is home to the Georgia Aquarium and the Center for Civil & Human Rights. It opened to the public on May 24, 2007, relocating from and replacing the original exhibit.
I really didn’t know what to expect beforehand, I had images of a typical self promoting museum with a few activities and lots of history. We opted to do the VIP tour as it wasn’t much more expensive and, in retrospect, it was well worth it. With the VIP tour you are a small group of about 10 people plus a guide to walk you through the exhibits and answer all your questions. In addition you get to go to the front of the line to have your picture taken with the Coca-Cola polar bear and into all the exhibits.
Now there is a lot of history and I have to admit our VIP Guide did a great job of bringing it all to life and telling us those extra things that are not mentioned on some of the display signs. Facts are facts but our guide was able to put some relevance around history.
The end of the tour ends in the tasting room which gives you the opportunity to try many of the different Coca-Cola products from all over the world. You can drink as much and as many as you can physically handle. It was interesting to see just how many different products they make that are unique to a particular country or region.
Zoo Atlanta
Zoo Atlanta was founded in 1889, when businessman George V. Gress purchased a bankrupt traveling circus and donated the animals to the city of Atlanta. City leaders opted to house the collection in Grant Park, which remains the zoo’s present location. Original residents of the zoo included a black bear, a jaguar, a hyena, a gazelle, a Mexican hog, lionesses, monkeys, and camels.[3] The zoo’s collection expanded in the 1930s with the personal donation of a private menagerie owned by Asa G. Candler, Jr. [4]
This was a last minute decision and probably not the best choice for a cold wet day. The entrance fee was half price as many of the animals were not on display due to the weather. The zoo is apparently known for their gorillas but they had all taken the day off as did a vast majority of animals. The Red Panda (and a few birds) was one of the few animals that didn’t appear to mind the cold or the rain, even the Giant Pandas were inside. The new reptile house is extremely nice and definitely someplace nice to wait out the heavier rains. However, the zoo is smaller than I was expecting for a city the size of Atlanta.
Summary
The weather was not being nice for the zoo but it was a great weekend and I am glad I got just a taste of this historic town. Definitely someplace I would go back and explore more, maybe next time I will explore the history and culture more, but for this trip it was all about the big nature oriented tourist attractions. I didn’t even get a chance to try the famous southern cuisine but I did bring a new friend back with me. 🙂
Logistics
This trip was just something I organized on our own and the city is easy enough to get around in. I was staying in the north end of the city and used a rental car and the local train system (MARTA) with ease. All of the above attractions, along with the Atlanta airport are easily accessible by MARTA but may require a bit of a walk (up to 1.5 miles).
We started the morning early by heading to the Georgia Aquarium and it was pretty easy to find from the highway with good signage and plenty of parking. One nice advantage is that the Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coca-Cola are right across from each other, which means you park once and can enjoy both places. I highly recommend going to the websites and getting tickets in advance, often at a discount. We could even pay for parking in advance and get a discount. 🙂
Christine Oehlman
Thanks for sharing, Nigel. Really nice pics! But I still don’t know what you look like.