Two Days in Atlanta, Capital of Georgia-USA Posted on: 10 July 2018 :: Photo Credits: Huaiwei Mate SE ::
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Preface
In this year’s summer vacation trip to India, I did not get an opportunity for a layover trip. To compensate for that, Pradip suggested me to spend a couple of days in Atlanta, on my way back to Ithaca from India. He was also going to join there, to get some well-deserved rest. He had been traveling a lot for the past few months for conferences and research. So, we had decided to keep walking to a minimum and explore a few places in Atlanta leisurely.
Day : 1
Both of us were too tired to put effort into planning our day. So, we asked Google! The topmost result under ‘things to do in Atlanta’ was Georgia Aquarium. Without second thoughts, we took an Uber from our Airbnb to the aquarium.
As it was a Saturday, the place was bursting at the seams with people.
We spent the next 5 hours exploring the seven galleries of this ‘World’s second largest’ aquarium (It was the largest till 2012). The galleries were named: Tropical Diver, Ocean Voyager, Cold Water Quest, River Scout, Dolphin Celebration, Pier 225 and Aquanaut Adventure. There were more than 700 species of fish and other sea creatures including whale sharks, sea lions, dolphins and stingrays.
The most interesting part was the Dolphin Celebration Show! I had been skeptical about Dolphin shows after watching the Jim Carrey starrer Ace Ventura – Pet Detective. But this 30 min show in Georgia Aquarium was so educative and entertaining, that we watched it twice in a row. The Dolphin instructors were very friendly and it seemed that the Dolphins were enjoying themselves as well.
There were also other interesting exhibits like the Californian Sea Lion Show, a huge viewing gallery and an underwater tunnel to watch Whale sharks, a dugout to see Penguins etc. The whole experience was well worth the ~$40 admission ticket. It is definitely the best place to spend the first day in Atlanta.
Day : 2
It was a very hot day! We decided to spend most of the day indoors to avoid the scorching sun. After a late breakfast, we began our sightseeing by visiting the Museum of Design. This small museum turned out to be a hidden gem! It had truly spectacular design exhibits on architecture, product design, interiors, fashion etc.
The most fun exhibit was the ‘Community Quilt Project’. This exhibit showcased drawings made by visitors about their hopes, fears, dreams or concerns. We also contributed a couple of sketches to it.
After 4 PM the sun was bearable enough to walk in the open areas. We decided to visit the Centennial Olympic Park. This huge public park was built as a part of the infrastructure for the 1996 Summer Olympics.
It offered amazing views of the Atlanta Skyline which included major Atlanta landmarks like the Georgia World Congress Center, Phillips Arena, the CNN tower, the Mercedes-Benz stadium and the SkyView Atlanta (Ferris Wheel).
The most entertaining feature of the park was the Fountain of Rings, where we watched a light-and-sound show. It was fun to watch the dancing jets of water synchronized with the music and lights. The fountain was surrounded by flags of the countries that had hosted the Summer Olympics before 1996.
In the evening, we walked in Piedmont Park. Midtown Atlanta’s skyline at the backdrop of Lake Clara was a breath-taking sight.
A group of street musicians was playing in the park, with a few enthusiastic bystanders dancing heartily to the upbeat tunes.
To end our day on a comic note, we decided to watch a stand-up comedy show at the Village Theatre. It was the first time I watched an improv show live. A group of five female artists took the audience of around 20 people on a laughter rollercoaster with their amazing sense of humor and presence of mind. Though we could not relate to many of their jokes about life in US’s high schools, it was an entertaining experience.
The next morning, I boarded a Greyhound bus to get back to Ithaca (24hrs bus ride!). After a three-week long vacation in India, this short Atlanta trip brought me back into the US state-of-mind and helped overcome the jetlag. Also, it added another state ‘Georgia’ to my list of visited states in the United States of America.