Georgia - ilivetotravel's travel log

Photo Ode to a Departing Winter

26 March 2014 by Raul 2 Comments

Yes, it is spring already in the northern hemisphere. However, as the news just shared with us, there is at least one more cold spell before we are free-and-clear from winter (right around when this post goes out). Winter in the U.S. this year was pretty brutal. From Boston, to Chicago, to Atlanta, it seems to have been unusually “wintery” to say the least. So this post is my goodbye to Winter 2014 – in photos from its visit to Atlanta…

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Heading out from the house

I went “sledding”…

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The tracks of my “sled”

Twas a fast ride down

The tracks of my “sled”

The “sled”. Thanks, Rubbermaid!

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Snowy street

Loved my apple tree covered in snow

A beautiful field of snow

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The creek that runs along that beautiful field of snow

Let’s bring color in – it isn’t all dark and white around here!

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Holly bush brings color to my yard

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My Samsung Galaxy and I partnered for these Photo Ode photos (except this one!)

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A beautiful cardinal brought color on this white day in Atlanta

Another view of the cardinal perched on my apple tree

With that beautiful image, I am ready to close the book on winter 2014 and hope for more winter color in 2015!

Filed Under: Georgia, Special Photos, US & Canada Tagged With: Atlanta, photo, Samsung Galaxy 4, snow, winter

A Great Hike Right Near Atlanta: Sweetwater Creek State Park

19 March 2014 by Raul

Atlanta may not be what comes to mind when thinking for a place to go to enjoy the great outdoors. But our little known secret is how close we are to any number of incredible spots to be “with” nature and enjoy the great outdoors. I recently got to explore Sweetwater Creek State Park, a short 15 minute ride west of Atlanta, and was impressed at the place and shocked that I have been a resident of this city for close to three decades and I had never been.

The park sits along a reservoir (with all sorts of water activities possible, like fishing and paddle boats) and a creek flowing from it into the larger Chattahoochee River, as it makes its way down to Alabama, Florida, and eventually, the Gulf of Mexico.

A lot of work is being done around the park and its visitor center looks to be quite new. It has some exhibits, a gift shop, and very helpful folks to answer any questions. We got a map and were told to be sure to do the red trail as it has the more scenic views of the creek and the old mill. Yes, as any self-respecting creek in the South must, Sweetwater Creek was the former home of a mill for the New Manchester Manufacturing Company.

The ruins of the mill, burnt down during the Civil War are still standing which makes for some great photo opportunities. The fact that its ruins are still there helps transport one to the times not long ago (maybe a century ago?) when mills and ferries were commonplace in this area. So much so that many streets in Atlanta bear names like Howell Mill, Paces Ferry, Sewell Mill, Montgomery Ferry, etc.

After doing the shorter red trail, we connected to the longer white trail. At some point the white trail departs the shores of the Sweetwater Creek and head inland and uphill. The whole circuit was around 5 miles and it took us about an hour and forty minutes. It was a glorious morning in late winter in Atlanta and my first visit to Sweetwater Creek State Park could not have been any better! And some folks planned ahead exactly how they were going to enjoy the weather and the view!

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Read about these other great hikes in Georgia:

… and more to come!

Filed Under: Georgia, Hiking, North Georgia, Travel Journal, Travel Stories, US & Canada Tagged With: hiking in Georgia, hiking near Atlanta, nature, outdoors, state park in Georgia, Sweetwater Creek

Photo of the Week: Tanyard Creek Reflection

8 February 2014 by Raul 3 Comments

Tanyard Creek reflection on a beautiful February winter day. 150 yrs ago this coming July, this area was a bloody battlefield during the Peachtree Creek battle in the U.S. Civil War.

Filed Under: Georgia, US & Canada Tagged With: Atlanta, Civil War, nature, photo, Tanyard Creek

The Spared Town in Georgia: Madison

27 December 2013 by Raul 2 Comments

Madison, Georgia is a town not terribly far from Atlanta. Just about an hour east of the city, it offers a different view on the South than Atlanta or towns north may offer. Madison, founded on 1807 (a couple of decades before Atlanta), was spared destruction as the Northern armies moved towards the Atlantic coast after taking Atlanta by the simple request from a woman appealing with all her charms to General Sherman. True or half-true or not-true (the stronger theory is that Sherman had a friend with connections to the town), Madison survived the destruction that was usually meted out to Southern towns rather crassly: 100 Antebellum or “pre-war” houses survive today, quite a number for the South! And we are thankful for that as we can admire beautiful architecture and maybe begin to feel what places around the South looked like. Georgia has a lot of interesting places off the beaten path and Madison is definitely one of those towns! Check out some of this charming southern town…

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Rocking chair at the Rogers House (from the first decade of the 19th cent.)

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Morgan County Courthouse

Heritage Hall (circa 1811)

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Heritage Hall (circa 1811)

Filed Under: Georgia, Travel Journal, US & Canada Tagged With: Civil War, Georgia, historical town in Georgia, history, Madison, southern architecture, southern charm, southern cities

Fried Chicken Worth the Pot-hole in Atlanta

6 November 2013 by Raul 9 Comments

I love finding new places to eat in my hometown, Atlanta, because I can be a creature of habit when it comes to restaurants. Nothing wrong with that, right? If you like it, why go elsewhere? Well, because it is good to expand horizons and you never know what you will find! So it was easy for me to accept a friend’s invite to try a new place in town: Buttermilk Kitchen, up on Roswell Rd. but inside the Perimeter (as we call I-285 around here).

In an unassuming building (with a pothole right where I parked,…), the good news is all the assuming will be done on your plate!

We went for their once-a-month dinner service (they are only open for breakfast and lunch otherwise; I am told I need to try their breakfast on a weekend day). Their once-a-month dinner service is a fixed menu centered around fried chicken.

My friend is a regular so she knew to sit at the “bar” area (in quotes because they do not have a liquor license since not normally open for dinner; you CAN bring your own beverage of choice though!). At the bar area, it was easier to interact with the staff and the owner.

The menu started with a fall salad based on arugula with farro, raisins, black rice, and butternut squash with a champagne vinaigrette. They use produce from the area so the salad was fresh and the combination of flavors really nice. It was a good way to start our dinner. The salad actually went well with the Cabernet Sauvignon we were drinking from Conn Creek in Napa Valley.

The next plate serve was the cheese plate: herb-goat cheese spread on a homemade emmental cracker topped with a delicious onion jam. I could have eaten a dozen of these, left to my devices but the main course was soon following AND I knew what dessert we were going to be served…

Then the star of the night made its appearance: the fried chicken! A breast and wing battered and fried to perfection. Moist, well-cooked – how do they do that?? I have never had a perfectly cooked piece of fried chicken like this. It was paired with a sweet potato puree with quinoa crumbles and with braised mustard greens with apples. The idea of pairing apple with the mustard greens was brilliant. I never thought I’d say mustard greens could wow me but they sure did!

But the evening was not over. Oh no, it was not. We were about to be shown a masterpiece of pound cake-dom: a caramel pound cake served next to vanilla gelato with pie crumb around and an apple chip topping it – oh, and those pomegranate seeds added a great mix to the flavor and texture combination. I am glad they only serve one piece because I don’t care how full I was, I would have done a round two in heartbeat and pounds (sic) be damned!

Suffice it to say, between the food and great staff and chef, I am going back in November for dinner service -pothole or not-, wondering how Buttermilk Kitchen will top these dishes!!

Filed Under: Georgia, Good Eats and Drinks, US & Canada Tagged With: arugula salad, Atlanta, caramel pound cake, foodie, fried chicken, photos, restaurant

A Fall Outing that Helps Keep the Doctor Away?

15 October 2013 by Raul 5 Comments

Fall is here and it is time for lots of good things: cooler temperatures, awesome colors of the trees as they move to winter “mode”, and apple picking!

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Beautiful day and beautiful apples

I was invited by friend to join them in taking their young daughters for a fun outing of apple picking about an hour or so north of Atlanta in the north Georgia mountains at Hillcrest Orchards. This is something I was highly unlikely to ever put on my quite-full to-do or want-to-do list but the opportunity to be with friends and see the kids do something like this was something I did not want to miss.

I have no mind for types of plants or fruits. I know an apple is an apple but if you put three different apples in front of me, I’d be hard pressed to tell you if they are this or that. So that’s my way of saying don’t ask me what types I saw or which was my favorite 🙂 It will also explain why no photo caption will say anything more specific than “apples.”

An apple… or an apple cam??!!

The girls had a lot of fun going around the multiple aisles of different kinds of apples and picking them from the tree (not the ground!).

A busy little picker, being picky about her apples

They left with greatly loaded bags, too heavy for them to carry. But the important part is they had fun! And so did we watching them enjoy themselves though I may also add the beautiful day up in the north Georgia mountains was quite enjoyable.

Leaving the grounds after a successful picking…

Do you have other fall traditions? – or other traditions that help keep the doctor away? 🙂

Filed Under: Georgia, US & Canada Tagged With: apple, Atlanta, blue sky, Canon EOS Rebel, fall, Georgia, kid-friendly, north Georgia mountains, picking, red apple

Of Zombies, Fantasy, and Fun: The DragonCon Parade in Atlanta

2 September 2013 by Raul 13 Comments

The world’s largest conference (over 50,000 attendees) of fantasy and science fiction, DragonCon, made its yearly arrival in Atlanta this weekend and downtown of all sudden acquired a totally different personality.

The conference business is what keeps downtown Atlanta afloat since us residents do not generally go there for much, except for pro sports events, the Georgia Aquarium, The World of Coca-Cola museum, and now the Skyview wheel. Visitors who come to the conferences usually never leave downtown which is a real shame because Atlanta is so much more but there are things to do in downtown or nearby even if you are just here for a conference.

DragonCon, though, is not like any other conference that comes to Atlanta. Not only do the attendees do the regular conference thing but they also dress up and roam around downtown, sometimes scaring the unaware like the first time I heard about the conference. I was sitting downtown having lunch in a food court around 2006 and saw two suspicious individuals in paramilitary attire and looking kind of crazy. I thought to myself “oh, oh, are they about to go nuts and shoot everyone in the food court?”. My co-worker informed me they were here for DragonCon and explained what it was. I then started seeing more people in costume and many not as scary.

The parade of costumer players (“cosplayers”)

The highlight of the conference for the locals – and maybe for some attendants – is the parade on Saturday morning. I had never been to the parade but went along with a friend and his kids to check it out.

The parade route downtown is short so finding a spot requires arriving early, else you are behind everyone else and may not see things well. The parade takes about an hour or so and it covers the range of characters from cartoons, to games (e.g., Tetris), to science fiction literature (e.g., Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time), to film (e.g., Star Wars, Jurassic Park, 300 B.C.), to TV shows (e.g., Star Trek). It is quite fun for the kids though some characters, like the zombies, can be scary. It was funny because I only recognized maybe a third of the characters and it was the kids around me who would call out who was coming by. That and the banners that some groups carried helped me get clued in. Some famous folks participated in the parade like Billy Dee Williams and that was cool too.

But, without any further explanations, below is a collection of photos from the parade. More will be posted soon in my ilivetotravel Facebook page. Please go there and Like the page so you can be notified when I load more pictures!

(If you are one of the people on the photos or were part of the parade, let me know! I may have more pix of you.)

Which is your favorite photo??

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Jason David Frank from the Power Rangers

Men in Black also paraded

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One of my favorites (because that was my grandmother’s name!): Snow White

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Batman and his duplicates came along

Cupcake, anyone?

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Cardboard super heroes were also at the parade

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One of my favorite pix!

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Scary character

Another scary character

Fraggle Rock!

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Wolverine (photo courtesy of R. Sather)

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An injured stormtrooper

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(Photo courtesy of R. Sather)

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Chewie, you don’t age!

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Many cosplayers were in character

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Billy Dee Williams, aka Lando Calrissian in Star Wars movies

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Kermit the Frog, the stormtrooper. showed up!

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Princess Leia Mouse

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Game of Thrones characters

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Andorians showed up too

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Another Andorian

Alternate history character

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Mad Max was also represented

Game of Thrones characters. I won’t even try spelling their names.

Filed Under: Georgia, US & Canada Tagged With: Atlanta, Canon EOS Rebel, conference, convention, Dragon, DragonCon, fantasy, Game of Thrones, parade, science fiction

The Skyview Wheel in Atlanta

17 August 2013 by Raul 15 Comments

Atlanta, my hometown, likes a good prop like any other self-promoting city in the U.S. We got the Olympics, we build & raze sports venues like there is no poverty around, etc. When I heard we were getting a Ferris wheel in downtown Atlanta, I rolled my eyes (OK, not literally). Another waste of money, probably tied to one of our many corrupt public officials…

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The Skyview wheel

Well, today, I was taking care of friends’ kids for the afternoon and after a visit to the Coke museum (the World of Coca-Cola, which I visited for the first time about a month ago), I decided to cross Centennial Olympic Park, kids in tow, and maybe give the Skyview Atlanta Ferris Wheel a shot. We had contemplated doing this earlier in the day but there was severe weather coming through town and they close the wheel during bad weather. After a two hour visit to the Coke Museum, the skies were clear and I decided we should give it a go since we were already there and I figured it would be a thrill to the 7- and 9-year olds with me (I was not wrong!).

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On my way to the Skyview, I stopped to check in on my brick in the park, RIGHT by the Olympic rings fountain!

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Approaching the Skyview: it sure looks bigger the closer you get! (The Tabernacle in the background)

There was no line and we headed right into our “cab”. The kids were thrilled! The wheel moved to load the next cab and the kids were so excited.

And the wheel started to move!

After loading the groups behind us, the wheel started going for real and, as we reached the top, we stopped. (They were loading another group.) The kids’ eyes opened BIG. The 7-yr old started laughing nervously and squirming a little but she handled it fine! We started going again and they realized we had reached the highest point.

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My fellow explorers on the Skyview!

Looking down onto Centennial Olympic Park and its rings water fountain

The views were pretty cool, though for me, having worked in downtown Atlanta skyscrapers, the views were not new to me – just maybe more fun this way. The ride was a thrill and seeing the kids enjoy it so much was well worth it!

Looking towards CNN

View of downtown Atlanta

I highly recommend the Skyview to anyone coming to town or even for intown folks who’d love an experience up high!

Filed Under: Georgia, US & Canada Tagged With: Atlanta, Atlanta downtown, downtown, Ferris wheel, fun, photos, ride, Skyview, thrill, tourist attraction

Photo of the Week – The Georgia Aquarium

13 August 2013 by Raul 4 Comments

The Georgia Aquarium is one of my favorite places to be like a tourist in Atlanta. It is well done and even me, not quite nature boy, is fascinated by the marine life it holds and how it presents it. The colors in this picture are some of my favorite in the whole aquarium. If you come to Atlanta, stop by downtown and check it out! I may also add that I really like the Chattanooga Aquarium. Maybe y’all should do an “aquariums (or aquaria??) of the South” tour!

Filed Under: Georgia, Special Photos, US & Canada Tagged With: aquarium, Atlanta, blue, Georgia Aquarium, jelly fish, jellyfish, orange, photo, water

Coke Museum Is It!

15 July 2013 by Raul 16 Comments

Coke, or Coca-Cola, is the world’s most recognizable brand and most international product (except Cuba and North Korea…). There is hardly a product – or an experience with a product – that is as universal as Coke. In all my travels, it has always been there – even if with some taste variations. If you are a fan of Coke, or just love a good story and good marketing around it, one of the best things to do when visiting Atlanta is to experience this global phenomenon in its own backyard…

The World of Coca-Cola – or Coke’s museum

The Coca-Cola Company is headquartered in Atlanta where this very popular beverage was invented back in the late 1880s. It was a time when pharmacists would make stuff that was supposed to be good for your health and you walked in to get your fix of good health. Fast forward about 125 years and this massive enterprise is run from a campus right across from Georgia Tech, a stone’s throw away from downtown Atlanta where it has always been based.

Coke fans can get their fill of their favorite soft drink by visiting the famous World of Coca-Cola right by Centennial Olympic Park in downtown, the museum that houses many pieces of memorabilia – as well as the secret formula itself. This is the third installment of such a museum – a fact most people do not realize. Most people know that there was a museum in Underground Atlanta that pre-dates the current one but that was NOT the first Coke museum! The first one actually resided in the company’s main tower on North Avenue. It was intended mainly for company folks but if a visitor arrived asking to see it, they were let in. I was one such person back in the late 1980s!

Well, today I went to the latest installment of the Coke museum so that makes me – in all likelihood – one of the few people who were not employees of Coke in the 1980s who has been to the THREE Coke museums! (let me rest while I bask in self-glory)

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The Coke Museum is right at the footsteps of downtown Atlanta and next to the awesome Georgia Aquarium

How to visit the Coke museum

The museum currently resides on the north side of Centennial Olympic Park, just to the west of Peachtree St., the main artery going through downtown Atlanta. It is near the College Football Hall of Fame and next to the Georgia Aquarium and the Center for Civil and Human Rights – great neighbors and all must-see’s too.

You can easily get to the area via the Peachtree St. MARTA rail station. So whether your are in Atlanta for a long visit or for a brief few days in business, the museum is easily reachable. Of course, it has a parking deck (at a cost), and or your favorite ride-sharing service can take you there. Depending on your pace, the museum could be seen in a couple of hours.

Memories

The museum puts on display a wide range of items from its history from serving trays to glasses to TV ads to vending machines to art work. It is an incredible collection sometimes interrupted by the theme of the secret formula they have embedded in this third installment of the museum (and some new characters to appeal to the children).

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I remember this vending machine! OK, a similar one

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Very old Coke machine – I DON’T remember this one!

Old Coke cans

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A small collection of Olympics torches (Atlanta’s on the left)

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A Norman Rockwell painting that Coke commissioned

Experiences

But the museum offers more than memories, it actually offers experiences…

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Like posing with a polar bear…

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3-D glasses for the motion-filled movie

But one of the funnest parts of the whole museum is tasting all the kinds of products the company makes around the world! (“Veteran’s” tip: make sure you try the Italy product and watch people try t!)

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Entering tasting room!

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And the masses taste!

Press away!

Tasters at work in the tasting room

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The Freestyle fountain machine is lots of fun!

The secret formula

The museum builds up a little the secret formula; the vault is a great idea! It will walk you through Coke history AND show you where the famously secret formula is stored.

But the key item to the secret of Coke, according to one of the videos, is really us, the consumers. In this case, me…

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ilivetotravel is Coca-Cola-ized

The World of Coca-Cola is well worth a visit when you come to or pass through Atlanta. See it with the eyes of a fan. And then see it through the eyes of a marketer. Brilliant under both lenses.

Pin this image to your board!

Filed Under: Georgia, US & Canada Tagged With: Atlanta, Atlanta history, Coca-Cola, Coke museum, downtown Atlanta, Olympic torches, things to do in Atlanta, vending machine, vintage Coke, what to do in Atlanta

The Christmas Lights at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens

28 December 2012 by Raul 1 Comment

Last night I went with family and friends to see the Christmas lights at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens in the first year of what I hope ends up being a new tradition for the city. The Atlanta Botanical Gardens is, in a normal day, a beautiful venue: well-designed, in a great location, and just very nice to explore. Its most unique feature (for this non-botanist) is the floating walkway that meanders through trees seemingly in mid-air.

In any case, here are some of my favorite shots showing the variety of the lights and, if you look closely, the nearby skyscrapers of Midtown Atlanta.

Click on photos to enlarge and step through and let me know which is your favorite!

Filed Under: Georgia, US & Canada Tagged With: Atlanta, botanical gardens, Christmas, lights, midtown, photo, piedmont park

International Atlanta – A Food Story

9 October 2012 by Raul 19 Comments

Most people would NEVER think Atlanta is anything but a southern city that hosts CNN, the place where Coca-Cola was invented, and where Delta, one of the largest airlines in the world, operates from. And perhaps that it has one of the top two airports in the world (which, to me, a taxpayer in Atlanta will ONLY be Hartsfield airport). But people do not think of Atlanta typically as an international city.

Today, I took my Mom, stepdad, aunt, and uncle to a place that belies the view that Atlanta is just a southern provincial capital (which it was back in the 80s when I got here!): the Buford Highway Farmer’s Market on Buford Highway right outside I-285. I am not sure who the owners are but I find it more “real” than the more popular Dekalb Farmer’s Market where it feels people go just to show they are “cosmopolitan” and hip. It is full of people from all ethnic backgrounds and I am not just talking about the staff.

In any case, my visitors were astounded by the great variety of Latin products (every product they know and/or use in cooking Cuban food; quenepas/mamoncillo that I used to eat as a kid; papaya, one of my Mom’s favorites; etc.), the large Eastern European section (with its incredible Russian product suite including ice cream!), and the incredible Asian section with aisles (one or more) for each of the following: Korea, Japan, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, China, and on and on. The ONLY thing I begrudge is the too-limited wine section. I expected to find Bulgarian, Chilean, Greek, and other wines. The wine section was tiny and with only the typical countries represented (Chile was but only a handful of wines).

Though I have been there before to buy all the ingredients for the Easter lunch I make for my friends or Christmas Eve dinner for my family (Cuban pernil), I had never stepped back to really gape at the diversity. Sometimes, you have to see things through others’ eyes to discover them!! As I had not expected to want to take pictures, I did not take my camera so the pictures I ended up taking were with my smartphone. I include them here to share some of the sights at this awesome place – and I have special pictures that I hope my friend Pola will recognize… Enjoy!

CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO SEE THE FULL IMAGE!