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