Atlanta is my home while I work in Pittsburgh. I miss my home more than anything, hence I travel to Atlanta every weekend. I am so grateful to have the convenient extended service at Pittsburgh airport parking to help me find out the best parking spots. I simply leave my car and head out to the happening city of Atlanta.
If Atlanta is not your home, don’t worry you can visit it and enjoy the city too. There are many attractions such as the CNN Center, the world headquarters of the news channel, which is in Atlanta. Spend a few hours there and take a tour through the fascinating world of news networks and operations. The world’s tallest escalator is here, and that’s fun as well. If all this makes you tired, there are enough options at the in-center food court to chase that hunger away.
Close to the CNN Center is the Centennial Olympic Park. It hosted the 1996 Olympic Games and is a popular space full of walking tracks, fountains and gardens. Spread over 21 acres, the park is a great space to spend time and unwind. In fact, one of the fountains is the interactive Fountain of Rings, complete with music and jet sprays. It’s a great way to cool off in the summer!
But Atlanta is iconic because of a single individual – Martin Luther King Jr. The city pays tribute to this great civil rights leader at the Martin Luther King Jr National Historic Site and The King Center. Here you’ll find the place of birth and the personal effects of Dr. King and his beloved wife Coretta. Their tombs are also here. Pay tribute, spend some time at the reflective pool and think about how a single man and his vision and dream changed the course of history forever.
It seems appropriate that the Center for Civil and Human Rights is also present in Atlanta. It bridges the modern global human rights movement with the American civil rights movement. This is not a place to kill time- visit if you have the time and space in your heart or mind for it. There are serious exhibits that push you to be introspective and reflect. It holds a hard unflinching mirror to those dark moments of human history. This is definitely a place to go to.
For a change in mood, head over to the World of Coca-Cola, home to one of the biggest brands in the world. Coke debuted here more than a century ago. That’s a whole lot of history for one soft drink! You’re sure to find joy, inspiration, and happiness here with the help of the Coca-Cola Polar Bear and a tour as well. Beware- the lines are serpentine and the crowds are huge. You might feel better at the tasting room with all its drinks from everywhere. If you can overcome the crowds, you’ll enjoy yourself here!
A must see is the Atlanta Botanical Garden, a 30-acre oasis full of events, plants, conservation efforts, cocktails, and concerts. This is no ordinary garden and its sculptures and exhibits are a clear testimony to the fact.
Ray Charles sure knew what he was talking about. If Georgia is on your mind too, then head down to Atlanta right now!