In recent years, it seems that a lot of our fall and winter travel has centered around going to Atlanta. Here's some of our favorite places that we have been to (in no particular order):
The World of Coke: For those that may not be aware, Coca Cola's headquarters is located in downtown Atlanta. Hence, you rarely are able to find a place with Pepsi products anywhere in this town. (Nothing against either brand, just stating the facts.) Here, you get to go through a museum full of memorabilia related to the company--even some things you never thought of as under Coca Cola's "umbrella," like Five Alive! Additionally, there's a 3-D movie, a room where you can sample many of Coca Cola's products from around the world (like Inca Kola), and a complimentary bottle of Coke to take home with you! We managed to get in for free through Coke Rewards! So, if you collect Coke points, be on the lookout for that deal as it may come back!
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| ...and a polar bear hamming it up! |
IKEA: Whether you love or hate shopping, this is a place to go in midtown Atlanta. If you love shopping, there's all kinds of cheap, durable goods for the home from kitchen utensils to ready-to-assemble furniture! If you hate shopping, but love eating, its main cafeteria on the upper level is a can't miss and could soften the blow of spending time shopping with your spouse or significant other. Be sure to order a Swedish Meatball plate or combo as that is their signature meal. Also, be sure to get a slice of chocolate overload cake as I give it two thumbs up!
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| Sorry, flags not included... |
JC's 5 Star Outlet: While on the subject of shopping, this is more of a hit or miss place. You never really know what the deals are until you get in there. So, you could hit a homerun. This is essentially JC Penney's clearance outlet store chain, and this is one of their larger stores (if not, the largest)! If you are traveling to the south side on I-75, you might want to stop in and check it out...
Medieval Times: The very dinner theater that the movie Cable Guy made famous has a place northeast of Atlanta off I-85 North. And yes, just like Janeane Garofalo stated, it is true that there were no utensils used during Medieval times and therefore are not used at Medieval Times! However, one disappointment was that my wife and I did not get to go down into the pit to play with the various weapons like Jim Carrey and Matthew Broderick got to do. What made up for it was that we had a Living Social deal: 2 for 1...and it was even good for New Year's Eve!
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| There was, however, lots of horseplay... |
Stone Mountain: This is situated on the east side of Atlanta, just east of I-285. Around Christmastime, they are open in a limited capacity as some of their rides and activities are closed due to them being summer attractions. Three things they continue to do in spite of the cold are: (1) cable car rides to the top of Stone Mountain, (2) train rides around Stone Mountain, and (3) various family-friendly shows that are all indoors. In addition, Stone Mountain features a snow park where people can go tubing or just play in the snow.
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| ...or get your picture taken with inanimate penguins! |
The Original Dwarf House: For those that do not know what this is, this is the location of the first-ever Chick-Fil-A (BTW, their headquarters is also in Atlanta, just like Coca Cola)! There are two things that make the Dwarf House unique: (1) it is segregated into two parts--a diner and a Chick-Fil-A and (2) it is one of the few Chick-Fil-A restaurants where you can order beef! (Yes, it's true!) This location is "sandwiched" (no pun intended) between I-75 South and I-85 South near Hartsfield International Airport.
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| The original sign is still there today... |
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| ...and yes, that little door does work! |
