Atlanta in April

I just got back from Atlanta and I must say that I'm impressed. There is a lot to do in Atlanta and I will list what I liked, in case anyone wants recommendations:

1. Stayed at the Sheraton Hotel Downtown (great price, 24-hour snack shop so you have an option other than expensive room service, great work-out room and centerally located. Paying $20 a night more for the Club room is worth it.)

2. Stayed at the Omni Hotel for the business portion of the trip. The Omni CNN is lovely and in the middle of all the action Atlanta has to offer. However, it is expensive and after 10 p.m. your options for snacks become very limited and then you MUST do room service. YECK! I found a little gift shop at the Embassy Suites (next to the Omni) that says open until 11 p.m. The prices were reasonable.

3. Coke Museum - I LOVE COKE, so this was a great experience. I think the entire city of Atlanta is owned by Coke. I couldn't find a Pepsi anywhere. This was just fine by me because Coke is the best.

4. The Sun Dial - The BEST experience of my trip (besides seeing friends) was having lunch at the Sun Dial in the Westin Hotel. It is the only place in Atlanta where you see a "bird's eye view" of the city and the floor rotates slowing so you every site of the city. I wasn't planning on having dessert but we did so we could stay just a little longer to enjoy the view.

5. Inside CNN - The CNN tour was worth the price of the ticket but you will think you are going to the airport when you visit. They have security look through your purse and you have to walk through a scanner thing that tells them if you are carrying a gun or not. They take all pocket knives and sharp metal objects while you are on the tour and return them to you after you leave. I also think CNN owns the town because you see CNN everywhere. I actually like watching CNN and I miss it now that I came home. I don't pay for cable so I'm out of luck. I must now visit friends and family to get my CNN fix.

6. Centennial Park - It was warm in Atlanta when I visited and kids were enjoying the fountain in the park. It was fun to watch their joy over this simple pleasure. It was also good to see people gathering outside again since everyone in Michigan retreats inside from November to May. And, of course, just getting to experience a 70 degree day in April seems like a miracle to a person who lives in Michigan when we don't see a 70 degree day until June!

7. 10 Degrees South - This was a delightful eating establishment outside of the downtown area of Atlanta. It features South African food. I really wanted to visit the most unusual restaurant Atlanta had to offer and I think this was a good choice. There are a few other places I want to visit next time but 10 Degrees South was excellent and I had a wonderful dinner companion too and that made it even more memorable for me.

8. Ruth's Chris Steak House - Simply the BEST steak I've ever had. Worth the price but it was expensive.

9. Jock's and Jill's Bar at CNN and Pittypat's Porch were also fine places but not "The Best". I must confess that Pittypat's Porch had fine sweet tea. Jock's and Jill's had steamed spinach on the menu which always makes me happy. It was quite tasty and unexpected in a sports bar.

10. Georgia Aquarium was delightful. I suggest arriving first thing when they open and get out within two hours because it gets very crowded. They allow you to touch many of the animals which I think is nice but I wonder how the animals feel about it. It must be stressful to be touched by strangers all day with no way to escape. The Aquarium asks you touch them lightly with two fingers but there are some mean folks out there that I'm sure cross the line.

11. Buckhead is a lovely place to visit and Twist was my favorite restaurant. They have something for everyone on their menu.

I visited Atlanta for the Association of Fundraising Professionals International Conference. It was an excellent conference and I highly recommended this conference for anyone serious about fundraising for a non-profit. General Colin Powell was one of the speakers and he was very interesting and FUNNY too. I had no idea how funny he is, he really should be on Saturday Night Live some day.

I plan to visit Atlanta again, because it is an easy city to get to by air, it is easy and cheap to get downtown on their transit system called MARTA ($1.75 each way), I thought the prices were reasonable for a major city and there is a lot to see and do there. I also found out: “Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson is the busiest airport in the world, handling 76.7 million passengers in 2002. Atlanta overtook Chicago O'Hare in 1998, and is now significantly ahead. Chicago handled 66.6 million passengers in 2002.” I thought that was impressive information.

There was a lot of excitement and fun in Atlanta, but now I'm back to my rather boring life in Michigan where it is cold. I really appreciated a bit of change so I wouldn't change a thing about my trip. I suppose if there is anything that needs changing is my rather boring life in Michigan. I’ll have to see what I can do.