Being a tourist in Atlanta!

Sunday was our day to spend with Adarsh while Roxanne stayed home with Russell.  (we did spend Monday with the whole family, he was not really left out, he is just 2 and would have been bored.)

Adarsh led us to the Aquarium parking lot since he will eventually leave us......later we met Dana, Danny and their daughter, Allison, at the fabulous Fox to see The Jersey Boys!

They have moved Coca-Cola World since Alan and I were last here.....it makes sense to have so many tourist attractions conveniently placed so you only have to park at one place.

 First Stop - CNN 

 It was just a bit early when we got there, so we were on the first tour.  Alan and I had done it once before and Adarsh has probably done it loads.  Jennifer used to work for a television company in Scotland so she was very interested in visiting CNN! 

Adarsh's magic tie

Next stop:  Coca-Cola World

The last time I was here was with Dana, Danny and Allison.  I only remember this because it was Allison's first time ever tasting Coca-Cola!  (and that was the previous location too.)

Alan and I hanging with Mr. Pemberton

(inventor of Coca-Cola)

Not sure if I like the new one any better, but I do have issues with change anyway!  We did have fun though, you can't help but have fun here!

This is the cheerleader from the commercial shown at the entrance.  I had never seen it, apparently it has been shown at the Superbowl halftime commercials, but I never get to see them.  At least the televison now allows us to see the halftime show!!

Too bad this was not a real soda fountain!

More characters from that commercial.

This is hard to see, but is a collection of Olympic torches.  Caught my eye and more interest than I would normally have had because in only 5 days Alan and I were going to be marshalls when the current Olympic torch came through Alloway! 

London 2012 Olympic torch relay

Alloway June 8

The very last thing you get to do in Coca-Cola World (ok, before the shop at the exit!) is taste all the Coke products from around the world. Although the original formula is also probably available, each continent is represented in this room with their unique formulas.  Some are good, some are not!  But they must be to the residents who buy them.  My nephew, Adarsh, steered me to Italy and suggested I try the Beverley, so I did.  And anyone reading this should try it too.   Nuff said!

After lunch:  Margaret Mitchell's home

We did not visit the Aquarium today although we parked there! That is Tuesday's activity!  After leaving this area, we drove to the Margaret Mitchell house.  But I must admit it was a bit of a non-event.  The apartment she lived in is about the only genuine thing there, none of the furniture is her's and it is more like a museum of the time, not of her.  The little shop and set up there has her desk and her things. but this could be anywhere.  I don't think I would recommend this to just any visitor to Atlanta.  I think they would have to be a die hard Gone With the Wind fans. And, of course, there are many of them! 

( I have thought a bit more about this visit.  It was really, really interesting and the tour guide was so knowledgable about Margaret Mitchell and could answer anything asked of her. So I did leave feeling as if I had actually met her.  So it must have been much better than I originally thought!)

Margaret Mitchell houseMargaret Mitchell lived on the ground floor.  I think they said they now own the whole building though.

                                                         

Actual portrait that hung in Rhett and Scarlett's home in the movie

Evening entertainment:  The Jersey Boys at the Fox Theatre

(and dinner at R Thomas afterwards!)

At this point, Adarsh went home and we went to the Fox Theatre to meet Dana and her family! 

We had planned this for months and it all worked out well, in the end.  It seems Dana and I didn't plan very well about how we were going to keep in touch, we communicate mainly by Facebook.  I also do not have a mobile phone that works easily in the US.  We had no way to get in touch and they were running late.....but they got there in plenty of time.  But only good friends can agree that "We are as stupid as each other!"

I feel a small note is required about the value of friendship here! Dana and I have known each other for over 30 years and been very close friends all that time. However, we realized at this visit, we only had 5 years together, sounds sort of like talking about a marriage! And it was such a meeting of the souls that it might have been closer than marriage. From the time we met, we were inseparable and almost all of my memories of Atlanta are tied in with her. After I moved away, we lost touch for a while, with life getting in the way of staying in touch. Yes, we saw each other once or twice but only real special times like meeting at Coca-Cola World......However, seeing her and talking to her either at Roxanne's in the early days of this visit, or meeting her for a dinner and a show just felt right and like we had never been apart. Isn't friendship the most wonderful gift in the world?

Jersey Boys was fantastic and I am so glad it all worked out and we got to share it with special friends. 

The Fox Theatre is also fantastic and I loved showing it off to Jim and Jennifer. Although I have put the link so you can easily access more information about the Fox, I am also going to copy a bit of what Wikipedia says because it is just not enough to say how wonderful the building is!

"The original architecture and décor of the Fox can be roughly divided into two architectural styles: Islamic architecture (building exterior, auditorium, Grand Salon, mezzanine Gentlemen’s Lounge and lower Ladies Lounge) and Egyptian architecture (Egyptian Ballroom, mezzanine Ladies Lounge and lower Gentlemen’s Lounge).
The 4,678-seat auditorium, which was designed for movies and live performances, replicates an Arabian courtyard complete with a night sky of 96 embedded crystal "stars" (a third of which flicker) and a projection of clouds that slowly drift across the "sky." A longstanding rumor that one of the stars was a piece of a Coca-Cola bottle was confirmed in June 2010 when two members of the theater's restoration staff conducted a search from within the attic above the auditorium ceiling.^[3]"

I wonder if Las Vegas architects got their ideas for starlit skies and other ways to bring the outdoors in from places like the Fox?

Jim, Pat, Dana, Danny, Allison and Jennifer

“I believe that in a great city, or even in a small city or a village, a great theater is the outward and visible sign of an inward and probable culture.”

Sir Laurence Olivier