Tuesday was our last day in Atlanta and the United States. But this did not mean we just got up and went to the airport, no! We had a few stops along the way:
First stop, well maybe detour - Dunkin Donuts! How could any trip be complete without this? Ok, I guess this last donut stop makes this trip an official US donut tour. First -
"Hot Donuts Now" Krispy Kreme, then Beignets at the Cafe du Monde and last (and possibly least but still absolutely delicious) Dunkin Donuts! I have been back in Scotland for over a month now, but have not been tempted to look at a donut!
Next stop - the
Atlanta Aquarium. Alan has been desperate to visit this aquarium ever since he learned that they housed Whale Sharks! And we found out they actually have 4 whale sharks here, in a 6.2 million gallon tank. What an amazing and magical sight!
When we first arrived, I realized I had messed up with my total lack of communication skills once again! My niece, Candi, and her son, Payton, were going to meet us at the Aquarium and spend our last day together. This was fantastic news and we were really looking forward to seeing them again. And, as we left Roxanne's house for the last time this year, I reminded her (although I didn't need to) to phone Candi and let her know we were leaving so she would know what time to leave to meet us. Fine.
No, it was not fine......we had not arranged where to meet or how to meet and again, I did not have her phone number, or even access to a US line to try to call her. So I phoned my Mom in Scotland! (I phoned her once when she lived in Alabama for directions when Alan and I were in Paris, she is a great source of information!)
Mom phoned Roxanne, but there was really nothing any of us could do. I just had to hope that somewhere, somehow we would stumble upon Candi and Payton. And THAT only took 2 hours! What a disappointment! but they enjoyed what they had seen and done during that time, and we had enjoyed what we had done, so at least we were able to get together for a very wonderful and abbreviated visit!
Candi, Alan and Payton
The Atlanta Aquarium has to be seen to be appreciated. I do not have the words to describe how interesting, educational or peaceful it is. As we first entered, there are different avenues you can take to visit representations of parts of the world and habitats. But of course, the most amazing part is the huge tank housing over 100,00 sea creatures! And you can walk through a clear tunnel and let all the tank inhabitants swim over and around you. I have done this before in the Sea Life Center in North Queensferry, but that is like saying I watched Gone with the Wind on a 6 inch TV screen, not the same feeling as a big cinema!
While we were wandering through the tunnel, I over heard a conversation about the last time a person visited the aquarium and she just sat for hours watching all the creatures in this huge tank swim by. At that time, I had not seen the viewing part of this so did not really get how she did that. The tunnel is rather busy.....
As usual, when Alan and I go somewhere; we end up doing our own thing. He loves to move at a snail's pace and take a massive amount of pictures. I am a bit busier, plus I just need to be on my own sometimes. So, after meeting up with Candi and Payton, I stayed behind and Jim, Jennifer and Alan went their merry ways. To squeeze as much of the visit as possible, I even walked Candi and Payton to the exit......then I thought Coffee!!
As I headed to the snack bar, I thought I would just check in with Alan, and that was the best thing I did that day. That is where I discovered the tank viewing area and that is where I ended up sitting and enjoying the view for at least an hour - coffee? who needs that when something as wonderful as 4 whale sharks and all their thousands of companions are parading around their spacious home! And it was feeding time! What an amazing sight to see what was a regular size row boat dwarfed by the giant it was feeding. There was a TV screen showing the 4 boats on the surface and how they fed each individual Whale Shark. Fascinating and so lucky that I decided not to have that coffee!
Dinner! Not the boat, just what they were throwing out of the boat! Plankton!
It took me awhile to figure out how this person had her hand on the manta ray.....it is the reflection on the glass!
I may have lived in Florida too long - when I saw this Giant Grouper,which has been fished almost to extinction, my first thought was that there was alot of eating in that fish. Sorry!
I could have sat and watched these beautiful creatures all day!
This was our last activity in the city of Atlanta, apart from making the requisite stop at a Longhorn on the way home, where I got my last Marguerita of this trip! I always hate to leave the States and it was especially difficult this time, because I had such quality family and "home" time. Yes, I have one huge regret about missing the Magnolia Grill and I hope and pray it is still open the next time we get there.
And I have learned a valuable lesson about being more organized and not relying on everyone else to do the thinking! I had a near miss with Dana and the Jersey Boys; I missed a precious 2 hours with Candi and Payton at the Aquarium and I never even mentioned the huge disappointment of missing Candi and Roxanne's dad, Bill Russell. I "thought" that was all organized, but I never phoned him to double check, just wandered to Geneva assuming he would arrive according to plans I had in my head! Obviously, this did not happen and we missed Bill completely. And a trip to this area is just not complete without meeting up with Bill Russell......
Next time......!
“No good fish goes anywhere without a
porpoise”
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