Atlanta has something for everyone

I HAVE flown through Atlanta many times on my way from the Middle East to my home town of Salt Lake City, in the US, but it had been a number of years since I stopped and actually visited the city and I now wish I had done this a long time ago.

Atlanta is home to the world’s busiest airport, serving more than 150 US destinations and more than 60 international cities in 50 countries with more than 2,500 daily flights. The Atlanta skyline may be amid glass and steel towers but the heart of the South’s largest city is its friendly and sociable people.

From a tour of the world best-know beverage brand “The World of Coca Cola” to the newly opened Civil and Human Rights Museum to sight-seeing by bicycle to the CNN Studio Tour and a movie industry. There’s Georgia Aquarium, Centennial Olympic Park, the 290-acre amusement park Six Flags over Georgia, and Martin Luther King’s national historical site. Sports fans can visit the College Football Hall of Fame, the NFL Falcons at the Georgia Dome, NBA Hawks, WNBA Dream at Philips Arena, and the MLB Braves at Turner Field. The list could go on and on.

THE WORLD OF COCA COLA

This opened in 2007 and is home to the more than 125-year-old secret formula for Coca Cola. This tour and facility features more than 1,200 artifacts from around the world that, until now, have never been displayed to the public before. It also has several interactive exhibits including a multi-sensory 4-D movie (3-D glasses with moving seats). You also can get an inside look at the bottling process and can even give their seven-foot Coca Cola Polar Bear a big hug! And, of course, the tasting experience where you have the opportunity to sample over 100 flavours from around the world.  To visit the entire attraction can take you up to two hours.

ATLANTA MOVIE TOUR

In 2002, the government offered tax incentives to the film industry, which boosted this sector in Georgia and films such as Driving Miss Daisy, The Walking Dead, The Vampire Diaries, Remember the Titans, The Blind Side, Zombieland, Hall Pass, Catching Fire, Anchorman 2, Identity Thief, Flight,   What to Expect When You’re Expecting and the newest is the latest Hunger Games were all filmed here. Visitors can tailor-make their tour to visit the sites where their favourite film or series was filmed. 

BICYCLING TOURS

Bicycle Tours of Atlanta offers private, custom, corporate and public tours. Founder/owner Robyn Elliott started the company after leaving the crashing residential construction industry in 2008. She decided it was time to create a world where she could celebrate a few of her favourite things – people, Atlanta and bicycling. She comments: “It’s been a joy sharing my hometown with guests from all over the world!”  

I did this tour and it was a great way to see the city and Elliott really does now her city.  

WHERE TO STAY

There is no shortage of hotels in Atlanta from all the major brands.

I stayed at the W Buckhead, which is in the heart of the upscale shopping area with two malls within walking distance showcasing department stores such as Bloomingdales, SAK’s Fith Avenue and Nordstroms.

The other two W’s are located in Downtown and Midtown. A quick chat with general manager Tim Dahlen revealed that the property was originally a Crowne plaza. The owners closed it down and did a complete renovation, reopening six years ago with additional space including a ballroom, rooftop lounge Whisky Blue, restaurant Cook Hall and an infinity pool.

“The W receives some visitors from the Middle East market, particularly since Delta started its nonstop flight but not many,” Dahlen says: “The West coast is a popular destination from the Middle East market, but I do hope that more start to explore the South East.”

The W Buckhead has four types of accommodation offerings from the aptly named Wonderful Room – cozy casual room ideal for a couple or business traveller. The Fabulous Room and Spectacular rooms are similar in size, just on higher floors, and the WOW Suite with 54 square metres of space and Extremely WOW Suite with 81 square metres.

A REAL HIDDEN GEM IS SERENBE

Serenbe is pioneering a new community model connected to nature, located on the edge of Atlanta, about 30 minutes from Atlanta’s airport.

Founders Steve and Marie Nygren believe that if you want to change the world, start in your own backyard. The couple discovered the property, now known as Serenbe, on a weekend outing to introduce their children to the Georgia countryside in 1991. Weekend visits for Marie, Steve and their young daughters transformed their lives, and three years later they sold their Atlanta home and relocated full time to Serenbe.

They have taken a new look at community development, and have based every facet of Serenbe’s design on traditional values and the principles of environmental sustainability.

The master-plan for Serenbe calls for multiple hamlets based on English villages. The design of the community is arrange in such a way that it required minimal land disturbances and allows the community to reserve large areas of undeveloped green space. 

There is a wide variety of accommodation at Serenbe where tourist can stay.  There is a 19-room “The Inn at Serenbe” that sits on 36 acres. These 19 rooms are spread over six buildings and are about to add nine additional rooms.   This also includes meeting space for weddings and the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions market.   

The food and beverage offering is an essential part of Serenbe as the owners were hospitality people rather than developers and there is a farm to table concept. In addition to this, Serenbe offers a rich art programme with a Serenbe Playhouse and a resident-artist programme.

Link to the How to get there:

By Kim Thomson