Visiting Atlanta: My Favorite Things to Do in the ATL

Let me first start by saying that I love visiting Georgia! Some of my favorite childhood memories took place in the home of my great-grandparents' in Columbus, GA, passing the summers in their swimming pool and finishing the day hearing my Omi laugh and tell stories. Our road trips down to their home usually resulted in a stop in Atlanta on the way back to break up the drive and see the city. I'll detail those adventures, and I'll include my favorite experiences from a recent trip to the city for a fun-filled trip to the ATL!

The Vibe

Atlanta is a city with such a cool culture to experience and cool people. The feel of the city is fast-paced for sure, but we did have a lot of time to sit back and talk with a some of the locals on our trip. For the most part, people in Atlanta seem pretty laid back and just like for tourists to enjoy their city. We spent hours talking with a bartender in Brassica, a hotel bar that we mistook for a Mediterranean restaurant back home, and she told us a lot about the city's history having been a resident her whole life. It was interesting to hear her perspective on living in such a big city and getting to know some more of its history.

The food scene here is amazing, with soul food shining through as the most popular cuisine. We ate at South City Kitchen in Buckhead, and decided to sample a lot of different appetizers and sides so we could get a feel for the flavors. The Farmstead Gouda Fritters and the Fried Green Tomatoes were the true stars for us, but we didn't eat anything that we didn't like either! This place offers real soul food and gave us a great introduction to the vibe of the people in Atlanta. It's so evident everywhere that we ate that good food and drinks paired with a relaxed environment is a big part of Atlanta's culture.

Getting Around

If you've read a few of my other blogs, you know that renting a car or driving my own is usually my preferred method of getting around, just so our time isn't limited by waiting for rideshares or arranging transportation for farther destinations. Atlanta was no different for us in this case since I traveled with a friend who was visiting clients on both sides of the city. We rented a really nice BMW SUV through Turo, the "AirBnB" of car rentals. Renting through Turo was so nice because we were able to rent a nicer vehicle for a more competitive price than traditional rental agencies. We were able to pick the car up and drop it off in the parking garage of the Atlanta airport, so it was super convenient and we didn't have to wait in the long rental lines. The check-in process to rent via Turo was done completely virtually, so I would recommend making sure your phone has plenty of battery so you can communicate with the owner. For our check-in, the owner asked for a few photos of the car to confirm the condition and then sent over a lockbox code for a box located around the tire to get the key. Pretty simple!

The driving in Georgia can be a little intense (still way less intense than driving in Florida!), so if driving around the city isn't for you, there are also plenty of rideshares available just given how big the city is. Rates there did seem pretty fair, however if you're planning to experience a lot of different attractions on your Atlanta trip, try to plan the closest stops for the same date so you can minimize the cost and the time spent traveling.

If you're familiar with traveling around bigger cities, Atlanta also offers a high-speed rail and traditional bus system which is a less costly alternative to Ubering everywhere. This transit system is called MARTA and offers a mobile app called Breeze to help you plan your routes and calculate costs. This is the cheapest transit option overall, however you'll want to make sure you factor the additional time into your transit decisions as using MARTA will inevitably take longer per trip than the other two options.

What to Do

Atlanta is a great CityPASS destination, which provides great value if you like to do all the touristy stuff like I do. Atlanta's CityPASS provides admission to the World of Coca-Cola, the Georgia Aquarium, the Atlanta Zoo and two other attractions of your choice (the Fernbank Museum of Natural History, the College Football Hall of Fame, or the Natural Center for Civil and Human Rights). My absolute favorite attraction as a kid was the World of Coca-Cola, and I have vivid memories of the 4D cinema experience, designing my own Coke label, watching reels of the old Coca-Cola commercials and of course, sampling the Coca-Cola brand products from the countries of the world. This attraction is such a fun one with something for kids and adults alike!

Inside World of Coca-Cola

Inside World of Coca-Cola

Outside World of Coca-Cola - circa 2006

We visited the Georgia Aquarium and the College Football Hall of Fame when I was a kid, which are both cool in their own way and probably take about a 4-5 hours apiece to experience. While I've not been to the Atlanta Zoo, the Fernbank Museum of Natural History, or the Natural Center for Civil and Human Rights, each of these attractions offer a unique look at the city of Atlanta. I would set aside a full day for the Atlanta Zoo and about a half day for each of the other CityPASS attractions. The majority of the attractions are located within walking distance of each other, however the Fernbank Museum of Natural History and the Atlanta Zoo are a little farther east of the others and would require additional transportation.

A few of the things to do on a trip to Atlanta that aren't included in the CityPASS package are the SkyView Atlanta ferris wheel, Underground Atlanta, and the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Park. The SkyView Atlanta attraction offers a bird's-eye view of the city, while Underground Atlanta and the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Park give a glimpse of the cultural importance that the city has had in the liberation of slaves in the deep south. These parts of the city are probably the most culturally significant things you can experience, along with the Natural Center for Civil and Human Rights.

Exploring Underground Atlanta

If you want to do a little bit of exploring outside the downtown area, I recommend checking out the Virginia-Highland neighborhood, a picturesque little town with shops and restaurants lining the streets. The main street of this area is N Highland Ave NE with a couple miles of businesses housed in restored historical buildings. I recommend checking out Paper Source to find unique gifts and PERC Coffee for the best latte of your life. I had a lavender latte that absolutely knocked my socks off. Some other notable shops that we stepped into are The Green Flamingo, which is a plant nursery and just a very zen place to be with holistic products available, and Urban Evolution Salon for a quick blowout with some of the coolest people I've ever met.

Coffee from PERC

One last recommendation for market lovers is Ponce City Market, which is such a fun place to check out on a sunny afternoon. The market building itself is an old Sears building that's been converted into a gathering space with such cool shops, bars, and restaurants. It was at a shop in Ponce City Market that I discovered Savoir Faire, which sells some of the best colognes and perfumes I've ever encountered. Their Soul Cafe fragrance on my husband is absolute magic. We also made custom keychains in Glad & Young Studio, a mandatory stop for leather aficionados. In addition to a great shopping destination, Ponce City Market has a rooftop bar experience, with views overlooking the eastern side of the city. So much to do, so little time!

Keychain from Glad & Young Studio

Overall Impressions

Atlanta is perfect for a budget-friendly weekend trip for road-trippers or flyers, with a reasonable drive from most east coast and southern cities and affordable flights traveling from most major cities in general. It offers so many different tourist activities but also has so much in store for those who love to experience the real culture of a city. I found so many unique gifts for my family in Atlanta that I'm sure I would have never come across back home. For me, this is a fabulous shopping destination with all the high-end brands you'd expect, but also has a strong outreach for normal people who just like finding cool stuff, especially at Ponce City Market.

The food in Atlanta is just good. I really enjoyed everything we ate, and the hospitality that surrounds you is noteworthy. There is hustle-and-bustle of the city but it's full of really genuine people who want to show you the best of what the city has to offer. Atlanta has always had a spot in my heart with childhood memories attached to it, but the experience of returning as an adult and seeing so much more than I thought I would was a really cool phenomenon for me. I would recommend Atlanta as an ever-evolving city with so much to see and do, with something fun to experience for everyone!