Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Last Days to See "Independent Visions"

"Independent Visions", a brilliant sculpture exhibition at the Atlanta Botanical Garden featuring 19 sculptures by nine artists displayed throughout the Garden come to a close this month. You have only a couple of days to see this marvelous exhibition!

"Independent Visions" at the Atlanta Botanical Garden
"Independent Visions" at the Atlanta Botanical Garden
These are some of the largest sculptures ever displayed at the Atlanta Botanical Garden and are not to be missed! If by chance you do miss the exhibition, wanderlust ATLANTA will feature a photo album on its Facebook Page after the exhibition closes.

Three Amazing Weekday Tours for Zero Dollars

Have a weekday off and think you can't see Atlanta on a zero dollar budget? You'd be wrong...very, very wrong. But, I don't like to call people wrong, so let's just say I'm here to enlighten you to another way of thinking.

I'd like to hereby propose an itinerary of three incredible tours that will cost you only the amount of gas or public transit to get to each location...AND parking and admission are free! 

Here we go...


Georgia Governor's Mansion
Tour #1: The Georgia Governor's Mansion - these tours are fantastic! One of the most unique aspects of the tour of the Georgia Governor's Mansion is that each room has its own docent. That's right. There's enough to know about each room and its artifacts that the information is spread out...making your visit as information rich as you would like.

This is a tour you want to do in the morning. Tours are available throughout the year on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursday between 10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., but get there no later than 11:00 a.m. because the Mansion closes at 11:30 a.m. Free parking on the grounds.

I'm also told that on occasion, the Governor and Mrs. Deal will come downstairs to greet visitors.

(previous post)


Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
Tour #2: Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Monetary Museum - this is a fascinating tour! You get to see first-hand the cash-processing operations where daily there are millions—that's right, "MILLIONS"—of dollars are counted, sorted, or shredded. At the far end of the Museum you even get to see some of the Bank's automated vault and robotic transports.

While that's all cool, the other exhibits on display are state-of-the-art and way beyond anything I was expecting. It promises to impress.

These self-guided tours are offered Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You will have to pass through security and be sure to check the website before going just to make sure they're not closed. Street parking is available, but pay very close attention to the signs.

(previous post)


CDC Museum
Tour #3: David J. Sencer CDC Museum - that's right, the CDC has a Museum. And it's not just any Museum. It's a Smithsonian Affiliate Museum. AND it's incredibly impressive. I'm not sure what I was expecting the first time I went—and yes, I was a little nervous—but I was blown away! The learning, the art, the interactive stations...it's a one-of-a-kind experience!

Tours are available Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and they have extended hours on Thursdays to 7:00 p.m. Parking is onsite and is free...Security will guide you as to where to park.

(previous post)


So, there are three, what I think are pretty awesome tours...and they don't cost a dime! I think you'll be more impressed after you've toured all of them. Feel free to spread them out or conquer them all in a single day—recommend in the order listed.

Now that you have your free weekday tours on your calendar, head over to the wanderlust ATLANTA Facebook Page to learn about tours and some great photos!

Monday, October 29, 2012

Fox Theatre's Terrace...A Little Known Treasure

The Terrace at the Fox Theatre, Bank of America Plaza in background
The Terrace at the Fox Theatre,
Bank of America Plaza in background
If you've been to a performance at the Fox Theatre, you probably didn't see one of the Theatre's most unique vistas. If you've been to a special event in the Egyptian Ballroom at the Fox, it's possible you still didn't see it, but if you have visited the Grand Salon, either for an event or on a behind-the-scenes tour, then you've probably seen the grandness of The Terrace.

I remember the Terrace when it was merely a roof. I'd heard rumors of creating a rooftop event space, which was finally done following the 1996 fire...a fire that caused $2 million in damages, but might have caused more had Fox resident Joe Patten not been at home. Patten is the former Technical Director who was granted a lifetime lease in an apartment inside the Fox Theatre.

Fortunately, the damage caused to the Grand Salon was corrected and the Terrace is as gorgeous as one would expect at the Fox Theatre. 

The Terrace is modest in size. You can fit quite a few cabaret tables out there and there are some built in benches for seating, but the walls are high, so you don't really get a "skyline" view. But what you do get a view of is far more than a tease...it's fantastic!


The Terrace at the Fox Theatre
The Terrace at the Fox Theatre
From the northeast corner of the Terrace, you can see the "onion" tower on the North Avenue side of the Fox, and you can see two condominium buildings, one modern, but older and one that's architecturally stunning.

Also, you can see the towering Bank of America Plaza--the tallest skyscraper in Atlanta, which is quite remarkable when lit at night! And best seen from the southeast corner, you can see the upper floors of the Georgian Terrace Hotel, where Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable resided while filming "Gone With the Wind." 

All in all, the Terrace at the Fox is a stunning space. I highly recommend spending a few minutes on it taking in the unique opportunity to explore it...should the opportunity arise.

Be sure to head over to the wanderlust ATLANTA Facebook Page and check out the other information and photos there. And thank you for stopping here.


The Terrace at the Fox Theatre
The Terrace at the Fox Theatre

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Dr. Kiat Tan at the Atlanta Botanical Garden

Every year the Atlanta Botanical Garden hosts a free lecture—their Free Fuqua Lecture. This year is exceptionally exciting because of the speaker—Dr. Kiat Tan. Dr. Tan is the developer of Gardens by the Bay—a new billion-dollar, 130-plus acre botanical garden in Singapore.



To give you an idea of the popularity of this fantasy oasis, they received 70,000 visitors the first two days they were open. 

The Gardens feature two glass-domed conservatories—the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest, as well as a "Supertree" grove comprised of 18 unique "trees" ranging in height and up to 16 stories tall! And that's just a couple of the many wonders to be discovered there.

This evenings lecture begins at 7:00 p.m. and it free to the public and will take place in Day Hall.

Come on down...this promises to be an exceptional presentation!

Friday, October 5, 2012

Georgia A-Scary-Um!

On Wednesday, October 31, 2012, otherwise known as Halloween, Georgia Aquarium will transform into "Georgia A-Scary-Um"…and all kids 12 and under who are in costume receive FREE general admission! (up to two costumed kids are admitted free with one paid adult admission)

Ocean Voyager gallery, Georgia Aquarium
Ocean Voyager gallery, Georgia Aquarium
The Aquarium will be dressed in Halloween decorations and offer fun—and safe—trick-or-treating for all the kids. Each gallery will have a trick-or-treat station. There will also be lots of Halloween-themed arts and crafts and costume contests, all while Halloween music is playing throughout the Aquarium. How cool is that?!

Georgia Aquarium is also taking it “Green” this Halloween. They’ve partnered with Green Halloween, a non-profit, community initiative to create and provide healthier and more Earth-friendly options to families…you actually get to enjoy—and learn about—eco-friendly and animal-friendly Halloween candy!

So, dress the kids, dress yourself (no face masks for the adults, please), and go hang out with the batfish, spider crabs, and the ghostly beluga whales this Halloween. 

When you're done here, head over to the wanderlust ATLANTA Facebook Page for more fun information about what's going on in Atlanta!

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Genghis Khan Invades Atlanta

I've been on a Fernbank Museum of Natural History kick lately and it's no wonder...they've been advertising their upcoming exhibit rather aggressively, which is just fine with me. I can hardly wait to see "Genghis Khan", which will be here this Friday in conjunction with the Museum's 20th anniversary.

Fernbank Musuem of Natural History, Giants of the Mesozoic in the Great Hall
Fernbank Musuem of Natural History

Giants of the Mesozoic in the Great Hall

This museum is a goldmine of incredibly photo opportunities, too. This particular photo is one of my favorite and one of the most serendipitous photos I've ever made. The opportunity was very short lived, but the result was brilliant. May you discover many such photo-ops in your travels!

Back to the Museum's 20th anniversary...I vividly recall when the Museum opened in 1992. It was all the City could talk about. And for good reason. Atlanta then had a phenomenally impressive museum of Natural History. And they've continued to grow and innovate over those 20 years.

They're having a two-day Anniversary Bash on Saturday and Sunday, October 13-14, filled with activities for the whole family.

"Genghis Khan" opens this Friday, October 5, 2012, the Museum's actual 20th anniversary. It's being touted as one of the largest-ever Khan exhibitions featuring many artifacts from the 13th Century that have never been on public display. I can hardly wait!

Make your way to Fernbank over the next couple of weeks. Good news—all the celebrating is free for members!

Let me leave you with the Museum's list of 20 Ways to Celebrate 20 Years of Fernbank.

When you're done here, head over to the wanderlust ATLANTA's Facebook Page and check out other Atlanta news, events, exhibits and then Go See Georgia!