Tuesday, December 31, 2013

2013...A Photo Review of the Year

It's not until I look back through the wanderlust ATLANTA blog that I realize just how much I did in a year, and 2013 was quite a busy year. I'd like to share some of my favorite photos from the year, which do not necessarily cover all of my favorite places, but 25 photos that I really like...I hope you enjoy.

2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
Since today is New Year's Eve, why not start with a glass of bubbly. This shot was made at the Blooms & Bubbly event at the Atlanta Botanical Garden back in the spring.

2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
"Go Braves" took on a whole new meaning this year, with their announcement that they've moving to Cobb County. But I've been a loyal fan since 1990, so I'm sure I'll still go to see the occasional Atlanta Braves game.

2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
I just love this photo! This was made in one of the permanent galleries at Fernbank Museum of Natural History.

2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
I love this photo, too! This was made at the currently being renovated Delta Flight Museum, which I believe is slated to reopen in mid-2014.

2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
Getting to tour Fire Station #19 was so much fun! "Thank you" to our first responders for everything you do all year long!

2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
Anyone who knows me knows how much I love going to DragonCon, and the great admiration I have for the conventioneers who create their own costumes. This was a 2013 favorite!

2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
What a wonderful find! Only an hour north of Atlanta, Gibbs Gardens is one of the most remarkable gardens I've visited. So much so that I bought a Four Season Pass, so you'll see more from here.

2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
The World of Shells at Fernbank is an exhibit that I wish got more attention...the collection is truly quite remarkable.

2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
Having lived in Greece for more than two years, attending the annual Greek Festival on Clairmont Road is a treat in culture, tastes, music, and nostalgia.

2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
I have loved Rhodes Hall since the very first time I saw it. That it's garnered the name The Castle on Peachtree I think is very befitting. 

2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
Scarecrows in the Garden at the Atlanta Botanical Garden is such a fun and festive exhibition. This year's bought in a record number of scarecrows, many of which were quite impressive!

2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
The Museum of Design Atlanta is one of my favorite museums, in large part because of the "community" they've created. One of the ways they do that is through Field Trip. This chandelier was at DEX Industries when we visited earlier this year.

2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
It's not very often one gets to pose with creatures of this sort, so I love it when such opportunities present themselves. If you couldn't guess, this is at Fernbank Museum of Natural History.

2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
One of the great pleasures of being a tourism blogger is the opportunity to discover exhibitions an destinations that most would not...and then sharing said discoveries with one's readers. This painting of Joan Crawford I discovered in an exhibition at Arts Clayton.

2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
So, I visited Gibbs Gardens twice in 2013, once in the summer and once for their Japanese Maple Festival. I'll be going back in the spring to see their 20 million daffodils!

2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
I can hardly wait to go back to Medieval Times...what a fun experience! You get a "medieval" dinner--that you get to eat with your hands!--and a professional horse show, sword fighting, jousting...there's a lot going on here!

2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
I visited a lot of churches this year during Phoenix Flies, a program early in the year that facilitates hundreds of free tours around Atlanta. 

2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
I'm learning more and more about the Atlanta Beltline and look forward to further tours. This work of art on the Beltline spoke to my love of columns, which perhaps stems from living in Greece?

2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
As a photographer, I'm always on the lookout for beauty, and you can find it in the most unexpected places. These poppies were in a flower bed on the property of the Atlanta History Center...love them!

2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
Piedmont Park was the very first destination I blogged about more than three years ago and I still enjoy my visits there, which are fairly regular.

2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
The High Museum of Art is renowned for its spectacular exhibitions. The currently running Paris on Peachtree delights on numerous levels.

2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
Fernbank Museum of Natural History is a wondrous place, a place where you not only have the opportunity to increase one's knowledge of the world, but that also a place that inspires the imagination.

2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
The new 20-story SkyView Atlanta Ferris Wheel has caught the attention of thrill-seeking Atlantans and visitors, alike. And it offers views of Atlanta that no other attraction can!

2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
Atlanta tourist destinations also offer some brilliant holiday photography, such as this dinosaur at Fernbank which I edited to be somewhat ghostly for a Halloween announcement. Great fun!

2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
2013 Year in Review, wanderlust ATLANTA
Atlanta's public art is quite phenomenal, in large part significantly increased in profile by winning the 1996 Olympic Games. This sculpture, The Flair, stands proudly outside Georgia Dome.

Well, there are approximately a bazillion more photos I'd love to share with you, but go enjoy your New Year's Even and Day. Have a wonderful time exploring Atlanta, exploring your own backyard, and showing friends and family around our beautiful city.

Happy New Year!

Travis

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