The Odds are in Favor for a Fantastic Victory Tour

The odds are definitely in your favor when you take Atlanta Movie Tours' new Victory Tour, which visits real life sites from the movies The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1. We journeyed behind the scenes of more than one District of Panem, as well as toured President Snow's mansion. 

Victory Tour | Atlanta Movie Tours

The staples of all Atlanta Movie Tours tours are brilliant movie/television industry tour guides, trivia games (with prizes), onboard video screens to view filming locations in action, complimentary bottled water, and a group photo at one of the visited sites that is emailed to guests after the tour! We were treated to two group photos on this particular tour! Thank you, AMT!

On this tour, I had the pleasure of sitting with fellow blogger friend Lesli Peterson, author of 365 Atlanta Family, and she's the Official Family Travel Expert for Georgia!

Victory Tour | Atlanta Movie Tours

One of the places we visited was District 12, a place most Atlantans call The Goat Farm, an artist colony in West Midtown, and where a can't-be-forgotten scene with Gale Hawthorne and Katniss Everdeen took place. 

We did indeed get to see some farm animals, but the highlight of THIS tour stop was actually retracing Katniss' footsteps! 

Victory Tour | Atlanta Movie Tours

Even before we got to District 12, we saw the graffiti of District 11 dissidents, which reads, "THE ODDS ARE NEVER IN OUR FAVOR". To be a movie addict such as I am, it's awesome to see actual filming sites...you connect with a film and its actors, writers and its creator(s) in a way that nothing but a guided tour can provide.

Victory Tour | Atlanta Movie Tours

The 52-story Marriott Marquis Hotel was another stop on the tour, significant in that it's a filming site for three Hunger Games movies, including (rumored) the to-be-released The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2.

You'll recognize the above photo as the elevator to Tributes Headquarters. We learned that Francis Lawrence thought the atrium resembled the inside of an alien's rib cage, which fascinated him to the point of wanting to film there.

The atrium in the Marriott Marquis was the tallest in the world when the building opened in 1985, and even today fascinates neck-bending tourists...and locals.

Victory Tour | Atlanta Movie Tours

One of my favorite aspects of the day's tour was Kathryn, our beautiful and brilliant tour guide. Before this tour, I'd only met Kathryn socially, at a couple of Atlanta Movie Tours parties and a fundraiser. So, I already knew that she'd be engaging, funny and lots of fun, but she brought to the tour an encyclopedic performance, as well as the festivity of her lively personality! "Thank you, Kathryn, for a magnificent tour!"

Kathryn is also an actress, who has performed on numerous episodes of The Walking Dead. Check her out on Facebook!

Patti Davis, one of the founders and owners of Atlanta Movie Tours, was also on this tour. Patti and her husband have become dear friends of mine, so that she was along made it extra special. 

Victory Tour | Atlanta Movie Tours

"The Atlanta History Center is excited to partner with Atlanta Movie Tours for their newest product," said Sheffield Hale, president and CEO, Atlanta History Center. "We know fans won't want to miss the largest Hunger Games tour in Atlanta. We are looking forward to hosting them at the Capitol!"

You've probably noticed that I've written quite a lot about the Atlanta History Center. That's because it's one of my favorite Atlanta destinations. The historic homes, the gardens, the museums, the programs...there's so much to experience at the Atlanta History Center. 

I've enjoyed the great pleasure of working with their Marketing staff over the years...Hillary and Martha have been magnificent! And he's not one to boast, so let me do it for him. Sheffield Hale, president and CEO of the Atlanta History Center (AHC), is without question committed to making the AHC everything it can be. I've seen him at countless AHC events and commented on that fact recently. Without hesitation he remarked that, "It's part of the job." Thank you to the Atlanta History Center for helping to make Atlanta Movie Tours' Victory Tour another wonderful tour!   

Victory Tour | Atlanta Movie Tours

When we arrived at the Atlanta History Center (AHC), specifically the Swan House, Kathryn turned the tour over to AHC staff for that segment. Our AHC tour guide was brilliant and quite entertaining. I've been visiting the Atlanta History Center for so many years now, it's difficult to imagine what it must be like to see the Swan House for the first time. I do know that I still find it incredibly impressive and absolutely splendid.

The artifacts, some of them quite substantial and/or elaborate, on display are alluring and intriguing. I want to go again to explore more lingeringly. Don't get me wrong...we were never hurried during the tour, there's just a lot to take in! A good thing.

One of the things that I enjoyed most about this part of the tour was learning about the transformation process, from Swan House to President Snow's mansion. And there's a wedding story tied to the filming process that you're going to find fascinating! You might even find yourself a little jealous. I know I was.

Victory Tour | Atlanta Movie Tours

If you've never toured the 1928 Swan House at the Atlanta History Center, you're missing out. To tour it through the lens of The Hunger Games is magnificent! Some of the film's artifacts that we'd seen upstairs were used in filming in the Green Room on main level, which served as President Snow's office in the movie. If I recall correctly, it was the one room that was altered the most for the film, but it's been full restored, of course.

Victory Tour | Atlanta Movie Tours

I've had the pleasure of sitting at the U.S. President's desk in the Oval Office, but that was a fabrication at Madame Tussauds in New York City—still pretty cool! But sitting a President Snow's actual desk felt quite...well, rather presidential! 

Too bad Snow was such a...well, I can't say that here. However, I can say that Donald Sutherland (President Coriolanus Snow) is an absolute and totally magnificent actor. I've loved his work since first seeing him in the 1978 Invasion of the Body Snatchers, which also featured the late, great Leonard Nimoy!

Victory Tour | Atlanta Movie Tours

Go on any of Atlanta Movie Tours' guided tours and you'll quickly see why they've earned 5 stars on TripAdvisor and its prestigious Certificate of Excellence. More than 10,000 people have been on one or more of these tours, but the Victory Tour debuted just last month, so you can still be one of the first to experience it!

Book your Atlanta Movie Tours Victory Tour now, and may the odds ever be in your favor!

Atlanta Blooms! Inspires

One of the goals of the Atlanta Botanical Garden's Atlanta Blooms! exhibition, a relatively new tradition with more than a decade of glorious beauty, has been to inspire Atlanta—her businesses and residents—to beautify the city with spring blossoms. 

I'm here to share with you that that mission is an emphatic success! Atlanta has always been beautiful in the spring, but since Atlanta Blooms! came onto the scene, blossoms throughout Atlanta have...well, they've blossomed!

Atlanta Blooms! 2015 | Atlanta Botanical Garden

The photos in this post are from two visits to the Garden, one last night and one last weekend. This time of year I typically visit the Garden almost weekly, if not more often. This time of year it's different every visit! 

The two gorgeous Cherry Trees in front of Mershon Hall in the Garden, I love! They also make me nostalgic for the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C., which I went to practically every year of the nine years I lived there. Hard to believe that only two trees can make me nostalgic for 3,000 trees, but they do...they're that beautiful.

I told my dear friend Shelley about the Conyers Cherry Blossom Festival, which I've not personally been to, and she told me the following week that she and her husband had a fantastic time there, despite the rain!

Atlanta Blooms! 2015 | Atlanta Botanical Garden

The color scheme and blossoming bulb varieties are different for every Atlanta Blooms! exhibition. This year's is magnificent! Not that any year's hasn't been, but just look at those blossoms! Tell me you don't want to tiptoe through them!

Atlanta Blooms! 2015 | Atlanta Botanical Garden

While most of the photos in the particular post feature tulips—which happens to be my favorite of all flowers—there are many other blossoms featured in Atlanta Blooms!, including quite a collection of daffodils! And they're displayed throughout the Garden in various formats. 

You're in for a treat...and bring your wanderlusting enthusiasm when you come!

Atlanta Blooms! 2015 | Atlanta Botanical Garden

The Atlanta Botanical Garden is one of the most romantic places in our gorgeous city. The photo above was just last night. In such a splendid setting, how can you not be at least a little romantic? 

Of course you know the Garden is the site of many memorable weddings and special events, right? Of course it is! Check out the various destinations in the Garden for such occasions...Events and Meetings at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Personally, I'm fond of the Trustees Garden and the Alston Overlook, but share with me where in the Garden you'd host YOUR special event.

Atlanta Blooms! 2015 | Atlanta Botanical Garden

I'm not sure who is responsible for the pots throughout the Garden, but that person/team is to be commended. Throughout the year, these pots are home to seasonal and otherwise interesting plantings! And they add incredible interest to walkways and other areas of the Garden. Kudos!

Atlanta Blooms! 2015 | Atlanta Botanical Garden

Seriously, this is one of the most gorgeous spots in all of Atlanta and it's perfect for socializing. It's a great date night spot, too, as well as an wonderful destination for quality family time.

Atlanta Blooms! 2015 | Atlanta Botanical Garden

That's right...get up close and personal with the blossoms. Just don't touch. Remember that there are thousands of other visitors right behind you who want to enjoy the splendor that every flower offers. 

My absolute favorite flower in the whole world is simply a white tulip. However, these fringed tulips are rather magnificent, don't you think? Look for these in huge pots along the Crepe Myrtle Allée. This photo was made last week when I visited with my friend Barry, but they're still spectacular this week!

Atlanta Blooms! 2015 | Atlanta Botanical Garden

One of the things that I love about Atlanta Botanical Garden is that its visitorship is so incredibly diverse and even when there are thousands of people there in a single evening event, you're all a community...you're one big happy family!

When I see families playing together—like in the photo above with the kid doing a hand stand and the father twirling his daughter, and I saw another kid doing cartwheels—it makes me feel like a kid again. As beautiful and edifying as the Garden is, it's also a wonderful destination for some good old fashion fun!

Speaking of delightful childhood memories, at last night's Spring Member Evening event, volunteers were handing out Chocolate Chip Cookies coupons courtesy of Chef Linton Hopkins, who opened his new restaurant—The Cafe at Linton's in the Garden—on the first evening of last year's Garden Lights, Holiday Nights exhibition. 

I took three steps from the volunteer-staffed table at Alston Overlook (Thank you, Kathryn!) where they were gifting the cookies. Alston Overlook is the highest point in the Garden, and there I perched. Overlooking the Garden and the Atlanta skyline, I and my friend Luc savored our cookies and the view, basking in the setting sun.  

Atlanta Blooms! 2015 | Atlanta Botanical Garden

Being the "Peach State" and the land of more than 60 streets with the word "Peachtree"—the Garden would be remiss to not have at least a few Peach Trees. In fact, they have three Dwarf Peach Trees, appropriately in the Edible Garden. The blossoms on these trees are magnificent! 

Being dwarf trees, they may not be easily recognized. When you're in the Edible Garden standing in front of the Vertical Herb Wall, the three Dwarf Peach Trees are in the large pots just to the left of the Wall. 

If you've reached the Edible Garden without going through the Conservatory and Orchid Center, may I recommend turning around and going that route, especially right now. Orchid Daze is underway—another fantastic decade-plus exhibition. 

This year's show is Orchid Daze: Pop!, themed after pop artists Warhol, Haring, and Lichtenstein. That show finishes Sunday, April 12, so if you've not seen it, get there soon so you can enjoy Atlanta Blooms! AND Orchid Daze: Pop!

Atlanta Blooms! 2015 | Atlanta Botanical Garden

Now you know about Orchid Daze: Pop! and Atlanta Blooms!...but have you heard about this year's summer exhibition?

Bruce Monroe: Light in the Garden is going to be magnificent! It opens the first week of May and the largest of the site-specific installations will be more than 30,000 flower-like stems blanketing Storza Woods! As you've probably assumed, this will be an exhibition enjoyed best in the evenings, so the Garden will be open Wednesday through Sunday evenings throughout the summer.

If you've never been to Atlanta Blooms! at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, and even if you have, now is the time to experience its splendor!

Atlanta's Car Fascination Revealed

That headline is totally a joke. If you've lived here even a couple of months, you know that we Atlantans can't even go to the corner market without getting in the car. 

Until recently, that's just been matter-of-fact living in the ATL. One of the side effects of such a lifestyle has led the Atlanta International Auto Show, this year its 33rd annual, to being the largest show of its kind in the Southeast! Our fascination for cars has never, ever been concealed.

Make your way to the Georgia World Congress Center this weekend, now through Sunday, to see the more than 400 cars and trucks—concept to classic—as well as entertainment and celebrity appearances!

Atlanta International Auto Show 2015 | Georgia World Congress Center

I've owned a number of cars in my lifetime, but there's only one model of which I've owned two. That would be the BMW. So, when I arrived at the Auto Show, I bee-lined it to the BMW section and discovered the beauty pictured above. 

That's the 2014 BMW i8 and its marketing tagline is "Innovation disguised as a sports car", which is precisely what it is.

Not associated with the Auto Show, but perhaps of interest to fellow BMW enthusiasts, also underway this weekend is the BMW Ultimate Driving Experience Tour. It's here through Sunday, March 29 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia.

Atlanta International Auto Show 2015 | Georgia World Congress Center

Everyone knows that concept cars are ALWAYS a big draw at auto shows! I'm right there with such enthusiasts and we're all in for a few delicious treats. There are quite a few pre-production and concept cars in this year's Show, including the above pictured Mercedes-Benz AMG GT S. My car-before-last was a Mercedes—I've never felt so safe in a car—but it wasn't quite as nice as this one.

I overheard a father who had brought his two sons to the show tell his younger one, "Study hard and get a great job. You'll want one of these. And you'll want to buy me one for bringing you here today." 

There were quite a few father-son outings at the Show. I admire those parents for spending quality time with their kids. I had extremely few opportunities to spend quality time with my father, so it's super cool to see kids today to have such an awesome experience...dad and cool cars!

Atlanta International Auto Show 2015 | Georgia World Congress Center

I've had a love affair with the Corvette since 1978. Many generations are fans of the Star Wars franchise, but many of those of us who saw the first Star Wars in 1977 went on to see Corvette Summer, starring Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) and Annie Potts, the next year. 

That metal-flake candy apple red Corvette Stingray was the most beautiful car I'd ever seen as a kid, but the 2015 Corvette Z06 pictured above, which is in part modeled after the 2014 Stingray, would be a sweet ride, too! Don't you think? 

Atlanta International Auto Show 2015 | Georgia World Congress Center

Ford is offering rides in its ST Simulator! It's unlike any simulator I've ever been in and I've been in Boeing-737 and NASA Space Shuttle simulators! This one let's you experience world-class racing and it spins 360 degrees! When you're turning the "car", you're actually turning! I didn't personally ride it on this visit, but the folks I saw riding it were having a blast!

Atlanta International Auto Show 2015 | Georgia World Congress Center

For the more than a few NASCAR enthusiasts I'm sure will attend the Auto Show, there are several race cars just waiting for photo-ops! There's even one that's a cut-away model, so you can see inside the engine, inside the cab, the frame...you can see everything! 

Speaking of seeing...there are several celebrity appearances throughout the Show. Visitors will have the opportunity to see Jeff Teague of the Atlanta Hawks; the Atlanta Hawks Cheerleaders; Scooby-Doo; Spider-Man; and Iron Man! The last time I saw Iron Man was at Medieval Times, but that's another story.

Atlanta International Auto Show 2015 | Georgia World Congress Center

"Hank" is a life-size fully interactive robot, and a Ford representative/entertainer! I don't know how often Hank's performances are, but you're going to want to make time to see him. He has a brilliant sense of humor, some pretty smooth moves, he's at least bilingual, engaging, entertaining and puts on a great show! The show I saw included a trivia contest and prizes!

Atlanta International Auto Show 2015 | Georgia World Congress Center

I love old cars, just as much as concept cars. The classic cars at the Atlanta International Auto Show is reminiscent of last year's Dream Cars exhibition at the High Museum of Art...they're truly magnificent! And there are quite a few of them. 

In addition to the above pictured 1957 300C Chrysler there are vintage police cars and a fully restored antique Atlanta Fire Truck! The classics are spread out throughout the Show, so have fun discovering them!

Atlanta International Auto Show 2015 | Georgia World Congress Center

I told you how about my Corvette love affair when I was a kid, right? Well, my love affair with the Ford Mustang is a more contemporary love affair. Actually, I owned a black-on-black 1997 Mustang in the late 90s. I loved that car. A black car shines like no other when it's newly waxed. As much as I love the classics and my 1997, today's Mustangs are incredibly sexy! 

If I ever change models again, I'll very likely go back to a Mustang. Except for that unfortunate phase in the 80s when a Mustang looked nothing like a Mustang (personal opinion, sorry Ford), it's been a favorite since I've known anything about cars.

Atlanta International Auto Show 2015 | Georgia World Congress Center

I love the Mini! And yes, I've spent more than a few hours on their website building my own Mini. Although I'm on the tall side, I've always had an affinity for small cars. They're racy, they're comfortable, they can go places other cars can't...and in a city like Atlanta, it makes parking a LOT easier than any SUV!

A few other things to look out for when you're at the Auto Show: full-size engines, samples of color and finish options, eco-friendly vehicles, and some of the most beautiful and handsome automobile representatives you'll ever see! The ones I spoke with were very kind, helpful and knowledgeable about their lines. Don't be shy! 

Atlanta International Auto Show 2015 | Georgia World Congress Center

Okay...some of these vehicles I can't tell you what they are. Honestly, I was like a dog in a squirrel factory. Cars. Trucks. Cars...and more cars! And rides and shows...and more cars. What I can tell you is that they have something for everyone! Even the above pictured vehicle, which I believe is a Custom Combat Truck, would give any Hummer owner Big-Car-Envy!

I'd also like to say "Thank you!" to Atlanta Daybook for the tickets. I won them in a Facebook giveaway. I've followed Atlanta Daybook for years...they're a press distribution service and an excellent resource for Atlanta events, news and business announcements. 

For the record, I've enjoyed quite a few Atlanta experiences that I first learned about by following Atlanta Daybook, on Facebook and via my email subscription with them!

Atlanta International Auto Show 2015 | Georgia World Congress Center

There are a number of test driving experiences to be had at the Show, but the one I found to be the coolest is the one that Jeep has set up one the plaza between Georgia World Congress Center and Georgia Dome. There are varying terrains, a variety of Jeeps to try, and you get to drive where you would never, ever be able to without getting arrested!

While I'm excited to have Atlanta Streetcar and the eventual rail on the Atlanta Beltline, until the time that Atlanta has a rail system that blankets the city, I'm a car hound! And I'm grateful for an awesome car show!

Head on down to the Atlanta International Auto Show this weekend—it started Wednesday! Remember to check the Show's website for directions and parking information. FYI, sometimes parking is less expensive closer to the Georgia World Congress Center...if you're looking for the best rate, make a little extra time to scope out your options.

Now, go have fun and tell Iron Man "Hello!" for me!

Dwelling Within the Forces of Nature

Sustainable Shelter: Dwelling Within the Forces of Nature is on display at the Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA), right across street from the High Museum of Art, through Sunday, April 5, 2015. 

This exhibition "discusses the techniques through which animals and humans have adapted to differing environments through an amazing diversity of structures." That, and so much more, with an ample measure of fun thrown in!

Sustainable Shelter: Dwelling Within the Forces of Nature | MODA

Do you have any idea the number of total devices in your home that consume power? If you're sitting at home when reading this, look around and count. If you're away from home, look around the room you're in and count the devices that require power. Remember, a device doesn't have to be turned on to be using power. And batteries, like my batter-powered computer mouse, are using energy, too!

It's late, so I'm working in my bedroom. Even without a thorough exploration, including light fixtures, appliances, phones, and other devices, I counted 50! That's FIFTY items that require power of some kind. WOW! And that's just two rooms and a couple of closets. Imagine how many there are in your entire home!

Challenge: Count every device, appliance, fixture, electronic, etc. in your home—remember the yard, too—that requires power. Now then, come up with at least one way to conserve power. And now...do it! You just might save a little money, maybe a lot, and I bet you'll feel great about being a little more "Green".

Sustainable Shelter: Dwelling Within the Forces of Nature | MODA

Visitors are greeted, just before entering the Gallery 1 corridor, with a "Build Your Own Sustainable Home" interactive station. Looks like fun, doesn't it?

MODA is a magnificent destination for the creative type. At MODA, I've (almost) built a spaceship, played video games, and learned about art disciplines I never knew existed. I've certainly learned a lot about design. I've been a member of MODA for more than four years and it has consistently provided entertainment, engagement and learning...all in the most of fun ways!

Sustainable Shelter: Dwelling Within the Forces of Nature | MODA

Sustainable Shelter is rather diverse in its features. There are the to-be-expected building materials displays, there's a living terrarium, there's a rainfall runoff water demonstration...and then there's ART! That is, art in the form of an ant colony revealed by molten aluminum. 

This isn't actually an art piece, truth be told. It was created to study the uniqueness of the Florida Harvester Ant Nest. But if you didn't know better, wouldn't you hang this on your wall and tell your friends that it's a new piece of "art"?

Did you know that every species of ant creates a unique style of shelter?   

Sustainable Shelter: Dwelling Within the Forces of Nature | MODA

The Gallery 1 corridor in this exhibition features various kinds of shelters. In the photo above it shows "Modular Shelters" built by humans and animals. It's surprising just how often humans mimic animals in the various aspects of building shelters. There are lots of fascinating facts on the placard and displays in this gallery!

Sustainable Shelter: Dwelling Within the Forces of Nature | MODA

We hear more and more about "Green" roofs, particularly in Atlanta in the last eight years. At Sustainable Shelter you get to learn quite a lot about their construction and just how many layers it takes to make such a roof!

Sustainable Shelter: Dwelling Within the Forces of Nature | MODA

Maybe I just like flipping switches, but I really enjoyed this station. It's a very quick demonstration of the light emitted by various kinds of light bulbs and the power requirement for each. You'll be a light bulb expert before the power company can print your next bill!

Sustainable Shelter: Dwelling Within the Forces of Nature | MODA

Extremely few people know this about me, but just before I moved to Atlanta in the late 80s, I worked for an insulation company. We manufactured custom insulated fittings for industrial pipe connectors. Some of them were the size of an arm cast and some were incredibly massive! 

The cool thing about them was that they were removable, meaning that when the plant had to repair or replace a fitting on a pipe, they didn't have to destroy the plaster covering. They could just unzip or unsnap the custom insulated fitting and put it back on when the repair was complete, without having to re-plaster. Talk about a sustainable solution! Those custom insulation fittings saved companies countless dollars over the years.

All that is to say that I have an appreciation for insulation—good insulation—and the "Green" benefits of it. That, and if you ever work with anything that's fiberglass-based, be absolutely certain to not launder your work clothes with your play clothes!

Sustainable Shelter: Dwelling Within the Forces of Nature | MODA

There are several wall-size illustrations showing various aspects of sustainable shelter. The one above shows "The Life Cycle of a House", but my favorite is one in Gallery 2 that demonstrates how we can make better use of our water resources. 

It covers everything from using native, low-maintenance plants in your yard to reduce the amount of water it takes to water a lawn to changing the aerator on your shower nozzle to reduce water usage. The number of opportunities to save water, energy and money in your home, by being a little more "Green", are mind boggling! 

Sustainable Shelter: Dwelling Within the Forces of Nature | MODA

On Thursday evenings (6:30 p.m.) and Saturday afternoons (4:00 p.m.), MODA offers exhibition tours free of charge (with regular admission). For Sustainable Shelter, the tour highlights "how design, construction, and technology can help us create homes that function as more effective components of Earth's natural cycles." Tours last approximately 45 minutes. 

Sustainable Shelter: Dwelling Within the Forces of Nature | MODA

Did you know that the building where the Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA) is housed happens to be the Greenest building in Atlanta? Yep! That's another cool factor that adds to the fascination of this particular exhibition. Go visit the museum, take one of the tours, check out their classes...but be sure to get there before Sunday, April 5 to see Sustainable Shelter.

Orchid Daze 2015

The Atlanta Botanical Garden is celebrating another magnificent Orchid Daze exhibition. For more than a decade, the Garden has celebrated this incredibly popular flowering plant with a signature display.

Orchid Daze: Pop! - Atlanta Botanical Garden

The last three exhibitions—including 2015—have been fashioned after a specific style of art. This year the focus is on Pop Art.

Orchid Daze: Pop! features three famous pop artists, each iteration located in a different area. And I love that they always print—on a wall, on the floor, floating in mid-air—a quote from the featured artists. Be sure to look for each of them!

Orchid Daze: Pop! - Atlanta Botanical Garden

Entering the Fuqua Conservatory lobby, where the first Pop artist is featured, you immediately recognize who it is. 

Orchid Daze: Pop! - Atlanta Botanical Garden

The dozens of soup cans and the brightly colored triptychs just scream Andy Warhol!

One of my favorites of his, and you'll probably know it too, is "Marilyn" Portfolio of 10 Silkscreens, part of the permanent collection at the nearby High Museum of Art. It's not currently on exhibit, but I distinctly remember seeing it in 2011.

Orchid Daze: Pop! - Atlanta Botanical Garden

If you're an orchid enthusiast, and so many of the people I know are, may I recommend subscribing to the Garden's orchid blog—The Orchid Column. It's authored by Becky Brinkman, who's more than an orchidologist. She's an excellent writer and a magnificent photographer! I think you'll really enjoy the blog. I certainly have. 

The blog has its own Instagram account, too!

Orchid Daze: Pop! - Atlanta Botanical Garden

Keith Haring, another personal favorite—evidently I like Pop Art more than I thought I did!—is featured in the Orchid Atrium in the Orchid Center. There's no denying that his work is one of the most widely recognized "visual languages" of the 20th Century. That fascination and his activism even today remain impressive.

Orchid Daze: Pop! - Atlanta Botanical Garden

What's your most prevalent memory of Pop Art?

Orchid Daze: Pop! - Atlanta Botanical Garden

As of this writing, there's one more Orchid Market Weekend scheduled during this exhibition. It features live orchids, orchid supplies, art, jewelry and more...including orchid advice!

The only remaining 2015 Orchid Market Weekend is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, April 4-5.

I took a couple of friends to see Orchid Daze: Pop! last weekend when the annual Atlanta Orchid Show, presented by the Atlanta Orchid Society, was at the Garden. I didn't make as many photos as I usually do, but my friends enjoyed it immensely! If you've never seen it, be sure to watch for the announcement from the Garden for next year's Orchid Show.

Orchid Daze: Pop! - Atlanta Botanical Garden

If you've ever been a fan of comic books and are of a certain age, you can't not know the work of Roy Lichtenstein! Of course he's not a comic artist...he's an artist who often used comics to inspire his work...his magnificent work!

Orchid Daze: Pop! - Atlanta Botanical Garden

Tomorrow is the first day of spring and it brings with it the annual Atlanta Blooms! exhibition. Visitors will enjoy hundreds of thousands of blossoms, a great many of them my personal favorite flower...tulips! 

Atlanta Blooms! is seasonal and the length of the exhibition is determined totally by Mother Nature, but when I was there last weekend there were quite a few daffodils and other bulbs, including tulips, already making an appearance.

Orchid Daze: Pop! - Atlanta Botanical Garden

Orchid Daze: Pop! is on display at the Atlanta Botanical Garden through Sunday, April 12. See you at the Garden!