Dinosaurs have invaded Atlantic Station!

Extreme Dinosaurs is awesome! 

For some odd reason, I thought this exhibition was going to be totally cheezy, but it turns out to be quite fascinating. The specimen are HUGE and many of them are animatronic! You can even "operate" some of them! 

Atlantic Station impresses again with another amazing exhibition!

Extreme Dinosaurs, Atlantic Station, Atlanta

I've shared in other posts that before I wanted to be an astronaut I wanted to be an archaeologist...Louis Leakey was a childhood hero. So, an exhibition about dinosaurs...I'm so there! Especially when it's one that is this much fun.

Extreme Dinosaurs, Atlantic Station, Atlanta

There are 17 animatronic "extremely" large dinosaurs in the exhibition. The smaller ones are toward the front and they get progressively bigger as you progress through the corridors of naturalistic landscaping.

Did you know that T-Rex remains have been found in the Western United States and Alberta?  

Extreme Dinosaurs, Atlantic Station, Atlanta

One of the more fun, and interesting, aspects of Extreme Dinosaurs is that it features "Advantages of Bizarre Characteristics" on many of its specimen...often those characteristics had to do with "staying alive or attracting a mate."

Extreme Dinosaurs, Atlantic Station, Atlanta

Extreme Dinosaurs entertains from the moment you walk in until you leave...it's non-stop fun, learning, interactivity, awe and more fun.

Speaking of walking in...it took me a few minutes to find the exhibition, and I thought I knew Atlantic Station rather well! It's on Level 2 near Escalator 5. You can't miss the escalator signs, so that'll help you find it.

Extreme Dinosaurs, Atlantic Station, Atlanta

The exhibition also features skeletons and quite a few fossils...some replica and some real, as well as some dinosaur eggs!

Extreme Dinosaurs, Atlantic Station, Atlanta

There are the crowd favorites—T-Rex, Velociraptor and Hadrosaur—and there are so many more...many of which I'd never heard! They also feature some feathered dinosaurs, which were just discovered in the last couple of decades, according to the exhibition.

What's your favorite dinosaur?

Extreme Dinosaurs, Atlantic Station, Atlanta

One of the brilliant aspects of the Extreme Dinosaurs exhibition is the use of color and lighting to display the specimen. Of course kids like typically like the brighter colors they've used, and the bigger kids—like me—appreciate the dramatic lighting. The sound they've used is pretty awesome, too.

Extreme Dinosaurs, Atlantic Station, Atlanta

Here's a bonus you might not learn before visiting Extreme Dinosaurs...they have TWO specimen of Tyrannosaurus-rex! 

Did you know that T-Rex grew to a mere 13 feet tall? I thought they were the size of buildings when I was a kid...then again, 13 feet would seem like a building to a wee little kid. A kid asked me at a Hawks game once if I was Larry Bird! I'm nowhere near 6' 9" tall, but to that little kid I was.

Extreme Dinosaurs, Atlantic Station, Atlanta

Extreme Dinosaurs put me in a nostalgic mood, returning memories of dig sites near where I lived in Wyoming and later in Greece. Unfortunately, I didn't develop the patience required of an accomplished archaeologist. I'm patient...just not "that" patient, so I have great admiration for those who do.

Extreme Dinosaurs, Atlantic Station, Atlanta

Of all the dinosaurs, my favorite has always been the Triceratops, and there's a BIG one in Extreme Dinosaurs! I don't know why I liked this dino so much...perhaps because his head was wider than I was tall, but not so big that I couldn't wrap my head around. Who knows!

Here's a quick video preview of Extreme Dinosaurs...




Right next door to Extreme Dinosaurs is BODIES: The Exhibition, which I saw in Washington, DC, and highly recommend. It may be extreme for some, but I was quite impressed with the number of parents who used the exhibition as a teaching opportunity for their youngsters.

Check out Extreme Dinosaurs at Atlantic Station...and visit Atlantic Station's website before you go, so you know of all the other fun activities going on there!

The BB&T Atlanta Open is in Full Swing!

The BB&T Atlanta Open is back in Atlanta and giving tennis fans lots to cheer about! Well, maybe not "cheer" about...tennis is one of the quieter spectator sports, after all (which I really kinda like).

BB&T Atlanta Open, Atlantic Station

The player roster is nicely balanced between seasoned favorites, such as Mardy Fish,  James Blake, and Lleyton Hewitt, and newcomers—or at least newcomers to me—including brothers Ryan and Christian Harrison, and Michael Russell—not a newcomer, but the first time I've seen him play, and play he did—defeating Mardy Fish in last night's games.

BB&T Atlanta Open, Atlantic Station

The BB&T Atlanta Open is again taking place at Atlantic Station—easy to get to, easy (flat rate) parking, plenty to eat and drink,(there's a fun covered bar onsite), great shopping, and clean "facilities"—a nice (important) surprise. 

Atlantic Station is also offering a discount to shoppers who show their tennis tickets...full details at the games!

BB&T Atlanta Open, Atlantic Station - Michael Russell

I am very grateful for my tickets—a generous gift from Laura Flusche, Executive Director at the Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA) who won them from event sponsor Peachtree Tents & Events. So, "Thank you, Laura" for the tickets and for making sure they were indeed used, and "Thank you, Peachtree Tents & Events" for sponsoring the event and for being so generous with tickets...and I love what you do on Facebook and other Social Media channels!

BB&T Atlanta Open, Atlantic Station, Lleyton Hewitt

It was really quite interesting to observe the power and energy of the younger and newer players contrasted by the purpose and strategy of the more seasoned players. I'm sure that's a natural progression—in many professions—but I don't recall noticing it quite as much as I did last night. 

BB&T Atlanta Open, Atlantic Station, Ryan Harrison

Ryan Harrison hosted a meet and greet and gave away autographed Corona (another sponsor) tee-shirts in a fan-cheering round of trivia. Fun, charming, energetic...Ryan's PR skills are commendable, as were his fans, of all ages, who were super enthusiastic! Okay, I'll admit it, I got an autograph, too.

BB&T Atlanta Open, Atlantic Station

Games are ongoing through the weekend...culminating in Singles and Doubles Finals this Sunday.

BB&T Atlanta Open, Atlantic Station, James Blake

I'd seen a number of the players before—at the Citi Open (formerly known as the Legg Mason Tennis Classic) in Washington, D.C.—including James Blake, Lleyton Hewitt, and Mardy Fish. It was great to see them again!

BB&T Atlanta Open, Atlantic Station, Mardy Fish

I did find it interesting that the fans—at least in last night's crowd—by far favored the more seasoned of the players, even if his opponent was American. Their loyalty was admirable. And that's been my experience...tennis fans aren't terribly fickle. Once they like a player, they're with that player throughout their career.

BB&T Atlanta Open, Atlantic Station, Tim Smyczek

It was a great night of tennis! I do hope you make it out to see these guys...it's only going to get more exciting from here!

BB&T Atlanta Open, Atlantic Station

Ummm...and it goes without saying, BUT...be sure you wear sunscreen; bring your sunglasses; if you have it bring a pad for your seat (so that you're comfortable for the 6-8 or more hours of tennis you'll be watching from your seat); and bring your camera (but know that larger zoom lenses are not allowed in—you can bring a zoom, but there is a cutoff on size).

BB&T Atlanta Open, Atlantic Station

Now, head over to the wanderlust ATLANTA Facebook Page for more photos of last night's fantastic tennis! And then get your tickets for this weekend's play...have fun!

You Know There's a Millennium Gate Museum, Right?

I just wanted to share a reminder that there's a fabulous museum "inside" the Millennium Gate at Atlantic Station. I've been through more than once and I'm so glad to have discovered it...highly recommend checking it out!

Millennium Gate at Atlantic Station

You're over there shopping, going to the movies, or checking out the exhibits inside Atlantic Station anyway, so check out the museum. It offers a unique perspective on Atlanta history. I think you'll be glad you did!

BB&T Atlanta Open Serving Up World-Class Tennis

I was about to start this post with a confession that I'm not much of a sports enthusiast, but then I realized that I've been to hundreds of baseball, hockey, and tennis games...so, while I'm a far cry from a jock, I guess I am a sports fan after all...a contributor to having so much fun at the BB&T Atlanta Open this past weekend!

BB&T Atlanta Open, Atlanta Tennis Championships

Taking place at its new location in Atlantic Station, I'm told that the seating capacity is 4,000 (unverified). When I went on Saturday, I had the privilege of sitting in the elevated Champagne Suite where there was a breeze that made the difference between misery and it feeling like a comfortable summer evening on the front porch.

BB&T Atlanta Open, Atlantic Station

The tennis—amazing! I know a lot of people don't go to the qualifiers because they're celebrity spotters like me, but they're the setting of some great athletic performances—these guys want to move their careers along so they're playing not only with their bodies, but also with their hearts.

Later in the week, attendees will get to see no less than 15 Olympians—that's pretty awesome! Not that Atlanta is a stranger to Olympic athletes, but there are so few Olympians on the planet that when you get to see one...well, let's just say "coolness." Not to mention "admiration" for the discipline and hard work it took to get to that point.

So, the courts are open all week and on throughout this weekend, so get your tickets and go check out some world-class tennis!

ATLANTApix: Atlantic Station Skyline

Atlantic Station Skyline

This entire section of the Atlanta skyline, now the area of town known as Atlantic Station, grew up from nothing during the years that I lived in Washington, D.C. 

Its distinctiveness has added a whole new dimension, and extension, to the overall Atlanta skyline, which was already quite impressive.

Atlantic Station was designed as a self-sustaining neighborhood. Today it has offices, residences, shopping, entertainment, and cultural events. And it's home to some very impressive exhibitions and events including, Bodies: The Exhibition, Cirque du Soleil, Dialogue in the Dark, and the Millennium Gate Museum.

ATLANTApix and ATLANTAvidz of the tourATLANTA blog features a daily photo or video relative to Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

ATLANTApix: Things to Do in Atlantic Station

The Millennium Gate at Atlantic Station

There's so much going on there, I find myself rather anxious to get back to Atlantic Station...the "mini city" that popped up out of nowhere during the years I was living in Washington, D.C.

I was there just a few months ago to see Cirque du Soleil's "Ovo," which was fantastic! They also have, for the summer, "Bodies...The Exhibition," which I saw in Washington, D.C. (Rosslyn, Virginia), a phenomenal experience and and incredible learning excursion.

What I've not seen that's there is "Dialogue in the Dark." It's an experience of what it's like to be blind and the exhibit is led by visually-impaired docents. It's designed to increase awareness and challenge prejudices.

There's also free movies every Thursday night, a "Movies in the Park" program. Some of the upcoming films include: Jurassic Park, The Wizard of Oz, The Hangover, and Pretty Woman.

And of course the gateway to Atlantic Station, The Millennium Gate (photo), is phenomenal in its own right, but it's also a museum, which I highly recommend touring. It's comprehensive in its coverage of Atlanta history and it even has a few high-tech features that are sure to please.

I of course can't forget to mention the great shopping and the delicious dining. Rosa Mexicano is a personal favorite. And one of my dear friends, who happens to be from Mexico City, tells me that it's very close to authentic Mexican cuisine...and I love their table-side guacamole service!

ATLANTApix and ATLANTAvidz of the tourATLANTA blog features a daily photo or video relative to Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

ATLANTApix: Millennium Gate

The Millennium Gate

Today is my mother's birthday (Happy birthday, Mother!). If she were in town, I would show her how much Atlanta has changed since her last visit and the Millennium Gate would definitely be on that tour. It's one of my favorite structures in the city and I'm sure she'd like it as well.

Speaking of special occasions, the Millennium Gate has been the site of choice for many such events, including weddings (get your booking now if you're looking for "the" must-be-wed-at destination) and corporate events.

The museum inside (Surprise! It's a museum, too.) is fantastic. When I visited on my brother's birthday in late December 2010, I learned more about the history of Atlanta in a short period of time than I had in any other single visit anywhere. 

And they use state-of-the-art technology to ensure their tour is supremely unique from any other tour in Atlanta. If you've played Wii and liked it, you're going to love the interactive discovery room where you can tour the city with a "paddle"...you can't do that on the Chattahoochee! 

If you plan ahead or have lucky timing during an impromptu tour, a trip to the rooftop vista will favor your skyline-hungry eyes with one of the best views of downtown Atlanta. The entire site is amazing...your visit promises to be as grand as the Millennium Gate is itself.

ATLANTApix of the tourATLANTA blog features a "photo-of-the-day" of Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

ATLANTApix: Millennium Gate Museum

The Rhodes-Robinson Room

As many historic homes as there are in Atlanta, many are surprised to find historic dwellings inside the Millennium Gate. In fact, the Millennium Gate is home to three historic rooms from three different homes.

That's right. That great big giant arch in Atlantic Station is also a museum...and they offer tours. Their space is also available for corporate events and weddings (and it has great views of Atlanta!).

The room in this photo, the Rhodes-Robinson Room, is from the Pink House (also called the "Pink Palace"). And while you're in the neighborhood, consider taking in "Bodies: The Exhibition" or "Dialog in the Dark."

ATLANTApix of the tourATLANTA blog features a "photo-of-the-day" of Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

ATLANTApix: TWELVE Atlantic Station

Located in the heart of Atlantic Station, Atlanta's newest mixed-use urban development project, is the 27-story TWELVE Hotel and Residences at Atlantic Station.

TWELVE Atlantic Station, similar to its sister tower TWELVE Centennial Park, is a mixed-use building featuring a boutique hotel, condo residences, and a relaxed and casual yet stylish restaurant that boasts being the best in Atlantic Station—Lobby Bar and Bistro.

TWELVE also is a stone's throw from The Millennium Gate.

ATLANTApix of the tourATLANTA blog features a "photo-of-the-day" of Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

The Millennium Gate: Arch of The Gateway City

The Millennium Gate

When I started the tourATLANTA blog, I said that I would share my experiences and discoveries while visiting Atlanta's tourist attractions, museums and hidden gems.

The Millennium Gate is hard to miss, but its role in preserving and sharing Atlanta's rich history is indeed one of the hidden gems I spoke of, but only for now. What's inside the Gate is one of Atlanta's best kept secrets…its riches and splendor are definitely worthy of a visit.

This post covers visits on two days.

The first day was a visit to the grounds. I knew very little about The Millennium Gate, but had seen it quite a few times while driving and when dining in Atlantic Station…my interest was piqued.

On the way home from a book lecture at The Breman on Sunday (December 19, 2010), I had some extra time and it was a beautiful sunny day, so I pulled into Atlantic Station via 17th Street to scope out the Gate.

The Millennium Gate

Excited to be on an adventure, I quickly found parking and was on my way. Driving by the Gate and walking up to the Gate are two totally difference experiences. On foot, you get to really see the grandeur of the structure…you get to see the thought, hard work, and detail that went into creating such a grand monument.

Of course, I was immediately snapping photos. There are some great vistas of the Gate within several blocks and a number of those vantage points puts the Atlanta skyline in the background.

When exploring the grounds of the Gate, I noticed several doors on the lake side of the structure. Well, being the curious creature that I am, I went up and peeked in. Shocked at what I saw—museum cases, chandeliers, and information stations—it dawned on me that there must be some kind of visitor center inside the Gate.

When I got home, I immediately got on the Internet and discovered that there's more than a visitor center, there's a full-fledged museum! I went back two days later to explore further.

The Millennium Gate

The Millennium Gate

The Millennium Gate is fashioned after the Arch of Titus in Rome, Italy. The arch stands 100 feet tall (on the lake side), has seven levels, 12,000 square feet of gallery space, several offices, and an incredible view from its rooftop of Midtown and Downtown Atlanta.

The Millennium Gate was dedicated and opened to the public, to much fanfare, on July 4, 2008.

The Gate was birthed and is today managed by the National Monuments Foundation, which is also known for the World Athletes Monument in Pershing Point dedicated to competitors of the 1996 Olympics.

The Gate's exterior is made from Indiana limestone, as is the Georgia Capitol Building in downtown Atlanta. Coincidentally, the Georgia Capitol Building was also dedicated on July 4th, back in 1889.

The Museum

Century Galleries

I arrived on Tuesday to visit the Museum and was greeted by Victoria, the Manager of the National Monuments Foundation. She gave me the red carpet treatment. I was escorted to the Museum and given specifics of the Museum layout, including the recommendation to explore the galleries in a clockwise direction.

The Museum has several highlights and there's something for everyone. The Museum is comprised of several galleries—one each dedicated to 18th, 19th, and 20th Century Atlanta—as well as several period rooms, a video gallery, and an Interactive Room that features the wildly popular Wii technology.

The Interactive Room (a video lounge with Wii technology) is immensely popular with young visitors (and those my age, too). The room has a large format video screen, a podium with a touch screen interface, and Wii paddles that visitors use to explore and discover the city. It's a unique and fun museum experience, to say the least.

Museum Display

The Century galleries primarily focus on life in Atlanta, but cover other parts of Georgia as well. Throughout the Museum I discovered more of Atlanta's history (in a succinct fashion) than I’ve seen in any other single place.

The exhibits and videos focus on Atlanta today and yesteryear, her people, and her neighborhoods. There's far more than I could possibly describe here, but know that you'll want to make ample time to explore and ready yourself for a monumental experience!

The Museum is deceptive in size…you would never know that so much information, so many artifacts, so many period rooms, so many galleries and an uber-cool interactive exhibit were all inside the Gate.

Millennium Gate Video

The Best Office in Town

Pink Palace Drawing Room

When Victoria dropped me off in the Museum, she asked me to give her a call when I was done (and I was given all the time I wanted to explore the Museum) and she would take me to the top of the Gate, which is usually by appointment only. More excitement!

The first stop on the upper level was the 20th Century drawing room of the "Pink House" or "Pink Palace," (called that for its original pink stucco and pink Dogwood tree lined driveway), which was the Rhodes-Robinson home designed by Philip Shutze (who also designed Swan House). This is the largest of the period rooms in the Gate.

As soon as I'd finished viewing the drawing room (which is grand by any measure of opulence), Victoria and I were off down the hall when Mr. Rodney Mims Cook, Jr. himself emerged from the doorway we were quickly approaching.

View from the Top

Mr. Cook and Victoria discussed business for a moment and then Mr. Cook introduced himself to me and asked what I thought of The Millennium Gate. "I'm impressed!" was the best first statement I could manage to get across my lips realizing that I'd just met the man behind the Gate. We chatted for a couple of minutes, mostly about the Gate and future marketing ideas.

Rodney Cook is not only the President of the National Monument Foundation, he was the mastermind behind the creation of The Millennium Gate (He also was the man behind the "Save the Fox" campaign). And as it turns out, he's quite the historian as well. I found myself, much to my delight, in conversation with a man who I believe history will regard as a visionary.

Victoria continued on our tour of the top floor of the Gate (the dark brown structure you can see from the ground). It houses not only the Pink House drawing room, it is also where Mr. Cook's office is located…the "best office in town."

I call it the "best office in town" not only because it's one of the very few offices that tourists get to see, but because it has an incredible view of Downtown, Midtown, Lenox, Atlantic Station, and of course Lake Hylia on the Gate's grounds.

The Gate's Grounds

Bridge over Lake Hylia

You'll know you’re there because you just can't miss the Gate when driving down 17th Street in Atlantic Station…it's impossible. Immediately behind the Gate are a large courtyard, paths, benches, and Lake Hylia with an iron bridge across the middle and water fountains.

The courtyard has quite a few tables and is a nice place to have the lunch you brought into the office or to bring something that you picked up on the go. You couldn't ask for a more grand setting.

There is also a memorial at the far end of the courtyard dedicated to Georgians who fought during past wars and those who lost their lives fighting for human rights. Carved on top of the memorial is a description of The Millennium Gate and its mission statement.

At the "entrance" to the Gate, on the street corners just before you get to the Gate there are two bronze statues, one representing Justice (Egypt) and the other representing Peace (Greece).

At the far end of the lake there is a great vantage point for making photos, as is the middle of the bridge that spans the lake.

Special Occasions

The Sunday I visited the Millennium Gate grounds, there was a young couple there with a young lady who had a big camera—a professional photographer I presumed because of the camera and the direction she was giving.

Courtyard

The photo shoot was for what I'm sure is to be the young couple's wedding photographs. And the photographers timing was excellent…it was sunset, which offers the most flattering light of any 24-hour period. And the sky was a perfect, cloudless blue.

I learned in my research and during my visit that The Millennium Gate facility is available for events and special occasions. I would not be at all surprised to see the same two lovebirds return to The Millennium Gate for their wedding ceremony or reception in the spring.

The Return

Shall I pass through Atlanta's great portal that is The Millennium Gate once again? Yes, again and again and again. The Gate, the museum, the park…it's a history lesson, it's a respite from the city, it's a monumental must-see!

Touring The Millennium Gate

Date toured: Sunday and Tuesday, December 19 and 21, 2010
Hours: Monday-Friday 10:00 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday by appointment
Cost: Grounds free; Museum - $10 Adults, $8 Seniors, $6 Youths, Free for Children
Location: 395 17th Street, NW (directions and map)
Parking: Garage and metered parking nearby
Website: http://www.thegateatlanta.com/

The Millennium Gate ceiling

ATLANTApix: City of Glass

1180 Peachtree reflecting Promenade II

I moved from Atlanta, after 15 years, to live in Washington, D.C., for almost nine years. Upon my return, I discovered that Atlanta had become a city of glass. More skyscrapers than I could have imagined (mostly glass) were put up while I was away from home, including the entire mini-city of Atlantic Station.


The glass facades make for some fun and interesting photography. This photograph of 1180 Peachtree (Symphony Tower), a 41-story office building completed in 2006, shows a reflection of its neighbor, the Promenade II, a 38-story office building completed in 1990. Both are in Upper Midtown.

ATLANTApix of the tourATLANTA blog features a "photo-of-the-day" of Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!