wanderlust ATLANTA's 2021 Photo Review

Where to begin...where to begin?!  2021 was quite the year, to say the least. You know I like to keep things upbeat, so here goes...The Atlanta Braves won the World Series! Theatres that had been only operating online for 18 months are now beginning to reopen. Legendary restaurants have closed forever and new restaurants are popping up all over the place! We have a new mayor. And there's so much more...

Dogwood Bench in Piedmont Park | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

I forget every year how much I enjoy writing this annual post. Not because it's initially fun, but once I start reviewing it I realize just how much I've done and get to relive some awesome bits that I otherwise might not have. It's truly my favorite post to write, I just forget. 

This year, given "everything" that was going on, my posting was light so the photos I'm sharing here are from the blog as well as its social media channels. I expect posting to return to "normal" in 2022, though, so stay tuned!

Hero Doughnuts & Buns | Travis Swann Taylor selfie

One of the incredibly exciting things that happened to me this year was being nominated for 2021 Author of the Year, 'Specialty' category, by the Georgia Writers Association. I didn't win—the competition was phenomenal—but I can still say "nominee" until perhaps one day I do win. Never say never, right?!

Among my early 2021 posts were some places in bustling Summerhill, now growing exponentially! Hero Doughnuts & Buns is a fun destination, especially for this doughnut-loving guy. I have to limit myself otherwise I'm "taste testing" everything in the window! 

Hot Dog Pete's | Photo Travis Swann Taylor

My very first post last year was from Hot Dog Pete's which shares a patio with Hero Doughnuts & Buns. I've been back to both and have even attempted to replicate Hot Dog Pete's loaded fries at home...they were good, but theirs are the best!

I'll share some more of my other dining adventures—from luxury to comfort—a little further down.

The Flair | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

I received my first two vaccinations at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the U.S. Army was on hand managing logistics and administering the vaccines! "Thank you!" to MBS and the Army for doing this for Atlanta! I later got my booster at my doctor's office. Not as exciting but what a relief having it done!

I snapped the above photo of "The Flair" in Georgia International Plaza, next to the stadium, but didn't realize that it looked like "he" was getting his vaccine too, courtesy of the Westin Peachtree Plaza, until after I was home.

Daffodil Days at Oakland | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

Spring is beautiful in Atlanta! This year I got to go to Historic Oakland Cemetery during Daffodil Days at Oakland. Already a beautiful cemetery, the bright yellow flowers made it even more special.

Carmen and Colomba | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

My dear friend Carmen (left) visited from DC and bought her delightful and wholly fun friend Colomba who was visiting from the Dominican Republic. We visited a number of places! They stayed at The Georgian Terrace (my recommendation) and we had dinner at TWO urban licks, a personal favorite that they too enjoyed.

SUPERnatural at the Atlanta Botanical Garden | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

We went to see SUPERnatural: Glass Art in Bloom at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. I would return to see it a number of times throughout the summer.

Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

The two days we had together was a super packed, fast-paced tour of Atlanta. Some of it was a driving tour but we also got out and walked a bit. Pictured above is the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and we also saw the nearby Margaret Mitchell House.

Mumbles the Rhino at Zoo Atlanta | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

I got to go to Zoo Atlanta a few times this year and one of the highlights was seeing Mumbles, the zoo's first Southern White Rhinoceros, one of the newest residents. One of my Zoo visits was to a fundraising gala with my friend Peggy. There's something quite special about being 'dressed to the nines'...at the Zoo!

Downton Abbey: The Exhibition | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

A fan since Downton Abbey hit the airwaves, seeing Downton Abbey: The Exhibition was mesmerizing! I saw it in October and will be going again soon before it leaves, this month I think.

Battle & Brew | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

After seeing the Downton exhibition with my friends MaryJo and Michelle, we tried to go to one of my favorite sushi restaurants in Sandy Springs but they were not yet open. Across the parking lot was Battle & Brew, a video game and gaming bar and restaurant. It'd been on my list for years and it did not disappoint! Such fun and great service! And that Tardis in the photo above...that's all the bathrooms, so it is bigger on the inside! 

Bank Street Cafe | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

MaryJo and Michelle live in Griffin and I spent a long weekend with them this summer. They took me on a whirlwind tour of the city, including drinks at Bank Street Cafe—awesome service! I'll be going back, to see MJ and Michelle but also so I can blog about it! This place is really happening!

Blood Orange Mimosa at Babs Midtown

I've done interviews on the blog throughout the years, but have been doing quite a few more in recent years and I very much enjoy them! Here are some that I did this year:

• Randy Adler, Babs Midtown
• Luc Helterbrand, author and illustrator
• Janet Montgomery, "From My Big Eyes"
• Marykay, Decatur Alpaca Cottage
• Corrina Sephora, Metal Artist (publishing soon!)

I have others in the works so keep an eye out!

Evereman | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

I'd seen the "Evereman" image for years and even seen this sculpture many times, but never knew the story behind it until I was walking through Castleberry Hill with my friends Patti and Eric. I highly recommend exploring a city on foot...you'll see so much more!

This year also saw the first annual "111 Places Day", a global celebration of the 111 Places series of books. You'll remember that I had the great honor and pleasure of writing the 111 Places Atlanta book. I took this opportunity to do a video discussing my (growing) 111 Places books and how I have or plan to enjoy them. Lots of fun...I was having so much fun, in fact, that I forgot to brush my hair before recording the video, LOL! 

East Point Historical Society Museum | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

Speaking of my book, I had my second in-person book presentation and book signing of 2021 at the Senoia Area Historical Society Museum and it was awesome! Several friends from around the area came and one friend, on his way from Nebraska to Tampa, timed his trip so that he could be there for my presentation—a wonderful surprise! And the mayor was there, too!

And just last month I was so honored to be the keynote speaker at the East Point Historical Society Museum's Open House event not long ago. Another success! I've been there a number of times now and will keep going. I used to live in East Point, just down the street as it turns out!

I also had a virtual book event via the Wren's Nest, historic home of Joel Chandler Harris and today a museum. And I did a radio interview with John Clark on iHeart Radio which was broadcast on more than 170 radio stations throughout Georgia! THAT was fun!

Coq Au Vin at Aria | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

If you've never been to Aria in Buckhead before, put it on your list! I went with some dear friends and the chef prepared specially for us Julia Child's recipe for Coq Au Vin. I'm salivating as I type this. I could have bathed in that dish! So incredibly delicious. The whole experience was elegant, warming, and one that I'll remember for a very long time.

Flatiron Bar & Restaurant | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

Flatiron Bar & Restaurant, in East Atlanta Village, is THE place to go for comfort food. And it's not your typical, overdone comfort food either! They're one of the "tips" in my book but they could be a chapter! They could be a whole book, actually!

Inman Park Police Box | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

I've read about and driven by it hundreds of times, but I had never actually seen the Inman Park Police Box! Finally I made it a point to find it and there it was...in plain sight!

SUPERnatural at the Atlanta Botanical Garden

One of my visits to the Atlanta Botanical Garden this year was to see SUPERnatural: Aerial Art in Motion. It was magnificent. Mary Pat, the CEO of the Garden, is truly visionary. I can hardly wait to see what she does next!

Scarecrows in the Garden | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

My autumn just isn't complete without seeing Scarecrows in the Garden at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. It's so much fun! This year was different, but in a good way!

Food That Rocks 2021 | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

I had the wonderful opportunity to photograph a couple of days of this year's Food That Rocks event in Sandy Springs. Such a fun and delicious event...with live music! It's from the creator of Taste of Atlanta so you know it's fun! I've actually photographed both events in the past...I truly do enjoy it!

Family Photo Book for Theresa | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

As you know, I was also the photographer of "111 Places in Atlanta That You Must Not Miss". Even though I'm not the caliber of many of my photographer friends, I have been a paid photographer for many years. This year I got to do a family coffee table book for my dear friend Theresa and her family—such a fun day! We started at the Millennium Gate and finished in Piedmont Park.

Last but certainly not least, in 2021 I hit the 1,000,000 views milestone! So, "Thank you!" to everyone who has been a fan for more than 11 years and to everyone who's ever shared a link or complimented a photo...I'm grateful to you all!

I wish that something wonderfully remarkable happens to each of you in 2022. A lof of somethings wonderful, in fact! Also, I encourage you to look back at last year with a sense of gratitude at some of the great things that did in fact happen and let's carry gratitude exponentially into 2022...let's make it a fantastic year, together.

"Food That Rocks" Totally Rocked It!

Food That Rocks, A Celebration of Sandy Springs, was magnificent! Already I can hardly wait for next year's event! Billed as a "Bites & Bevs" event, it's so much more! I'm a bigtime foodie, so I don't lend restaurant endorsements lightly. But I do wholly honor my foodie friends and many of them were at this event, so I'm excited to share! 

Food That Rocks 2016, Jackie of Bishoku and Nikki

My dear friend Nikki—@atlantafoodie on Instagram—went with me. That's her (right) with Jackie (left), the owner of one of her favorite sushi restaurants, Bishoku! After enjoying a couple of pieces of sushi, I totally get why Nikki loves this restaurant so much. And I've been looking for an awesome sushi restaurant, for years...I can happily say "Mission accomplished!" And Jackie is super sweet!

Food That Rocks 2016, Food 101

There were more than 20 restaurants at Food That Rocks, some I've been to, some I've been wanting to go to and some I've never heard of but are now on my must-visit list! Some of my favorites were Cibo e Beve (serving Tuscan Lemon Chicken Thighs), Food 101 (Fried Green Tomatoes, Pickled Shrimp and Watermelon Salad), and Under the Cork Tree (Crispy Lamb Ribs with Pickled Cucumber), to name just a few.

Beverages were provided to Tito's, Battle and Brew (which I can hardly wait to visit!), Three Sheets and a few others.

I didn't try all the restaurants or beverages—but I had plenty (and took Uber, an event sponsor), but will be using the event's restaurant list as a to-dine list. 

Oh, and there was live music! I love big concerts, but I don't spend a lot of time at live music events—which is a shame because Metro Atlanta is a mecca for that kind of entertainment—but I wholly enjoyed the lively music at Food That Rocks! 

Check out Tony Levitas and Friends, Ed Roland and The Sweet Tea Project, and Tommy Dean Trio, the three featured bands at the inaugural Food That Rocks. 

Food That Rocks 2016

I had the great honor of meeting, and speaking with at length, Tom Mahaffey, President of the Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber of Commerce. Our immediate discussion topic was the obvious success of Food That Rocks and the great delight that the attendees were such a diverse crowd, particularly in generations. A 21+ event, there were a great many millennials as well as a peppering of some who had probably lived in Sandy Springs the whole of their lives, and everyone was having a delightful evening! 

We also discussed the excitement about build-out of the new Mercedes-Benz headquarters in Sandy Springs, slated to open in early 2018 according to articles, and the proposed monorail/light rail for Sandy Springs. In fact, Sandy Springs was the first of three Atlanta-area cities in late 2015 to discuss bringing such a system to their communities. Personally, I think that for many it would be a welcome relief and desirable alternative to exponentially thickening traffic.

I very much admire Tom's enthusiasm for building an even more vibrant and exciting Sandy Springs, and I'm totally jealous of his office—at the top of the King building of the King & Queen buildings, visible from the intersection of GA-400 and I-285.  

Food That Rocks 2016

Food That Rocks was more than a food and music event, it was also a fundraiser, the beneficiaries of which I invite you to learn more about. The three organizations were Georgia Ovarian Cancer Alliance, Second Helpings Atlanta, and Ian's Friends Foundation. Each had tables at the event, each visited by quite a few of the attendees.

Food That Rocks 2016, Dale DeSena

Dale DeSena, who I know from Les Dames d'Escoffier International-Atlanta Chapter, is the President of Taste of Atlanta and the producer of Food That Rocks. I love that when she took the stage to make very brief comments—so that ticket-buyers could quickly get back to the fun at hand—totally looked like she was going to rock out with her Food That Rocks guitar!

Mark your calendars for Taste of Atlanta coming up in October. Last year the event featured more than 90 Atlanta restaurants! It's one of the must-attend Atlanta food events, and if you were at this year's Food That Rocks, you got a taste of the fun to expect!

Food That Rocks 2016, Nothing Bundt Cakes

I love food events like this because no one looks twice when you have dessert way before the meal is finished. (I often will indulge in dessert first, just in case I get full before getting to that course.) The photo above is one of the delicious—and I don't use that word lightly—cakes from Nothing Bundt Cakes. I'd enjoyed their cakes before, but got to chat with co-founder Debbie Swetz, who was as lovely as their cakes are amazing!

I'd like to offer a huge "Thank you!" to Sandy Springs Hospitality & Tourism for hosting me as a guest. I've known Patti for years—she and her husband are dear friends—and I had the honor of meeting Jennifer and Samantha. What a fantastic evening and event! Do check out their website to see just how much there is to experience in Sandy Springs!

"Congratulations!" to Dale DeSena, sponsors, restaurants, beverage companies, bands, Sandy Springs leaders, and ALL the patrons who came out to support the first annual Food That Rocks event...I'm so looking forward to next year!