Cover: World of Coke

Historically one of the biggest supporters of the Olympic Games—in the way of sponsorships and advertising—it seems only appropriate to make mention of Atlanta's own World of Coca-Cola at Pemberton Place. Overlooking Centennial Olympic Park, Georgia Aquarium, and the world headquarters of The Coca-Cola Company, the World of Coca-Cola is a tourist's gold mine!

World of Coca-Cola at Pemberton Place

The World of Coca-Cola draws probably one of the most international crowds of all Atlanta attractions, maybe even more than McDonald's. I say that because I had an international guest many years ago—visiting from Cyprus—and we had to stop by McDonald's on the way home from the airport. 

The global presence of brands like Coke carry a lot of influence. Good then for sports enthusiasts that they're a supporter of the Olympic Games.

The museum itself, once housed downtown near Underground Atlanta and the Georgia State Capitol Building, is an experience not to be missed. From the welcoming array of globally themed Coca-Cola bottles (photo), to a unique cinematic experience filled with creatures found only in the imagination, to a photo opportunity with a polar bear to Coca-Cola Freestyle—a Coca-Cola experience even the adventurous will regale for years!

My recommendation...include World of Coca-Cola on your must-see list. You'll learn a whole new way to "Enjoy a Coke."

Enjoy the above pre-sized Facebook Cover Photo of these World of Coca-Cola Coke bottles (they're huge in real life!) and then head over to the wanderlust ATLANTA Facebook Page to see more! Please "Like" the Page while you're there and then tell a friend about it.

Inside the Fireworks!

July 4th Fireworks
at Centennial Olympic Park

This was one of the absolute best Independence Days ever! And to top it all off, I got to practically be "inside" the fireworks that evening!

One of my dearest friends—we think it's been 17 years or so—recently purchased a penthouse at Museum Tower. Museum Tower is at the northeast corner of Centennial Olympic Park and next to World of Coca-Cola. Imagine It is at the ground level.

So, for the 4th of July, he treated us (there were four total in our clan) to a catered, rooftop pool party and viewing of the Fireworks!

We started with a nice bottle of wine in the penthouse, which overlooks north downtown and Midtown...you can see Stone Mountain and Kennesaw Mountain from there! The view is spectacular.

We went to the rooftop where we had a practically 360 degree view—amazing! And we were directly, and I mean "directly", above where the majority of the fireworks would be going off.

Fireworks pre-show

One friend and I had been down there before heading upstairs and one of the security guards, when I was trying to make a photo of the pre-show fireworks, insisted I move along. "They could go off any minute," she said. True or not, that was plenty to have me on my way...but it was still pretty cool to see them up close like that.

There were thousands and thousands and thousands of people there. They totally filled up Centennial Olympic Park, even all the way to the southern most edges. And Pemberton Place, between World of Coca-Cola and Georgia Aquarium, was practically filled.

The stage performances looked like they were enjoyed by those in the Park. The only song I could make out was the Star-Spangled Banner, for which we of course paused.

Centennial Olympic Park
July 4th Crowds

The fireworks started and a hush fell over the rooftop. Cameras and cell phones were just as ablaze as the night sky and there were thousands of flashes going off in the crowd below.

We were so close to the fireworks that shards of paper floated onto the rooftop. I believe one shard in particular will end up in one of my friend's scrapbook...but there are photos that cataloged its existence should it have not made it to scrap-booking.

The fireworks themselves made traditional patterns, nothing too complex, but the colors were fantastic and the amount of fireworks was impressive.

I've seen fireworks from the lawn of our Nation's Capitol, from the stadium at Turner Field, and even in other parts of the world, but I would love for this experience to become an annual tradition (hint, hint)...it was certainly a unique and wonderful way to experience Atlanta's fireworks.

Now...head on over to wanderlust ATLANTA's Facebook Page for more photos! Remember to "Like" the Page while you're there and feel free to "share."

Independence Day Fireworks
Centennial Olympic Park

ATLANTApix: Center for Civil & Human Rights

Future Home of Center for Civil & Human Rights

"This Center will explore the universal search for a secure human existence, in a way that inspires vigilance and leadership among future generations," tops the homepage announcing the future Center for Civil & Human Rights. 

The Center for Civil & Human Rights will be located in the northeast corner of Pemberton Place, also home of Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coca-Cola, adjacent to Centennial Olympic Park. At the corner of Ivan Allen, Jr. Boulevard and Centennial Olympic Park Drive, visitors to the Center will enjoy easy access from downtown Atlanta and will also be near many other attractions.

The new Center promises to be a distinctive structure architecturally with stupendous vistas, an internal plaza suitable for meditation and reflection, and a design that provokes a vision of unity.

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

ATLANTApix: Coca-Cola To-Do List

The World of Coca-Cola

At the World of Coca-Cola in Pemberton Place, there's no shortage of things to do. Inside the museum you're treated to a seeing an operating bottling plant, a prestigious collection of Coke memorabilia, and an array of Coke art as diverse as there are artists.

Even more fun, you can have your photo made with the Coca-Cola polar bear, experiencing a 4D movie, an opportunity to drink all the Coke you want from around the world, and you're given a free bottle of Coca-Cola upon exiting the 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: Upcoming at Pemberton Place

Georgia Aquarium

One week from today the new resident dolphins at Georgia Aquarium will premier in AT&T Dolphin Tales. I've been hearing about the dolphins since I moved back to Atlanta in August of last year so my excitement is nearly uncontainable.

While you're in Pemberton Place, pop by the World of Coca-Cola to see their newest exhibit, "Coca-Cola Expedition 206," a story about three young people who set out to visit as many as possible of the 206 countries and territories where Coca-Cola is sold. The visited 186!

And by time the dolphins take to the "stage," just acrosse the street the Fountain of Rings in Centennial Olympic Park will have undergone its renovation and be ready for its daily performances.

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

ATLANTApix: The Coke Bottle

Coke Bottles at the World of Coca-Cola

The Coca-Cola bottle has been synonymous with the Coca-Cola beverage practically since Coke has been around. The World of Coca-Cola has an exhibit of the first artistic expression the drink inspired...its bottle.

The Coke bottle has intrigued folk artists like Howard Finster as well as formally trained artists like Norman Rockwell. Sporting events, such as the Olympic Games, inspire unique, event-specific bottles that are remarkably beautiful. Many of them have become collector items over the years.

Throughout the World of Coca-Cola there are bigger-than-a-person painted Coke bottles on display. The Coke bottles in this photograph are on display in the main lobby of the museum.

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

ATLANTApix: Coke Art

Pop Culture Gallery at the
World of Coca-Cola

One of my favorite attractions when visiting the World of Coca-Cola (other than the all-you-can drink activity in the "Taste It!" gallery, of course) is the Pop Culture Gallery.

This piece (photo) is one of 16 pieces of a private art collection that is on display through May 2011. So when you're in Pemberton Place and feeling a little parched, pop into the World of Coca-Cola for a refreshing beverage and check out their really cool Coke-themed pop art.

When you're finished at the World of Coca-Cola, head on over to the neighboring Georgia Aquarium, Centennial Olympic Park, CNN Studio Tour...enjoy a day of playing tourist!

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

ATLANTApix: Coke Olympic Pins

Coca-Cola Olympic Pins
at the World of Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola has been available at the Olympics since the beginning of time, or so it would seem. One factoid you learn when visiting the World of Coca-Cola in Pemberton Place is that Coke has since 1988 sponsored the official pin trading centers at the Olympics.

In 1996, when Atlanta hosted the Centennial Olympic Games, Coca-Cola was there...as were 1.2 million visitors wanting to do some pin trading. 

That's a lot of pin trading!

While you're at the pin exhibit, be sure to have a friend (or other visitor) take a photo of you with a real Olympic Torch.

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

ATLANTApix: Coca-Cola Sign Game

Coca-Cola sign at Underground Atlanta

When I and my siblings were kids, we would often entertain ourselves with "car games" when traveling, which frequently centered around spotting the highest number of a particular item.

As a youngster, the subject of the game was usually out-of-state car tags or in December it was almost always counting Christmas trees, which was very cool after sundown when we could see the twinkling tree lights in neighborhood houses.

In Atlanta, spotting Coca-Cola signs, new and old, can provide hours of low-tech entertainment (or you might see who can take and post the most photos of Coke signs to Facebook on a single vacation).

At the very least, it's an ongoing game...as the home of Coke's headquarters, Atlanta is filled with Coke signs. The sign in this photo is in Underground Atlanta, where there are quite a few throughout the location, which is a short drive to the World of Coca-Cola.

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

World of Coca-Cola: All You Can Drink

World of Coca-Cola

The World of Coca-Cola is aptly named. As the world's most popular soft drink, the museum shares the how, when and where Coke arrived on the global scene and its place in today's society. It also delves into the "why" Coke is such a popular beverage and share a little about Coke's worldwide community outreach.

Welcoming visitors and locals alike is a bronze statue of John S. Pemberton—the creator of the original Coca-Cola formula. Relocated in 2007, the world of Coca-Cola is nestled between Georgia Aquarium and Imagine It! at the southern tip of Pemberton Place, a 20-acre park in downtown Atlanta created by The Coca-Cola Company.

Arriving guests are invited to join together in the Main Lobby for a brief introduction to what promises to be an exciting adventure. While waiting, briefly, for entry into the museum, a photographer is on hand to create souvenir photos (one of many opportunities during a visit) and a docent begins telling the story of Coca-Cola, noting artifacts in the Lobby.

Coca-Cola Loft

In the Coca-Cola Loft, the next stop on the tour, visitors are given a brief introduction as to what to expect on the day's journey. A docent shares information about the Loft's collection of artifacts—some of Coke's oldest and most valuable. And the room is filled with more Coca-Cola signs than there are billboards in Atlanta, or so it seems.

I was already liking that entry into the museum is timed, thus allowing for a more leisurely, pleasant exploration experience.

The Happiness Factory Theater is a seated film presentation (the kids are going to love this one) that explores the "magic" that goes into every bottle of Coke. Highly entertaining and a little goofy, I enjoyed that the voices in this animated short included accents from around the world.

Following the brief film, we were granted access into the two-story heart of the World of Coca-Cola called "The Hub." From there we would be on our own to explore the remainder of the museum.

One of the best recognized icons in Coca-Cola advertising is the Coca-Cola Polar Bear. Well, guess who was in The Hub for photo ops? That’s right! The Coca-Cola Polar Bear, and not the stuffed teddy bear size…I’m talking about a seven-foot tower of plush, white, furry fun. The kids loved him, especially the younger teens. At one point there was even a friendly cat-and-mouse chase between the Bear and a couple of the kids.

On the north side of The Hub is the Coca-Cola Connections exhibit. It consists of several interactive stations that let one explore the global connections that Coke creates.

The "Bottle Works" exhibit is a real bottling center! The slowest (for demonstration purposes) bottling system in the world we were told. Seeing the automation of the bottling process has a pretty high cool-factor and there are ample plaques to explain what one is seeing along the viewing path.

Delivery Truck,
Argentina

Milestones of Refreshment is an exhibit of pure history and a great opportunity to see the roots of Coke. Coca-Cola started with a single formula and today the company produces more than 450 brands in approximately 200 countries around the world.

The Hub and the "balconies" of the second level are lined with giant Coke bottles that were decorated and presented to The Coca-Cola Company by countries around the world for the 1996 Olympic Games hosted in Atlanta. There's also a great view of Coca-Cola headquarters from the second level's northwest corner.

Coca-Cola has supported the Olympic Games for more than 80 years.

"In Search of the Secret Formula," a 4-D theater experience, was a bit more than I personally bargained for. I've been in 4-D theaters before, and I love a good rollercoaster ride, but this one is not for the faint of heart. The "ride" itself is turbulent (really!), but the story being told is indeed entertaining.

The Pop Culture Gallery was one of my favorites. Modest in size, this gallery contains Coke art of a more modern take, including pop art and folk art, to name a couple.

Coke Pop Art,
Howard Fenster

The Perfect Pauses Theater is, in contrast to the 4-D theater, a relaxing look at Coca-Cola advertising over the decades. Here I got to see Coke commercials that I remember seeing as a child, stirring my sense of nostalgia.

There are also a lot of commercials that I never would have seen otherwise, commercials from other times and places around the world. I spent the greatest amount of time here than any other single exhibit.

The capstone event of the tour (calling it a gallery would be too much of an understatement) is "Taste It!" In the Taste It! room, visitors have the opportunity to actually taste more than 60 different Coke products from five continents. And that's not all. There's also a new interactive tasting station, Coca-Cola Freestyle, where guests can make and taste any of 106 personally customized Coke creations.

A very nice touch (I think) before entering the Coca-Cola Store, every visitor is given his or her very own commemorative bottle of Coke. The Coca-Cola Store itself, the museum's gift shop, is pretty amazing. Anything you can imagine that could possibly have a corporate logo on is probably here. It's its own world of discovery for the souvenir collector in all of us.

The "why" of Coca-Cola's global community outreach is clear, in my mind that is. Although we come from many different nations and cultures, we are one people—the human race. Coke understands that.

That a billion people enjoy Coke every day is undoubtedly great for business. The remarkable thing is that there are so few singular experiences that we all have in common, but enjoying Coke is one of them. The Coca-Cola Company, through its globally recognized brand, is quite generous in its efforts to provide education resources and community volunteers on a global scale, which visitors can learn more about at the World of Coca-Cola.

Has my quench for Coca-Cola artifacts and knowledge been satisfied? I want more. I will probably wait until friends or family come to visit, but there is still a lot to see, so I'll definitely return. And I'm really looking forward to what I'm sure will be a year filled with Coca-Cola celebrations for its 125-th anniversary in 2011.

Touring the World of Coca-Cola

Date toured: Monday, October 18, 2010
Hours: Varies. Generally 9 a.m. – 6:30 p.m., but check their website.
Cost: Adults $15, Seniors $13, Children $10
Location: 121 Baker Street, NW
Parking: 178 Ivan Allen Jr Blvd is World of Coke parking (map and directions) and there are numerous nearly public pay parking lots.Website: http://www.worldofcoca-cola.com/
Facebook: World of Coca-Cola

World of Coca-Cola