Medieval Times has a new Queen!

There's a new Queen on the throne at Medieval Times Atlanta! While she may not sit upon an iron throne, from the very beginning she demonstrates—and you feel—that she rules her kingdom with an iron fist, perched high above the arena while graciously hosting her feast and tournament guests, as well as her knights and other loyal subjects.

The Queen | Photo courtesy of Medieval Times Atlanta

You have the wonderful opportunity to meet the new Queen when you first arrive. As soon as you enter the Great Hall (the lobby) and have received your Medieval Times crown, you're invited to a photo-op with either the Queen or another member of the Royal Family. The Queen is an absolute royal delight. We had our photo made with her!

There's no obligation to purchase, but if you decided to, you can pick them up at the photo station after the show, or before the show depending on how early you arrive. And they're in a handsome gold frame ready to display!

Jousting | Photo courtesy of Medieval Times Atlanta

My first Medieval Times experience was at the Atlanta Castle in 2013 and I've returned many, many times, approximately 1-2 times per year since. This particular visit was my first VIP upgrade and it was AWESOME! Among other fantastic royal treatments, we were seated on the front row! A truly spectacular view! 

The final season of Game of Thrones is now underway, making the experience all the more exciting. Fans are excited for a new season, but sad that it'll be the last. Fortunately, you can visit Medieval Times most days of the week, some Monday holidays, and there are even some matinees. My favorite time to go is Friday evenings...it's a great way to unwind for the weekend! 

In Game of Thrones, you see jousting as early as the 4th episode in Season One. But at Medieval Times, you don't have to wait that long and it's live, up close and personal! They're fighting for their Queen, after all.

Medieval Times Atlanta | Photo: wanderlust ATLANTA

This is one of most fun "dinner and a show" experiences out there! 

Arrive early to enjoy a drink (with lots of souvenir glasses to choose from) and to explore the lobby, which features numerous suits of armor and a fire place the size of which I could stand in! 

You can also meet the falcon that will be in the show, see a live owl with one of the widest wingspans, and you even have the option of being knighted—lots of fun for those celebrating birthdays or other special occasions.

Medieval Times Atlanta | Photo: wanderlust ATLANTA

If you'd like wine with your dinner, you can pre-order it prior to the show and it'll be bought to your table. You can also buy a libations from your table, either beer, wine or cocktails.

The feast is exactly that...a FEAST! You'll be given a choice of beverage: soda, tea or water--you get two pours of that each. Then comes the piping hot "Dragon's Blood"! (tomato bisque). The buttery thick-slice toast is crunchy, delicious and great for sopping up your dragon's blood. The main course features Baby Dragon (half a roast chicken!), a Dragon Scale (roasted half potato), and corn on the cob. Dessert used to be a flaky baked pastry, but now it's...ICE CREAM! 

They even offer a vegetarian meal for those who wish to forego the dragon.

Tournament | Photo courtesy of Medieval Times Atlanta

Before you enjoy the four-course feast and two-hour tournament, you might want to treat yourself to a little torture, literally. There's a "torture chamber" in the main lobby, guarded by a royal toll-taker (there's a modest fee for admission). I've visited before...it stirs the imagination to say the very least!

After the tournament, head back into the lobby where you can make all the free photos you want with the knights that you just saw compete in the Queen's tournament! Get a photo with your favorite knight or all of them! Be sure to tag the photos you post on social media with #MTFan or #MTFans!

Be sure to explore the amply supplied gift shop where you can acquire a vast array or treasures ranging from a new tunic to a handsomely engraved long sword or perhaps your very own dragon. I have quite the handsome dagger from a previous visit and I keep eyeballing the full-size swords...I know one of those will be going home with me eventually. Probably two, to be honest!  

Travis and Barry at Medieval Times Atlanta

My friend Barry went with me on this visit and we had a grand time! I've been to Medieval Times with many friends over the years, but most often with Barry. It's equally a fun 'guys night out' or a 'girls night out', or a family night out or a work team building outing...you can make it a fun evening out for any number of groups! Or "just because" is my favorite reason.

Just for clarification and not that it matters, what looks like a sash across my chest, is actually a Medieval Times pennant, which guests love waving furiously to celebrate their knight during the tournament, and it's complimentary with the VIP package. Please consider the VIP experience—worth every penny—but know that wherever you are seated in the arena, you're sure to have a great time! I have every single time I've been!

Enhance your Game of Thrones final season experience with a taste of the real thing, without the gore, of course, but with knights, equestrian beauty and grace, a generous dose of royal chivalry, and a beautiful new Queen! 

Go, be a knight or princess for an evening at Medieval Times Atlanta!


(I'd like to offer a huge wanderlust ATLANTA "Thank you!" to Medieval Times for the tickets and the VIP upgrade. All opinions are my own and are from my personal experience at Medieval Times.)

Beyond Giant Turkey Legs...

The Georgia Renaissance Festival is so much more than giant turkey legs and high-energy jousting, although both of those are totally awesome! The Festival brings a sense of community to its visitors, a sense of connecting with something so monumentally fun that you want the day to go on and on and on. 

This year I went with my friends Matty, Sara, and Cody—Cody and I went with other friends last year—and proceeded to laugh, watch some jousting, laugh, eat some giant turkey legs, and laugh some more, until we were totally exhausted. Great fun!

Washing Well Wenches | Georgia Renaissance Festival | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

At the top of your GaRenFest entertainment list should be the Washing Well Wenches! Sprout and Gerty are my favorite people at this Festival. After seeing them last year, we couldn't not see them and we went to the first available show!. 

Matty and I, the brave souls that we are, sat on the front row. No matter where you're sitting, you're going to have a great view and some of the entertainment comes into the audience, too! These incredibly talented women bring you non-stop laughter! 

Sprout and Travis | Georgia Renaissance Festival

I look terrified and Sprout is just having a great time! I was, too, I just looked terrified when the camera clicked. (laughing inside) Tips aren't required, but they're certainly appreciated, and...you get strategically place your tip in one of a few different places depending on the bill's denomination. 

The Arena | Georgia Renaissance Festival | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Of course we went to the jousting tournament. But this time we got the VIP tickets ("Very Important Peasant"), received a crown and sat on cushions with royalty! They were, of course, perched above we VIPs, but we were right there next to them!

There are three jousting tournaments throughout the day:

• Joust of Chivalry
• Queen's Royal Joust
• Joust to the Death 

Be sure to pick up a schedule and map (double-sided) when you come in the main gate so that you can plan accordingly and not miss something you'd have loved to have seen. We're already making plans to go back this month...for the fun and to see some things we've yet to see and do.

Jousting Hostess | Georgia Renaissance Festival | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

I didn't get her name, but this was our hostess for the jousting tournament, a very friendly lady. In fact, every staff member I've encountered at the GaRenFest has been gracious, delightful, hilarious and just super fun! That's a huge part of why I go back. "Thank you!" to all the GaRenFest staff for being so awesome to all of us!

Sara and Matty | Georgia Renaissance Festival | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

This might be the best photo-op of all...the Game of Thrones throne! That's Sara and Matty pictured above. 

Anyone care to venture a caption?

Parrot | Georgia Renaissance Festival | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

The 'Parrots of the Caribbean' is a free-flight aviary featuring exotic birds that have been rescued from being abandoned, orphaned, or unwanted. The minimum donation of $2 goes toward food, shelter, and care for these beautiful birds. I highly recommend stopping in here!

This awesome experience is presented by the non-profit organization EarthQuest.

Barely Balanced | Georgia Renaissance Festival | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Watching Barely Balanced is an adrenaline rush! Everything he's standing on is moving...it's edge-of-your-seat entertaining! And that they're hilarious is a huge bonus!

That's Cameron Tomele doing the balancing in this photo (above). You might have seen him already...he was featured on the cover of the April edition of WhereTraveler/Atlanta!

The Craic Show | Georgia Renaissance Festival | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

The Craic Show is another must-see, especially if you enjoy live music, of a different sort. Watch their official promo video to get a taste of what you'll hear and see!

Mona or Sara | Georgia Renaissance Festival | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

There are photo-ops galore throughout the GaRenFest, including this Mona Lisa!!! Sara is such a great sport, too! I wonder what Leonardo da Vinci would think about Sara's stylish glasses? They totally go with the outfit, right?

Travis and Ded Bob | Georgia Renaissance Festival

I love The Ded Bob Sho!!! This year I got a photo with Ded Bob! You never know what's going to come out of his mouth! Er, his jaw bone, rather. Some of Ded Bob's jokes are cleverly subtle, some are over the kiddies heads, but hilarious for the older folks, even the ones that are close to Ded Bob's age. The Ded Bob Sho is an perennial treat for me!

This post covers only a fraction of the fun to be had at the Georgia Renaissance Festival. I highly recommend going as soon as you can, because, like me, you very well may want to go again before the last day on Sunday, June 3.

Enjoy some more photos on the wanderlust ATLANTA Facebook page. 

"I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do."

                                                                                                       - Leonardo da Vinci

Oh, What a Knight!

"Be swept away to an age of bravery and honor and witness epic battles of steel and steed. From ringside seats, discover a feast of the eyes and appetite with all the splendor and romance of 11th Century Spain." 

Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament delivers on its promises! 

Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament / Atlanta

I'd wanted to go to Medieval Times for years—my list of things to see and do is surprisingly long, even after blogging for more than three years. Recently, I was graciously invited to Medieval Times as a guest and I brought three lady friends along with me. One had been a number of years ago and the other two had never been before. We all were excited and not quite sure what to expect.

Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament / Atlanta

The greatest majority of my Medieval experience has been in cinema. Unless you count the Renaissance Festival I went to in Washington, DC a number of years ago (with a great friend who had 15 years worth of costuming—yes, I wore tights and a funny hat! LOL). I know, I know...those are separated by centuries, but they both evoke grand fun!

Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament / Atlanta

As we were approaching Medieval Times, I became downright giddy, which my lady friends found amusing—although, truth be told, I think their laughing at me was a cover up for their own excitement. They'd been talking about it all day long and in the end, they too had a wonderful evening—I think especially during the photo ops with the Knight's after the show.

Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament / Atlanta

So..."dinner" and z "tournament". I wasn't expecting too much. This is a tourist attraction and as much as I love being a tourist, some have the reputation of being tourist traps. I wasn't sure what to expect here, but having met the beautiful and charming Alyson, with Medieval Times, I was hopeful and excited about visiting. 

Wow! When they say "dinner", they mean an extremely filling dinner—four courses of great food! And how much fun that—just like in 11th Century Spain—you have to eat with your hands! How often do you get to do that in public? 

Our server, Wench Kristy, was funny, attentive, brilliant and an absolute delight. The servers' performances are amazing in themselves. I promise you, this is a dining experience unlike any you've enjoyed before...I can hardly wait to go back! By the way, don't feel like you have to eat every morsel that's served...they'll offer a box so you can take home leftovers. I didn't need a box.

Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament / Atlanta

I'd read that the show—the Tournament—was two hours in duration. I didn't know if that was from the point we walked in or from the main lobby or from the King & Queen (or was she the Princess?) announcing the start of the Tournament. 

Oh my goodness, thinking that we were approaching two hours into the Tournament, I looked at my phone to see what time it was, just because I felt like I'd lost track of time. We were only an hour into the show...there was so much more to come!

There's a lot to take in—and I mean a LOT—and I won't give it all away here, but know that you'll see heart-pounding jousting, sword fights, spectacular horsemanship, gallantry, fantastic costuming, super-cool lighting and smoke effects, and music with an rock influence that's been specifically choreographed for this show.

When you arrive, you're aligned with a particular Knight. Our credentials indicated we were allies and fans of the Blue Knight. 

Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament / Atlanta

Again...Wow! The Blue Knight won the tournament!!! And he went through a LOT to win said Tournament...seriously, there's ceremony and competitions galore! In my book, they all won, because everyone in the audience was having a blast!

Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament / Atlanta

The "main lobby", which I'm assuming they call the Great Hall, is where we started and where we finished. The lobby is HUGE! They have one of the largest fireplaces I've ever seen. I think the only fireplace even approaching this one—that I've seen—is at the Biltmore Estate in Ashville, North Carolina.  

There's also a bar that's open before and after the Tournament, seating tables, a gift shop, there's a photo-op with the King & Queen on your way in, and about a bazillion suits of armor...there's actually a lot going on even before you get to the Tournament!

Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament / Atlanta

Immediately following the Tournament, the King, Queen, and the Knights are in the main lobby (seriously, it must be called the "Grand Hall"...I feel silly calling it a lobby), for photo ops. And every single one of them are charming, friendly, gallant, and quite happy to pose for photos with guests. We made quite a few, many of which you can see on the wanderlust ATLANTA Facebook Page.

Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament / Atlanta

I've loved suits of armor since I was a kid...a young kid. And some things last a lifetime, including my love of armor. Actually, friends I've mentioned on the blog before have an incredibly handsome, historic suit of armor that overlooks the Atlanta skyline. I've not been around this much armor since visiting the Met in New York City! 

Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament / Atlanta

Your ticket to Medieval Times includes the four-course meal and the two-hour Tournament. Cocktails are available for purchase and please remember to tip your servers (gratuity is not included in the ticket price).

This family-friendly attraction is also a popular special occasion destination. There were guests who were celebrating anniversaries and birthdays ranging from seven to 53 (the range could be wider, but those are the ones I remember). And I can say with certainty that they had a wonderful time celebrating with the Knights, squires, wenches, and the Princess, as did I and my friends.