Orchid Daze 2018 - A Lush Wintertime Escape!

Your escape from winter doldrums is at the Atlanta Botanical Garden in the form of their spectacular annual Orchid Daze exhibition, on display now through April 8.

Orchid Daze 2018 | Atlanta Botanical Garden | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

The Dorothy Chapman Fuqua Orchid Center is home to one of the largest orchid collections in the U.S., featuring more than 2,000 species of the 25,000 species of orchids around the world. This annual exhibition features additional thousands of orchid blooms during the coldest time of the year...the perfect excuse to visit the Atlanta Botanical Garden in winter! 

Orchid Daze 2018 | Atlanta Botanical Garden | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Presented in the Fuqua Conservatory and Dorothy Chapman Fuqua Orchid Center, this annual exhibition complements the country’s largest permanent collection of species orchids—more than 2,000 species—with thousands more bold, bright flowers and tropical foliage.

Orchid Daze 2018 | Atlanta Botanical Garden | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Jewel-toned Vandas will be the highlight of the Orchid Display House. Striking geometric forms, designed by Ryan Mathern, will provide a hanging framework for blue, pink, yellow and orange Vandas—among the most spectacular of the large-flowered orchids.

Orchid Daze 2018 | Atlanta Botanical Garden | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Orchid Daze finds the most avid orchid enthusiasts examining even the more commonly known orchids in great detail. The Atlanta Botanical Garden itself has a decades long program that involves orchid research and conservation.

If you entered the Orchid Center through the Conservatory, just beyond the display rooms you'll find an observation window looking into an orchid research lab. There's even an Orchid Library, one of two of the Garden's libraries.

Orchid Daze 2018 | Atlanta Botanical Garden | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

The primary display in the Orchid House, home to orchids 6,000 feet elevation and below, is enhanced with geometric forms and towering almost to the ceiling. 

Orchid Daze 2018 | Atlanta Botanical Garden | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Orchid Daze is always supplemented with other tropical plants. One of this year's is a real treat. It's a dozens of Nepentheses Pitcher Plants! If you noticed the green Chihuly chandelier when you entered the Garden through the Visitor Center, you've seen a Nepenthese Pitcher Plant! 

That sculpture is from the Chihuly exhibition of 2004. It's one of the two sculptures the Garden kept after the exhibition, this particular one being a gift from a Garden member, gifted in memory of a friend. At the top of the chandelier are three maroon lipped pieces that were designed after Nepenthese Pitcher Plants...actually, from live plants from this Garden! 

Orchid Daze 2018 | Atlanta Botanical Garden | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

As part of the Orchid Daze extravaganza the Atlanta Botanical Garden is offering FREE Orchid Care Clinics! You can bring in two orchids to receive care and you can get new planting material for a nominal fee.

Orchid Daze 2018 | Atlanta Botanical Garden | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

There are a couple more Orchid Market Weekends where you can pick up an orchid or a few, as well as supplies, orchid advice, orchid art, and jewelry! 

Orchid Daze 2018 | Atlanta Botanical Garden | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

I like to take this time to remind my readers, especially those who are serious orchid enthusiasts, to read The Orchid Column by Becky Brinkman. It's free and Becky does her own photography—she's brilliant!

Orchid Daze 2018 | Atlanta Botanical Garden | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

"Towering" is the word to describe this year's Orchid Daze exhibition at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Crane your necks upward and prepare to be wholly delighted. Make your way to the Garden by Sunday, April 8 to see the magnificent thousands of extra blossoms!

5Church's New Menu...and More!

When I tell my friends that I'm going to dinner, their automatic response is, "Are you going to 5Church?" It's a legitimate question, because oftentimes I am indeed heading to 5Church Atlanta!

Chef Scotley Innis has been with 5Church Atlanta for only a little more than eight months and, proven by his omnipresence at a bazillion Atlanta culinary events, he's totally a celebrity chef! He's one of the most personable executive chefs you'll meet; he was brilliant on 5Church Atlanta's television debut on Late Nite Eats on the Cooking Channel; and he's developed a new menu that leaves even the most seasoned foodie totally starstruck!

Holy Water | 5Church Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

5Church Atlanta's specialty cocktails take 'craft cocktails' to a whole new level, in my humble opinion. For instance, the Holy Water cocktail is composed of Four Roses bourbon, sweet tea, lemon juice, blue agave, mint and blackberries! 

THIS cocktail is as beautiful as it is delicious! That blackberries happen to be my favorite food has nothing to do with my thoughts on this one. Well, maybe not nothing.

Fried Green Tomatoes | 5Church Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Chef Scotley is proud of his Fried Green Tomatoes, and rightly so! I would be too, if I had come up with the idea to slather the tomatoes with house-made pimento cheese before breading and frying them. They're accompanied with some salsa verde and a generous drizzle of smoked paprika oil.

I wish they'd jar that smoked paprika oil...I'd put it on everything! I've enjoyed these a number of times and always suggest them when friends ask for a restaurant recommendations.

New Orleans BBQ Shrimp | 5Church Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

When you order the New Orleans BBQ Shrimp, as soon as it comes to the table go ahead and ask for more bread. That way you don't embarrass yourself licking the bowl in a public place. Seriously, it's that good! Once you've soaked up all this New Orleans flavor, you'll be ready to, "Laissez les bon temps roulez!"

This eat-with-your-hands dish is treated with rosemary and thyme butter. They have a little heat, as you would expect from a New Orleans-style dish of this nature, but it's more spicy flavor-wise than heat-wise.

Duck Confit Flatbread | 5Church Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

At a dinner with my friend John, I had the awesome opportunity to try one of Chef Scotley's new menu items before it was available to the public. We had the Duck Confit Flatbread. Let me tell you, the foodie gods were with me that evening. 

This 'First Course' dish is easy to share, but there will be a battle between your mother's voice in your head telling you to share and the other voice in your head saying, "This is too damn good to share! Let them order their own!" 

I've been back to the restaurant for this dish time and again, so that makes sharing easier, knowing that I can always come back for more. Mother would be proud, right?

Short Rib Pappardelle | 5Church Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

If you get to 5Church Atlanta and you're in a pasta mood, fortune will shine upon you in the form of Chef Scotley's new Short Rib Pappardelle. 

You will be feasting on brussells sprouts, carrots, cipollini, smoked parmesan, and beef jus. This dish is definitely comfort food elevated!

Ayman Kamel, owner of 5Church Atlanta and an immediate friend after my first visit, treated a group of bloggers—mostly food bloggers, but I was invited as a super-fan—to a tasting of Chef Scotley's new menu a few months ago. Some of the dishes I'd already had the great privilege of dining on, but this feast was magnificent! My friend Sue, of Field Trips with Sue/365 Atlanta Family joined me and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.   

Lamb Porterhouse | 5Church Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Lamb Porterhouse. Need I say more? 

Okay, a little more...

This is a personal favorite on Chef Scotley's new menu...it immediately takes you to your happy place. I love lamb—ate a lot of it when I lived in Greece, and a lot more since—but to call this amazing comfort food would be insulting. This is fine dining...elevated! 

The super-thick-cut lamb comes with root vegetables, carrot puree, confit, cherry tomato, and rainbow swiss chard...it's an amalgamation of all that's delicious! Don't let this photo fool you...that plate is massive, the Lamb Porterhouse is a satisfying generous cut.

Rabbit Pot Pie | 5Church Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

When Nikki and I recently went to dinner with Patti and Eric, he had the Rabbit Pot Pie. Eric has a talent for ordering the best dishes. He's often the envy of his fellow dining companions. This dish was no exception. Although quite happy with the dishes we'd each ordered, when Eric offered a bite of his Rabbit Pot Pie, not a single one of us said no and not a single one of us were without "This is so delicious!" smiles.

Verde | 5Church Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Nikki and I discovered the specialty cocktail Verde on one of our earliest visits to 5Church Atlanta, and have revisited this amazing libation a few times. She loved it not only because it's made with gin, but also because it's a cocktail that departs from the overly sweet specialty cocktail that's probably been a little overdone over recent decades.

The Verde is composed of Hendrick's gin, cilantro, lime, fresno, and chillies!

5Church Atlanta's beverage menu is extensive. Dining with a group of folks who all have different favorite drinks? 5Church has you covered!

Halibut | 5Church Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

As much as I love fish, it's not something I usually prepare at home, so I'm grateful for chefs who are brilliant with these treasures from the seas (and rivers, too). 5Church's Halibut dish is treated with an Asian flare, built with gingered bok choy and shiitake mushrooms in a sesame shoyu broth.

Grilled Salmon | 5Church Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Salmon is a personal favorite, but when I heard "citrus beurre blanc", I was in love! 

Chef Scotley's Grilled Salmon comes with potato gnocchi, grilled asparagus, and a lovely citrus beurre blanc. I say "lovely" because many others, as I did, will fall in love with this dish. 

Whole Fish | 5Church Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

You know my friend Patti, one of the founders of Atlanta Movie Tours, right? Nikki and I went to dinner with Patti and her husband Eric one evening not too long ago—they'd never been to 5Church for dinner—and every dish we tried was perfection!

I'd been wanting to try the Whole Fish at 5Church for some time and finally placed the order. I'd only had a whole fish at a restaurant once before, in 2004 when in Moscow on a business trip. This fish was magnificent...I really have to ask Chef Scotley for the recipe. It was buttery, silky, and full of flavor yet delicate. I'd definitely order this again!

Eugene, our server, is a fountain of knowledge and he's very attentive and polite, which is so appreciated.

5Church Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

I have an insatiable sweet tooth! On the occasion that I have room for dessert when dining at 5Church, I've never, ever been disappointed! 

The 'Chocolate Candy Bar' dessert is a chocolate lover's dream come true! It'made with chocolate, chocolate mousse, chocolate, Dutch chocolate brownie, chocolate, peanuts and almonds, chocolate, whipped cream, and chocolate!  

A single bite will satisfy any chocolate craving, but I just don't have the will power to stop at one bite of this deliciousness. 

5Church Bloody Mary | 5Church Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

My dear friend Jay was visiting from California recently—we were best friends when we both lived in Washington, DC, and will be always. With precious little time to share, dining had to be special, while also contending with one of Atlanta's recent snow storms. 

Without a second thought, it had to be brunch at 5Church Atlanta. Jay loved the whole experience! Yay! I knew he would, but you totally want your best friends to love your favorite restaurant as much as you do. 

We started with a Bloody Mary, seasoned perfectly, and then... 

Salmon Croquette Biscuit | 5Church Atlanta | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

I had the Salmon Croquette Biscuit (pictured above). Served on an open-faced buttermilk biscuit—one of the best I've ever had (So sorry, mother!). This dish is built with perfectly poached eggs, peppers, onions, and seafood imperial sauce. Jay had the Crab Cakes & Poached Eggs and loved them! A crab aficionado, his total enjoyment was high praise.

My friend Jeffrey is a huge fan of 5Church Atlanta's brunch. I believe 95% of his 5Church experiences have been brunch. If you're ever with a group of friends undecided on a brunch destination, insist on 5Church Atlanta...you'll be the superstar! 

Nikki and I went to 5Church Atlanta for the first time last May and it has since become one of my favorite Atlanta restaurants. If you're looking for a dining destination for a special occasion, a regular happy hour meeting place, or simply a delicious meal, 5Church is the dining destination!

The Ballad of Klook and Vinette

The American debut of The Ballad of Klook and Vinette has been magnificent! You can still see it at Horizon Theatre through Sunday, February 18, 2018, and believe me, this is one that you do not want to miss! 

Klook and Vinette | Horizon Theatre | Photo by Russell Scott

I've been a Brittany Inge fan for years and will make every effort possible to see anything she's in. She's not only an incredibly talented actress—with a spectacular voice—she's a kind, grateful, and fun human being. As Vinette, she's strong, vulnerable, passionate, hilarious and her beautiful voice is perfect for this role.

British playwright Che Walker, who came across the 'big pond' to direct his play, gives us incredibly sophisticated dialogue, but no so complex that you're not offering the actors a hearty laugh at the appropriate times, of which there are a lot!  

The question has been posed, "Is Klook and Vinette a musical or is it a play with one long song?" The songs meld with the dialogue so well, you sometimes don't realize that a song has started. The lyrics are beautiful and heart-touching, as well as clever as the dialogue.

Klook and Vinette | Horizon Theatre | Photo by Russell Scott

This was my first time seeing Imari Cheatom perform—aside from seeing him in Django Unchained—and I sincerely hope it's not the last! Imari is a shy individual, but a brilliant actor. 

You feel Klook's emotions, particularly the stronger ones, right from your seat. You feel his excitement over meeting Vinette, you feel his love for Vinette, and you feel his love for what he must do in the grand finale. You're going to feel everything!

The set is minimal, lending focus to the performers and the story being told. With that said, the giant 'Phoenician blinds' are used to set incredibly dramatic scenes at the opening and as the play closes. The only props in this play are two wooden stools. They're used quite a lot, but you rarely even notice that they're there. 

Klook and Vinette | Horizon Theatre | Photo by Russell Scott

In its American debut, The Ballad of Klook and Vinette is heartwarming, heartbreaking, hilarious, and saddening. From their hilarious meeting over carrot juice, to Klook's encouragement for Vinette to pursue a previously shelved writing career, to a fire fight with local authorities, you're going on an emotional roller coaster ride...one that I believe you will find enchanting and one that touches your heart.

I expect this play to be around for a very long time. It's such that you can plop it down practically anywhere and it'll fit right in. It debuted in London and with the insertion of "Southeast Atlanta" you would never know that it wasn't written for the Atlanta stage.

Christian Magby, the music director and playing keyboards in Klook and Vinette, is an artist of many talents. The first time I met him, he was doing the music for 'Da Kink in My Hair while simultaneously presenting a musical in the Atlanta Musical Theatre Festival. He's at it again! While he's working on The Ballad of Klook and Vinette, he's simultaneously rehearsing the role of Adam in Freaky Friday, the next show coming up at Horizon Theatre! 

Klook and Vinette | Horizon Theatre | Travis, Brittany, and Elisa

I've said it time and again, one of the things that I LOVE about Horizon Theatre is the post-show opportunity to meet the stars, offer a word of congratulations, and snap a photo with them. In the photo above, that's me, Brittany Inge, and a playwright friend of mine Elisa.

You have only two more weekends to see The Ballad of Klook and Vinette! Get your tickets now to see it by Sunday, February 18 at Horizon Theatre!

Disclaimer: While I am a member of the Board of Directors at Horizon Theatre, the opinions shared here are my own and not influenced by my position or by the theatre. I've been a strong supporter of the performing arts throughout Atlanta for many, many years.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium TOUR

The Mercedes-Benz Stadium Tour will induce a sense of awe and wonder that you never thought possible. Whether it's your first time walking into this majestic icon or if you've been to every game and concert since its first major event—a Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood concert on October 12, 2017—this behind-the-scenes tour will enhance every subsequent visit to this magnificent architectural marvel!

Mercedes-Benz Stadium Tour | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

It was perhaps the coldest day of this winter, the wind unrelentingly biting our faces like starved piranha, but we were so excited about touring Mercedes-Benz Stadium that even a roweled up Mother Nature wasn't going to keep us away. 

My friend Lauralyn and I had been talking about going on the tour for weeks, so when our calendars presented a serendipitous opening, online we went and booked our tour! Lauralyn's husband, Leo, whom I'd not yet met and turns out to be great fun and an awesome storyteller, joined us. The three of us had a grand time!

This is an extremely brief recap of our tour. Even the distilled information on this tour floods your mind with the excitement of game days and concert nights, the marvel of building such a monumental structure, images of the lifestyles of the rich and famous, as well as the vast opportunities for everyone to enjoy a fascinating fan-based experience on every visit to the stadium! I already want to go on this tour again!

Mercedes-Benz Stadium Tour | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Our visit was a mere few days following the Georgia-Alabama College Football Playoff National Championship game. Remnants of that day's excitement were everywhere...streamers floating over the field, confetti all over the artificial turf, and the teams' names in the process of being washed away in preparation for the next fan-loving event to take place. 

I've been on stadium tours before, but we were only ever allowed to stand on a corner of the field to make our photos, and I did so with gratitude. But, on this tour of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, we had FULL ACCESS to the ENTIRE FIELD! We covered it corner to corner, and one father had brought a football that he passed with his son...on the Atlanta Falcons field! How cool is that!

Even in an empty stadium, you can feel the excitement of game days and concert nights. 

Mercedes-Benz Stadium Tour | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

When we arrived at the check-in point, having entered throught Gate 2, and had secured our color-coded wristbands, we were permitted to meander in the immediate vicinity, near Molly B's, checking out views of downtown Atlanta and looking over the game field.

I was struck by how small it seemed inside such a gargantuan structure. but as we toured the labyrinth's interior, took in the vistas from more than one luxury suite, and walked the field itself, we realized, with a sense of awe and wonderment, just how majestic Mercedes-Benz Stadium truly is!

Mercedes-Benz Stadium Tour | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

There are photo-ops everywhere, and our group made quite a few snapshots on our tour, but other than being on the field itself, sitting in the Falcons Throne at the 100 Yard Club was the photo to make!

Prepare for sensory overload...on your hour-long tour, perhaps longer depending on your group, you're going to see and hear an exceptional amount of information about this stadium and the fan-based experience. Relax into it and enjoy, is my recommendation. 

Mercedes-Benz Stadium Tour | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Mercedes-Benz Stadium is home of the Atlanta Falcons AND the immediately, insanely popular Atlanta United FC. On our tour, we got to visit both team's locker rooms.Most of them tidy and packed away, our tour guides had displayed in a few the player's jerseys, shoulder pads, and helmets, adding to our excitement of walking in the steps of local legend sports celebrities.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium Tour | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

I've been on stadium tours before, but seeing Mercedes-Benz Stadium built from the ground up, casting a shadow on everything around it, I was certain the tour would be fun, but I had no idea of the grandeur that awaited us.

One of the highlights—and every stop seemed an even greater highlight—was a visit to Arthur M. Blank's personal suite. He and his wife decorated it themselves. We were only permitted in the first level, but you see that car up on the second level? That's the first model of Mercedes-Benz ever built! 

Mercedes-Benz Stadium Tour | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

I remember when Georgia Dome was built. It was an exciting time. Not only was it huge, it featured the only roof of its kind at the time, as does Mercedes-Benz Stadium today with its retractable roof and "halo" digital display. 

Mercedes-Benz Stadium pays homage to its predecessor in a number of places, but I particularly loved this section of seats from Georgia Dome and the wall treatment behind it..."RISE UP!" is a call of pride chanted from both stadiums.

If you're new to Atlanta, here's a look at when I went on Georgia Dome's behind-the-scenes tour in 2010. I was the only person on that day's tour, whereas Mercedes-Benz Stadium tours can host as many as 50 guests!

Georgia Dome was imploded in November 2017, and all that remains of the Atlanta Falcon's pre-Dome home, Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, is a wall in a parking lot near the former Turner Field.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium Tour | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

There is a large variety of Mercedes-Benz automobiles on display throughout the stadium, reportedly for sale the very day of your visit! 

A friend of mine, of more than 20 years, jokingly said that I should take his brand new Mercedes-Benz to get to the tour, that maybe I could park for free. Well, it turns out that there's something to that. I don't know the details, but if you own a Mercedes-Benz and drive it to game day, supposedly you get to park for free. Ask before you go, though.

Upon learning this, a sense of nostalgia ran over me while recalling how much I loved my smoked silver Mercedes-Benz C230. Although I affectionately called it my "baby Benz", it was the safest I'd ever felt driving a car.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium Tour | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

A massive display, bearing "LOCAL LEGENDS" in large varsity letters, features a helmet from every team in the Georgia High School Association (GHSA). At the base of the display are photographs and other artifacts chronicling the history of this organization. 

Immediately adjacent to the wall of helmets is a work of art created with colorful shoestrings donated by high school football players that spell out "ONE VOICE".

Throughout the stadium you'll see more than 180 fascinating works of art by renowned international and local artists, including a 70-foot tall stainless steel falcon grasping a bronze football—a memorable welcome to Mercedes-Benz Stadium!

Mercedes-Benz Stadium Tour | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Following our tour, we enjoyed lunch at Molly B's, named for Arthur Blank's mother, which is open to the general public for lunch on non-game days. Lauralyn had the turkey wrap, Leo had the fried chicken, both reportedly excellent, and I had an amazing burger—absolutely delicious. What an amazing experience to dine while overlooking the field that is now a monumental symbol of pride for Atlantans and the site of regaled excitement for so many others.

Whether a football or soccer fan, a lover of music, an architecture enthusiast, or a wanderlusting tourist like me, I highly recommend the Mercedes-Benz Stadium Tour!

¡NUEVOlution! Latinos and the New South

¡NUEVOlution! Latinos and the New South, presented in English and Spanish, explores the surprising ways that Latinos are shaping the South and the South is shaping Latinos. This new, temporary exhibition at the Atlanta History Center is insightful, informative, and challenges prejudice in a most heartfelt way.

NUEVOlution | Atlanta History Center | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

¡NUEVOlution! explores all Latin cultures and their historic and modern roles in American and Atlanta societies and economies, as well as how those have influenced their own cultures. Personally, I hope that we all benefit from the best of all of those, and there's hope that that will—and is—the case.

NUEVOlution | Atlanta History Center | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Over the last 25 years, the South has emerged as the nation’s most vibrant area of Latino growth, with Charlotte, N.C., and Atlanta among cities topping Nielsen’s list of metro areas with the fastest Latino population growth nationwide.

NUEVOlution | Atlanta History Center | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

When you enter the exhibition, you see placard, placard, placard...read those and then proceed through a corridor that's going to challenge EVERY prejudice, by every culture, American, Latin, and every other culture in our great melting-pot country. Open the doors...don't be afraid...an open mind is a great thing! 

Round the corner and you'll enter one of the most interactive exhibitions I've ever experienced. 

NUEVOlution | Atlanta History Center | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Through videos, interactive displays and original artworks, the exhibition considers the complex issue of identity and historic tensions accompanying immigration. You even get to "cast your vote" as to whether or not the current administration is poised to create a state of equality for all the cultures that make up America.

It looks at how music and culinary norms are influenced by blending cultures, and how in-migration is breathing new life into declining Southern towns, as it is has in the U.S. for the entirety of our country's history.

NUEVOlution | Atlanta History Center | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

If you ever saw the film A Day Without a Mexican (a lighthearted cinematic exploration), you have a glimmer of the influence, importance, and impact that Latin culture has on America, and what a treasure we'd collectively lose without it.

NUEVOlution | Atlanta History Center | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

The third section looks at an array of experiences – 17 altogether ‒ including origins, bridges, blending, struggle, cooperation, leadership, and fusion. As visitors move through this section, themes such as faith, work, volunteering and activism, food, music and dance, and education appear through people telling their compelling stories in many ways. The final section provides an opportunity to sample more of the Nuevo South and the people, places, objects, and events that provide for such a dynamic region.

NUEVOlution | Atlanta History Center | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Many of my fans know that my grandmother and great-grandmother were born on the Cherokee reservation in North Carolina, so while I could be quite angry about the genocide of "my people", I embrace—as did my ancestors—cultures unlike my own and make them my own. Anything less would be a non-enriched life. 

"America" and Atlanta is NOT the middle-aged white man that I look like outwardly. For me, I'm a Native American, English, Irish person who served in the U.S Navy, lived-in-Greece, has traveled the world, and has friends and loved ones from all over the globe, and would never, ever trade the experiences of other cultures that have enriched my life. I'm eternally baffled that any American would ever not embrace our multi-national, multi-cultural heritage and amazing lives as a result of so many collective cultures.

The Atlanta History Center also will present programming over the run of ¡NUEVOlution! Latinos and the New South, now through Monday, December 31, 2018, including artist talks, family-centered storytelling and arts workshops.