Flamingos at Zoo Atlanta

Did you know that there are only five or six species (depends on source) of Flamingos in the world? The flock at Zoo Atlanta are Chilean Flamingos and this beautiful flock are the welcoming committee—at "Flamingo Plaza"—just inside the entrance to Zoo Atlanta.

Chilean Flamingos at Zoo Atlanta

Having been born in Florida, Flamingos have long been a fun fascination for me. I'm sure at one point, we even had the plastic sort in our yard—you don't get much more Florida than that! But, the Flamingo has held much more prestigious roles throughout history, including the earthly incarnation of the Egyptian god Ra; their fat was once thought to cure tuberculosis; and today they're the national bird of The Bahamas.

I've never seen a flock of flying Flamingos, but have read that they can number into the thousands...can you imagine what that must look like?! As beautiful a sight as that must be, I think it'd give too many of us Atlantans Hitchcock flashbacks. Still...I'd love to see a flying flock.

Check out Zoo Atlanta, and remember, if you're on a budget, AtlanTix—Atlanta's same-day-half-off ticket office—often has discount tickets to attractions like the Zoo. Now go have a wild time and enjoy Zoo Atlanta!

Eero Saarinen, Master of 20th Century Architecture

Eero Saarinen may not be a household name today, but his legacy is known around the world—and will be for countless years to come. Saarinen is one of the more "prolific, unorthodox, and controversial"—and if I may add, quite brilliant—architects of the 20th Century. And you can learn all about him at the current exhibition at the Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA).

When you go see Eero Saarinen: A Reputation for Innovation, you'll immediately recognize Saarinen's work, which includes the Gateway Arch in St. Louis; the TWA Terminal at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York; Yale's hockey rink; Kresge Chapel at MIT in Cambridge; and Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C.

Eero Saarinen at MODA | TWA Terminal at JFK

Saarinen was born in Finland to an architect father and an artistic mother, who also built architectural models, and at the age of 12 won a matchstick design contest, the first of many, many awards he'd garner during his career.

One of the projects that I learned about at the exhibition was the Smithsonian Art Gallery, that was designed and accepted, but never built. It would have been built more than half a century ago at or very near where the current day Museum of the American Indian stands today on the National Mall. This was a very cool discovery, given that MODA is a Smithsonian Affiliate museum.

Eero Saarinen at MODA | Yale Hockey Rink

Saarinen's brilliance ended much to early. He passed away at only 51 following surgery on a brain tumor. Given his influence on our culture in the 20th Century, I wonder what marvels he may have created should he have had another 40 years to innovate.

Eero Saarinen at MODA | Gateway Arch in St. Louis

I wish that when I visited St. Louis many years ago that I had had time to go up in the Gateway Arch, but I did get to enjoy it from a distance. The structure is incredibly beautiful and I just learned that it's 630 feet high, taller than the Washington Monument by a full 75 feet! Also, the structure is as wide at its "feet" as it is tall. Fascinating structure!

Unfortunately, Saarinen never got to see the Gateway Arch built. Construction began two years after he died and opened two years after that.

Eero Saarinen at MODA | The Tulip Armchair

Saarinen was also a designer, with quite a bit of furniture and homes in his repitoire, including this 1955-1956 Tulip Armchair, noted for its similarity to the flower and a stemmed wine glass. Such elegance...and quite comfortable, too!

Eero Saarinen at MODA | Grasshopper Chair

I believe we'd be hard pressed to find a Mid-Century Modern enthusiast who isn't a fan of Saarinen's work. And who wouldn't be a fan...look at the design of his Grasshopper Chair! I can't honestly say that I'd fill my home with Mid-Century Modern furnishings, but I can certainly admire how stunningly beautiful this piece is.

Eero Saarinen at MODA | TWA Terminal at JFK

There's a LOT to take in at this exhibition, so allow plenty of time to explore. There's ample written material, photographs, models, furniture, two videos, and friendly staff there to answer questions you might have about the exhibition. 

Eero Saarinen: A Reputation for Innovation concludes at the end of June, but there's still some great programming coming up in association with the exhibition, and that will all culminate with a Mad Men closing party (mid-Century attire encouraged!). See you there!

Sweetwater Creek State Park

I couldn't believe how incredibly close Sweetwater Creek State Park is to Atlanta! And that it's a State Park that offers so much. 

Really...this Park is less than half an hour from Downtown Atlanta (we got there in like 20 minutes), not very far pass Six Flags on I-20 West. It has a LEEDs Certified Visitor Center—certified at the Platinum Level, I might add, making it one of the "greenest" buildings in the country. It has picnic areas, fishing—with a bait shop, boating, paddle boats, canoes, a playground, and so much more.

Sweetwater Creek State Park

The reason we went earlier today was for the hiking on the miles and miles of trails and to see the ruins of the New Manchester Manufacturing Company, a textile mill that met its demise during the American Civil War. The Mill ruins are located, of course, on the water and one of the trails runs along Sweetwater Creek to the Mill.

Sweetwater Creek State Park

The Mill originally opened as Sweetwater Factory in 1849 (construction began in 1846), later that year renamed the Sweetwater Manufacturing Company. Later, through a series of events that included a renaming of the local post office to the New Manchester Post Office and the selling of the property to the New Manchester Manufacturing Company, the Mill derived its final name.

Sweetwater Creek State Park

At five stories tall, the water wheel provided enough energy to power all the equipment in the Mill. That's 1840s technology folks...tell me of a building that does that today!

Sweetwater Creek State Park

With the onset of the American Civil War in 1861, the Confederate government contracted with the Mill to provide cloth for the Confederate Army. Sherman, knowing how important the Mill was, had it burned when he came through Atlanta and he relocated the towns population—mostly women and children at the time given that most of the men were off fighting the War.

Sweetwater Creek State Park

The museum is fascinating in its compactness, yet being filled with so much information, its range of artifact, the breadth of its stories, its use of multimedia, and it's housed in the Visitor Center which also has classrooms, a gift shop, and a snacks—we had ice cream before we started our miles and miles of hiking...a very good idea, I thought.

Sweetwater Creek State Park

Sweetwater Creek it self is a beautiful one. And we got to enjoy quite a bit of it on the "Red" Trail. There are other trails (we took the Blue Trail back to the parking area), each with its own sights, length, and range of difficulty. 

I was told that the Red Trail is the most popular, mostly attributed to the ease of its terrain and that it's the quickest trail to the Mill ruins.

Sweetwater Creek State Park

Like many other Parks and river walks I've explored, the paths are a combination of trails, bridges, steps, and boulders. There are also a lot of tree roots and slippery rocks...be sure to wear sensible shoes and definitely wear sunscreen. The trails are mostly shaded, but...you know the sunscreen drill.

Sweetwater Creek State Park

Rapids are always great to see—and hear! And the Creek is so winding that we had a new view every few feet—linear and vertically...lots of fun to explore—and ponder the area's past.

Sweetwater Creek State Park

There are a number of curiosities as well. Nature—or possibly man-made—we noticed quite a few tree formations, bends, growths, hollowness, and other bizarre features that set our minds to racing wondering what could have caused 'that'?!

Sweetwater Creek State Park

And especially if you're there close to sunrise or sunset, look up...there are some gorgeous colors and shadows throughout the forests. 

There's so much more to learn here—and I recommend spending the day here. There's a lot to see and learn in the Museum—a lot of which will enhance your experience outside, but you'll of course want to make ample time to explore outside.

Grant Park 1864 Breastworks

When you're visiting Zoo Atlanta or the Atlanta Cyclorama or just taking a stroll through Grant Park, be sure to seek out the parapet—cannon platforms from the American Civil War—or more specifically The Siege of Atlanta.

1864 Breastworks in Grant Park

There's a marker on the site, which is located in the southeast corner of the Park with a skyline view of the City, that reads:

"This line of breastworks is a remnant of the city fortifications occupied by confederate forces during The Siege of Atlanta, July 22 - August 25, 1864. The line, which completely encircled the city, aggregated 12 miles of rifle pits and forts constructions of which was designed and supervised by Capt. Lemuel P. Grant who in 1883 donated the original 100 acres of this area for a city park."

There are all kinds of surprising bits of history throughout the city...keep you eyes open.

National Public Gardens Day 2013

There are a number of public gardens in Atlanta,  but of course my readers know that my personal favorite is the Atlanta Botanical Garden. As I've shared before, I've been visiting there since 1987, so it's hardly a stretch that say that it's my favorite place in the City. 

Atlanta Botanical Garden, Japanese Garden

And for those who do not know, my favorite place within the Garden—and that's not an easy selection—is the Japanese Garden, which predates the formation of the Atlanta Botanical Garden in 1976.

Today is National Public Gardens Day and if you visited a public garden, that's absolutely wonderful! If you didn't do that today, I encourage you to treat it like I do my birthday and stretch it out—go visit a garden this weekend, for example, or even next week...just be sure to celebrate the occasion!

Have fun exploring our City's beautiful Gardens!

State Farmers Market - Atlanta

I'd been wanting to go for a while, knowing that some of my chef friends shop here from time to time, and I certainly wasn't disappointed. The State Farmers Market, locally known as the Atlanta Farmers Market, is run by the State of Georgia Department of Agriculture and is a distribution hub for fresh Southern produce throughout the Southeast and the country!

State Farmers Market, Atlanta Farmers Market

The produce selection is way beyond what you'll find at your local grocer, so if you're looking for ingredients to expand your culinary experience, this is a good place to do just that.

State Farmers Market, Atlanta Farmers Market

On this particular visit, we were there to look for flowers and herbs at the Market's substantial Garden Center. There are rows and rows and rows and more rows of plants, flowers, herbs, shrubs, and even a nice selection palm trees that do well here in Atlanta.

State Farmers Market, Atlanta Farmers Market

The herb selection is good and quite varied, with all the usual suspects in attendance. I recommend looking around before making your selections...the quality, although similar, varies from vendor to vendor, although all of them have their own beautiful inventory.

State Farmers Market, Atlanta Farmers Market

Like any great Garden Center, there are vendors there selling pots and other garden accouterments...and there are some beautiful pots and statuary. We were ready to rent a semi!

State Farmers Market, Atlanta Farmers Market

While you're there, if you get hungry and don't want to dig into your stash of just-purchased fresh produce, they have an onsite restaurant—of a very cool mid-Century modern design. There's also a Welcome Center—where you can learn about the very-important-to-our-State Georgia Grown program.

To give you an idea of just how massive this place is...at 150 acres, it's one of the largest markets of its kind in the world!

But, if that's not enough to pique your curiosity, it's also a great spot for watching airplanes taking off from the Hartstfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. I think I got almost as many photos of the planes as I did the Market!

Chosen Food...at The Breman

I've long been fascinated with the Jewish culture. I read Night by Elie Wiesel years before it (and his amazing work) won him a 1986 Nobel Peace Prize and became required reading in American schools; I have an autographed copy of After the Darkness by Elie who signed it for me personally; and I have an autographed copy of Shekhina, Leonard Nimoy;s first photography book. I've immersed myself in the Jewish culture (somewhat) since childhood, mostly through books I read.

Jewish food has long fascinated me...mostly because it's been a mystery to me. "Chosen Food: Cuisine, Culture, and American Jewish Identity" at the Breman Jewish Heritage Museum cleared up a few things and shed light on others.

"Chosen Food" at the Breman Jewish Heritage Museum

One of the most fascinating aspects of Jewish cuisine that totally spoke to me, while exploring this exhibition, was not the lox and bagels or the matzo ball soup that's so associated with the culture, but that the culture is so incredibly international.

"Chosen Food" at the Breman Jewish Heritage Museum

Of interest, but not surprising, many of our Chinese restaurants are, historically, filled with Jewish patrons on Christmas Day. One part of the exhibition questioned, given the Jewish calendar predates the Chinese calendar, what Jews ate before there was Chinese food. Humor is tastefully peppered throughout the exhibition.

"Chosen Food" at the Breman Jewish Heritage Museum

I'd never give it much thought prior to it being pointed out in this exhibition, the desire for one's own food, following immigration, was driven by the flavors of home, wherever that country might have been. Jewish cuisine is truly international!

"Chosen Food" at the Breman Jewish Heritage Museum

The exhibition also pointed out that Jewish kitchens are largely the kitchens of their mothers. When Jewish immigrants arrived in the United States, a significant portion of belongings that came with them were their family's dishes and pots and pans. I knew family ties are strong in the Jewish culture, but hadn't made the obvious connection to the kitchen...I'm learning a lot here!

"Chosen Food" at the Breman Jewish Heritage Museum

One quote in the exhibition reads, "There's nothing that two Jews like more than sitting around in a diner late at night and talk about what they're eating." That was comedian Jon Stewart.

"Chosen Food" at the Breman Jewish Heritage Museum

As in every culture, Jewish holidays are steeped in food traditions. For example, exchanging gifts of food is one of the primary observances on Purim, 

"Chosen Food" at the Breman Jewish Heritage Museum

Catering takes on a whole new dimension when serving the observant. The exhibition goes into Kosher catering and Kosher-style catering...two very different things. Atlanta has a very rich catering history and industry, many of which offer Kosher catering.

"Chosen Food" at the Breman Jewish Heritage Museum

The exhibition displays several wedding cake toppers, including this one from 1904.

"Chosen Food" at the Breman Jewish Heritage Museum

The one thing, and probably the most important, that I garnered from the exhibition is that Jewish cuisine goes far beyond its religious aspect...it's about family. It's about shared traditions, shared experiences, enjoying each other...food creates opportunities to share in and strengthen the bond of family.

I highly recommend visiting this exhibition, and the rest of the Museum. But get there soon; it finishes at the end of this month.

When you're done here, head over to the wanderlust ATLANTA Facebook Page for more photos from the exhibition. 

Mazel tov!