Atlanta - June 2013

This trip to Atlanta satisfied several goals - visiting my 35th state and 23rd MLB ballpark - but I have always wanted to complete my tour of the South. After visiting the coast and Alabama, I settled into Atlanta for several days of fun experiences. Atlanta is a unique metropolitan combination of old South and modern America with lots of crazy drivers!

My first stop was the Delta Heritage Museum which has a limited, but excellent, collection of historic commercial aircraft. The Douglas DC-3 was on display showing its fully restored exterior and interior. It was a treat to walk around the aircraft, although the realistic pitch of the plane was a bit of a climb. The Boeing 767 was being renovated, but I could still walk around.

Next up was the Atlanta History Center which houses a lot of the region's history. They have a special section covering the 1996 Olympics, replica of a historic farm, and other interesting exhibits. The above picture is from the Swan House on site built in the early 20th century for a wealthy owner. They show tours of the beautifully restored interior. The grounds also include a forest walking tour typical of the regional forests.

This is CNN. Really, this is the main newsroom for CNN. They give tours of their downtown Atlanta facility which are informative and air conditioned! I saw the on air talent reporting on the morning's news and even had a green screen demonstration. For an extra charge, they will even let you create your own news story to air live - just kidding (or am I?).

They never let you forget that Coca-Cola is based in Atlanta. Everything is Coke down there. The World of Coca-Cola is a main attraction drawing in people from all around to gaze at the wonder of colored sugar water - I mean dyed HFCS water. Nevertheless, the history is pretty interesting, and they have the secret recipe on site locked in a vault. The star attraction of course is tasting the different beverages from around the world, most of which are exotic fruit-flavored drinks that would sell well here too. All visitors receive a fresh glass souvenir bottle of Coke.

After a quick MARTA ride to the State Capitol and an afternoon with my old friend's parents, it was time to tackle Stone Mountain. This giant granite outcropping is a unique attraction even without the carvings of Confederate icons. It is a regular theme park with amusements, a train, and a cable car ride to the top. It is a little over the top with regard to the Confederacy, but was fun to take the train and ride to the summit.

Atlanta is also home to the Carter Presidential Library. President Jimmy Carter was not only a peanut farmer, but a submarine officer and an interesting diplomat. The museum discusses his achievements with China and Egypt during his career. The grounds are also very nice.

Coming back to Earth was a stop to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site which includes his birthplace (above), the Ebenezer Baptist Church, and his grave. The area also includes several "shotgun" houses typical of the poor residents and a nice memorial.

The Atlanta Braves hosted the San Francisco Giants on June 14, 2013. The Atlanta Braves lost to the San Francisco Giants on June 14, 2013 with a score of 6-0. This Giants fan experienced the win at his 23rd MLB ballpark. Turner Field was part of the 1996 Olympics and is showing its age. The field is nice, but is old by modern standards and could use replacement. Nevertheless, I enjoyed my last night in Atlanta with a win and fireworks!

On my way out, I stopped by the Georgia Aquarium for some fishy business. The place is a gem with lots of great exhibits and very happy children. Finally, back to the horrible Atlanta Airport to wait almost an hour in security for a cross-country flight back home with lots of memories and pictures to share with all of you.

Enjoy the rest of the pictures below:

Southern Food and BBQ

One of the best parts of the South is the food. Down there, fat and carbs are worshiped - not reviled - and barbecue is an art form worthy of extended study. Because of all the excellent food, I had to create a separate posting just for it!

My first step to Nirvana was Dye's Gullah Fixin's in Hilton Head, SC. The place is a small shop in a strip mall, but serves a tasty buffet. She makes some great chicken, but the stars are the corn pudding and collard greens - both of which will knock you out. A perfect introduction to the South, although it was good that I was on the beach BEFORE all the great food!

If you come to Savannah, ignore Paula Deen's restaurant and run to Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room. Words cannot appropriately describe this gem, even after waiting over an hour outside. For $18 you get all the food above in a family setting with strangers. Best Fried Chicken Ever! The biscuits were held together by some sort of Southern magic since physics defies the light flaky combination of flour and fat. The other sides were also excellent including the obligatory mac & cheese, beans, greens, sweet potatoes, and mashed potatoes and gravy - the latter should be drunk directly from the bowl with no regard to your fellow diners! My dining companions also said this place beats Paula's by far! So worth it.

The South also has lots of small BBQ joints with excellent meat. The above Hog Wild platter is from Sandfly BBQ near Savannah, GA. The brisket and sausage were the best of my trip with an interesting Brunswick Stew pictured next to the meat. It's a local stew with leftover BBQ meats and veggies cooked in a rich broth. The mustard style sauce goes great with those tasty links!

Time out for Chick-Fil-A. This is the original place near the Atlanta Airport with sit down service and a little door for dwarves. Same menu as found all over the country, but still a fun place. CFA is HUGE in Georgia with stores all over the place - all closed on Sunday though. They even have one at Turner Field for Atlanta Braves games!

Saw's BBQ in Alabama is a unique place for two reasons - white BBQ sauce and baked potatoes. They smoke their chicken and serve it with white sauce. The sauce is similar to the sauce used in a good cole slaw with a little kick and is typical for northern Alabama BBQ. It was nice to have a giant potato with the meal, although they can also load a potato with all the meat and sauce you want - and bacon!

Above is the best sweet tea in the universe. Sway in downtown Atlanta not only serves excellent upscale Southern food, their sweet tea is what other teas dream about at night. Sweet tea is regular iced tea with sugar and is a very common Southern drink. This one is perfectly balanced with a stick of cane sugar, mint, and a lemon. The shrimp & grits and cornbread & biscuits with tomato jam were very good, but the tea shined through. They even gave me a free to-go refill!

This vision will haunt my dreams for a very long time. Community Q BBQ in Decatur, GA is simply amazing. The owners have a commitment to supporting regional farmers and make some excellent stuff. The above St. Louis Style ribs were just perfect - smoky sweet, tender, with just the right amount of rub and sauce. The mac & cheese was the best I've ever had. The cheese sauce was delivered from heaven with al dente rigatoni to hold the ambrosia. The beans not only were the perfect balance of sweet and spice, they had chunks of smoked brisket and should be praised at every opportunity. This place is just awesome.

Unfortunately, the food selection at Turner Field was somewhat disappointing. I did manage to find the grilled hot dog stand serving the above Georgia Dog - footlong natural casing dog with cole slaw and Vidalia onion relish. It was delicious.

The above sweet potato cheesecake is from the Sweet Auburn Bakery and is widely acclaimed by foodies everywhere. I have to agree and state that it makes a great breakfast!

This one was just too fun to pass up. It is common in the South to open a bag of chips and pour chili and cheese directly into the bag as a snack. Now, Frito Lay is encouraging this by designing their bags for this with a wide top pre-scored for opening. These were found at the QuikTrip, coincidentally next to the chili and cheese dispensers. That plus an orange cream slushy makes a nice treat!

Below are the rest of my food pics:

Alabama - June 2012

OK, everyone knows the song, and it is even on the license plate. Alabama is only a 2 hour drive from Atlanta, so I took a day trip to my 35th state. Speaking of which, apparently speed limits are just an annoying suggestion in the South. NASCAR makes everyone a speed demon down there. This trip completes my tour of the old South with a trip to Birmingham and Talladega.

Birmingham, AL has a challenging history. It was founded after the Civil War, yet was the most segregated city. I visited the Civil Rights Institute in downtown which was a moving experience on the plight of blacks in the South. Slavery is our original sin, and even after the war and constitutional amendments, discrimination still abounds.

It is difficult to visit the South without commenting on racism. The region has such a strong history, it is impossible to escape. The Civil War did great damage to the South - economically, socially, and psychologically. The aftermath of the war created many of the problems still faced today and should serve as a warning for future conflicts on how to rebuild while avoiding the massive problems. It is a complicated problem with even more complicated solutions, but we owe it to ourselves to keep trying.

On the way back to Atlanta, I stopped at the Talladega Superspeedway. This massive racetrack has the highest banks with a 33 degree pitch and a hall of fame museum. I caught the last tour of the day and had the bus to myself. It was interesting to see and worth a stop even when 200 MPH cars are not flying by!

Enjoy the rest of the pics below:

Savannah - June 2013

So, you are probably wondering why I am starting my blog on Savannah, GA with a picture of a BMW. Upon arrival at the Atlanta Airport, I headed to the rental car agency and was handed the keys to a BMW X3 at the discounted Costco rate. Needless to say, this was an unexpected surprise that went a long way on my Deep South tour!

Savannah is one of the last great Southern cities in the United States with roots to Colonial times and lots of history. The town is on the Atlantic coast and is still a port with connections inland and overseas. All the history and old style makes this a perfect place to visit, although the open container laws and party atmosphere also attract many party people.

My flight arrived in the afternoon, then it was a 4 hour drive to Savannah. It was hot and humid the entire trip which was expected. Southern heat is a different kind of heat for a boy raised in the desert, but fortunately A/C is everywhere. To help fend off jet lag, my first night was spent on a night ghost tour. Savannah is a very haunted city with lots of spiritual activity. I did not see any ghosts or orbs, but there is an undeniable energy in the city with lots of pirate, slave, and bizarre activities.

Most businesses in the South still observe the Sabbath and are closed on Sundays. This makes for a perfect beach day. The above picture is from Coligny Beach on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. Savannah is right on the border, and the beach is very popular with the locals. The facilities were amazing, although the lack of lockers prevented a full dip in the Atlantic. For those not familiar with Atlantic beaches, they are usually wide, shallow, and warm making for near perfect conditions. The water is much warmer than the Pacific which was a treat for my tired feet.

You have to pace yourself in 90 degree heat when the humidity is amazingly high. The above riverwalk picture shows downtown Savannah. The place is much like Pier 39 for those familiar with San Francisco. The historic area is very compact and easy to explore on foot, however after a few hours of sweat - and a massive thunderstorm - I headed back to the Atlantic ocean, this time to the local Tybee Island.

Savannah is also home to a Single A minor league baseball team, the Savannah Sand Gnats. Mondays are dollar night with $1 tickets, $1 hot dogs, and $1 Natural Light beers. Since I already had some excellent BBQ - see my separate Southern Food posting for more info - I spent my $5 on a ticket and beer. Unfortunately the game was called due to the storms, but fortunately I did not lose much money.

I am glad Sherman spared Savannah. The rest of the South now awaits! Below are the rest of my pictures for you to enjoy: