Travel Thursday: Atlanta, GA

When I heard that one of my favorite Broadway performers, Sierra Boggess, was going to be leading a musical based on the movie Ever After, I knew I had to see it. Between the amazingly affordable seats and my Southwest points (40K free points with their credit card? Sold!), I knew I'd be making this happen.

Although I've visited most states on the East Coast, Georgia is one of the few I haven't been to, so I also knew I wanted to take advantage and enjoy Atlanta while I was in the area. Weather cut my plans short, but I still got a lot in and had a blast in the day and a half I did have:

Where I Ate

Mary Mac's Tea Room: A famed Atlanta spot for soul food. I went around 11:30 and was able to be seated and served quickly at the bar by myself. It was a good thing I went when I did, because when I finished, the line to get in was out the door!

Alma Cocina: One of the few places downtown open late at night. Delicious sangria and out of this world fried avocado tacos!

South City Kitchen Midtown: Delicious brunch! It was hard not to laugh as a Marylander as the server tried to recommend crab dishes to us. I tried the King Biscuit—a twist on biscuits and gravy—and yum!

Tip: try to get reservations when possible. All of these places were packed and I had success either as a solo traveler sitting at the bar, or at brunch with friends who had made a reservation ahead of time.

What I Did

Fox Theatre: Atlanta's spot for touring Broadway shows. They were set up for Waitress when I visited. Tour includes cool history and other trivia about the 4,000+ seat theatre and a look at some of it's other spaces. Gorgeous venue! They also offer ghost tours around Halloween.

Alliance Theatre: Local arts center with a newly refurbished Coca-Cola stage where I saw Ever After! Keep an eye out for other original shows here.

Georgia Aquarium: Whale Sharks. Manta Rays. Dolphins. Seals. Otters. All the aquatic cuteness one could want! Backstage tours and a "swim with the whale shark" (sold out, sadly) option are also available among other encounters.

World of Coca Cola: This famed soda has Atlanta roots and for a fairly low entrance fee, you can see all sorts of memorabilia, meet the polar bear, visit the vault where the secret formula is stored, and taste an international variety of Coca-Cola beverages before being released into their gift shop with every item imaginable.

Admittedly, some of these are pretty touristy things. I had other fun activities on my radar including the Beltline and Ponce City Market, but weather disrupted my travel plans, causing me to have to leave early. Still, this was a lot of ground covered in less than 48 hours and I had a blast! 

If you've been to Atlanta, what's your favorite thing to do? If not, what would you most like to do?
I'd love to hear more in the comments!