You simply can't go to Atlanta and not visit the World of Coca-Cola, the museum strictly devoted to all things related to the Coca-Cola Company. In case you didn't know, Atlanta's the home of its headquarters and you can actually get a peek at some of their newest products (or taste them). Naturally, Coca-Cola isn't going to share their top secret recipe for coke, but there's a cool little exhibit that sort of teases the visitors into thinking that they'll get to learn what makes coke so great of a soda pop. As an avid Sprite drinker, heading to the World of Coca-Cola was a real treat. You'll see why.

The World of Coca-Cola's right beside the Georgia Aquarium, which makes it convenient for visitors to head over to two fantastic places without worrying about distance, driving, parking, and all the little annoying urban headaches tourists usually have to go through. Prices are much cheaper than the aquarium and a bonus is that they offer free admission to active duty service members, retirees, and reservists of the U.S. Armed Forces. 'Course, dependents aren't free, but we still managed to save $16 off from one additional member. Kids ages 3-12 aren't free, but those 2 and under are. 

There's a number of things to see and do inside the WOCC, but one of my favorite things to see inside the place was the amount of unique and beautiful art works devoted to Coca-cola. While my husband and Rome wandered around the different sections of the building, I spent a huge amount of time looking at the various art media displayed on the walls. They even have a large area devoted to letters written from fans all over the world and I read a few that were amazingly touching and sweet. A lot of people don't realize that the Coca-Cola company donates millions of dollars to various global communities through the Coca-Cola Foundation which supports education, recycling, water stewardship, and promoting a healthy lifestyle. When you buy their products, you help support their charities. Reading through some of the letters displayed, it's obvious that the company has made a remarkable difference in many people's lives. 

One of the best things about the visit goes to their special tasting section. If you've got kids, prepare for a massive sugar rush, especially if you let them get their hands on the disposable cups near the fountain drinks. The area is known as Coca-Cola Freestyle, which has these stylish computerized fountains that pour over 100+ products into your cup. Head over to the other section where you can taste over 60 different Coca-cola products found all over the world. I'd have to say the best one was the Smart Apple drink from China. It's a sparkling apple-flavored soda that's highly addictive. Good thing I can't get my hands on that here or else my fridge would be stocked with nothing but Smart Apple bottles. We let Rome have a taste of a few non-caffeinated drinks (Sprite and lime products), but that didn't prevent him from becoming hyper minutes later.  

Also included in the tour is a look at how they bottle their products, a trip to the secret vault, and Coke Hands, which is an interactive and neat display you can walk through. Right by the exit, you'll hit the Coca-Cola store, which is a fun place to browse and marvel at some of their hard-to-find products. I snagged a couple of magnets (which I collect), pencils, and other small stationery products. I'm not sure if you can just stop by the store without purchasing a ticket, but it might be possible, since you can enter the gift store from outdoors.

Be prepared to spend at least 2 hours inside of the World of Coca-Cola and don't forget to grab your free souvenir coke bottle before you head out. If only they sold the Smart Apple products from China, I'd probably buy that stuff in bulk!  

One of Atlanta's highlights is their impressive Georgia Aquarium, located on 225 Baker Street NW, which is smack dab in the middle of downtown and right beside the Centennial Olympic Park. One of the reasons we chose our hotel was its proximity to the aquarium, which was right across the street from us and visible from our window view. The aquarium wasn't built the last time my husband and I were in Atlanta, but my brother-in-law had raved about it on a business trip the previous year. Housing over 120,000 animals and 8.5 million gallons of water, it's currently the largest aquarium in the world. Impressive, indeed.

'Course, the main reason why I wanted to visit the aquarium was to take a peek at their Beluga whale exhibit. There's a large tank filled with a handful of these gentle white creatures with plenty of spunk and personality. Their curiosity is often piqued by the hundreds of visitors who come to watch them each day, and I swear, I think they put on a little show by flipping around and coming close to children who press their faces up on the glass (which Rome did, despite my warnings). They're incredibly social creatures and, despite their numbers being nearly threatened, I hope that they flourish once again. 

The aquarium also offers a dolphin show, which we missed unfortunately, and a really cool underwater moving exhibit. Filled with some of the ocean's more formidable predators, like sharks, it's enough to impress even its most youngest visitors (and older ones too). Rome enjoyed it so much, he dragged his dad and I through it three times. It's longer than some of the other moving underwater tanks I've been to, but with its spectacular display of marine life, it's hard to get tired of it.

Since Rome absolutely loves visiting aquariums, it's definitely a treat to bring him to Atlanta to see the exhibits. He was particularly fascinated with the lionfish and its unique look. Unfortunately, I told him that we probably couldn't acquire one for a pet, since we don't have an aquarium at home, and I'm betting lionfish aren't exactly on display at your local pet store. I also had to convince him that they were venomous when threatened, so I'm not to keen on having something that's markedly harmful at my house. Better to see it at the aquarium or on tv, I gather. 

I can't really say when it would be the best time to visit the Georgia Aquarium, but I would recommend it during all the seasons. While we were admiring the animals, I heard a couple say that it gets 100x more crowded during the summer months when the kids are out in full swing for summer vacation. Luckily, it wasn't too bad when we went, but I can only imagine what it'd be like in the height of summer. Think Disney World in July. Well, maybe not that bad, but you get the picture. Pricing is a little on the high side ($35 for adults, $28 for children), but they offer 20% discount for military members and their families. Also, prices differ slightly, depending on which season you plan your visit, so just be aware that peak season rates may be applied. 

Overall, it's an enjoyable experience for the entire family, and certainly plan on spending a few hours inside, especially if you want to catch the dolphin shows. It's the perfect place to hang out to beat the summer heat in Atlanta.

Earlier this summer, we took a little trip from Columbia to Atlanta, also known as 'Hotlanta' to its residents, and spent the weekend checking out some of the city's favorite hot spots. Atlanta in the summer is, taking note of its nickname, unbearably hot and humid so it's recommended that tourists spend some time visiting their museums and various indoor attractions (which I'll get to in a later post). As one of the largest cities in the South, you can expect congestion at the major highway and its arteries at any time during the day, but more so on the weekends. However, it's not really that bad through downtown, especially around Peachtree Street and other parts closer to some of the tourist areas. 

We checked in at the Hilton Garden Inn located on Baker street at the Luckie Marietta district of Atlanta. We specifically chose it due to its proximity to the Georgia Aquarium and other nearby attractions. The contemporary hotel has a wonderful and pleasant staff, but I really liked the convenience of its location; across the street there's a cheap souvenir and deli, around the corner you'll find two great mom n' pop style eateries, and the Centennial Olympic Park is across the hotel (just blocks away) to help walk off some of that good food you'll definitely gorge on. Although the hotel has two on-site restaurants (Legal Sea Foods and The City View), they're kinda pricey, but most definitely worth a try. Also, the view from our hotel room was definitely worth the extra $$$ for splurging a little for comfort and convenience. We had a great view of downtown and part of the Centennial Park, plus we could see all the tourists heading towards the Georgia Aquarium and World of Coca Cola Museum across the street. Talk about people-gazing from your hotel room.

Rome looks out from the hallway window, overlooking the side of the hotel

If you're looking to see some architectural digs from the pre-Civil War era, you'll be a little bit disappointed in Atlanta, since the city's antebellum history was all but destroyed during the war. Unlike other cities such as Savannah and Charleston, which retain their Southern Belle charm, Atlanta's metropolitan is certainly more progressive and modern, with looming sky scrapers and large corporation buildings lining its skyline. You'll find the headquarters of Coca Cola, Delta Airlines, The Home Depot, CNN, AT&T, and UPS just to name a few. CNN was the only headquarters that I can recall that allows tours through its building. Coca Cola and some of the others aren't accessible to the general public.

What I do love about the city is its diversity and its major attractions, namely Six Flags Over Georgia, but we didn't take our son to the amusement park on our visit. He wasn't quite 4 yet and it was way too hot and muggy to drag a kid through a crowded park during the summer. We did take him to other places which will come at a later post.