Girl About the World

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If there’s one thing they know how to do in Georgia, it’s cook up some good Southern grub. On my first night there, I met up with fellow freelance writer Jill, whom I’ve only known via e-mail till now, and we decided to try out Atlanta landmark The Colonnade.

The Colonnade is notable for a few things: being next to an adult “novelty” store, attracting a geriatric clientele, and serving Southern classics since 1927. (Okay, so it may not be known for those first two, but that’s what Jill and I noticed.) In all seriousness, its loyal patrons and authentic food are what stand out. I feasted on turkey, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, biscuits, and as much sweet tea as I could guzzle, then spent the whole night wishing I hadn’t eaten five times what I normally do. Those are the sacrifices you make when there’s so little time, so much food to try.

One really cool feature was a board with menus displayed from throughout the restaurant’s history. Ah, the good ol’ days when a meal cost 50 cents (and soup was only 15).

My next quintessentially Southern stop was The Flying Biscuit in Midtown at 10th and Piedmont. You can probably guess what they’re known for, and the biscuits earned their place in the title — fluffy and flavorful, they were topped off perfectly with a cranberry apple butter. I also went for some more sweet tea here (the North doesn’t have this delicious drink, which is probably a good thing, since I’m sure it rots my teeth) and a black bean quesadilla. They have a huge selection of egg dishes and serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner all day, so whatever meal you’re in the mood for, you’re in luck. The décor is kitschy; the waiters sport mullets and tattoos; and Piedmont Park is just down the street for a post-meal stroll. Bring your patience, though, as this place can get mighty packed, even on a weekday afternoon.

I’m glad to be back to lighter meals, but I enjoyed stuffing myself silly with Southern staples while I had the chance.

“The question is not, ‘If I stop to help this man in need, what will happen to me?’ The question is, ‘If I do not stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to them?’ That’s the question.” –MLK

When I asked friends who’ve lived in Atlanta what I should see in my short time there, many didn’t recommend the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site. In fact, many have never been. But given how much I enjoy the Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas, the FDR Memorial in D.C., and the Clinton Library in Little Rock, I knew this look at such a prominent American figure would be something I needed to squeeze in.

It’s a bit farther afield than some of Atlanta’s other popular attractions, but there’s a lot to see in one area. I got there using the MARTA East/West line, and from the stop, it’s about a five-minute walk if you’re moving briskly. (Side note: While the area around the MLK site is quite populated, the walk up from the station included significant stretches with no one else around and quite a few people asking for money. A cab is another option.)

A good starting point for the area is the visitor center, where park rangers will answer questions and help orient you to what’s around. Everything is free, including tours of King’s birth home (but the tours fill up fast, as only 15 people can go at a time, so sign up early if this is something you want to do). There are some really compelling exhibits on King’s life and death, as well as the history of segregation in America. Reading through a long list of Jim Crow laws, I was horrified; it made the section on Rosa Parks and the bus strike all the more moving.

As I missed out on the birth home tour, I took another ranger-led one through Sweet Auburn, which went over how the area was once the richest black neighborhood in the world; the fire station that was one of the first to be integrated; Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King co-pastored with his father from 1960 to 1968; and the significance of some of the statues and monuments in the park.

As I walked back to the train, I thought about that small amount of fear I felt when no one was in sight or as I passed by homeless people who called out to me — it doesn’t even compare to the fear civil rights leaders and others faced on a daily basis because of their race or station in life or the fact that they chose to speak out against injustices.

The history of any country is filled with good and bad — and at the MLK National Historic Site, true heroes and true tragedies are both remembered.

Not to be outdone by the World’s Largest Aquarium, The Varsity has a pretty big title of its own: world’s largest drive-in. Founded in 1928, The Varsity — known for its catchphrase “what’ll ya have?” — can accommodate 600-plus cars and more than 800 people inside. Two miles of hot dogs, a ton of onions, 2,500 pounds of potatoes, 5,000 fried pies, and 300 gallons of chili are made from scratch daily.

I’ve heard about this place for years from a client whose magazine I manage, so I was pretty excited to finally check it out in person. It didn’t disappoint. And if it had, it would’ve been a long-awaited disappointment, because there were, no joke, at least 100 people in line on a random weekday night. The fare is what you’d expect: hot dogs, hamburgers, milkshakes, fries, onion rings, chicken fingers, etc. I went for a grilled cheese sandwich and French fries, which were, as the French say (despite the fact that French fries aren’t French), delicieux. I topped it off with a Frosted Orange, which hit the spot after an entire summer day without fluids (don’t try this at home). It was like drinking orange sherbet, and it was wonderful.

The food was all super reasonably priced and didn’t come in ginormous portions, two things I really appreciate. If you go at a peak time, be willing to wait a bit, and remember, this is drive-in food, not haute cuisine — and that’s the fun of it.

Atlanta is home to Georgia Aquarium, the world’s largest, and when I see a stat that includes anything like “world’s largest,” I’m there. Unfortunately, so was everyone else. It’s crowded, to be sure, but that’s because it really is a great aquarium.

Highlights for me included the Asian sea otter sisters all curled up together sleeping, elephant nose fish, a fish that seriously looked exactly like a grandpa (see picture at right), and the monstrous whale sharks.

Animals aside, what I liked most was the layout – it was easy to navigate and make sure you hit every section (my biggest concern whenever I pay an admission fee more than $10). Each time you went through an exhibit, you’d pop right back out to the center, where you could move on to the next one. This also made it easy to revisit any section you particularly enjoyed without having to walk through everything again (I stood in the ocean tunnel twice, and saw lots of different creatures than the first time around).

Although it’s the world’s largest, it wasn’t as big as I expected – if you’re moving at a brisk pace, you can cover the place in about an hour. And I only had to elbow 10 or so kids out of the way to see everything I wanted to. :)

It’s Atlanta Week here on ye olde blog, brought to you by the fact that I forgot to transfer a magazine from my luggage to my purse and was thus left with no reading material on a long flight, giving me lots of uninterrupted time to write off the top of my head. First up, CNN tour:

I, like most people, love Anderson Cooper. Given that CNN’s headquarters are in Atlanta, I thought I’d take the opportunity to tour the building and, perchance, run into him. When I told people this plan, many turned to me and said in a low voice, “You know he’s gay, right?”

A) Yes, I do. B) Can’t I want to meet Anderson for his journalistic skills and not his looks? C) My chances of dating Anderson Cooper are approximately the same (e.g., nil) regardless of his sexual orientation, so I’m not sure it’s relevant.

In any case, Anderson wasn’t in the building, but some other folks were. I got there 60 seconds before the VIP tour that only runs once a week I didn’t know existed was starting, and although I chose the basic tour, I had a change of heart at the last second and plunked down an extra $20 for the privilege of getting to meet and sit in on Rick Sanchez’s show and get that lovely picture above taken. Along the way, I also met and talked to Brooke Baldwin, who, unlike me, knows Anderson. Also unlike me, Brooke was made for TV – she’s gorgeous.

It was really interesting getting to listen in on the control room of the show, and our group of five got to peek into the newsroom (props to the writers who do all that research behind the scenes), read the teleprompter, and learn some fun tidbits about CNN. We also got to ride the world’s longest free-standing escalator, so there’s that.

Anderson may have eluded me this time, but Rick Sanchez told me he liked my dress, so all was not lost.

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