lunabug

I will be arriving in Atlanta on a Saturday evening late and have to leave about 2.30pm Sunday for a course at Barnsley Gardens.
I like to explore new cities and know very little about Atlanta. What should I plan to see in the limited time I have? I would probably stay in a downtown hotel to be close to the city in the morning when I wake up.
After the course I will have a late afternoon / evening to spend in Atlanta also. Any suggestions for restaurants?

egret

Try to see the World of Coke, if you get the chance. Leave earlier on Sunday, and visit the Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield. This is on your way to Barnsley Gardens, just past Marietta. Make sure to see the movie.

the_dude07

World of Coke is closing in April due to them relocating to a soon to be built structure.

For Saturday evening, you might want to check to see what is going on at the Fox Theatre.

Or if thats not your thing there maybe see a live band? You can pick up a weekly newspaper called Creative Loafing to see who is playing around town. Some good places to see live music at least in my opinion are the Variety Playhouse, the Earl, Smiths Olde Bar, Drunken Unicorn. I can recommend some bars if you want...just let me know what types of places you like.

As far as sightseeing you could go to the High Museum of Art. There is an exhibit there from the Louvre. You can hop on Marta (our train system) and stop at the Arts Center station which is north of downtown in midtown Atlanta. There is also the new acquarium near downtown...its worth one visit. If its baseball season you could watch a Braves game.

As far as restaurants go...what type of food are you looking for and price range?

southerngirl

Skip world of coke. I liked it, but not what I would do if I only had a short time here. Tell us how old you are, what you like to do and we can make some suggestions. I'm in my early 30's and have lived here for 11 years. Its a great town! I second the_dude07, there are lots of great music venues, check out the High and tons of good eats too.

lunabug

I am male, 50s, probably not interested in live music, bar scene, travelling alone.
Restaurants that will interest me might be moderately, maybe higher, priced local food. Is that cajun or creole or is that more Louisiana food. I will try almost anything.

The High museum of art might interest me. Any suggestion of hotels convenient to this?

Is the Olympic games 'plaza' worth visiting?

I'm not familiar with the Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield. Is the movie something I would watch at home?

starrsville

Well, what do you like? I am assuming you will have a car.

To get a very quick taste of Atlanta, I'd zip up 85 from the airport, exit at 14th street and stay in one of the Midtown hotels - the Sheraton Colony Square, Wyndham, Four Seasons, Marriott Suites, etc. I'd go for a stroll in Piedmont Park and then eat at one of the surrounding restaurants. Around the corner is the High Museum of Art, and in addition to the regular exhibits there is a Louvre exhibit right now. (You are also invited to join me at church in an incredibly beautiful sanctuary a couple of blocks away if that is of any interest )

Perhaps, after your course, you can drive to the Centennial Park plaza and walk around. The new aquarium is right there - and really a good one. World of Coke gets mixed reviews in downtown - my favorite part was tasting the sodas created for different markets around the world.

Kennesaw Battlefield in interesting if you are interested in that sort of thing. Depending on your time frame, you could also drive out to Stone Mountain Park with lots of things to do on your last afternoon.

I wouldn't stay in a downtown hotel per se if you want to get a taste of Atlanta. No one lives in Downtown. The intown living is in Midtown. LOTS of bars, restaurants, condos, etc.

starrsville

Also, the Atlanta Botanical Garden is adjacent to Piedmont Park. There's an intersting glass works exhibit in with the orchids in the conservatory right now. Google to find more info, or I'll post links later.

lunabug

Thank you for the posts.
Yes I will hae a car, and the Midtown area does seem good for me.

Is CNN worth visting?

lunabug

The word should be HAVE

brewlew

Lunabug -
I live in Atlanta and am in my 50s and I have three scenerios to suggest to you:
1. If you want to stay in Midtown, you might like Hotel Twelve in the new Atlantic Station development. The hotel has a very good restaurant called the Lobby at Twelve that's a bit glamorous, but not too expensive. You could also walk around the neighborhood there at night - it is well-lit and busy with shops, bars, loft homes, movie theatres, etc. This is "new" Atlanta at its best. You would be near the High Museum and the Atlanta Botanical Garden. The Botanical Garden opens at 9:00 on Sunday but the High doesn't open until noon on Sunday.
2. You could stay in Buckhead and spend Sunday afternoon at the Atlanta History Center. This is a really nice compound that includes an excellent museum, gardens and historic homes. The museum has a new sub-museum on the 1996 Olympic games and has an excellent display of some of Martin Luther King's papers. There are exhibits on the Civil War, Bobby Jones, quilts, etc. But you need to know that the History Center also does not open until noon on Sundays. You could drive around beforehand to see some of the incredible houses, trees and gardens in Buckhead that represent old Atlanta. There is a nice Embassy Suites at 3285 Peachtree Rd. that is nearby and many good restaurants. Nava is one of them.
3. You could stay downtown and see tourist Atlanta - CNN, the Aquarium, Centennial Olympic Park. I'm not sure of a hotel to recommend or of a specific restaurant. This is an area that residents rarely go to, but tourists flock to.
If I had to pick for you, I'd pick #1 or #2. You'll really like Barnsley Gardens.

lunabug

Thanks Brew,
Being from Western Canada The Botanical Garden appeals to me. I expect that you grow much more varieties of flowers there than here.

lunabug

The trip is getting closer.
I will be going straight from the airport to Barnesly Gardens when I arrive on Saturday night. I will have all day Sunday to explore the area. Any Suggestions?
When my course is over I have booked Grand Hyatt Buckhead for $100 with Priceline. (first time I have used Priceline) I am thinking about Roy's for Dinner. Any comments?

palmettoprincess

Good price for Buckhead.

nycgirl1

very good price for Buckhead.

Roy's is good, but it's a chain - I'd try some only-found-in-Atlanta restaurants if given the choice.

Hal's is close to you, which is not so well known but fantastic.
http://www.hals.net/

Bones is my family's favorite steakhouse. It's a great ambiance and the food is amazing.

brewlew

Ditto on Bone's. A classic Atlanta restaurant. Also on Piedmont Road is Kyma - great decor and very upscale Mediterranean food. One of my favorite restaurants. Roy's is not really a place where the natives go. You could go to the Atlanta History Center/Swan House in the afternoon. Very near by. Another Buckhead restaurant suggestion is Posh, which is within very easy walking distance of the History Center. Hope you have a great trip!

starrsville

You just missed a great exhibit at the Botanical Gardens - but the gardens themselves should be gorgeous.

I like the Buckhead Diner - not far at all from your hotel. My favs there are the bleu cheese and handcut potato chips appetizers and lemon drops

Here's a link to the Buckhead Life Group restaurants - some of the best restaurants in Atlanta -
http://www.buckheadrestaurants.com/homepage.html

Of course, top honors in the city often goes to the Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton Buckhead up the street.

Have fun in your short time in Atlanta!

rockie

Hi Lunabug,
We just returned from a weekend in Atlanta and definitely recommend Piedmont Park and the botanical gardens. We have been to a lot of gardens around the country and Atlanta's is one of the best. The orchid center is amazing! It really is beautiful and the park is great for a stroll and people watching. Have a great trip!

lunabug

Thanks for the tips. I will post a trip report when I return