happytrailstoyou

I searched the forums for suggestions about which attractions to visit in Atlanta and there are way too many for us to include in the 1 1/2 days we have there.

We will be staying downtown in a hotel near the Fox Theater.

The two attractions that appeal most to me are the Georgia Aquarium and the High Museum of Art, but there may be others that provide a unique experience of which I am unaware.

Any ideas?

cd

The Aquarium I believe opens at 10:00am and I would suggest you arrive close to that if you have to buy your ticket. We had to wait outside over an hour because they were using crowd control. Your ticket has your time printed on it, so, if you can buy your ticket online with a time, that would be the way to go.

We also went to COKE. No real big deal but we enjoyed tasting all the coke products from around the world and it's right next door to the Aquarium. The next day we visited CNN which is just a 45-50 tour and found it interesting.

starrs

I think those are two good choices. As cd said, the World of Coca-Cola is next to the Aquarium if that is of any interest.

You may be interested in one of the tours of the Fox theatre. They are offered by the Atlanta Preservation Center and they are short (1 hour), inexpensive and well done -
http://www.preserveatlanta.com/walki...#Fox%20Theatre
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday at 10:00 a.m.; Saturday at 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.

You didn't ask about restaurants, but they are many to choose from. One of my favs is Avra, a greek tavern near your hotel.

If you want to get out and about, spend some time in Atlanta's version of Central Park = our Piedmont Park
http://www.piedmontpark.org/

If you like Cuban, a friend took me to a great little place on 5th street called Las Palmeras. Let me know if you want more info.

There are two great Thai restaurants in the area - same owner. One = fine dining, the other is more moderate (at Colony Square near Piedmont Park).

Enjoy the trip to Atlanta

happytrailstoyou

Thanks, starrs, for the restaurant suggestions. Unfortunately, at the Avra web site
I found a message thanking Atlanta for five wonderful years and promoting their sister restaurant--Taverna Plaka.

Do you have other suggestions for restaurants near our hotel so we won't have to have a designated driver or take a taxi?

HTTY

starrs

Oh, no. It closed.
I'm VERY disappointed, but not surprised. Times are tough and another casualty of the times. It's a shame because the food was good and the service was great.

I have plenty of suggestions for restaurants in Midtown. Any particular cuisine?

OneWanderingJew

Oh, I'm sad about Avra's closing. I didn't know. I've not eaten at their sister restaurant...

A place I love for breakfast is over by GA Tech--Two Thumbs Up Diner. Nothing fancy but good, solid breakfast (and lunch).

I like Baroanda which is next to the Fox; but be warned: on theater nights, it's hard to get in.

Vortex for great burgers and interesting people watching

One Midtown Kitchen--like this place. It's sister restaurant Two Urban Licks is even better. I haven't been to Trois yet but have heard good things...(get the 1,2, 3 thing??)

happytrailstoyou

Thanks for the restaurant suggestions.

We like all kinds of food but we usually avoid Mexican and Indian if something else is available. Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Italian, and standard American fare are our usual haunts because Greek, Jewish, German, and French options that appeal to us are often not available.

We travel a great deal and when we eat dinner we like a comfortable atmosphere where we can have a bottle on wine and eat from a menu that makes it possible to satisfy hunger, if we choose, by ordering an item in the $12-$22 range.

We usually, but not always, enjoy more eating at places that attract the average guy rather than those that cater to the movers and shakers, trendy, or uber-hip.

starrs

As OWJ said, Baroanda is good, but can get frantic the hour or so before a show at the Fox -
http://www.baraondaatlanta.com/

Another Italian option that is a bit cheaper by offering "order at the counter" is Little Azio's -
http://www.littleazio.com/
It's also on Peachtree, closer to the Vortex and Starbucks. There are two other restaurants next to Little Azio's - an inexpensive Noodle House and a bakery/ cafe (had changed ownership recently)

Another order at the counter option is Fresh2Order with some really good food. http://www.fresh2order.com/f2o-midtown
There are a lot of these places popping up to cater to the new condo population in the area. F2O is at the corner in the Spire building.

Two doors down on a side street is another inexpensive pizza option - Z pizza. Their Napoli pizza is very good.

Gordon Biersch is a brew pub with a wide menu and very good food/ drink. They have killer salads and great comfort food too - http://www.gordonbiersch.com/

Vickery's is smaller but good with similar options -
http://www.vickerysbarandgrill.com/index_2.html

Ludacris owns Straits and it has a great vibe, very good small plates and fusion menu - http://www.straitsatl.com/
It's across the street from the now closed Avra so I'll probably going there more often.

Really good Chinese (at good prices) can be found at Mu Lan -
http://www.mulanatlanta.com/
It's a favorite of my minister's

A good option for brunch is Bab's - http://www.babsmidtown.com/

An Atlanta classic is Mary Mac's - highly recommend for Southern cooking and great veggies (they have a full bar too) -
http://www.marymacs.com/

A younger Atlanta classic is the Flying Biscut at Piedmont and 10th. Very popular with vegetarians -
http://www.flyingbiscuit.com/

Next door is a good sandwich place - http://www.jasonsdeli.com/restaurant...anta/30309/atm

Across the street is a great sushi place - http://nickiemotosmidtown.com/
Back closer to the Spire is a sushi place that friends like but I haven't tried yet is Silk - http://www.silkrestaurant.com/

Two great Thai options were mentioned earlier -

If you want fondue, the Melting Pot is good and they have a great dessert menu after shows at the Fox -http://www.meltingpot.com/

There are some pricier options in the area, but based on what you describe I think you would enjoy any of these.

BTW, if you are in need of a massage, etc. Natural Body has a location in Midtown. Love their spas.

cd

Wow Stars, you do know your Atlanta!

If you have never used Restaurant.com, you can check out what restaurants offer coupons and print them out before leaving home. I did that for Ted Montana's Grill in Atlanta, but Atlanta offers lots of restaurant coupons. Read about it at :http://www.restaurant.com/rdc_site2....ID=&zip=30309& Be sure to enter the code (which is CHOW right now, but it changes)for another 50% off. That percentage also changes, I've had it up to 80% additional off.

starrs

LOL, cd! That's "my" area of Atlanta. It's where you'll find me on weekends.

Thanks for the reminder. I have some restaurant.com coupons I'd forgotten about

tchoiniere

Definitely go to the Aquarium first thing in the morning. It was very quiet when I went and was able to go through at a slow pace, which was great. Great aquarium and well worth the time.

mmyk72

Any one know of coupons for the Aquarium? Plan to go in Feb. thks.