It’s not just about plants and other pretty green things.
One of the beautiful Chihuly sculptures adorns one of the fountains.
There is so much more to the Atlanta Botanical Garden. I’ve been there for weddings, concerts and creative scarecrow displays. I’ve marveled at dozens of glass sculptures from the enigmatic Dale Chihuly, infamous for his intricate glass sculptures and his mysteriously acquired eye patch, during an exhibition of his work. I’ve wandered through the two-acre Children’s Garden, full of interactive activities. My favorite is the Tree House, although I suffer from the “I want one!” syndrome when I visit. Read the full post »
by admin on April 27, 2010
11 Stories, the rooftop of the Glenn Hotel, one of my favorite places in Atlanta
Not every “staycation” has to involve making a tent out of bedsheets in your family room, eating frozen pizza and pretending that everyone is having fun when you’d rather just lie on the couch, drink wine and watch the latest episode of “Desperate Housewives.”
We had our own version of a sophisticated staycation a few weeks ago, and may make it a regular event for us.
I’ve spent several lovely evenings at 11 Stories, the small, charming rooftop terrace of the Glenn Hotel with the best outdoor view of Atlanta I’ve ever seen. But I’d never stayed in this boutique hotel until a few weekends ago when we had a grown-up staycation here.
After driving the few short miles from our house, we checked in and were offered a welcome drink of strawberry sake. I’m not sure if it’s a trend or not to offer an amenity at check-in, but it’s one I heartily encourage and goes a long way towards a wonderful first impression of a hotel. Read the full post »
by admin on April 19, 2010
We suffered through a seemingly endless winter this year, but here is our reward. We can welcome in a gorgeous Atlanta spring with the Dogwood Festival.
The weather looks gorgeous for this weekend, which is great news for the 74th annual Dogwood Festival, which has seen its share of weather woes. High winds, rains and general nastiness have plagued the event, but this year the skies should be sunny and mild for one of my favorite events of the year.
Back in Piedmont Park for the second year after being ousted along with other large festivals for drought-related reasons, the Dogwood Festival is jammed with events. From the Disk Dog Exhibition, to a variety of musical entertainment to the Artists Market and Kids Village, the Dogwood Festival has plenty going on.
You may want to check out a few of the ticketed events, or just grab your buddies and wander through the spring-fever-infused crowds debating the merits of the various food vendors. I tend to go on the smell/look/long line criteria myself but that does seem to give the funnel cakes an unfair advantage. But if you stay around long enough, why limit yourself to one food booth? No need to worry about waste – the festival is working with the Georgia chapter of the US Green Building Council and now requires all vendors to use compostable dishes and flatware.
Here are a few of the newer events on tap for the weekend: Read the full post »
by admin on April 13, 2010
Loews Atlanta Hotel Exterior, photo by Zach Rolen, www.rolenimage.com
We strolled into lunch on the cushy newly laid acres of carpet to the uplifting sounds of a gospel group joyously belting out “Oh Happy Day.” Indeed, it was a happy day at the opening of the brand-new Loews Hotel in Midtown.
Hey, any opening these days is something to cheer about, but this gorgeous new hotel is particularly exciting. It’s the first new-build hotel for Loews in five year, which operates 19 properties in the U.S. and Canada.
As I stood there on blocked-off 11th Street in the warm March sun with hundreds of other folks waiting for the pre-lunch ceremony to begin, I thought about how much this area had changed. Back in the day, people came to Midtown for a different kind of fun, generally illegal. Wanted to find hippies or drugs in the sixties in Atlanta? Right on 14th Street. These days if you’re cruising around Midtown, you’re most likely looking for a parking spot for a hot new bar or restaurant.
After a rousing song by a marching band, the crowd heard remarks from Steve Selig, Mayor Kasim Reed and Caesar Mitchell. Then gazillionaire Jonathan Tisch, Chairman and CEO of Loews Corp, was on hand for a few words. The sweetest ones to my ears were that “travel and tourism are at the forefront to create jobs.” Can I hear an amen to that? Read the full post »
by admin on April 5, 2010
