السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته أختي مرحبا
My First Day Trip: Back to Atlanta
Let me take you back about eleven years.
I was 21, visiting Atlanta for the first time, and I had no idea that trip would light something in me that still hasn't gone out. It was my first real travel experience, and I soaked up every bit of it. The food, figuring out the public transportation like a local, the whole city buzzing around me. And ohh, Waffle House. Breakfast there back then was budget friendly and delicious, a win win for sure.
But the part that stuck with me most was the Georgia Aquarium. All those reptiles, beautiful fish, and not to mention one of the most entertaining dolphin shows. Tricks, flips, and if you sat close enough, some splashes too. It was so great that I bragged to my mom over the phone about it, and I urged her to bring my then toddler brother and infant sister.
I guess Allah knew that my enthusiasm and eagerness would carry the flame that would eventually ignite the spark to book us tickets for my very first day trip, and to go back to the Georgia Aquarium with those two by my side.
Booking the Trip
I have a bunch of cool apps on my phone I use to get travel discounts, and this time in particular, shoutout to CheapOair. They emailed me a deal I couldn't pass up. $230 for all three tickets on Frontier, round trip, Philly to Atlanta. The plane was okay, not a Delta or anything, but for short flights like this I recommend it, because you can't beat the price.
Making the Plan
These days, to make the most out of my travel, I have to have a solid plan, so an itinerary is a must. I knew the main event was the Georgia Aquarium, so I hit up Groupon to book those and also to see what other fun things we could do. I ended up stumbling across a ferris wheel attraction called the SkyView, a huge ferris wheel right in the center of the city, which made for beautiful sights and skylines.
I also searched online looking for food suggestions. I stumbled across some posts mentioning a place called Municipal Market. Reminiscent of Reading Terminal here in Philly, it's a food market with shops and fresh produce all in one spot, local butchers and some of the best food in downtown Atlanta. I settled on a popular spot named Auntie Dee's. Itinerary built, check.
The Aquarium
The aquarium was just great, and my siblings were, to my surprise, really pleased with it. They took in the sights of all the different fish and reptiles, standing on the moving pad through what was the most beautiful sight of stingrays overhead, and that fish dome tank was cool. Seeing the humongous whale shark swimming in that massive tank was a big highlight too. They were also eager to read all the information plaques and learn about the animals.
We even got the chance to experience a newer attraction called the Canopy Climber. You climb up steps shaped like tree stumps to a landing that has the look and feel of a treehouse. We crossed over some wooden netted bridges and had the most amazing view from above, looking down at the animals and reptiles below us. It was cool. My inner child was thrilled to take part, and to my surprise, I wasn't the only adult up there. I'll attach some photos below.
Overall I'd say the Georgia Aquarium kept them entertained. I mean, judging by the fact that I hardly saw them pull out their phones for most of the excursion, that was a tell tale sign. As our attention spans are slowly withering away from us... I digress.
The SkyView
After exploring everything in the aquarium, we headed to the SkyView. To our surprise it was a short walking distance from the aquarium, which made that a plus. Our total was $33. Groupon makes it easy. You just show the ticket window your QR code, they scan it, and you go right through. There wasn't a line, maybe one other family in front of us. It took about three minutes, and between me trying to get signal and my phone to work properly, that was most of the hold up.
Once through, we waited our turn about two minutes until a cab pulled up. The doors open and close easily, like a train. We hopped in, and to my surprise it was roomy and cold, even better than the photos. The time spent on the ride was about seven minutes. Enough to enjoy the views, get a little thrill, and just enjoy the relaxation and the beautiful views below.
The Food
An eleven minute drive away, we arrived at the food market to try the delicious oxtail mac from Auntie Dee's. We rented a car for the day, but if I'm being honest, I'd suggest using public transportation instead. It's cheaper, and if you're only planning to stay for the day, a rental car is unnecessary.
The insta critics were right. The oxtails were seasoned to perfection, the mac and cheese was ohh so cheesy, and the rice and peas was cooked to perfection. This is the kind of plate that after, you need a nap. The portions were great. I actually took my leftovers on the plane and enjoyed them for lunch the next day. My sister got a chicken sandwich and fries, which she gave a thumbs up for.
Next up was Peri-Peri Chicken, a chain I've only ever heard Londoners speak of, and here it was in downtown Atlanta, front and center, not far from Municipal Market. My brother ordered a cheesesteak burger and a six piece of BBQ wings, and he said both were good. I think I'd like to give that place a full review.
Heading Home
We didn't have enough time to do much else, and if I'm being completely honest, we were rushing to catch our plane, sure that we had already missed it. But we reached our gate to find out our flight was delayed, and we would eventually depart a whole three hours later than our original departure time.
Nonetheless, it was a great first day trip. Great sights, good eats, with great people.
Here's a slideshow of the photos we managed to capture.
Our Atlanta Day Trip
View the slideshow