Atlanta

“Arm's length tax deductions are the greatest. Like the time that I was paying my mother-in-law for living in her home (that my wife owned!). IRS people are convinced that you are lying. But they can not prove it. All they can do is to try and bluff you out of it.

I live to backpack and fight the IRS.

Live every day to the fullest and save those tax deduction receipts.

BTW, I was married April 24, 2001 (to a non-resident alien, again) and divorced January 31, 2002. It almost cost me $2,400+ EIC for my youngest daughter. But I was able to file single, head of household again and receive the EIC, legally.

Four days and I'm out of this TT Loony Ward. CATALOOCHEE, I'm coming.”

“Hey, people who live in or have visited Atlanta...I need your help. My 8 year old son and I are doing a "mini" vacation in Atlanta during Spring Break. We will be in downtown Atlanta the majority of the time (CNN Center, Braves game, Aquarium, World of Coke) and also one day at Six Flags. And, maybe a day at Stone Mountain.

I have two questions. First, how in the heck does the Marta system work exactly? Is it better to use the Marta system than drive and park in downtown? Next, other than downtown, where are the best areas to stay in hotels? I want to make sure not to stay in a "bad" area.

Thanks for your input!”

“oooo...you going to see Tut??
http://www.kingtut.org/plan_your_visit?location=atlanta

I was going during my spring break but decided to go see it in Indy with my granddaughter!!!
last edited: 3/24/09 9:28:07 AM”

“Oh, that looks cool. I wish we had a full week there. There's so much I wanna do but not enough time!”

“but....but...it's TUT!!!!!”

“e-mail me. We lived downtown across the street from the Civic Center for 2 years, we are 30 minutes outside of town toward 6 flags.

DO NOT STAY IN THE SAVANNAH SUITES!!!!

Marta doesn't go anywhere really. But e-mail me and I'll give you my cell. Call me and I can fill you in”

“Marta? UM Opie you want to tell them the acronym or should I?

Nah ten have a blast! Bad area..Um Anywhere within 50 miles of the State Capitol.”

“I dunno about places to stay but outside of downtown ATL is pretty much suburban wasteland. Check out the shops and punkers up at Little Five Points. Check out the MLK Memorial. High Museum of Art. There is a Children's Museum that is really good. The Zoo is one of the best in the country.”

“got anything to do with moving people rapidly through atlanta?

heck, if MARTA works as well as the Interstates, stay off of it during rush hours!
last edited: 3/24/09 12:18:01 PM”

“LOL...awful darn close there ST....

Oh the Aquarium is KILLER neat. The Beluga Whales are neat.

That was the scene of the guy asking,"OKAY when it is breeding time all the small pods get together in a group. What do we call a huge group of whales?"

The kid next to me says,"A sorority?"”

“I heard the whales died”

“I think a couple of the whale SHARKS died...”

“Well, now I know visiting overpasses on I85 isn't a good idea. Thanks stovie.”

“;-)”

“Attractions-

Aquarium:
I'd rather goto the Smokys aquarium, or Chattanooga. The ATL one is crowded, small, and overpriced. You'll have a panic attack in there. The only neat exhibit is the whale sharks.

W.O.C.:
The new world of coke is neat, it's just like the old one, without all the....pple at underground.

TURNER Field:
Braves games are neat, and if you take Marta there it's easier than trying to park for 10-20 bucks, plus you have to catch the bus at 5 points when the train dumps you out. It's the only time I would walk through Underground, and the 5-10 minute walk is about all you'll need to get your fill. The marta ride to the ball game is almost more fun than the games..lol

Civic Center:
The tut exhibit is there now. It's a long 3 block walk from the marta station through 1 block of the most bums you'll ever see. Go in full daylite in number and don't break my rule below. It's safe, just know what your doing.

Atlantic station/Ikea: Trendy, not much there, and already kinda blah.

Piedmont Park:
Great place to take a dog, ride bikes, roller blade, throw ball/Frisbee. Great restaurant/bar on the meadow. Don't worry about all the musclebound scary thug black guys. They are all gay, and sweet as can be, I'm serious, it's the funniest thing you'll ever see. I love Piedmont park, just don't shop or eat at any of the restaurants except Willy's or the bicycle shop on Piedmont, or you'll have to have a difficult conversation with your son about why that man is kissing his friend on the mouth.

Little 5 Points:
Hippyville, and neat stores. If you need smoking accessories or a new water bong, you can't miss this place...lol. Get a burger at the Vortex, or a slice at any of the pizza places. The Junkman's Daughter is a neat weird store.

HIGH museum of art:
Very nice, right off a marta stop, but will take a good amount of time to make it worth your ticket. 4-5 hours

SIX FLAGS:
If you drive to Six Flags, park at the motel to the right of the exit. Give the Indian owners 5-10 bucks that they ask and walk to the park. Go early, and if it gets packed or you get tired or hungry, get stamped, go back to your hotel, and come back 2-3 hours before they close park same place, with same tag. You'll miss most of the crowd in the hottest part of the day. Ninja has the shortest lines, but will hurt some pple's neck.
Must rides are the new Goliath, Superman, Scorcher, batman and acrophobia (it's always closed though)

Stone Mountain:
Get there about 2-3 hours before dark. It's not an ALL day place really.
Take the skycar to the top and back down. Walk around the dome, and then get a good seat on the lawn for the lazer/fireworks show. It's kinda cheezy, but for an 8 year old he'll like it. You get to hear Lee Greenwood!!!!!
Keep an ear out for African Americans asking who the pple carved on the mountain are. lol!

HOTELS -
Do not stay at the Hilton downtown, it's run down, and not conducive to walking around safely. And Parking is expensive at all hotels, and they do not give any free ins/outs.
I would stay at a 4-5 star hotel downtown. The lowest name i would stay at is Hampton Inn downtown. Do not try to score a 2.5-3 star on hotwire, or you will get the Savannah suites. It's a crack-den, and on the same street as the Piedmont and pine homeless shelter.
Even if you don't stay at the Westin, go to the Bar/Restaurant at the top(SUNDIAL). They allow kids, they have viewfinders, and it rotates, real neat at night.

MARTA-
I like marta, but it doesn't go right to alot of places, and leaves you walking 5-6 blocks roundtrip to your attractions.
If you stay "DOWNTOWN" and not midtown, or buckhead, it's easier to use MARTA. Buy your cards from the machine for 10 or so trips on each card. DO NOT GIVE MONEY to a bum for a card, no matter what he says, or what his deal is. Do not lose your card, so you only have to buy the "plastic" once.
You can take marta right to the Phillips arena/CNN center(also can hit aquarium from this one or peechtree center), little 5 points (it's a bit of a walk through inman park, but it's pretty and historic)

***Do not go past the station for inman park/reynoldsville eastward EVER!!

***Do not go past the station for the CNN center Westward EVER!!!

You can ride Marta SOUTH to the airport for a goof, but do not get off south of five points, stay until you have to turn around at the airport.

You can take Marta north into Buckhead to check out Lennox Mall (black celebrity spotting) North is safe, but nothing to do or see past Lennox.

Don't even try the buses, unless it's for the Braves games.

!!ATLANTA RULES!!

***Do not talk to the bums!! It's my #1 rule to all visitors, no, not even to tell them no thanks, or I'm sorry....DO NOT ADDRESS THEM, it makes things alot easier, trust me.

I told you not to talk to the bums, yea, what you just did, don't TALK TO THEM...you saw how he followed us for 5 blocks and tried to sing to us, told us a really convincing down and out story, and all he needs was a lil money for food and was acting really sketchy....DON"T DO IT AGAIN!!!! He will use the money to buy booze or crack. NO EYE CONTACT, if you can't follow my talking rule!!!!

Stay off I-285, use I-20, or I-85/I-75.

Do drive 80+, 70 or lower will get you killed by other cars or bigtrucks.

Try to stay north of I-20 when in ATL, especially downtown.
Try to stay east of I-85/75 when in ATL, especially downtown. Do not go West of the Georgia dome on foot or car ever, unless your on I-20 leaving.


Lots to do, Inside the Perimeter is getting better, just stay aware, and have fun.”

“tell me what kinda food you like and I'll give you great places downtown.

One i recommend is the MIDTOWN TAVERN on Piedmont near the Civic Center. It's on the Left past the C.C. before the post office.
Great ostrich burger (better and cheaper than most beef/buffalo) Great shrimp and grits.


Also, goto the Cyclorama in Grant Park. It's a huge mural of the Civil War. You sit on a revolving grandstand and a guide talks about the siege of ATL. Also the Zoo is in the same complex, and it's pretty decent.

Just remember, you are South of I-20 at these places....IN AND OUT!

Kennesaw Mountain Battle field is north of town. And Kennesaw, GA has a train/civil war museum in addition to the small one at the Mtn. The 1 mile hike up to the top is nice, and the views and cannon are neat up there.
last edited: 3/24/09 9:28:45 PM”

“Do not stay at any hotels west of town on I-20 near six flags.

You can stay off Thorton Road or in Douglasville.

DO NOT STAY OFF FULTON INDUSTRIAL!

Do not stay south of I-20 on 75 or 85 either.

Midtown is ok, but harder to use MARTA. Buckhead is ok, but not alot of places to eat cheaply.”

“Thanks for the info Opie!!

I looked at Hotwire, but it scared me because they don't tell you the name or where the hotel is located. I'm still trying to decide if I want to stay downtown. I did find a hotel in Buckhead that had good reviews.

I'm making a list of the main things to do and I'm going to let my son circle 5 of them. I might go ahead and purchase the city pass. My son loves history, especially anything to do with the civil war. When I was looking at Stone Mountain on the internet, I was kind of disappointed to see how commercialized it is. We might skip that and go to Kennesaw instead.

We're not going to get to everything we want to do, but we only live 3 hours away so we can always come back. This is the first "big city" we've really vacationed in (other than Nashville and Chattanooga). Usually we go to the beach or to the mountains. I'm a little nervous since I didn't know much (now I know more!) about the layout of Atlanta. My mom lives in South Carolina, so we drive through Atlanta numerous times throughout the year. Driving through has never really bothered me (more irritates me than bothers me), so that's one plus.

As far as eating, we like pretty much everything. I think I noticed a Mellow Mushroom so we might go there. I haven't been there in a couple of years. Anything with kid friendly food would be good. I have the restaurant at the Westin on my list!”

“I would say eat at the bar, instead of the restaurant, go early and get a lil table at the bar. It's tooooons cheaper, and the food is a bit more normal.

There is a mellow mushroom across the street from the high school stadium side of Piedmont park.

Instead of Stone Mtn, do the Cyclorama early, Kennesaw train museum, hit the Kennesaw Mtn visitor center, and hike up the mountain.”

“Yeah, skip Stone Mtn. It sucks.”

“All the parenthasized destinations are easily accessable from the N-S rail line. Therefore, I would suggest you stay at Hyatt Place on Peachtree. HP is a short walk from the midtown MARTA station.

Euro stayed at Hyatt Place ( http://www.thebackpacker.com/trailtalk/thread/52997,-1.php ). It is a nice hotel with very reasonable rates, free breakfast, and a hospitable staff. It is also within walking distance from plenty of stuff.

E-W MARTA lines get close to both Six Flags and the Big Rock, and busses run frequently from thos terminalical stations. I would highly recommend Stone Mountain. It was Atlanta's hottest attraction looooong before any of the others you listed even existed.

I am in the midst of a life-long boycott of the aquarium due to the death of one of the whale sharks (actually, due to their response to my email pertaing to that awesome creature - but I digress...).”

“Yes, and they have a nice cage, where you can savely leave your car at night. Gojo stayed there and said it was very quiet and save.”

“Oh yeah - STAY OUT OF ROOM 323!

That's mine and euro's special place, ey euro?


j/k”

“I remember I left you in the cage before I retired to 323.”

“LOL...there are visuals here I just don't want.”

“Interesting factoidisms about the Big A:

*Lake Lanier is the most used Army COE lake in America

*Holiday Marina, on said lake, is the worlds largest floating marina.

*Atlanta has more boat owners than any other inland city in the world.

*The word Atlanta is the feminine of Atlantic.

*Only 10% of the metro's population live in the city limits.

*Metro Atlanta grew by a Birmingham in the 1990's.

*Metro Atlanta will have the population of Manhattan by 2025.

*Before Coors Field, Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium was higher above sea level than any other stadium in Major League Baseball - hence the nickname The Launching Pad.

*If you die anywhere in the southeast, you have to go through Atlanta to get to heaven.
last edited: 3/26/09 12:03:25 PM”

“We had a great time in Atlanta. I thought the laser show at Stone Mountain was great. I remembered why I dislike Six Flags (too many people and long lines unless you pay for that stupid flash pass). We really enjoyed the CNN Studio tour. We went to the Braves game last night and got pelted on with hail. The game finally resumed two hours later. After paying for the tickets, I was determined we would see the rest of the game! We didn't get to see Tut. And, I kinda wished we would have skipped the aquarium. There were too many people and no one could really stop and look at anything without getting pushed or shoved...I love vacations! We went to the Atlanta History Museum before coming back home. It was great!

All in all we had a great time. Everyone we encountered except for other tourists were very nice and helpful. Thanks for your help and information!
last edited: 4/11/09 7:47:59 PM”

“Glad you had fun!

Did you follow my #1 rule?”

“I did. The only time we had people come up to us asking for money was when we were walking in to the Braves stadium. I had warned my son ahead of time what to do. We didn't have any trouble. The area around the stadium seemed to be a pretty rough part of town.”

“Stone Mountain - whattid I tell ya?

Georgia Aquarium - whattid I tell ya?

:)
last edited: 4/14/09 11:58:46 AM”

“Yep, gojo, I'm happy I listened to you about Stone Mountain. I really wished I would have listened to you about the Aquarium. Oh well, live and learn :)”

“Aquarium:
I'd rather goto the Smokys aquarium, or Chattanooga. The ATL one is crowded, small, and overpriced. You'll have a panic attack in there. The only neat exhibit is the whale sharks.


so much money, and such a poor interior design and flow problem.”

“so much money, and such a poor interior design and flow problem.”
~OPIE

Sounds like my ex-wife.


We *almost* got the NASCAR museum, but Charlotte won-out at the last minute. Now that woulda been something to see, eh?”