City Break - Atlanta, A pleasant surprise

Back in 2007 I visited Atlanta and must admit was impressed with the City it was a really nice place. Remember my first day visiting Olympic Park and what a lovely area it was, not big but very well kept. Was interesting because there was thousands of bricks with the names of medal winners at the 1996 Olympics on them, not many Brits though it was a bad one.

Also spent the day walking around the downtown area it is a very clean & nice City. It was the same holiday I'd visited Philadelphia which was scruffy in comparison, in fact the two cities were so different. Even the Subway system is imaculate the cleanest I've ever been on, totally safe, security people everywhere, the trains are even carpeted.

First night I found a Spanish restaurant/bar close to my hotel which was in the midtown area, remember I had a mixed grill it was unbelievable, the lady behind the bar called Diane was extreamly friendly kept calling me honey, babe & darling. She even started massaging my sholders at one stage, I was trying to eat at the time, very difficult to concentrate. To be fair I think it was just her friendly nature she was really nice and would try make everyone feel welcome, all the people are a bit like that, really nice. She spent ages chatting with me as the bar was quiet (I said chatting) and I certainly had my fair share of beer but at only $3 per pint so I was virtually making a profit. To be honest I was planning to have an early night cos I was tired but didn't leave the bar until 11.30pm, I enjoyed the place and the people, even the manager came over for a chat and shook my hand when I left (probably due to me increasing his profit).
I'd actually started drinking quite early cos from 5pm to 6pm every night my hotel had a free bar and it would have been rude to refuse.

Although I was staying in Midtown it was easy on the Subway (got a weeks pass) to get to the other main areas such as downtown or Buckhead (where there is a excellent shopping centre called the Lennox Mall). You can also get to the airport on the trains.

The hotel was great you even get a free cooked breakfast, hell bacon sarnies in a morning set you up for the day.

I remember visiting the Aquarium one day, I'm not into Fishy things but apparently the Georgia Aquarium is supposed to be among the best so I thought why not.

Another place to visit is the Coca Cola museum, even get a free drink.

I also went up to the observation deck (72nd floor) of one if not the tallest building and took some photo's of the City and surrounding areas. Apparently Atlanta has the tallest buildings in the US outside Chicago & New York, I was surprised didn't know that until I read up about the place.

One night I went to a bar advertised in my hotel called "Front Page News" its apparently supposed to have a New Orleans type atmosphere. To be fair it was quiet (it was midweek) with just a few people dinning. I got sat at the bar with some locals and we got talking for ages had a few beers found everyone friendly which is nice when travelling solo. Remember having a slight accident, I was leaving the restroom when I walked staraight into a glass partition which looked just like a opening, the locals were quite amused and apparently a few people had done the same, it was a regular occurance, no damage though so at least I gave people a laugh.

On my way back to my hotel I heard signing from another bar, thought it must be karaoke because somebody was slaughtering "Killing me softly". I thought it may be fun so I popped my head around the door and it was a proper singer, he was terrible so didn't stay.

Have I mentioned the place was on a mountain, believe me is tough on the legs, everywhere you seem to be spent a few hours there walking around, it is a very nice area.
When you get off the subway down town you have to go up the longest esculater I've ever been on to get out.

Another place to vsit is, Underground Atlanta which has loads of shops restaurants and nightclubs, apparently its one of the places to visit downtown, so the locals told me.


Visited Piedmont Park and spent a pleasant few hours walking around the area.





Another story was one night I was quite tired and I decided to leave the bar i was in after my meal probably around 9pm to have a early night. When I got back to my hotel I thought I'd have a nightcap as the hotel bar was only open untill 10pm.
I stook my head in the bar and there was one bloke and the girl serving, the bloke looked like he had downed a few, in fact it turned out he'd booked in 3 hours earlier gone straight to the bar and his luggage was still in his car.
The girl serving was called "Precious" and we got chatting about allsorts, I knew that was her name because she had it tatooed on her neck. After a while I commented on the Tatoo as you do and she cracked a few jokes about it. She then asked if I'd like to she her other tatoo, not been rude I said "yes" to which she suddenly undid her top to reveal the tatoo on her back, sexy bra also I may add.
Did I mention this was even funnier because she is about six months+ pregnant so had a bit of a bulge.
Believe it or not next she started to massage my upper body and asked if I thought it felt good, hell this was the 2nd women to do this in Atlanta, I should consider moving to the city, lol. It turned out her other job was a massage therapist, hell I was getting a freebie and not complaining.
She started mixing cocktails and asking me and the other bloke to try them. She was giving them to us free hell the bar was supposed to be shut ages ago. Her excuse was that she was leaving and t was her last night and she wanted to mix drinks she had never done before, so we ended up working our way through the cocktail menu.
Eventually we left just before midnight but she wouldn't let me go until I gave her a hug and kiss, so anything to oblige. I will add it was all in good fun, I think !.

Thats what I remember about Atlanta, well worth 4  nights or so, I had a week which is probably too long in all honesty but got some chill time.