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Atlanta Holidays, Hotels & Travel Guide
Travel guide to hotels & holidays in Atlanta
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Atlanta Holidays Overview
A guide to holidays in Atlanta - Back in 1837 Atlanta was little more than a
hamlet existing to serve as a railway terminus; then came the Civil
War that saw the town burned to the ground. Undaunted, 135 years
later Atlanta swarms with more than three million people, and has
been chosen by numerous leading international companies as the home
of their corporate or regional headquarters. The lively, thriving
city styles itself as the capital of the 'New South', and its
dramatic skyline is littered with gleaming skyscrapers.
Atlanta attracts visitors both for holidays and business,
with its plethora of entertainment, shopping and cultural
attractions as well as innumerable top class convention and
accommodation venues. Looking at the swarming city, home to more
than three million people, today it is hard to believe that it was
virtually destroyed when it burned to the ground during the
American Civil War. It is now headquarters for many leading
international companies, its skyline lit with gleaming skyscrapers.
The downtown Peachtree Centre pedestrianised precinct covers 14
blocks of retail space, including three massive hotels, dozens of
restaurants and imposing office towers. Atlanta
has not lost its pioneering southern spirit or charm despite its
modern guise. The energy that was embodied in its famous sons,
Martin Luther King, Jr and Ted Turner (founder of CNN) still
crackles in the air and the genteel olde-world atmosphere still
lingers in the residential neighbourhoods. Above all, Atlanta
radiates a warm welcome in the true tradition of Southern
hospitality.
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Atlanta
holidays - Top Places To Go
1. Atlanta History Center
130 West Paces Ferry Road
www.atlhist.org |
What is it? Set in nine hectares (23 acres) of beautiful
gardens, the Atlanta History Center is the ideal place to soak up
some Georgian history. The main attractions are two historic homes,
open to the public offering informative guided tours. The Tullie
Smith House originally stood outside the city limits but has been
relocated to the History Center, along with its outbuildings. The
house was built in the 1840s and survived the near-total
destruction of Atlanta in 1864 when General William Sherman burned
almost every business and more than two thirds of the city's homes
during his infamous 'March to the Sea'. It was once the home of
yeoman farmer Robert Smith and his family, who owned 11 slaves and
farmed on about 324 hectares (800 acres). The farmhouse is typical
of most in Georgia at the time, despite popular belief that not all
Georgians owned large plantations and mansions. The Swan House,
built in 1928, is a grand Italianate mansion that is an Atlanta
landmark, once the home of Edward and Emily Inman, heirs to a
cotton brokerage fortune. The History Center also features several
other historic buildings and exhibitions.
Hours of Operation: Monday to Saturday 10am to 5.30pm; Sundays 12pm to
5.30pm
Phone:(404) 814 4000 |
2. Martin Luther King Jr National Historic Site
450 Auburn Avenue
www.nps.gov/malu |
What is it? In January 1929 a baby boy was born in an
upstairs bedroom of a house in Atlanta. Today the Victorian house
is the centre of a protected site dedicated to the memory of that
baby, Martin Luther King, who grew up to become America's Nobel
prize-winning Civil Rights leader. A half-mile stretch of Auburn
Avenue, including King's birth home, the Ebenezer Baptist Church
where he preached, and the memorial tomb at the King Center where
he is buried, has been designated a historic site, drawing hundreds
of visitors every day. The exhibits contained within provide
insight into the life and times of this much-revered
man.
Hours of Operation: Daily 9am to 5pm (6pm during summer)
Phone:(404) 331 5190 or 331 6922 for recorded
information |
3. World Of Coca-Cola
55 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
www.woccatlanta.com |
What is it? In 1886 Jacob's Pharmacy, a small drugstore
in Atlanta, began selling a new headache and hangover tonic called
'Coca-Cola'. In 1891, entrepreneur Asa Candler paid $2,300 to
acquire the rights of what is now the world's most valuable brand.
The following year he founded the Coca-Cola Company. The
five-storey multi-million Dollar pavilion is more than just a
museum dedicated to Coca-Cola; it is an entire soft-drink
experience. Thousands of Coke objects, trivia and memorabilia are
contained among the interactive exhibits in this building, backed
up by commercials, radio jingles, 3-D screen shows in stereo and
plenty of neon lighting. Visitors can enjoy a two-hour tour on the
114-year history of Coke, culminating in a satisfying tasting
session.
Hours of Operation: Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm (until 6pm from June to
August), Sundays 11am to 5pm
Phone:(404) 676 5151 |
Atlanta
holidays - Top Events
1. Inman Park Spring Festival
From 2007-04-27
To 2007-04-29
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What is it? Spring is certainly sprung with great gusto
in historic Inman Park each year. The neighbourhood, located just
to the east of downtown Atlanta, was one of America's first garden
suburbs and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Every year the locals enthusiastically put on a festival during the
last weekend in April, delighting spectators with a colourful
parade of floats, marching bands, entertainers and all manner of
quirky participants. The festival also includes a huge street
market and the 'Tour of Homes', when locals open up their homes
ranging from Victorian bungalows to modern lofts, to the public.
There is also live entertainment in many guises, from ballet to
rock, and a host of activities like pony rides and rock climbing.
The festival hotline is +1 770 2424895.
Where is it? Inman Park, Euclid Avenue |
2. The Southeastern Flower Show
From 2007-02-07
To 2007-02-11
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What is it? The south is renowned for its gardens, and
the Southeastern Flower Show held in aid of the Atlanta Botanical
Garden for the past 16 years has become a five day floral
extravaganza, eagerly awaited by gardeners, both professional and
amateur. The show provides many activities and experiences, from
talks by experts to acres of magnificent landscaped gardens, unique
plant exhibits and a bookstore and flower
shop.
Where is it? Georgia World Congress Center, International
Boulevard |
3. Music Midtown Festival
From
To
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What is it? In the past decade Atlanta's Music Midtown
Festival has kept its pledge of providing an annual affordable and
varied musical experience for the masses; close to 300,000 people
now pack into the huge festival grounds in central Atlanta over the
three-day festival period to hear noted performers like Joe Cocker
and Bob Dylan do their thing on one of the ten performance stages.
Along with plenty of food and drink, the event is the city's
biggest party.
Where is it? Ralph McGill and Pine streets (from Piedmont Avenue to
Bedford Place) |
4. Atlanta Jazz Festival
From 2007-05-01
To 2007-05-31
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What is it? The annual Jazz Festival is a 31-day series
of events featuring internationally celebrated jazz artists, which
has included the likes of Miles Davis, Nina Simone, Hugh Masekela
and Dr John. It claims to be the nation's largest free jazz
festival, with jazz playing throughout the city at restaurants,
clubs, museums, parks, churches and department stores, with a
special focus on the 3-day festival of performances in Piedmont
Park at the end of the month over the Memorial Day
weekend.
Where is it? Piedmont Park and venues around the city |
5. The US Masters
From 2007-04-02
To 2007-04-08
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What is it? The US Masters Tournament (referred to simply
as The Masters) is one of golf's four major championships. Unlike
the other three 'majors,' the Open, The US Open and the PGA
Championship, this tournament is held at the same venue each year,
the Augusta National Golf Club. The Masters was begun in 1934 by
Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts, two amateur golfers who wanted to
provide a service to the sport by creating the Augusta National
Invitation Tournament. It was only in 1939 that the tournament
became referred to as The Masters Tournament. Augusta National Golf
Cub is equidistant from Atlanta and
Savannah.
Where is it? Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta |
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