From Street Art to Soul Food: A Long Weekend in Atlanta
Exploring cities is a favorite way to spend a long weekend, and Atlanta has been on my list for quite some time. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve driven through and remarked that one of these days, I’d need to stop and spend some time.
So, when I had some Hyatt points and a personal day to burn, I started looking for cheap plane tickets and Atlanta was the cheapest option (hello, $79 round-trip fare on Frontier), it was an easy choice to make it happen.
We took a quick and easy Friday morning flight out of O’Hare to Atlanta, and then took the MARTA to our hotel, the Grand Hyatt – Buckhead. You can read more about our experience at the Grand Hyatt in my full review here. We enjoyed some snacks and drinks at the hotel bar, The Fabled, before heading out to explore Buckhead.
We took a Lyft (5x points on your Sapphire Preferred or Reserve!) to The Chastain, a Michelin star restaurant and cafe near Chastain Park. Unfortunately, we arrived a bit later than I was hoping and they were already closed for the afternoon. Lesson learned – Google the hours ahead of time or suffer without coffee. Un-caffinated, we walked through Chastain Park, marveling at the Equestrian facilities and sports complex. We eventually found a quiet spot by a stream to sit and enjoy the war afternoon sunshine.
From Chastain Park, we wandered through neighborhoods to the Blue Heron Nature Preserve. After hiking around for a while, we got a Lyft to the Atlanta History Center to explore the grounds and see the Swan Mansion, which was featured in the Hunger Games movies as President Snow’s house.
Aftewards, we walked back to our hotel in hopes that our room was ready. We checked in, enjoyed some snacks in the club, and took a short nap to get ready for an evening out.
Friday evening was spent at The Red Phone Booth, a speakeasy and cigar bar near our hotel. Our hotel concierge provided us with VIP passes, which got us priority access and two free drinks. The Red Phone Booth has as extensive and unique drink list and we each enjoyed trying several, but the Brandy Cobbler was our favorite. With the cozy seating, mood lighting, and excellent service, this is a spot I’d happily return to!
Saturday morning we woke up early to check out the Freedom Farmer’s Market, which is held every Saturday morning on the grounds of the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library. Outdoor markets are my favorite, and I enjoyed sampling a variety of local treats. I purchased some yummy Brownie Bite pretzels from Grown Wild Foods and enjoyed snacking on them throughout the weekend.
After being fed and watered at the market, we spent a couple of hours exploring the library and museum. Jimmy Carter is a president I didn’t know too much about, and I really enjoyed learning about his life and presidency. For history and political science fans, I’d really recommend a stop here. Bonus – the grounds are beautiful as well!
For lunch, we walked to the local hotspot Victory Sandwich Bar. On this gorgeous early spring afternoon, the line was long but moved quickly. We ordered the Pimento Jar, Park Banh Mi, a Paloma, and the famous Whiskey Coke Slushie. The food, drinks, and atmosphere were all spot-on; make sure to add the Victory Sandwich Bar to your Atlanta list!
Next, we headed to the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Park site, where I thought I’d booked a walking tour. Turns out, I didn’t actually book it (I’m blaming perimenopause brain) so we ended up exploring on our own. We were able to attend a ranger talk at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where MLK was a preacher and learned some fascinating history about the church. The Kings’ final resting place and MLK’s childhood home are all within several blocks of the church, so we were able to spend some time at these spots as well. A new stamp in my National Parks Passport completed our visit (if you know, you know – I’m slightly neurotic about my National Parks Passport).
In need of more refreshments, we took the short walk to the Krog Street Market. We sampled some beer and ice cream and took in the vibes before heading back to our hotel to nap off some of our fun.
After a nap and enjoying evening appetizers in the club, we utilized our hotel’s driver to head to Johnny’s Hideaway. Johnny’s is an upscale nightclub in Buckhead that markets itself to a mixed crowd, and it did not disappoint. After several strong doses of liquid courage, I danced like I haven’t danced in decades to some pretty spectacular 80s and 90s dance hits.
After several hours of fun, this old lady was exhausted and ready for late-nite snacks. The Waffle House next door seemed to fit the bill perfectly, until we got there and learned that they only do to-go orders after 11PM. What the heck, Waffle House? So, like any proper drunks, we scurried down the street to the Landmark Diner, whose neon lights beckoned us in from the chilly night.
Turns out, the Landmark Diner is an interesting spot. The menu is broad and sometimes eclectic, and the place gives off definite 60s vibes. We ordered a breakfast burrito with curly fries and a frozen Blue Sky alcoholic drink (because who doesn’t need more booze with their midnight breakfast?). The food was fine, the service was quick if not overly friendly, and it served the purpose of filling our bellies before getting a Lyft back to the hotel for the evening.
Sunday morning we decided to explore downtown Atlanta. We walked past several notable Atlanta attractions, including the Georgia Aquarium, the Atlanta Children’s Museum, and the College Football Hall of Fame, deciding that we’d visit them all another time. We enjoyed walking through Centennial Olympic Park and seeing all of the memorabilia from the 1996 Summer Olympics.
By this time, our tummies were rumbly, so we headed towards our brunch spot, Mary Mac’s Tea Room. Mary Mac’s is a bit of an Atlanta institution, and is featured prominently on every “Places to Eat in Atlanta” list. They serve traditional Southern food, wich I am always up for! Maybe my expectations were too high, but I was just not impressed with this spot. Service was painfully slow and I thought the food was bland. Reviews are generally good, so maybe we just hit them on an off day. Regardless, I enjoyed the old-school southern vibes and left with a full belly, ready to continue exploring the city.
Our next spot was the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. To get there, we walked through a lovely neighborhood with gorgeous southern-style homes followed by Piedmont Park. I really love urban parks, and espeically enjoyed the people watching today! Atlantans were out in force, enjoying the early spring weather and sunshine.
Atlanta Botanical Gardens was a delight! There are so many whimsical exhibits, and even though many of the flowers and plants were not in blood yet, it was still a beautiful experience. I especially loved the Chihuly glass and Orchid House and look forward to returning later in the season.
After getting our fill of flowers, we left the gardens and set out for the BeltLine, which is an urban bike/walking path that winds through the city’s many neighborhoods. We grabbed some electric bikes and scooters and joined the masses of people exploring the city on this beautiful evening. I love these silly electric scooters, and it was a blast weaving through traffic and seeing the sights. After a 20-minute ride, we stopped at Ponce City Market for some shopping and dinner. After scoping out our options, we decided on Indian food from Botiwalla and it did not disappoint! There were so many tempting choices that our bellies just didn’t have room for, but next time we’ll definitely hit up some other spots.
After dinner, we hopped back on our scooters and headed further up the BeltLine to check out the urban artwork that is the Krog Street Tunnel. This is definitely an experience and a cool spot!
Not quite ready for our adventure to be over, we scootered to a spot I’d found on Atlas Obscura, Sister Louisa’s Church of the Living Room and Ping Pong Emporium. What a spot! If you’re easily offended, this isn’t the place for you, but if you’re looking for a uniquely hilarious experience, check it out! With drinks like The Blood of Christ and Glory Holes a plenty, come with a sense of humor and you’ll have a great time. We played a few games of ping-pong, had a few drinks (including several where we just told the bartender to make us something good – and they were!) and set off to make supid choices with the rest of our evening.
Picture it – two middle-aged, slightly tipsy idiots looking for an adventure, in the middle of a slightly sketchy area of Atlanta after dark on a Sunday evening. Like any other sane people, we decided to share an electric scooter to ride to the nearest MARTA station over a mile away. Here we are, me driving, the hubs riding bitch, holding on to me for dear life. I kid you not, we’re weaving around urban obstacles like giant sidewalk crevices, utility poles, and folks sleeping in doorways, when a rogue pieces of fencing jumps out in front of me and we crash our scooter. We both went flying, thankfully drunk enought to bounce and roll, and walk away with nothing but a few minor scrapes. Not letting our stumble deter us, we hopped back on the scooter and (more carefully this time) continued to our MARTA station, laughing at our stupidity the whole time.
Monday morning dawned warm and clear, but unfortunately our time in Atlanta was drawing to a close. We enjoyed time lounging around our hotel before making our way back to ATL for our return flight to Chicago.
This weekend trip was the perfect combination of relaxation, new experiences, and exploration. Atlanta has definitely earned a place on my “return to” list.
Until then, I hope you’ll keep wandering with me.
