Hometown Highlight: Atlanta, Georgia

• SA Engages

June 26, 2019

Last weekend, I took a trip to The Peach State to take a weekend away from work and relax in my hometown. What I meant to be a relaxing trip turned into a busy, fun-filled weekend that helped me learn a lot about my state’s capital and some of the coolest places Atlanta has to offer. Visiting some of Atlanta’s top tourist spots, such as The Georgia Aquarium, The Hall of Fame Chick-Fil-A, and The World of Coke, was a super fun experience that I would recommend to anyone who takes a trip to Atlanta.

The first stop on the list was The Georgia Aquarium. It had been several years since I had been to the aquarium, but it was just as amazing as I remembered. The Georgia Aquarium is the biggest aquarium in the world, and it is one of only a couple aquariums that house whale sharks. The aquarium was filled with crowds excited to see dolphins, beluga whales, eels, whale sharks, sea turtles, and many more aquatic animals. The most amazing attraction is the glass tunnel. The tunnel is under a tank filled with thousands of sea creatures, which you can walk through. It truly feels like you are walking on the ocean floor with sea creatures surrounding you. My favorite part of the aquarium was when I went to the hands-on exhibit, where I was allowed to pet starfish and sea anemones. Overall, The Georgia Aquarium is an amazing place, but it was only the first stop on my list of places to visit.

The next stop was The Hall of Fame Chick-Fil-A. Since Georgia is home to the first Chick-Fil-A in existence, it was only appropriate that we ate there for lunch (not to mention the Spicy Chicken Sandwich was calling my name as I walked through the aquarium). The Hall of Fame Chick-Fil-A is just a few blocks from the aquarium, and is attached to the College Football Hall of Fame. We were able to see the football field through a 15-foot window while we ate, which was pretty awesome. After lunch, it was time to visit the last spot on the list.

The World of Coke is by far my favorite tourist attraction in Atlanta. The tour starts at the Coca-Cola bar, where we were offered a free Coke to take on our journey through the museum. Next, we were taken into a theater where they showed a short film about the impact a Coke can have on a community. The film depicted several different stories where Coke beautifully brought people together. The World of Coke has so many cool things to do inside, such as a Coke bottle designing station, a 4D theater, a walk-through museum, and best of all—a taste room. Inside the Taste Room, I was able to taste every Coke product in the world. The tour ends at the gift shop where I was able to purchase an old-fashioned Coke ad printed on a metal poster.

I will always recommend visiting The Georgia Aquarium, The Hall of Fame Chick-Fil-A, and The World of Coke. Each of these attractions are unique to Atlanta, and they are must-see spots if you ever take a trip down south. It doesn’t matter how old you get, each of these spots will make you feel young again—The Georgia Aquarium and The World of Coke provide a sense of curiosity and wonderment that is a very refreshing experience for a college student.

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