Oh, Atlanta. So much to say. A city of 5 million plus, Atlanta has so much character. Although it's a big city, it has a more small-town feel. It's very green and clean (at least in mid and downtown). The location of a significant battle during the Civil War, the city is virtually surrounded by other battlefields and locales of historical importance. Today, nearly 80% of the residents of Atlanta are not native-born to the city. In fact, many of the residents of New Orleans found their new homes here after Katrina. And although Atlanta once worked very hard to stop Sherman and his troops from moving through, the city has opened its arms to numerous implants from around the country and world.
Day One: The Day for Nobel Peace Prize Winners
The day began with a visit to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site. This site includes his birth home, his tomb, the Ebenezer Baptist Church, and the Center for Nonviolent Change. The Kings lived at 401 Auburn Avenue. This street was the birthplace for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and known as "Sweet Auburn" by its residents. Under Jim Crow, the neighborhood was called "Darkietown." The area was inhabited by many newly freed slaves who began working in the nearby mills. By the time the Kings moved into the house on Auburn in the 1920s, the area was a middle class district. According to the park rangers, there were two signs of middle class status. On the outside of the house, the status could be determined by a stained glass window on the front of the house. On the inside, if the residents had Kool-Aid in their cabinet, that showed they were not living in poverty. The Kings moved out of this house when Jr. was 12, but they only moved two blocks away. The entire King family ate together each night, and the three kids had to tell Daddy King what they read in the newspaper that day and a Bible verse they memorized before they could eat. Christine King (Martin's sister) is 83, and the house still technically belongs to her. She sits on the board of Spellman College today. The King family had no domestic help; the women (which included a grandmother) did all the domestic work.
Ebenezer Church, where Daddy King served as pastor until 1975, was on Auburn Avenue as well. It is in this same church that Jr. first gave a sermon before he and his family moved to Alabama. It was also in this church that on April 9, 1968, the first funeral for Jr. was held (the second was at Morehouse College-five miles away. It was the family's final march).
The tomb of MLK and Coretta sits atop an island in a fountain besides what is known as Freedom Walkway. Nearby, there is an eternal flame for the continuance of MLK's nonviolent struggle for change. There is also a Chapel of All Faiths located on the site.
The Center is a true homage to MLK and his vision. The museum contains artifacts from the years that MLK struggled for civil rights. It also contains his caisson and Peace Prize. There is video footage of his funeral, at which Coretta had Martin's last sermon played. This sermon, "I Have Been to the Mountaintop," was given on April 3 (the day before he was killed), and in it King discussed what he wanted at his funeral. The Center has a walkway that is embedded with the footprints of individuals who have aided in the cause. These individuals range from Rosa Parks to Thurgood Marshall to Presidents Carter, Clinton, and Johnson and even to Magic Johnson. The footprints were actually created by the people's real shoes, and visitors can stand in the footsteps of these inspirational giants.
After lunch at Vortex (featured in Man Vs. Food), we headed to the High Museum of Art and then to Jimmy Carter's museum. The location of the museum was chosen for its historical significance. It was once the headquarters for Sherman as he oversaw the Battle of Atlanta. The museum consists of three circular buildings, interconnected to represent the harmony and solidarity that Carter continues to seek after his presidency. Besides the museum, the other buildings consist of his library and the Carter Center, his lasting legacy. The Carter Center's mission is to fight disease, promote peace, and is the springboard for Roslynn's continuing mental health campaign. The Center has monitored 76 democratic elections in over 30 countries since its opening in 1982 and has 150 employees working in over 200 countries. The employees at the Carter Center have also settled numerous peace agreements between countries such as Eritrea and Ethiopia. It is due to these efforts and his continuing work with Habitat for Humanity that earned Carter the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 (the only non-sitting President to get the honor).
Jimmy Carter is an easy person with whom to identify. He loved school, and his family even encouraged reading at dinner. He lost his father to cancer and ended his military career to run his family's faltering business. He married his sister's best friend, who also grew up in his hometown. He did not intend to enter politics, but when the current state senator was running unopposed with a campaign slogan of "Not Even One," he knew he had to change the status quo. The slogan referred to the senator's promise that not even one white child would have to go to school with a black one. Carter had grown up (thanks to his mother) as the friend to many black children and believed that the days of segregation and Jim Crow needed to immediately come to an end. The election was rigged, but Carter fought for his rightful seat. After only serving two terms, Carter ran for governor. The first run was unsuccessful, but the second time was a winner. Within a short time after that, he was President.
The museum is a bit more humble than either Truman's or Kennedy's but nonetheless impressive. Of course, there was a replica of his Oval Office. Being that this was the first of the libraries I have visited of a living former President, I was impressed by the exhibits being complemented by video footage of Carter -then and now. To me, the museum honored him but also highlighted the contentious parts of his term such as the Iranian hostage crisis with honesty and integrity. I truly loved it and was sad that Carter is back in Plains right now recuperating from a knee surgery.
The day ended with dinner at Gladys Knight's restaurant "Chicken and Waffles." The fried green tomatoes, squash casserole, sweet potato cheesecake and collard green spring rolls are fantastic! The chicken's not half-bad, either :-).
Day Two: Utilizing the Atlanta City Pass
The day began with my tour of CNN! The building itself is impressive. It was once the site of the first indoor amusement park. In fact, the park's original escalator is still used today. It is 136 feet long, goes up 8 stories, and is the world's longest free standing escalator. This building is the headquarters of the entire network, which has 48 bureaus around the world. These bureaus are all marked on the tiled world map on the ground level. The tour allows you to hear and see in on both the CNN and HLN studios. I literally gasped when Rob Marciano stepped into the studio and did his weather report. Although we were separated by glass, and I could not take pictures, I loved it. Of course, Bob Van Dillon (the HLN meteorologist) waved at me. There are over 100 employees working in the newsroom during the day, and the room was buzzing today with reports of Greece's economic problems and the continuing Casey Anthony saga. I found it interesting that the anchors actually work an 8 hour shift each day and can write their own scripts.
After a stroll through the Centennial Olympic Park, I toured the World of Coke. A bit cheesy, there were interesting historical artifacts nonetheless. Since Coke has been around for 125 years and has successfully expanded its bottling plants in over 200 countries, there was a lot to see. The tour ends with a tasting room of sodas bottled by Coke plants around the world. I was thrilled to find Inka Cola again!!!
Rach and I then went to the Aquarium. This aquarium is the largest in the world. It was spectacular. I then ended my day a the Atlanta History Center. Incredible!!! The museum encompasses the entire historical span of Atlanta from its Native American roots to pioneer settlements, from its Victorian era to the headquarters of the Ku Klux Klan, from its notable individuals such as King and Carter to its hosting of the 1996 Olympics. I wish I had had more time there because it was truly overwhelming and marvelous. Its Civil War exhibit was, to me, more impressive than the battlefields I have visited. The entire day was exhausting and busy, but it truly gave me an incredible feel for this city!
Day One: The Day for Nobel Peace Prize Winners
The day began with a visit to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site. This site includes his birth home, his tomb, the Ebenezer Baptist Church, and the Center for Nonviolent Change. The Kings lived at 401 Auburn Avenue. This street was the birthplace for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and known as "Sweet Auburn" by its residents. Under Jim Crow, the neighborhood was called "Darkietown." The area was inhabited by many newly freed slaves who began working in the nearby mills. By the time the Kings moved into the house on Auburn in the 1920s, the area was a middle class district. According to the park rangers, there were two signs of middle class status. On the outside of the house, the status could be determined by a stained glass window on the front of the house. On the inside, if the residents had Kool-Aid in their cabinet, that showed they were not living in poverty. The Kings moved out of this house when Jr. was 12, but they only moved two blocks away. The entire King family ate together each night, and the three kids had to tell Daddy King what they read in the newspaper that day and a Bible verse they memorized before they could eat. Christine King (Martin's sister) is 83, and the house still technically belongs to her. She sits on the board of Spellman College today. The King family had no domestic help; the women (which included a grandmother) did all the domestic work.
Ebenezer Church, where Daddy King served as pastor until 1975, was on Auburn Avenue as well. It is in this same church that Jr. first gave a sermon before he and his family moved to Alabama. It was also in this church that on April 9, 1968, the first funeral for Jr. was held (the second was at Morehouse College-five miles away. It was the family's final march).
The tomb of MLK and Coretta sits atop an island in a fountain besides what is known as Freedom Walkway. Nearby, there is an eternal flame for the continuance of MLK's nonviolent struggle for change. There is also a Chapel of All Faiths located on the site.
The Center is a true homage to MLK and his vision. The museum contains artifacts from the years that MLK struggled for civil rights. It also contains his caisson and Peace Prize. There is video footage of his funeral, at which Coretta had Martin's last sermon played. This sermon, "I Have Been to the Mountaintop," was given on April 3 (the day before he was killed), and in it King discussed what he wanted at his funeral. The Center has a walkway that is embedded with the footprints of individuals who have aided in the cause. These individuals range from Rosa Parks to Thurgood Marshall to Presidents Carter, Clinton, and Johnson and even to Magic Johnson. The footprints were actually created by the people's real shoes, and visitors can stand in the footsteps of these inspirational giants.
After lunch at Vortex (featured in Man Vs. Food), we headed to the High Museum of Art and then to Jimmy Carter's museum. The location of the museum was chosen for its historical significance. It was once the headquarters for Sherman as he oversaw the Battle of Atlanta. The museum consists of three circular buildings, interconnected to represent the harmony and solidarity that Carter continues to seek after his presidency. Besides the museum, the other buildings consist of his library and the Carter Center, his lasting legacy. The Carter Center's mission is to fight disease, promote peace, and is the springboard for Roslynn's continuing mental health campaign. The Center has monitored 76 democratic elections in over 30 countries since its opening in 1982 and has 150 employees working in over 200 countries. The employees at the Carter Center have also settled numerous peace agreements between countries such as Eritrea and Ethiopia. It is due to these efforts and his continuing work with Habitat for Humanity that earned Carter the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 (the only non-sitting President to get the honor).
Jimmy Carter is an easy person with whom to identify. He loved school, and his family even encouraged reading at dinner. He lost his father to cancer and ended his military career to run his family's faltering business. He married his sister's best friend, who also grew up in his hometown. He did not intend to enter politics, but when the current state senator was running unopposed with a campaign slogan of "Not Even One," he knew he had to change the status quo. The slogan referred to the senator's promise that not even one white child would have to go to school with a black one. Carter had grown up (thanks to his mother) as the friend to many black children and believed that the days of segregation and Jim Crow needed to immediately come to an end. The election was rigged, but Carter fought for his rightful seat. After only serving two terms, Carter ran for governor. The first run was unsuccessful, but the second time was a winner. Within a short time after that, he was President.
The museum is a bit more humble than either Truman's or Kennedy's but nonetheless impressive. Of course, there was a replica of his Oval Office. Being that this was the first of the libraries I have visited of a living former President, I was impressed by the exhibits being complemented by video footage of Carter -then and now. To me, the museum honored him but also highlighted the contentious parts of his term such as the Iranian hostage crisis with honesty and integrity. I truly loved it and was sad that Carter is back in Plains right now recuperating from a knee surgery.
The day ended with dinner at Gladys Knight's restaurant "Chicken and Waffles." The fried green tomatoes, squash casserole, sweet potato cheesecake and collard green spring rolls are fantastic! The chicken's not half-bad, either :-).
Day Two: Utilizing the Atlanta City Pass
The day began with my tour of CNN! The building itself is impressive. It was once the site of the first indoor amusement park. In fact, the park's original escalator is still used today. It is 136 feet long, goes up 8 stories, and is the world's longest free standing escalator. This building is the headquarters of the entire network, which has 48 bureaus around the world. These bureaus are all marked on the tiled world map on the ground level. The tour allows you to hear and see in on both the CNN and HLN studios. I literally gasped when Rob Marciano stepped into the studio and did his weather report. Although we were separated by glass, and I could not take pictures, I loved it. Of course, Bob Van Dillon (the HLN meteorologist) waved at me. There are over 100 employees working in the newsroom during the day, and the room was buzzing today with reports of Greece's economic problems and the continuing Casey Anthony saga. I found it interesting that the anchors actually work an 8 hour shift each day and can write their own scripts.
After a stroll through the Centennial Olympic Park, I toured the World of Coke. A bit cheesy, there were interesting historical artifacts nonetheless. Since Coke has been around for 125 years and has successfully expanded its bottling plants in over 200 countries, there was a lot to see. The tour ends with a tasting room of sodas bottled by Coke plants around the world. I was thrilled to find Inka Cola again!!!
Rach and I then went to the Aquarium. This aquarium is the largest in the world. It was spectacular. I then ended my day a the Atlanta History Center. Incredible!!! The museum encompasses the entire historical span of Atlanta from its Native American roots to pioneer settlements, from its Victorian era to the headquarters of the Ku Klux Klan, from its notable individuals such as King and Carter to its hosting of the 1996 Olympics. I wish I had had more time there because it was truly overwhelming and marvelous. Its Civil War exhibit was, to me, more impressive than the battlefields I have visited. The entire day was exhausting and busy, but it truly gave me an incredible feel for this city!
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