Atlanta, GA

Well before all the engagement excitement, I was blissfully unaware of what was yet to come. On our drive down to Florida we passed through Atlanta and I had to stop. Ever since I read The Hot Zone and learned of the CDC, I have wanted to visit. Atlanta also has an awesome medical school and used to have a restaurant called Mitra, fate I tell you! Anyway, our stops were none of these places but just as fun.

First up was the Atlanta Cyclorama. As John A. Logan fanatics this was a must see! The Cyclorama is a 40 ft x 350 ft oil painting depicting scenes from the Battle of Atlanta. (Yes my Civil War museum journey continues!) The painting was commissioned by Logan for use as a campaign poster - go big or go home! Unfortunately, he died 3 days before it was completed. It toured the country as a circus sideshow and by chance it ended up in the hands of a wealthy Atlantan. To view the painting you need to purchase a ticket. A tour guide takes you to a theater where a movie about the Civil War is played to guide you through the progression of the war to Atlanta. Then you go to the painting where you sit in the center of the room on a revolving platform. Lights and narration guides you through the painting as you spin slowly around the entire painting. It was awesome!

We weren't allowed to take pictures but you can see some highlights on the website. At the bottom of the painting is a diorama that brings the painting's scenes right to your feet. The coolest figurine is of Clark Gable who requested that he be put in the diorama as a dying soldier. An adorable child in the audience asked, "What injuries did Mr. Gable have?" Our tour guide was great.

Me 'n Johnny

Our next and final stop was the World of Coke. As you would imagine, it's a museum about Coke. We love Coke but the movie and exhibits were all fluff! (Disclaimer: I'm a museum snob)

They have a functioning bottling line, the smallest and slowest in the country - ok, that's cute. But the exhibit on the "secret recipe" was sooo lame. It had great production value (I felt like I was at the Spy Museum) but no FACTS. I guess it's because the Coke recipe is a mystery... locked in this vault:

Brandon and I doubt that anything special is in there. But the alarm did sound when people taking pictures got too close. What do you think?

By far the best part about the experience is the tasting room. Unlimited tastings of Coke products from around the world. Beverly, an Italian bitter soda was our least favorite. Bebo, which tasted like pina colada, was one of the best.

Cherry Coke

Classic Coke

Little did we know we got a free bottle of Coke on our way out! We also went through the gift shop and picked up an ornament for our Christmas tree and a magnet for the fridge.