Rich Dansereau

In addition to other wonderful things to see and do in Atlanta, Atlanta's Vibrant Theater Scene, Back To Nature : Atlanta's Stone Mountain Park, Atlanta's Historic Ansley Inn Bed and Breakfast, and Back To Nature : An Urban Tale, Atlanta's Piedmont Park, Atlanta is home to the 8 million gallon Georgia Aquarium pictured at left (photo is clickable and will take you to the Georgia Aquarium's homepage)! If you are visiting our beautiful city, or thinking about relocating here, I would recommend checking out this fun and educational attraction.

The Georgia Aquarium is conveniently located in downtown Atlanta directly across from Centennial Olympic Park. There is a 1,600 space covered parking garage attached to the Georgia Aquarium. There is also available parking for motor homes and tour buses. MARTA, the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority has bus service directly to the Georgia Aquarium or train service to the CNN Center (a mere 15 minute walk).

The Georgia Aquarium is open 365 days of the year but the hours of operation may vary so it is a good idea to check with the reservation office prior to arrival at 404-581-4000. It is recommended that you reserve tickets prior to your visit as the number of visitors admitted per day is limited. The Georgia Aquarium is wheel chair accessible. There are different types of passes available to suit your particular needs. Click HERE to view your options! There is also an that gives you 9 days to visit many of Atlanta's top attractions including the World of Coca Cola , High Museum of Art, Inside CNN Atlanta Studio Tour, Fernbank Museum of Natural History or Atlanta Botanical Garden, Zoo Atlanta or Atlanta History Center! This is an excellent way to get acquainted with our beautiful, modern, and vibrant city! Be sure to check out all the different passes and events that the aquariums has to offer; there is something for everyone! The Georgia Aquarium also boasts International Adventures, which allow you to see reviews of visitors from around the world. Atlanta truly is the South's gateway to the world.

Whoever thought that sleeping with the fishes would be so much fun!

About the Author

If you are in the market to purchase a home or even refinance an existing loan and you want a loan officer that will walk with you every step of the way, then contact Danny or Rich of the Thornton Team at Home America Mortgage today. We can have you pre-approval in as little as 4 hours. You can visit our website or send an email to thorntonteam@homeamericamortgage.com or call us @ 865-951-0522.

While I am a lover and supporter of and my knuckles aren't dragging the ground! I think that athletics add a lot of value to the atmosphere, economy, and culture of any city. The same can also be said for a city's public parks and greenspaces. Equally important is a city's commitment to a vibrant art community, not the least of which is the theater scene.

This post is dedicated to Atlanta's theater community. Atlanta is one of the largest major metropolitan centers in the entire United States, so please understand that it would be virtually impossible to highlight all of the theaters not only in the city but in the 13 counties that comprise the metro area. Because of this, I have limited this blog to major theaters "in" the city itself, excluding the many theatrical organizations that exist on the numerous college campuses in Atlanta and the smaller theater companies. A blog may be forthcoming on theaters outside the city and a separate blog on the college campus organizations and smaller theaters companies. That said:

House lights down and curtain up...

First and foremost is the grande dame of the Atlanta theater scene, the Fox Theatre This beautiful theater was designed and built in the 1920's as the headquarters for the Shriner's. It was originally the Yaarab Temple Shrine Mosque. This is quite a stunning structure. Notice in the photo above, two of the four minarets that are commonplace in mosques. Walking towards the lobby of the building from the street feels like walking the red carpet and if you look down, you are walking the red carpet. The lobby of the theater and the interior of the theater are ornately carved and heavily gilded. The entire structure is very reminiscent of a beautiful Persian skyline. The ceiling goes from a light blue sky full of stars to a darker blue sky the longer one is in the theater to mimic the natural darkening of the sky as evening wears on. This magnificent building plays host to a wide array of productions. I have been on several occasions and seen something quite different each time. I saw the Vienna Boy's Choir with my sister, Prince with a friend of mine, and Stomp with yet another friend. They all seemed to fit perfectly with this theater of many faces. This theater is a must see, even if it is just for a public tour, when in Atlanta.

Next up would be two separate theaters, one with three separate stages and the other with two separate stages. These theaters owe their existence, in part, to whose world headquarters is here in our wonderful city. Atlanta Coca-Cola magnate Robert W. Woodruff was a generous supporter of which houses both of these theaters, in addition to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the High Museum of Art. The first of these theaters is the 14th Street Playhouse This is a wonderful theater that has 3 separate stages. At any given time each of these stages might be staging a different production. Housed within this theater are two production companies, Art Within and Theatre Gael. Art Within tends to focus on today's issues and offer messages of truth and hope. Theatre Gael focuses on the cultural identity and history of Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. The other theater is the Alliance Theatre This wonderful theater of distinction has launched significant national works including Alice Walker's and Elton John and Tim Rice's

Lastly is the Center For Puppetry Arts This is the largest American organization that is devoted to the art of puppet theater! Puppet master, Jim Henson himself opened this theater in 1978 along with his most famous puppet creation Kermit the Frog This unique theater is a place of wonder that has both entertained and educated children and adults on the puppetry arts. I think the mission statement of this theater says it all:

The Center for Puppetry Arts' mission is to entertain and enlighten audiences, nurture the world community of artists, expand the puppetry art form, and explore the past, present, and future of puppetry.

These are just a sampling of the largest theaters in the city of Atlanta. Many of the photos are clickable links that take you to that particular theater's homepage where you can get more info on the theaters and upcoming events. I would recommend, without hesitation, taking in a production at any of these marvelous theaters when you next visit our vibrant city!

About the Author

If you are in the market to purchase a home or even refinance an existing loan and you want a loan officer that will walk with you every step of the way, then contact Danny or Rich of the Thornton Team at Home America Mortgage today. We can have you pre-approval in as little as 4 hours. You can visit our website or send an email to thorntonteam@homeamericamortgage.com or call us @ 865-951-0522.

My recent blogabout Atlanta's fantastic common ground green-space called Piedmont Park got me to thinking about some of the other wonderful things to see and do here in Atlanta. In a subsequent blog I wrote about the historic Ansley Inn a wonderful Bed and Breakfast in Midtown Atlanta.

In this blog I would like to highlight another wonderful outdoor space called Stone Mountain Park

This wonderful outdoor space draws nearly 4 million visitors annually. Its close proximity to Atlanta makes it part of the metro area and a popular place to spend a sunny day!

It truly does have something for everyone! The park encompasses a whopping 3,200 acres! There are over 15 miles of nature trails that are open to walkers, joggers, and hikers. For the very adventurous, their is a hiking trail to the top of Stone Mountain, but be warned it is a vigorous 1.3 miles to the top! For those who want an easier way to the top, try out the Summit Skyride, a high-speed Swiss cable car that can whisk you to the top of the mountain in 3 minutes for a nominal fee! A trip to the summit is a must as the views are second to none. From the summit you can see the city of Atlanta to the west and the Appalachian Mountains nearly sixty miles to the north! As you can see from this photo there is an enormous memorial carving that towers 400 feet above the ground, is 90 feet tall by 190 feet wide and is recessed into the mountain 42 feet. The carving depicts Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson who were seminal leaders of the Confederacy. For obvious reasons, this carving is sometimes controversial.

Another popular thing to do at the park is to climb aboard the Scenic Railroad that features a full size 1940's locomotive and open air cars. For a small fee this relaxing train ride, complete with sing-a-long songs, will take you on a 5 mile journey around Stone Mountain. There are a couple of stops along the way if you need to stretch your legs! In 2002, Stone Mountain introduced its newest attraction a side-wheeler boat called the Scarlet O'Hara Visitors can enjoy a relaxing 20 minute cruise around Stone Mountain Lake in this incredible boat!

Of course the Summit Skyride, the train ride, and the side-wheel boat ride all cost money but there is plenty to do here that is free! The Carillon (a set of stationary bells hung in a tower and sounded by manual or pedal action) was donated to Stone Mountain Park in 1964 by Coca-Cola after its exhibition at the New York World's Fair. There are several concerts daily, not all are live, given by Mabel Sharp The instrument and the eloquence with which Mabel plays it, is astounding and a must see/hear.

There is also an extensive songbird habitat located where the 1996 Olympics archery and cycling venues were. This habitat plays hosts to many native Georgia birds including the white-breasted nuthatch Before you head to the Stone Mountain Campground or one of the two Marriott Resorts, Evergreen Marriott Conference Resort and Marriott Stone Mountain Inn or back to the historic Ansley Inn, there is a final must see at Stone Mountain Park. The daily laser light show! This spectacular event is free with your $8 per car park admission. So after you have hiked the mountain, swam in the beautiful lake, or played a round of golf on one of the two championship courses, Lakemont and Stonemont, take your blanket or lawnchair to Memorial Lawn and get ready. This is a world class laser light show that is choreographed to popular music. The show lasts about 45 minutes and is the perfect end to a wonderful day at this park!

Here is a wonderful link to a blog by Danny Thornton of The Thornton Team in which he highlights many of the other things to do while in Atlanta!

About the Author

If you are in the market to purchase a home or even refinance an existing loan and you want a loan officer that will walk with you every step of the way, then contact Danny or Rich of the Thornton Team at Home America Mortgage today. We can have you pre-approval in as little as 4 hours. You can visit our website or send an email to thorntonteam@homeamericamortgage.com or call us @ 865-951-0522.

I live in Atlanta, GA along with 4+ million others. Atlanta has all the hustle and bustle of a Chicago, the culture of a San Francisco, and the fierce independence of a Denver. Atlanta is also fortunate enough to have Piedmont Park

This beautiful "common ground" green-space was purchased by the City of Atlanta in 1904 and converted from a fairgrounds to a city park in 1909. This conversion expanded the city limits thus creating a larger city with an enormous public green-space. The popularity of the park began the clamour for modern amenities. The first permanent building was called a 'Rest Building' and was converted in 1996 to the Visitor's Center which hosts a wide range of public and private events. Soon after followed the tennis courts and the bath house (which evolved into the modern swimming pool) In 1979, the park leased what is referred to as the high grounds to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens This structure and its gardens help to round out the park by highlighting the beauty of nature that may be overlooked by a simple walk through the park. It seems to me to connect the modern concrete, steel, and glass of the city architecture with the agricultural past of the area. In 1979 the golf course was closed which freed up 70+ acres for park goers to use called the meadow.

While there is rigorous development on every inch of space that can be purchased around the park, Piedmont Park remains a true Urban green-space for all to enjoy. The modern park today hosts numerous festivals including The Dogwood Festival in April, the Atlanta Jazz Festival at the end of May, Gay Pride in June, the Montreux Jazz Festival over Labor Day Weekend, the Atlanta Arts Festival in September. In addition to all of these events there are softball fields, soccer fields, and a dog park (for all of our four legged companions; "look no leash") Please note however, that these events are all looking for temporary new home as extensive restoration work is being done and during that time, all of 2008, no large festivals will be permitted but the park will remain open. There is one Saturday morning tradition that will continue this year from May through October and that is the Green Market which features locally grown produce and flowers as well as local arts and crafts. Even with the unfortunate cancellation of all major festivals in Piedmont Park this year, this emerald jewel is a wonderful getaway in the middle of an urban jungle.

Here are two links to two different organizations who promote, in their own way, the preservation and use of this wonderful urban park:

Piedmont Park Conservancy

Friends of Piedmont Park

About the Author

If you are in the market to purchase a home or even refinance an existing loan and you want a loan officer that will walk with you every step of the way, then contact Danny or Rich of the Thornton Team at Home America Mortgage today. We can have you pre-approval in as little as 4 hours. You can visit our website or send an email to thorntonteam@homeamericamortgage.com or call us @ 865-951-0522.