Zoo Atlanta
This delightful 40-acre zoo dates from 1889, when George W. Hall (aka "Popcorn George") brought his traveling circus to town. Employee claims against Hall for back wages forced him to relinquish his menagerie, and the animal entourage was purchased by a prominent Atlanta businessman who donated the collection to the city as the basis for a zoological garden in Grant Park. It grew considerably over the years and was a popular local attraction, but had fallen into disrepair by the mid-1980s. Director Terry Maple was brought in to rescue the zoo and oversee a still-ongoing multimillion-dollar renovation.The turnaround has been dramatic. Today, Zoo Atlanta is one of the finest zoos in the country, with animals housed in large open enclosures that simulate their natural habitats. The zoo participates in breeding programs, many of them focusing on endangered species, and is home to many endangered animals, including Sumatran orangutans, 19 western lowland gorillas, black rhinos, 3 African elephants, 2 Komodo monitors, and big-mouthed African dwarf crocodiles.Currently the exhibit creating the biggest stir is the Asian Forest, home to Lun Lun and Yang Yang, two giant pandas. The two Chinese natives are a huge hit with adults and children alike. Although the pandas' rowdiest period is in the afternoon, the two put on quite a show most of the day: munching bamboo, tussling with each other, playing on their log swing, or climbing on the swinging ladder. When Lun Lun has had enough of Yang Yang's roughhousing, she heads for the water. In the summer, the two can be especially entertaining; if it's really sweltering, zoo officials give each of them a huge block of ice to help them cool off. Yang Yang likes to hug his until it melts. Unfortunately, as this guide went to print, reproductive efforts between the two have been unsuccessful. But hey, who can work under this kind of pressure?Your first stop will probably be Flamingo Plaza. Farther on, Mzima Springs and Masai Mara house elephants, rhinos, lions, zebras, giraffes, gazelles, and other African animals and birds. The landscape in this section resembles the plains of East Africa, with honey locust trees and yuccas, and the lion enclosure replicates an East African kopje (rocky outcropping). Frequent animal demonstrations, African storytelling, and educational programs take place under the Elder's Tree in Masai Mara. The newest addition here is a baby waterbuck, daughter of Kokopelli (who was aptly named for the ancient fertility god).The lushly landscaped Ford African Rain Forest -- one of the most popular sections -- centers on four vast gorilla habitats separated by moats. Studies on gorilla behavior take place here, and there are usually quite a few adorable babies (they're hard to spot sometimes, so be sure to ask if there are any to be seen). The zoo's longtime mascot, Willie B. (named after former Atlanta mayor William B. Hartsfield), died in 2000, but his daughters Kudzoo and Olympia live in the forest and usually put on a pretty good show. The best time to visit is around 2pm, when the gorillas are fed. Also in this section is a walk-through aviary of West African birds, an exhibit of small African primates, and the Gorillas of Cameroon Museum. Landscaping includes burned-out areas of forest and deadfall trees -- gorillas do not live in manicured gardens.In the Ketambe section, several families of high-climbing orangutans show off their skills among the trees and bamboo clusters of an Indonesian tropical rainforest. If you're lucky enough to be there at feeding time -- around 2:30pm -- you might see them swinging on ropes from tree to tree. In the Sumatran Tiger Forest, rare Sumatran tigers prowl a lush forest, sometimes dipping into a stream or waterfall. Nearby is a superb Reptile House -- the zoo is home to one of the finest reptile collections in the country -- and a special exhibit area, often used to house visiting animals.A zoo train travels through the Children's Zoo area. Here, you'll find a playground and petting zoo where kids can get friendly with llamas, sheep, pot-bellied pigs, goats, and more. There are aviaries here, too. Kids (and adults) will love the entertaining and informative free animal shows at the zoo; shows are held in the Wildlife Theater during summer, and African elephant demonstrations are given daily year-round.There are snack bars (including a McDonald's) throughout the zoo. Or you can picnic in tree-shaded areas in Grant Park. The Zoo Atlanta Trading Company features zoo memorabilia and gifts.Some other new zoo news: First, the Australian-themed Outback Station in the Orkin Children's Zoo recently introduced two new species -- red kangaroos and kookaburras. Secondly, Turner Broadcasting made a $5 million donation in 2004. The single largest gift in Zoo Atlanta history, the money will allow the zoo to enhance the public offerings and educational programs in its Conservation Action Resource Center.

Yellow River Game Ranch
Bordering the Yellow River, this 24-acre animal preserve offers close encounters of the 4-legged kind -- a chance to view, pet, feed, and generally mingle with some 600 animals (always including quite a few babies) who live in open enclosures or right out in the open, along a 1-mile oak- and hickory-shaded forest trail. Owner Art Rilling knows every animal on the ranch by name and can give you chapter and verse on each one's personality, preferences, and in some cases, romantic history. The animals know they're among friends here and are highly socialized, so you have a unique chance to study them up close. Keep in mind that all these animals smell like, well, animals. If a barnyard atmosphere bothers you, don't visit.Inhabitants include donkeys named Rhett and Scarlett, Georgia black bears that stand up and beg for marshmallows, goats, dozens of rabbits in Bunny Burrows (kids can pet the bunnies), an assortment of interesting-looking chickens, a herd of buffalo, sheep, burros, goats, ponies, a skunk named General Sherman (we are in Atlanta, after all), and a groundhog named General Beauregard Lee who lives in a white colonnaded Southern mansion complete with miniature satellite dish.Consider packing a picnic lunch. There are tables throughout the property, and one especially nice picnic area overlooks the river.

Wren's Nest
Named for a family of wrens that once nested in the mailbox, Wren's Nest is the former home of Joel Chandler Harris, who chronicled the wily deeds of fictional African characters Br'er Rabbit and Br'er Fox. It's been open to the public since 1913, when Harris's widow sold it to the Uncle Remus Memorial Association.Harris's literary career began at the age of 13, when he apprenticed on the Countryman, a quarterly plantation newspaper. During the four years that he spent learning at the Countryman, young Harris spent many an evening hanging about the slave quarters, drinking in African folk tales and fables spun by George Terrell, a plantation patriarch who became the prototype for Uncle Remus. Sherman's army put the Countryman out of business, and Harris went on to other newspapers, working his way up to editorial writer at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution by age 28. There, plagued by writer's block one gloomy winter afternoon, he remembered the plantation stories of his youth and evoked Uncle Remus to fill his column. Enthralled readers clamored for more, and the rest is history.The house itself is an 1870s farmhouse with a Queen Anne-style Victorian facade added in 1884. Harris lived here from 1881 until his death in 1908, doing most of his writing in a rocking chair on the wraparound front porch. On a 30-minute tour, including a slide presentation about Harris's life, you'll see a good deal of memorabilia: the stuffed great horned owl over the study door was a gift from Theodore Roosevelt, whose White House Harris visited; the original wren's nest mailbox reposes on the study mantel; and all of Harris's books, along with signed first editions from major authors of his day (Mark Twain and others) are displayed in a bookcase.The house is interesting, but the best part is the storytelling. Call ahead to find out when the storyteller-in-residence will be telling stories culled from African and African-American folklore; it's a real treat.

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Southern hospitality. It is warmly embraced at the Atlanta Marriott Downtown and taken to such gracious extremes that no guest can resist our charms. Marriott's style and service are hallmarks here: from beautifully appointed guest rooms with Marriott's plush new bedding package to the 14,195 square feet of meeting space. From the moment you arrive your comfort will be our pleasure. The Atlanta Marriott Downtown is conveniently located one block from a MARTA rapid transit station and within ...

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