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During your Atlanta vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
The Herndon Home
Alonzo Herndon was born in 1858, during the last decade of slavery. After emancipation, he worked as a field hand and sharecropper, supplementing his meager income by selling peanuts, homemade molasses, and axle grease. He arrived in Atlanta in the early 1880s, taking on work as a barber and eventually owning several barbershops of his own. Herndon used the earnings from these shops to acquire Atlanta real estate, and by 1900, less than 40 years out of slavery and with only a year of formal education, he was the richest black man in Atlanta. In 1905, Herndon purchased a church burial association, which, with other small companies, became the nucleus of the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, today the nation's second-largest black-owned insurance company.In 1910, Herndon built this elegant 15-room house in the Beaux Arts-neoclassical style, complete with a stately colonnaded entrance. Herndon and his wife, Adrienne McNeil, a drama teacher at Atlanta University, were the primary architects of the house, and construction was accomplished almost completely by African-American artisans. Because their son Norris occupied the home until 1977, much of the original furniture remains, and there are family photographs throughout. Adrienne died about a week after the house was completed.The house tour begins in a receiving room with a 10-minute introductory video called The Herndon Legacy. The tour then takes you through the reception hall; the music room, with rococo gilt-trimmed walls and Louis XV-style furnishings; the living room, with a frieze on its walls depicting the accomplishments of Herndon's life; the dining room, furnished in late Renaissance style with family china and Venetian glass displayed in a mahogany cabinet; the butler's pantry; and the sunny breakfast room. Upstairs, you'll see the bedroom used by Herndon's second wife Jessie, with its Jacobean suite and Louis XV-style furnishings; Herndon's Empire-furnished bedroom, where a book from a Republican National Convention is displayed on a table, letting you know his political bent; the collection room (Norris collected ancient Greek and Roman vases and funerary objects); Norris's bedroom; a sitting room; and a guest bedroom.
World of Coca-Cola
An exposition showcasing the world's most popular soft drink, World of Coca-Cola sounds like a huge Coke commercial. And it is. But it's also one of the biggest attractions in the city and a must-see for anybody who's ever had a taste of the Real Thing (and who hasn't?). The vast three-story pavilion houses a massive collection of Coca-Cola memorabilia, along with numerous interactive displays, high-tech exhibits, and video presentations.The self-guided tour begins on the third level, where visitors are greeted by a Rube Goldberg-esque kinetic sculpture called "Bottling Fantasy." Exhibits trace the history of Coca-Cola from its 1886 debut at Jacob's Pharmacy in downtown Atlanta to its current worldwide fame. Highlights include a re-creation of a 1930s soda fountain (a jukebox on the premises plays Coke-themed pop songs of yesteryear like "Sweet Coca-Cola Bush," sung by Shirley Temple); a history of Coke's diverse advertising campaigns (did you know that Maxwell House's "good to the last drop" was originally a Coke slogan?); a video on the making of the "Hilltop Reunion" Coke commercial (it kicked off the "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" campaign); print ads featuring screen stars such as Jean Harlow, Claudette Colbert, Clark Gable, and Cary Grant; and an interactive audio exhibit that lets you listen to Coke commercials sung by pop stars. And there's much, much more; this experience is a total immersion in Coca-Cola.If you've worked up a thirst going through the museum, you can sample unlimited amounts of 40 Coca-Cola Company beverages at Club Coca-Cola, including 20 international drinks that are not sold in the United States (for example, a pineapple/orange/banana beverage marketed only in Kenya). The kids will go wild, but the drinks are on the house, so what the heck. The tour ends in the first-floor gift shop, which sells a mind-boggling array of Coca-Cola logo items -- everything from T-shirts to Coke polar bears. Allow about 90 minutes to drink it all in. Weekdays are the prime time to visit if you want to avoid long lines. This attraction will be moving to a brand new 35,000-square-foot facility in downtown Atlanta, across from Centennial Olympic Park, in late 2006 or early 2007.
Philips Arena
This spectacular $213 million arena, home to the NHL Atlanta Thrashers and NBA Atlanta Hawks, was built on the site of the old Omni Coliseum. Tours of the arena are available every half-hour daily 9am to 6pm on non-event days and 9am to 5pm on event days. The hour-long tours take in the Hawks' and Thrashers' locker rooms, the press box, and the luxury suites. Tickets are $7 adults, $5 seniors, and $4.50 children age 4 to 12; age 3 and under free. A combination tour of the Philips Arena and the CNN Studio is available for adults only for $11.The Hawk Walk, which connects the CNN Center with Philips Arena, is worth a look if you're a sports fan. It's an indoor street that sells food, beverages, and Atlanta Hawks and Thrashers merchandise, and promotes TBS stations. Huge video screens display live action at the arena or shows from one of the Turner networks, while giant billboards flash ticker information from CNNSI and CNNfn.
Super 8 Motel - Atlanta/World Congress Center
Super 8 Downtown Atlanta is a unique tourist class hotel in the heart of downtown Atlanta. Minutes to dining, shopping and entertainment venues, 4 blocks to GA World Congress Center. Super Start Breakfast Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport 10 miles Georgia Dome, 4 blocks Omni, 4 blocks CNN Center, 4 blocks Georgia World Congress Center, 4 blocks Carter Center, 1 1/2 miles World of Coca-Cola, 5 blocks Georgia State University, 4 blocks Spellman ...
ExtendedStayDeluxe ATL-Pwrs Fy
ESA Deluxe Atlanta/Cumberland offers - 88 roomy, open studio suites - Living area and full kitchen - High-speed internet access - Two line speakerphone ...
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