I’ve never been to Atlanta before. Was hoping to catch a Braves game or two, but they’re out of town that week.

For myself and other newbies to Atlanta, what are some places we need to check out?

Thanks!

Lots of things to do in Atlanta. The city has just had a slew of new restaurants open up. Many of them world-class. Check out this link to read more.
http://www.cepro.com/article/atlanta_well_prepared_for_cedia_expo/

By far, the No. 1 thing you have to do while you are there is go to the Georgia Aquarium. It is absolutely fabulous.

The “World of Coke” exhibit is right next door. Some great history there about how to successfully brand your company. Also, you’ll love it if you want to taste colas from around the world.

Stone Mountain is cool, but you will need to rent a car or pay a hefty cab fare.

The Martin Luther King crypt and museum is just a short cab ride from downtown.

BTW—Sunday, Sept. 13 is opening day for the NFL and the Atlanta Falcons are playing the Miami Dolphins in the Georgia Dome, which is connected to the Georgia World Congress Center. I am sure tickets are sold out though.

I know I’ll be hitting up the Varsity for a burger or dog.

I’ve never been to Atlanta either, so I really wish the Braves were in town during the show. Turner Field is supposedly very nice.

If you are a baseball fan, it is possible that the Gwinnett Braves will be in playoffs that week.  The Gwinnett Braves are a AAA International League team and this is their inaugural year in Gwinnett and they have a new stadium just up Interstate 85 (approx 25 miles from downtown) near the Mall of Georgia.  They are fun to watch.  Since it is the playoffs, you will need to look for the schedule the week of CEDIA to see if they have a home game.

Nascar Racing fans might want to come in early and catch one of the races at the Atlanta Motor Speedway on 9/5 & 9/6.

NHRA Drag Racing at the Atlanta Dragway in Commerce is 9/11-9/13.

Clemson vs. Georgia Tech at GT on 9/10 night game.  You might want to do the Varsity at any time other than on Saturday night unless you like being in mobs of football fans.

http://www.cediacrosspoint.com/content/cant-wait-cedia-expo-2009

I am still trying to figure out why everyone is so down on Atlanta - the largest metropolitan area in the South East.  As someone who went to college in the middle of Atlanta (Georgia Tech) and lived there for almost seven years I can say it is a wonderful city.  The Olympics brought a great deal of attention, money and infrastructure improvements that have allowed the city to boom since 1996.  The restaurants and nightlife, both in quantity and quality, will surprise even those from cities like New York and LA.  The number of trees and parks in the city will comfort those who really loved the outdoor feel of Denver.  The history of the city, from the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement, will keep history buffs occupied for days and there is also an amazing arts scene with venues like the High Museum of Art and the Fox Theater.  If sports are your thing, the Atlanta Falcons kick off the season on Sunday just across the street from the convention center.  Another option is to watch some great college football on Thursday night, as the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets play the Clemson Tigers, just a two station train ride north of downtown.  Sightseers can enjoy the new location of the World of Coca Cola, the new Georgia Aquarium (world’s largest), the Centennial Olympic Park, or the campuses of Emory University or Georgia Institute of Technology - whose AWARE Home is a breeding ground for revolutionary home technologies.  Atlanta even has some breweries that will make up for the great beer found in Denver, Sweetwater is my personal favorite and has tours Wednesday through Saturday.

Thanks Jason for the “head’s-up” on the Falcon games seeing we will be breaking down our booth at that time and trying to get out of there!  We are looking forward to a great show!

You could catch the Bama / VT game tomorrow night. Good luck finding a ticket though…

The Falcons are playing the Dolphins at 1:00pm Sunday if anyone is interested.