Spring Break 2018-Atlanta

So I'm a little behind...ok, I am way behind...on posting our Spring Break adventures.  Here it finally is...

We have driven through Georgia before, but never stopped to spend some time in the Peach State.  We decided to spend the week in Atlanta and take in lots of cool touristy attractions and enjoy the history. 

Day 1
Our first stop was the Georgia Aquarium.  It is world famous and full of exotic creatures of the sea.  However, we weren't super impressed with the place.  There were definitely some cool things to see, but perhaps it's because our kids were older that we simply weren't taken aback. 

We consider ourselves pizza connoisseurs and love to try out the local pizza places. We went to Max's Coal Oven Pizzeria in downtown Atlanta.  It's a hip, old looking place, with a brick interior and picnic table benches. And their pizza is amazing!!!

After lunch, we walked over to the Center for Civil and Human Rights.  It's a beautiful place full of history that is heart wrenching. That place stirs up emotions and will even bring a tear to your eye.  It makes you angry to see how people are treated, not just in America, but around the world.  It was very educational and I am so glad our kids got to see it.

Day 2
We started the day with a tour of CNN studios.  We were all looking forward to this tour.  I was really hoping to casually run into Anderson Cooper, but our tour guide told us he had just been permanently transferred to NYC.  Boo!  The tour was fascinating!!!  We learned all of the ins and outs to keep a large network running, we saw the offices and gigantic screens, and experienced the hustle and bustle required to deliver the news. 

We headed over to the College Football Hall of Fame, which Craig and Preston loved!!!  Everything you needed to know about college football was in that place.  The boys even got to run some football drills. 

Lunch was at our favorite restaurant chain, Hard Rock Café.  We have visited so many of these places and they always have the coolest music memorabilia.  Honestly, we really like the food, too, even if it is a little on the pricier side. 

We strolled through Centennial Olympic Park, where the 1996 Olympics were held, and went to the World of Coca Cola.  Wow!!!!  We loved checking out the cool Coca Cola memorabilia throughout the decades.  The store had every type of Coca Cola merchandise you could think of.  And of course, there were tons of flavors to try!!!!

 

 

Day 3
We traveled outside of Atlanta to really learn some local history.  Georgia is a very pretty state, green and full of farms. We went to the small town of Warm Springs to tour the former home of the late President Franklin Roosevelt.  It's a small house with very pretty grounds.  Down the road was the pool full of soothing minerals in warm water where he used to swim to help ease ailments from his polio.

We drove to La Grange and had lunch at the best tiny hole in the wall diner called Charlie Joseph's. We found it on Tripadvisor where it received rave reviews.  The food was delicious and VERY cheap!!!!

Our next stop was at the historic home and gardens of Hills and Dales Estate.  We love to tour old mansions and this place was gorgeous!!!

Dinner that night was back in Atlanta at the city's #1 BBQ joint, Fox Bros.  BBQ.  It was delicious, but still not quite as good as Texas BBQ.

Day 4
The last day in Atlanta was spent enjoying more tours.  Chick Fil A was founded in Atlanta so we took the Backstage Tour.  So cool!!!  The offices are very progressive where employees are free to move about and work anywhere they choose in the building.  The founder, Truett Cathy, had quite a car collection including one of the real Batmobile's.  His office was left as is, including the Bible on his desk.  For lunch, we ate at the very first restaurant he started, the Dwarf House.  Such good food!!!

We headed back downtown and visited the Martin Luther King, Jr. Historic Site.  There was a lot to see and it was very touching.  We saw the artifacts at the museum, his boyhood home, and the memorial site dedicated to him and his wife.  We also spent time in Ebenezer Baptist Church where he used to preach. In the sanctuary, recordings of his sermon were playing and we sat in the pews to listen.  It was so moving and you could feel the Holy Spirit come alive. 

We ended the day driving through beautiful, historic Ansley Park, admiring the gorgeous Georgian colonial homes, and enjoyed delicious Sprinkles cupcakes. 

We saved quite a bit of money by purchasing the City Pass that includes visiting many of these attractions.  I will definitely look into a City Pass for other vacations.  While we saw some pretty cool things, learned a lot of history, and ate some great food, I think visiting Atlanta once was plenty for us. 

Grief

This past week has been emotionally draining.  I had the misfortune of having to say good-bye to a dear friend.  Although I know I will see her again in our heavenly home, it is hard knowing I will no longer see her again in our earthly home.

Linda was a sweet, kind, loving, and very accepting fellow music therapy student.  We had almost all of our classes together, including studio, where we studied voice under the same teacher.  She was also a non-traditional student that decided to pursue her passion of music later in life.

I will never forget the talks we had.  We shared laughs, stories about our children, relished the memories of our time working with preschoolers, and constantly encouraged one another throughout the difficult school days and lessons of music. Mostly, we shared a love for Christ.  Our best conversations were talking about the goodness of God.

Because she was taken so suddenly from us, I have had to really take time to process this grief.  Her smile is etched in my memory, I can still see her walking down the hallways, and I remember every spot where she sat in our classrooms.  The nights have been restless because she is there and I long for sleep again.  I cannot remember a time I so eagerly wanted to be away from the music building. 

My friends and professors at school have truly bonded and become more of a family over this tragic experience.  There have been lots of tears, lots of hugs, and lots of love shared this past week.  I am extremely appreciative of the people of TWU.

Thankfully, Spring Break is here.  As I drove away from school today, I said one last good-bye to my dear friend.  After having time off, I know when I return, it will be to all the happy memories we shared and I will no longer be haunted by them.  And I will finally have the peace that I know she is experiencing right now in the presence of Jesus.