SkyView Atlanta, A New View of Atlanta

SkyView Atlanta is our newest high-buzz attraction! At 200-feet tall—20 stories!—SkyView Atlanta offers a unique perspective of the city that's never before been available...it's a whole new way of seeing our beautiful city, for visitors and locals alike!

SkyView Atlanta

A skyline-changing addition to Atlanta, located in the Fairlie-Poplar Historic District in Downtown Atlanta, the SkyView Ferris wheel brings with it the promise of more to do, more visitors, and an increase in patronage of businesses on that side of Centennial Olympic Park (and there's lots to do near SkyView!).

SkyView is right next to The Tabernacle, a one time church turned live entertainment venue, across the Park from CNN Headquarters (CNN Studio Tour), Phillips Arena, and immediately in front of the Fountain of Rings.

SkyView Atlanta

There are 42 gondolas, fully enclosed, with one VIP car. The VIP gondola offers leather seats, a glass floor and other amenities. Of course I want to ride the VIP gondola. I'm very curious to know just how different an experience it is...

SkyView Atlanta

Each gondola can carry up to six passengers. I'm told that if you have a small group, four or five perhaps, that they'll let you ride without additional passengers...pretty nice of them! And each ride is four revolutions that last approximately 15 minutes total. 

SkyView Atlanta

I'm predicting that SkyView Atlanta will quickly become one of the most photographed attractions in the City. Now being part of our skyline, the backdrops for photographs are practically endless, not to mention the perspectives!

On this particular visit, I made photos only from the ground and only from one side. Just wait until I get inside and for when I start taking photos from various rooftops!

SkyView Atlanta

So, SkyView just opened yesterday so I still have a lot to experience with this attraction, however, I did see on the news that at night, it's illuminated with a rather spectacular light show...that's going to be really cool!

And lots of people will have the opportunity to ride, given it's relatively long open hours. They're open Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Personally, I can hardly wait to ride during sunset!

SkyView Atlanta

So, get yourself over to SkyView Atlanta, morning, noon, or night...this is going to be a major player in how visitors see Atlanta. I'm very excited for all those who are experiencing it first. 

And while you're down there, remember that Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, Imagine It, and many other tourist destinations are just steps away!

Now, head over to the wanderlust ATLANTA Facebook Page where I've posted a few more photos for you to enjoy. Hope you get to ride Skyview Atlanta soon!

ATLANTApix: Centennial Olympic Park's Water Gardens

Centennial Olympic Park Water Garden

Did you know that in addition to the incredibly popular Fountain of Rings at the Centennial Olympic Park, there are water gardens and a reflective pool...and in the winter, there's even an ice skating rink? That's a lot of water, even for a 21-acre park.

As much fun as the Fountain of Rings is, and I love the four daily Fountain shows with accompanying music, the water gardens (photo), near the Quilt gardens, are my favorite. They're such a delightful respite from the city, even though you can still see the city all around you.

As a matter of fact, in this photo you can see the top of the world headquarters of CNN, home of the Inside CNN Studio Tour. And there are lots of other attractions near Centennial Olympic Park, so go splash, play, and enjoy!

ATLANTApix and ATLANTAvidz of the tourATLANTA blog features a daily photo or video relative to Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

ATLANTApix: Upcoming at Pemberton Place

Georgia Aquarium

One week from today the new resident dolphins at Georgia Aquarium will premier in AT&T Dolphin Tales. I've been hearing about the dolphins since I moved back to Atlanta in August of last year so my excitement is nearly uncontainable.

While you're in Pemberton Place, pop by the World of Coca-Cola to see their newest exhibit, "Coca-Cola Expedition 206," a story about three young people who set out to visit as many as possible of the 206 countries and territories where Coca-Cola is sold. The visited 186!

And by time the dolphins take to the "stage," just acrosse the street the Fountain of Rings in Centennial Olympic Park will have undergone its renovation and be ready for its daily performances.

ATLANTApix of the tourATLANTA blog features a "photo-of-the-day" of Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

ATLANTApix: Things To Do at Centennial Olympic Park

Quilt of Nations, Centennial Olympic Park

 Centennial Olympic Park in the heart of downtown Atlanta features a cornicoupia of activities for tourists and locals alike.

An icon in the Park is the Fountain of Rings. There are four Fountain performances daily at 12:00 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m., and 9:00 p.m.

One of the most photographed attractions in Georgia, the Fountain is a "playground" for kids of all ages throughout tthe day, but during the four performance times, it becomes a "concert hall." The Fountain dances in synch with music to the delight of onlookers anxious to jump back in for more splish-splash fun.

Also at the Park are: Music at Noon, Wednesday Winddown, and Fourth Saturday Family Fun Days, as well as other special events throughout the year. The park also features statuary, memorials, monuments (Photo: Quilt of Nations) water features, and a children's playground.

ATLANTApix of the tourATLANTA blog features a "photo-of-the-day" of Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

Centennial Olympic Park: Honoring Global Unity Through Sports

Gateway of Dreams

Centennial Olympic Park is a 21-acre expanse commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the modern Olympic Games. Located in the heart of many of the city's top tourist attractions, the Park offers a calming respite for office workers, as well as concerts, a spectacular 4th of July celebration, holiday lights at the end of the year and the Fountain of Rings—the Park's centerpiece.

Surrounding the Park are many popular tourist destinations including Georgia Aquarium, The World of Coca-Cola, CNN Studio Tours and Imagine It! The Children's Museum of Atlanta. With that said, there's a given amount of foot traffic through the Park on the way to these sites. However, the Park is indeed a destination itself.

Fountain of Rings

On my approach to the Park, a 40-something year old couple—apparently on a romantic getaway—asked me to make a photograph of them at one of the many Park gates. That to me was a tell-tale sign that I'd made a wise choice in sites to see that day. During my visit, I eventually crisscrossed the Park realizing that I'd missed much of what it has to offer by taking a linear approach during my initial walk through.

There were dozens of children playing in the Fountain of Rings, people picnicking on the grassy lawns and others exploring the gardens, statuary and monuments within the Park. I myself ventured through the gardens on the west side of the Park to explore the various sculptured "quilts" honoring Olympians and the Games.

Paralympics Monument

The Paralympic Games is hosted by the same city that hosts the Olympic Games and they're held in the same venues as the Olympic Games. In 1996, I had the pleasure of attending the Opening Ceremonies of those Games and seeing the late Christopher Reeve (Superman, Somewhere in Time), who was paralyzed following a horse riding accident, serve as the Master of Ceremonies. Vice President Al Gore officially opened the ceremony and Liza Minnelli was one of the many live entertainers.

Today, in honor of the 3,310 athletes who participated in the 1996 Paralympic Games, a monument stands in the northeast corner of Centennial Park, listing all the names of the participating athletes categorized by the sports in which they competed. The engraving on the monument reads:

"In honor of the individual and collective achievements—and in honor of the inspiration they have provided for all people with disabilities—the names of the 3310 athletes who participated in the 1996 Paralympic Games are enshrined here. For every obstacle they surmounted, for every second they devoted to their passion for sport, this wall stand as a tribute—a tribute that commemorates the glories they earned on the field of play."

Visit Centennial Park again, will I? Most definitely and I'll add it to any visit of the sourrounding tourist destinations…it's that nice of a park.

Visiting Centennial Olympic Park

Date toured: Sunday, September 12, 2010
Hours: Daily 7 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Location: Between Baker Street, Park Avenue West and Andrew Young International Blvd. (map)
Parking: surrounding public parking lots
Website: http://www.centennialpark.com/

Quilt of Nations