From the world’s largest aquarium to the seemingly endless number of historic sites, my first trip to Atlanta will not be my last! Beyond the usual tourist hot spots, there were unexpected encounters that made my trip memorable.
Southern Hospitality
Driving down Peachtree Road NW (one of 27 streets with the word Peachtree in it), you will see some of the most beautiful old churches. Whether it was Catholic or Baptist, the architecture and beauty was non-denominational. We played hop out, hop in with our rental car snapping photos of the amazing buildings, but had no idea what awaited us at the Presbyterian church, Ms. Trilby. Ms. Trilby is a sweet, elderly lady who saw how interested my husband and I were of the architecture and beautiful garden. She is a member of the congregation and was sitting outside chatting with a fellow parishioner after a bible study. She was so kind as to offer two strangers a “good word” to the groundskeeper so we could see inside the church if we came by the next morning. Ms. Trilby began to tell us her story of how she moved to New Orleans from Ontario, Canada in the 1950s and it was her family who founded Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. She proudly described in detail all of her favorite dishes on the menu. Ms. Trilby came to Atlanta after losing her home to devastating Katrina. She decided on moving to Atlanta to be closer to her sister and nephew, but she sorely misses the big easy. Her warmth, stories and sweet smile was a truly hospitable southern experience I will never forget.
Urbanspoon never lets us down
Atlanta has too many choices of restaurants. Any kind of food, every kind of environment. I had a laundry list of recommendations, internet searches on travel sites and seized up the neighborhood offerings around our hotel in Midtown. We decided to throw all of our planning out the door, and click on an old, trusted friend – the Urbanspoon App on my iPhone. It’s now 10 for 10 in never letting us down! Daddy D’z looks like a rundown biker bar/shack on Memorial Dr. in the Southeast part of town. Truthfully, the inside didn’t look much different. But the moment we sat down, two police officers leaned over and said, “If you see us [police] eating somewhere, you know it’s good!” He was so right. Little did I know we’d soon experience an ecstasy of meat falling off the bones, homemade potato salad and homemade mac and cheese, complete with homemade sweet cornbread and pork-stuffed, fried bite-sized dough bites called “Daddy D’z Que Wraps” O…M….G
No taste test needed
People who know me now would not necessarily identify me as a Coca-Cola enthusiast. I rarely drink soda and my connection with the 125 year old beverage is not evident. Well, I have a dirty little secret; Coke has a special place in my heart and I have always wanted to visit the Coke mecca in Atlanta. Why? I use to collect Coke memorabilia, I still have it although not much is displayed except for a few favorites in my red and black kitchen. The history of Coke was the topic for my first Informative speech when I competed on the speech and debate team in college. My older brother got me hooked on collecting old bottles and enjoying the refreshing beverage on occasion. The visit was so worth the hours we spent perusing old advertisements, artifacts, retired bottles and tasting 60 different kinds of coke products from around the world. And yes, we smiled.
May the dream be a reality
“Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
I have long admired Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for his courage to speak out against injustice and move people with his wise words and his committed faith. He inspired millions to peacefully protest inequality and has left a lasting legacy for future generations. I anticipated it would be a moving experience to see his birth home, Ebenezer church where he preached as well as where he was placed to rest, next to his beloved wife, Coretta Scott King.
“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. That is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
The entire site was beautiful! Rose garden, Civil Rights Walk of Fame, tributes to his mentor Ghandi and an incredible mural depicting key scenes from his all too short life. Across the site, the only place you could hear a pin drop, was in Ebenezer Church. This small brick building would not otherwise be an impressive structure. As you climb the rickety wooden steps up to the chapel center, you can feel the echoed halls of history, where Dr. King preached as did his father and grandfather before him. Sermons and speeches of Dr. King were played inside of the sanctuary of the church.
“I decided early to give my life to something eternal and absolute. Not to these little gods that are here today and gone tomorrow, but to God who is the same yesterday, today and forever.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
I sat in the back of the church and listened intently. Several other pilgrims nodded and smiled and asserted agreement with an amen. I had goosebumps. It felt like he was really standing on that platform making a convicting plea to answer life’s most pertinent question, “what will you do for others?”
When a white family and children walked in, they decided to sit in front of the rest of us, I am sure to allow the small children to see the altar without an obstructed view. But in that moment, it made me think about how it would’ve felt to have been a black person in height of the Civil Rights movement and be forced to sit in the back of a bus or drink from a separate water fountain. As a white woman, I will never truly understand what that feels like. I had a small taste of being a minority on occasion during four months in Hong Kong, but hardly the same. I still enjoyed equal rights.
I felt both humbled and disgusted in that moment and was overcome with emotion. We must learn from the dark shadows of our history and remember to never tolerate intolerance and carry on his legacy that “the time is always right to do what is right.”
Karlynn Holbrook 