Atlanta Convention, Day 1
Jul. 2nd, 2011 12:29 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bjarvisOur train arrived Thursday morning, 8:15am. Our arrival was a little early but that advantage was consumed by an extended wait for the luggage. With a $20 taxi ride, we were at the Marriott Marquis hotel and checked into our room.
As much as I dearly wanted to just all asleep --I didn't sleep well on the train-- we opted instead to stay vertical as long as possible. Exploring the immediate area, we discovered a nice mall food court adjacent to the hotel where we had a quick bite. From there, we headed to the Georgia Aquarium, five blocks from the hotel.
I liked the aquarium but not as much as I thought I would. It has an international reputation as one of the best aquaria on the planet. It is indeed very nice, but I think of it more as on par with the Baltimore Aquarium and the Cincinnati Aquarium.
We went on the basic tour, declining the $15/person upgrade for the dolphin show. I snapped about 200 photos, knowing many wouldn't be very good from viewing through plexiglass with lots of reflections and sometimes murky water beyond. Still, a good number were fine... when time allows, I'll post the lot.
Following the aquarium, we toured Olympic Park --no bombs were spotted.
Once back at the hotel, we snoozed. Hard. Lord, I needed that.
By early evening, we were conscious enough for socializing once again, so we made contact with David Levine & Kate Yulef for dinner at R. Thomas' Deluxe Grill. It was... an interesting dining experience. Think delightfully quirky. The menu was 50% vegetarian and 100% delicious; even the toucan and parrots outside were fun!
While we did lounge a little at the hotel bar later in the evening, we called it a night relatively early: there would be much to do in the morning.
As much as I dearly wanted to just all asleep --I didn't sleep well on the train-- we opted instead to stay vertical as long as possible. Exploring the immediate area, we discovered a nice mall food court adjacent to the hotel where we had a quick bite. From there, we headed to the Georgia Aquarium, five blocks from the hotel.
I liked the aquarium but not as much as I thought I would. It has an international reputation as one of the best aquaria on the planet. It is indeed very nice, but I think of it more as on par with the Baltimore Aquarium and the Cincinnati Aquarium.
We went on the basic tour, declining the $15/person upgrade for the dolphin show. I snapped about 200 photos, knowing many wouldn't be very good from viewing through plexiglass with lots of reflections and sometimes murky water beyond. Still, a good number were fine... when time allows, I'll post the lot.
Following the aquarium, we toured Olympic Park --no bombs were spotted.
Once back at the hotel, we snoozed. Hard. Lord, I needed that.
By early evening, we were conscious enough for socializing once again, so we made contact with David Levine & Kate Yulef for dinner at R. Thomas' Deluxe Grill. It was... an interesting dining experience. Think delightfully quirky. The menu was 50% vegetarian and 100% delicious; even the toucan and parrots outside were fun!
While we did lounge a little at the hotel bar later in the evening, we called it a night relatively early: there would be much to do in the morning.
