Learning For Your Future Austell

Recently, I shared the liveliest, most popular trail of Atlanta’s BeltLine. But there’s a lot more to this new city path than most Atlantans know. In addition to the shops, eats and art that the Eastside trail boasts, the beltline also offers some quiet observation of the natural beauty that Atlanta has to offer. One of the most common first observations newcomers make of Atlanta is the vast amount of greenery and trees. We are a nature-loving group and this southern city is proud of what separates us from other US metropolitan areas like New York and Los Angeles; which is exactly why the Northside trail of the Atlanta BeltLine was created. The BeltLine’s most rugged open trail, the Northside trail is accessible from three points: Armore Road, Collier Road, and Goodson Lane. It runs along Tanyard Creek and through Tanyard Creek Park, connecting Ardmore Park, Collier Hills and Collier Hills North neighborhoods. As the first part of the BeltLine to open in North Atlanta, local residents have taken advantage of this glimpse into the nature of Atlanta. In fact, the Northside trail even holds its own annual 5k race, bringing Atlantans together to enjoy the BeltLine. Although the Northside trail can be considered rugged and more nature-centric than the Eastside Trail, it still provides a smooth concrete path for walking, jogging, running, bike riding, or skating—even the stretch through Tanyard Park. The goal while creating this trail was to “minimize the visual impact on the meadow,” according to Beltline.org. The official BeltLine website goes on to explain, “the trail was routed through existing naturalization areas.” This has proven to be a successful feat, as Tanyard Park remains aesthetically pleasing. In an effort to keep Atlanta green and naturally beautiful, the Northside trail was created in a way that not only lets nature continue to prosper on its own, but also to enhances the flow of nature. Along the trail, design features have been installed to preserve natural growth. These same design features, as well as a few more, provide an escape route for excess rainwater to prevent overflows of Tanyard Creek. The one-mile stretch that is the Northside trail of Atlanta’s BeltLine is a wonderful option for casual strolling, nature walks, or light cardio exercise. Since 2010, North Atlanta residents have made this area a favorite, especially those who reside in the neighborhoods in Collier Hills that are now linked together. It has made for much easier foot access both between neighborhoods and to the Bobby Jones Golf Course in Atlanta Memorial Park. If you’re looking for a nice quiet, scenic route, check out the Northside trail of the BeltLine. You can read up on the Eastside trail in part one of the BeltLine series. Stay tuned for more info on the other trails, parks, public art and historic preservation that Atlanta’s BeltLine has to offer. Photo courtesy of AsianCajuns.

Atlanta is a relatively new city in the sense that it hit its stride in the late 90s after the Olympics. It’s known for Coca-Cola and CNN, but there are so many other things that should be celebrated and known about Atlanta. I’ve lived in the city for just over ten years and feel the most like I can pass as a native when I discover new quirks about the city. Here are my top ten quirks that make Atlanta crazy, but great. 1. Many of downtown Atlanta’s streets are two stories above ground. Downtown Atlanta used to be a giant train hub. Later on in the 20th century when more streets were added, they were built above the train lines. A lot of the already existing buildings just moved their front entrance up to levels to open out on the streets. While some of the train lines are still in use, a lot of the “underground” lower levels are now parking garages for Georgia State University and the World Congress Center complex. To learn more about it, join one of Jeff Morrison’s Unseen Underground Walking Tours. 2. You’ll want to hang out in a cemetery. Oakland Cemetery, to be specific. This historic cemetery located two MARTA stops from the heart of downtown Atlanta is so pretty you’ll want to have a picnic there. Even with all of the gothic mausoleums that dot the landscape and, you know, all the dead buried there, Oakland is the opposite of creepy. It also hosts a number of events throughout the year, which will make you want to visit at least every month. 3. You can eat popcorn while enjoying a dance performance. The Fox Theater is a historic movie theater with lavish interiors. Today it’s one of the downtown Atlanta’s main performance venues for concerts, operas, dance performances, and film festivals. It has a concession stand that’s open during shows, which means you can get a bag of buttery popcorn while attended a performance of the Alvin Ailey Dance Company. You can’t do that at Lincoln Center in New York! 4. You can experience The Walking Dead any day in Atlanta. Many scenes from the first episodes were shot in downtown Atlanta (think south of Five Points). That area has yet to be rejuvenated and the creators of the show found that the vacant storefronts and forgotten buildings provided the perfect background for a post-apocalyptic story. The old, abandoned Atlanta Journal Constitution building on Forsyth Street has been left alone for so long that it has trees growing out of it. 5. Gone With the Wind fandom is still going strong here. If you’re a GWTW fan, you have a seemingly endless amount of sites to visit. Of course there’s the Margaret Mitchell House and Museum in midtown. There’s the Georgian Terrace hotel where Clark Gable stayed during the premier of the film. You can visit Mitchell’s grave in Oakland Cemetery. If you’re willing to venture out to the ‘burbs, you can visit Stately Oaks in Jonesboro, which is as close to the fictional Tara plantation as you’ll get. North of Atlanta in Marietta, you can explore the Gone With The Wind Museum. 6. You can visit a hidden gallery. Mint Gallery is located in a back room behind Young Blood Boutique in Poncey Highlands. The gallery is only a single room, but has great rotating shows and frequently partners with local non-profit arts organizations. Most people get confused about the location on their first visit because their GPS leads them to the front door of Young Blood. Enter the boutique without trepidation, take a look at all the fun, locally made crafts at the store, and then head to the back wall where you’ll find the entrance to Mint. 7. There’s always a festival going on. Atlanta loves its festivals, especially music and arts festivals. Between the months of April and October there is never a week or a weekend when there isn’t something going on. Some of the more popular festivals include Music Midtown, the Dogwood Festival, The Decatur Book Festival and the Inman Park Festival. 8. The second best beer pub in the world is only a MARTA ride away. The Brick Store Pub in downtown Decatur was given that title a few years ago by Beer Advocate. Not only does it have an enormous selection of craft beers, it has a friendly staff that’s well versed in beer, and the interior, wood-heavy decor makes it an incredibly inviting bar. 9. The Globe Theater is located downtown - kind of. So it might not be THE Globe Theater, but The New American Shakespeare Tavern is located just a few blocks south of Ponce de Leon Avenue on Peachtree Street. You can’t miss it because the two story facade has been designed to look like The Globe, nestled between two 20th century commercial buildings. The tavern has a full season of Shakespearean plays and some of the best shepherd's pie in town. 10. You can see where Robert Burns lived. That’s right, the famous Scottish poet’s home is in Atlanta - or at least an exact replica is. The Burns Cottage is located in the Ormewood Park neighborhood is owned by Burns Club of Atlanta, which is essentially a gentlemens club. Once in a while the club will open up the cottage for tours, but it’s a rare occurrence. Check out our deals for even more crazy great things to do in Atlanta.

It's time to break away from your normal weekend schedule and explore all that the city has to offer.  Time for an adventure in your own city! Atlanta has several places to explore that won’t break the bank (To save even more, check out all of our things to do deals). Piedmont Park An adventure day doesn’t have to be filled with skydiving or bungee jumping. One of the cities oldest outdoor parks is the perfect place for an in town adventure. During the daytime the park is filled with people running and walking along the surrounding trails. You will also find activities like intramural sports and roller skating going on throughout the park. Skyview Ferris Wheel Skyview Ferris Wheel is Atlanta’s newest attraction located in Centennial Olympic Park. Riders can view the entire downtown skyline from the top at 20 stories high. Each Gondala can hold up to six people and has central air conditioning, keeping passengers cool during those hot summer months in Georgia. Atlanta MotorSpeedWay Driving School Head 30 miles south of the city to the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Want to be a Nascar driver for the day? The Atlanta Motor Speedway offers several different driving experiences for speed enthusiasts to test out their driving skills on the track. ZipLining Head north to Rome, Georgia for an adventure in the air at Daredevil Ziplines. Daredevil Ziplines offers zip lining and obstacle courses. Adrenaline junkies can get their adventure thrill sailing through the air on a zipline at a speed up to 40mph at 600 ft high. SkyDive Atlanta Skydiving is the ultimate thrilling seeking adventure. Take a chance to soar like bird with the diving experts from Skydive Atlanta. Skydive Atlanta is one of the cities popular and most trusted companies for Skydiving. You will be paired up with a Skydiving instructor as you jump out of an airplane from 14,000 feet.