How We Got Down in Hotlanta

As you know, Shaun and I took a little trip to Atlanta over MLK weekend. I had to go down there for work, so the man joined me to enjoy the weekend. Though some people may know Atlanta by Hotlanta, I assure you, hot it was not. The weekend we were there, it was more like Icelanta.

Anyhow, I worked Friday and then we went to the Buckhead Diner for dinner. It was out of this world. So out of this world, in fact, that I accidentally deleted the delicious photos that I took of our food. It's like it was too good to be real. Oh well. In all my blogging days thus far, it's the first time I've ever done that. But let me just tell you that if you are ever in Atlanta, the Buckhead Diner is where it's at.

So aside from eating lots of fried chicken and white chocolate banana cream pie (yep, it happened), we also took in some sights after I finished working on Saturday, starting with the Coca Cola Museum. Did you know that Atlanta is the home of Coca Cola? I didn't either. But it is, so they have a fun museum, and more importantly a tasting rom.

With countless artifacts, this was one of my favorite displays...the vintage Coke dispensers and refrigerators! I would love one of these for my house.

 The whole story of Coca Cola was strewn throughout the exhibit. Since this guy is a history buff, it was right up his alley. And who would have thought that a scientist with a dream of creating a soft drink would turn it into the most recognized brand in the world?! Perhaps its the brand manager in me, but I found the old advertisements and entire story to be extremely fascinating.

As a treat, they also featured the Olympic torch from the 1996 Olympics, which Shaun ran right up to snatch hold, while I snapped away...cool right?

And I'm obviously wanting some of the bronzed cup Coke. Don't you think everything would be better in bronzed or gilded cups?

And then we headed into the Coke room. Nope, it wasn't a den of illegal substances. Good thing too, because that would have been awkward. Instead, it was a room full of these pods, each of which denoted a continent or territory and the flavors of Coca Cola that are found there.

I have to say, we thought this was pretty awesome. I didn't even realize that there were so many international flavors, be it good or semi-disgusting tasting.

A little boy came over and warned Shaun not to try the Italian version, but that of course just fueled the fire of Shaun wanting to try it. So he did. It wasn't pretty. The boy was right. The moral of the story is: Kids know their sugar. Take their advice.

After our tums were coated with sugary goodness, we hit up Slice Downtown for some pizza and beer to take in the Steelers-Ravens game. PBR tall boys for 2.50? Don't mind if I do.

I know, who leaves New York and orders pizza? Apparently we just can't let it go.

After pizza 'n beer time, we headed over to the Georgia Dome for the Falcons-Packers game! When Shaun suggested we try to get tickets...and told me the game was in a dome stadium so we wouldn't have to sit in the cold..., I was all yes please! Despite the obnoxious girl behind us and her incessant 'Go Pack Go!' throughout the. entire. game. over. and. over., and despite the fact that my faux-Falcon fanning was short lived due to the beating they took by the Packers, it was a ton of fun and such a special experience to be at a game so full of energy!

If you ever have the means of going to a playoff game, regardless of the team, I say do it!

Plus, at non-New York stadiums, they think its a good idea to give people long sharp sticks to wave around. I was into it and figured that in itself was a once in a lifetime opportunity since I'm fairly positive that would never be permitted in Giants Stadium!

So there you have it. A lot accomplished in a little bit of time. We were able to change our flight on Sunday to make it home in time for the Jets-Patriots game, and no regrets on that one! Even though it was for a short time, I loved traveling and giving Atlanta a little look-see. I find it fascinating to see other places and how other people live, even within our own country! Oh, and of course, for the food! So what about you? Do you like traveling? What is your favorite part?

Gone South

Tonight I took a little trip down south. Down south to Atlanta for a little work trip. Unfortunately it's not any warmer down here than up north. I kicked off my trip with a little beer 'n books at the airport bar while I waited for the plane. I was just finishing up Naked Heat (it's the novel from the show Castle...anyone? Pure cheese, but pure fabulousness) on the Kindle, so it was nice to have some time to unwind before cramming onto the tiny Delta flight!

 

Once we landed in Atlanta (on time!), I headed over to MARTA, the local subway system to get to my hotel. I could have hopped in a cab, but I always like taking public transportation. It makes me feel like I'm learning even more about the city I'm visiting. Plus, my feeling is that if I can navigate the NYC subway system, I'm ready to take on the world!

And I have. Here's my sister Kimberly and me hopping a subway in Budapest when Shaun and I visited her in Eastern Europe in '07. We liked to pretend we were super touristy (which we were) and took mostly thumbs up pics throughout the trip!

Once I got to the hotel, I picked up dinner in the hotel cafe. Apparently this is what $13.00 gets you at an Atlanta hotel:

 

New York City where are you at a time like this? Luckily when Shaun joins me down here tomorrow night, we have big plans to sample some real Southern cuisine! Spoiler alert: There will be fried chicken and peach cobbler. I'm all about sampling local delights to see how it's done right! Just sayin'.

So that's part one of my little Atlanta getaway. Tomorrow I'm at a trade show all day and then the fried chicken will commence. So what about you? Do you like to sample local cuisine? How about the local transportation?

Travel Treats: Portland's Voodoo Doughnuts

It's Monday and I don't know about you, but I had quite a busy weekend. Shaun and I had no fewer than 1 wedding (congrats Joey and MariaAnne!), 2 Halloween parties, 1 engagement celebration (my bro-in-law and future sis-in law), multiple errands and 1 stop at IHOP for breakfast. Lots of fun was had, however, I'm a little disappointed that I have yet to pick up my one piece of Halloween candy for the season - a Reese's peanut butter pumpkin. Though I could go on and on about the merits of the pumpkin versus the standard Reese's cup, I'll move on to something less snooze-worthy. Something like doughnuts. And not just any doughnuts. Voodoo Doughnuts of Portland to be exact.

When my parents took a business trip out to Portland, Oregon last week, they of course ventured over to the famed Voodoo Doughnuts. A small bakery serving up, you guessed it, doughnuts, Voodoo Doughnuts isn't your average doughnut shop. Serving up doughnut concoctions including voodoo doll (filled with jam), bacon maple bar, Portland cream and Ol' Dirty Bastard (pb & Oreo...yum!), Voodoo is anything but ordinary. And to feed my food obsession so to speak, Mom and Dad made sure to not only snap some photos for thee blog (that's the voodoo doll - how awesome is that? - and the Ol' Dirty Bastard)...

...but they carted some Voodoo delights home from Portland for me to try.

And since I'm a sampler, you can be sure that I dove right into each one for a bite. Clockwise from top: Butterfingering, Diablos Rex, Portland Cream, McMinnville Cream, Sprinkle Doughnut.

First, I dug in to the Ol' Dirty Bastard - peanut butter and Oreos atop a light vanilla cake. Oh my, was this delicious, even after a plane ride back to NJ. Is it me or is there anything better than Oreo? Hmm?

Next up, I forked into the Butterfingering. The crispy, crunchity Butterfinger topping was scrumptious, while the doughnut was decadently cakey.

Though at this point I stopped snapping photos, I also dove right into the McMinnville Cream, a Bavarian cream-filled doughnut with maple frosting. Oooooh maple frosting, you are SO delicious. This was my favorite of the bunch, proving once again that Dad and I have the same taste in food (he proclaimed it the best of the bunch as well). In fact, the maple cake thing has inspired me to concoct a batch of maple cupcakes for an upcoming dinner party...stay tuned for that next week!

So there you have it. A little roundup of some tasty treats from the road. I love exploring new places and foods when traveling, even when it's vicariously through others! So for the question of the day: What's your favorite eatery or food you've ever discovered while traveling? And bonus question: How are you getting through this Monday morn?