A Thousand Country Roads

We Had a Hot Time in “Hot ‘Lanta”: Part 6

December 31, 2014 in Destination, Family Fun, Vacation

And part 6 is the grand finale of this odyssey. When we last parted, the family and I were leaving Zoo Atlanta on our way to the day’s final destination which would also be the last event of our weekend vacation. If you’ve followed us through the first five parts, you know what a jam-packed, hectic adventure filled our time in the capital of the Peach State. But it was now time to bring it to a fitting close so off we went for one more tourist stop.

As I mentioned previously, I have quite a history with Atlanta. This trip was to give my wife a taste of a large American city, one I’ve always enjoyed, as well as setting her up with her own Atlanta history, which ironically began a couple of years earlier when we arrived in the U.S. from the Philippines after I flew there to bring her here on a fiancé visa. We landed in Atlanta after sixteen hours in the air, making Atlanta the place where she first set foot on American soil. And the place we were going to to finish our last day ties in with my long Atlanta history: Underground Atlanta.

The first time I ever went to Underground Atlanta was July 31, 1973. How’s that for knowing my history? And that was a long, hectic day just as the days my family experienced on this trip. My brother and I hit the road early on our way to Myrtle Beach, going the long way around. The first thing we wanted to do was go to Six Flags Over Georgia, outside of Atlanta. After enjoying the park, we went to the city and ate at what is most likely the most famous drive-in in the south, if not the U.S., the Varsity. Then it was off to Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium to see the Braves play the Cincinnati Reds. When the game was over, being full-blooded young men, we definitely wanted to do a late-night visit to the famous underground and scope it out. The key word there is young, because we were not yet of age to indulge in what Alex Trebek so quaintly calls “potent potables” as a Jeopardy category. Still, we had a blast roaming through the area, mixing with the crowd, enjoying the ambiance as well as the excitement. It was well after midnight when we took off for the six-hour drive to the beach, arriving just in time to see the sun come up. Oh, to be young again and so full of energy!

The site now is nothing compared to what it was back in that time. It truly is more of a tourist destination now compared to the party hearty place it once was. But even before it was a place to go let your hair hang down, it had a very storied history since its beginnings in the post-Civil-War reconstruction era. Today there are still nightclubs, but there’s also many shops and restaurants making it more of a family oriented place. It also has the feel of a museum with many historic displays as well as antique vehicles

 A few of the many antique vehicles on display

One of the most interesting things we saw was, of all things, an old gas lamp. It was one of 50 gas lamps erected by the Atlanta Gas Light Company in 1856 and is the only one that survived the Civil War. In July of 1864, a free-black man by the name of Soloman (Sam) Luckie was leaning against this very lamp when an artillery shell hit nearby, mortally wounding him. This lamp stood for many years on what is now Peachtree Street. It was relit in December of 1939 at the time of the World Premiere of “Gone With The Wind” held in Atlanta. It was later moved to Underground Atlanta, a unique piece of the city’s past. A fascinating feature of the lamp is its wounds from that shell burst that killed Sam Luckie. A piece of the shrapnel also hit the lamp post and is visible near the base. That truly is history.

 The lamp post that wasn’t so lucky for Sam Luckie
And so ended our final excursion of the vacation. ‘Twas just one of the memorable events of our three days of adventure and excitement. We still had dinner to do and then get packed for an early morning departure. That’s the one thing I’ve neglected in sharing, all the great restaurants and food we enjoyed, but like in any large city, there was no lack of culinary exquisiteness. My one great regret was that we didn’t go to that famous drive-in, the Varsity. It was on my to-do list but we were so busy, it just slipped my mind. Oh well, there’s always next time.
While having our breakfast the next morning we had a very pleasurable conversation with the waitress who had took care of us our entire stay at the hotel. She too, like my wife, had come to the U.S. to live. She was a native of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and shared some of her life experiences with us. After all we went through to make my wife’s immigration possible, it’s nice to hear similar stories that also had a happy ending. 
 One for the road – breakfast, that is…(“,)
And speaking of endings, this is not only the end of this vacation tale, today is also the end of 2014. Not only will the ball drop in Times Square tonight, in Atlanta they have their annual Peach Drop at Underground Atlanta to usher in the new year. Who knows? Maybe we’ll just hop in the car and take a mini one-day vacation and celebrate. Plus, I could introduce Lynndee and Yogi to the Varsity drive-in’s famous hot dogs and onion rings. What better way to start a new year? Anyway, Happy New Year, y’all! See you next year!
Previous We Had a Hot Time in “Hot ‘Lanta”: Part 5
Next Awesome Attractions Await You in Atlanta

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About Harry

There's really nothing special to share about me. I'm a simple man who leads a simple life, still in search of knowledge and the enlightenment it gives to my still-growing mind. And I do believe in magic, for it is out there, waiting to be discovered by those whose hearts and minds are open to the possibility, and whose eyes are willing to look past the obvious and seek the realm of the mystical. As I once read in a description of my traits based on my birthdate, I'm a dreamer of dreams, a teller of tales whose mystic mind knows that truth prevails. And as the great poet Robert Frost said:
"...I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."

Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Harry says

      Oh yeah, I had a definite itinerary in mind when I took them to my favorite city, and other than eating at the Varsity Drive-In, we got it all done.

    • Harry says

      And a Happy New Year to you. But, no, we didn’t do a spur-of-the-moment road trip to go to the Peach Drop; we just stayed home and watched the ball drop in Times Square, followed by a New Year’s kiss and a toast with some good wine. A great start to a new year! (“,)

  3. kat b says

    Looks like a really nice time! I love being able to see the history of some stuff. It’s really neat! I have never been to Atlanta but I’ve always wanted to go.

  5. Chrystal Mahan says

    I went to Atlanta once when I was a young teen, so it’s been a rough 25 years since traveling there. I don’t remember much other than the heavy air and clouds/smog when passing through downtown. Oh, and the traffic. But, I’ve also been through Dallas traffic downtown right at 5pm. It looks like you guys had quite an adventure.

  8. Russ R. says

    I’ll make sure to visit Atlanta when I go to the US in the nearer future. It seems like it has so much history and it’s the kind of stuff that I really enjoy whenever I’m on a trip. I’d love to know more about the annual Peach Drop. I wish you and Lyndee a happy and love-filled year ahead. Happy New Year!

    • Harry says

      And the same to you, Russ a year full of love as well as prosperity. If you ever get the chance, be sure and check Atlanta out. But of course, make sure you go to a Braves game!

  10. John Lopez says

    I really love atlanta. I remember my last visit their last June 2014 my family are so happy and that place peaceful and very nice views.

    • Harry says

      I have been known to be a sappy, cheezy kinda romantic. But other than my past history with Atlanta, that truly was one of the reasons I wanted us to go there, it being where our dream of getting her to the US to be my wife came into being.

  14. Samantha Angell says

    Wow, you definitely do know your history down to the date! Sounds like you were able to cram a ton of awesome events and activities into your vacation in Atlanta- I’ll have to share with a friend who recently moved there!

    • Harry says

      I’ve always been like that about dates, especially regarding baseball games. I know the dates of every game I’ve ever seen.

  18. Shirgie Scf says

    You ended 2014 with a blast because if this very interesting travel. I love it when you go to places and you are just like traveling back in time. I wish you have more adventures for 2015. Keep sharing. 🙂

  21. Michelle Garrett says

    I’ve lived only 3-5 hours from Atlanta the majority of my life and always plan on spending a weekend truly exploring and enjoying the city. I’m definitely going to do that this year and you’ve provided some great sites to check out. Definitely need to try out those onion rings! Happy 2015!

  26. lauriel says

    This is the first time I’ve heard of Underground Atlanta; it has a mysterious ring to it, and it’s great to see a little bit of the area’s history. Sounds like it’s quite a bit of fun introducing your wife and son to the culture – and I hope they enjoy their first hot dogs and onion rings! :9 (the latter is one of my all-time guilty favorites.. along with fried chicken…)

    xo,
    lauriel
    EyeForElegance.com

  27. Lisa Rios says

    Sounds like you had a great Atlanta trip. The cars looks too old, yet beautiful. I have never been to Atlanta, but it is in my wish list for sure. Very happy new year 2015.

  28. Brandy Tanner says

    This looks like such a fun time, I have not been to Atlanta since I flew in 2011, but it was only a quick stop to switch flights. Would love to go and visit there some day!

  29. April Mims says

    Sounds like a great trip with lots of adventure and memories. I used to visit my grandparents in Atlanta over a few summers and we frequented the Varsity.

  30. Ann B says

    I’ve never been to Atlanta but I hear it is a nice city with lots to offer. I have never heard of a Peach Drop on NYE. That sounds like quite a fun thing to witness.