HOW TO SELL ATLANTA


with whale sharks, the largest fi sh in the world; see beluga whales; watch a dolphin show; and spot albino alligators. www.georgiaaquarium.org


WORLD OF COCA-COLA When pharmacist John Pemberton concocted the still-secret recipe for Coca Cola in 1886 it would not have crossed his mind that 125 years later visitors from around the world would fl ock to Atlanta to satiate their fascination of the world’s best-selling soft drink. On offer is a ‘multi- sensory’ 4-D theatre, samples of over 60 different Coca Colas (the sweetness differs depending on local market tastes) and Coke adverts through the ages. www.worldofcoca-cola.com


INSIDE CNN STUDIO TOUR Media mogul Ted Turner was met with plenty of knowing ‘it’ll never work’ comments when he mooted the idea of a 24-hour rolling news network. But around the clock coverage of the fi rst Gulf War in the early 1990s forever changed expectations of the news presentation. The guided Inside CNN Studio Tour takes visitors behind the scenes of a working news studio. www.cnn.com/tour.


For foodies, Atlanta has a growing restaurant scene. Top city restaurants include The Sundial in The Westin Peachtree, which puts a focus on local and sustainable ingredients and Paschal’s in the city’s downtown Castleberry Arts District , which once counted Martin Luther King Jr as a frequent visitor for its fried chicken braised ribs. But for a real Atlanta institution, don’t miss a burger at The Varsity, downtown. It’s a city institution started by a Georgia Tech student in 1928 who had despaired of fi nding a decent burger. Each day the 850- seat diner serves up two miles of hot dogs, a ton of onions and 300 gallons of chili. The last four US presidents have wolfed down a chili slaw dog or BLT here.


Atlanta highlights The largest aquariums in the world features 10 million gallons of water holding over 8,000 different marine species. Visitors can SCUBA or snorkel


ZOO ATLANTA Atlanta, so the story goes, ‘inherited’ a zoo when a travelling circus went bust and the owners fl ed the city, leaving their animals behind. Revamped and upgraded in the 1990s, the zoo features over 700 specimens and is involved with various conservation projects. www.zooatlanta.org


LENOX SQUARE MALL AND NORTH GEORGIA PREMIUM OUTLETS Easily reached from downtown Atlanta (15 minutes via MARTA trains), Lenox Mall is one of the southeast USA’s premier shopping malls. Stores include Macy’s,


Neiman Marcus, Hollister, Ed Hardy and many others. ‘Savings’ of up 50% and more are available at shops like Guess, Banana Republic, Michael Kors and Tommy Hilfi ger at North Georgia Premium Outlets, around 45 minutes from downtown Atlanta www.simon.com/mall/lenox-square www.premiumoutlets.com


FOX THEATRE Catch a production at a venue listed on the national Register of Historic Places. Built in 1929 Moorish, Art Deco and Egyptian – that was the decade of the discovery of King Tut – styles, the theatre hosts live performances year-round. After, have dinner in the contemporary Livingston restaurant at the Georgian Terrace Hotel opposite. www.foxtheatre.org www.thegeorgianterrace.com


Did you know? Georgia is known as the 'Peach State' although these days it produces more peanuts and chickens than peaches. But Atlanta has over 80 streets, roads, alleys or avenues that are named ‘Peachtree’.


Top tip Suggest a two-night stayover in Atlanta, with one night in a Downtown or Midtown hotel and a night out at Stone Mountain Park, around 20 minutes out of the city. The park's central feature is the largest piece of exposed granite in the world or the world's second largest rock (after Ayers Rock). It has several family attractions such as a ‘skyride’ to the top of the rock, a playground and hiking and nature trails.


“Look out for


Atlanta hotels and streets providing


backdrops in the sequel to the Hunger Games, which will be released in 2013”


Clockwise from top left: Atlanta's skyline; The Varsity diner has been an


Atlanta institution since the 1920s; Quench your thirst for the globe's favourite soft drink


at World of Coca Cola; Ebenezer Baptist Church; Below: Inside CNN Studio Tour


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