ATL: Day One

We've been talking about going to the Georgia Aquarium for years and then while Dustin and I were in Seattle in May we sent the Bentons some photos of their aquarium and the trip started to morph into fruition. It was perfect timing to go for Matt's birthday since he's the most passionate about aquariums and sea life in general although the rest of us are pretty down for it too. 

Dustin and I had received vouchers for our flight from hell coming back from the aforementioned Seattle trip. Plus we both are not into long car rides. I max out at 4 hrs - so basically a drive to Savannah. Everywhere else I will gladly fly to. So we flew up and the Bentons picked us up from the airport since they had driven up the day before to visit with family. 

As our plane started to really rev up the engine on the runway it stopped and we were told a light came on and we would have to return to the gate. The pilot was super reassuring that it could be a simple 10 minute fix. But then we were asked to deplane and we knew it could be awhile. Thankfully we were only delayed 2 hrs. It was annoying, sure, but it could've been worse so I'm just glad it wasn't significant to throw off our itinerary.

The minute I saw Rachelle she handed me a pump spice frap and it was just the thing to ease my annoyance. And the minute we got into the car THIS SONG was playing on whatever station it was set to so we all started to sing along "Doo doo brown scrub the ground". Even Addilyn was singing it in her cute little almost 4 year old voice. HA! It really pumped us up for the trip. 

First stop was of course the main event **drum roll please** the Georgia Aquarium! Finally! After all the hype from literally everyone and after years of talking about it we were there with our City Pass in hand. 

There is nothing like that first glimpse of the giant blue glow of the aquarium. Then each time something cool goes by (which is literally every 5 seconds) theres all the ooohs and ahhhs. 

Whale shark! Ahhh!

Sea turtle! Oooh!

Leafy sea dragon! OH! (My new favorite)

The whole place is huge with tons of different areas to explore. 

Check out their web cams! It doesn't do any of it justice but it's still cool!

We were able to see everything and even enjoyed both shows. The first show was three super cute and smart seals. The second show was the dolphin show which was of course much larger. We didn't realize until the show was about to start that we were in the splash zone. Whoops. But we were on the side and up about 5 rows. We should be fine.

WE WERE NOT FINE. Dilyn to be more specific was NOT fine. We got splashed quite a bit but Dilyn and Rachelle got soaked and Dilyn was so not happy about it. She started scream crying and even asked to leave. Ha! We were all just cracking up over the whole thing and thankfully she calmed down after Rachelle consoled her. But yeah, girl was not about that splash life. 

It's one of those places you can just stroll through and take your time with. We spent a good 5 hours there until we left due to hunger. 

 

I had a co-worker and my friend's boyfriend recommend eating at The Varsity since it's a staple in ATL. When I mentioned it to Rachelle she says she remembers eating there awhile back too. There was a location right by the aquarium so we all filled up on burgers, fries, and coca-cola. 

Afterwards we went to check in at the hotel. The whole drive Dilyn played with her new rescued seal that she first named Rudy but later changed to Peach. It's this cute little stuffed animal and doctor kit. So she also gave Rachelle and I some shots and looked into our mouths to make sure everything was in tip top shape. The hotel itself was really cool. We all especially loved the glass elevators. We're easy to please. It was located downtown so parking was annoying but the boys parked down the street while us ladies got the keys to our rooms. A few days prior I called the hotel requesting our rooms were attached or at least close by each other. They told us they were connecting rooms while we were checking in. Sweet! (This was Dustin's request as he needs his own toilet.)

Rachelle goes into her room and I find the door to ours in this corner. I walk into a mini kitchen, dining room, an L-shaped sofa, and a giant tv. The bed and the bath were in a whole other room (which was connected to theirs). I called down to the front desk to make sure we weren't being charged extra for this suite since I had originally booked just one king bed. They confirmed we weren't so I hung up quick and we all just enjoyed the shit out of it for the 48 hrs we were there.

We all hung out in our "living room" for a bit to unwind. Dilyn continued her doctor duties and checked Dustin out next. Ha! We were all starting to crave some sugar but then quickly learned a bunch of places had already closed. What the hell ATL. We were going to go to a Dairy Queen a few blocks away when Matt mentioned Sweet Stack (which also happens to be open late on Fridays and Saturdays) so we made the trek. On the map it didn't look so far but when you're actually walking it it's another story. Dilyn got a ride on Matt's shoulders and the rest of us trudged along slowly after them. It was totally worth it though. I mean, just you wait until you see the photos below. They are known for their donut ice-cream sandwiches which is such a genius idea. Dustin and I both got a glazed donut (as buns), coffee ice-cream (center), and cookie crips/oreo crumbles (toppings) and ate the delicious creation with a spoon. It was the perfect way to end a really fun day.