Atlanta Weekend Getaway

We left our home bright and early this morning, before the sun had a chance to show its rays so we could be at the Atlanta Botanical Garden when they opened at 9:00 a.m. (eastern time - that would be 8:00 a.m. our time).  We got to enjoy a beautiful sunrise on our drive.

The sun was much higher in the sky by the time we got into Atlanta.

We made it to the Atlanta Botanical Garden just before they opened and got a great parking spot.  The special exhibit this summer is Imaginary Worlds Alice's Wonderland, whose characters are found throughout the gardens.  You will find Alice sleeping among the mushrooms in the Perennial Garden with the Cheshire Cat watching over her.  In the Skyline Garden, you will find the White Rabbit right near the Chessboard with the Card Knights and heart shaped bushes/trees.

They also brought back some figures from last year's exhibit such as a Phoenix, Mermaid, Dragon, Camels, Mammoth, Pegasus, and Shaggy Dog.

The highlight of the Cascades Garden is the Earth Goddess who is part of the Garden's permanent collection.

Besides these amazing creations, the Garden also has cultivated so many different beautiful flowers and plants that attract birds, butterflies, and bees (and frogs).

Northern Mockingbird

Northern Mockingbird

Brown Thrasher 

Ruby Throated Hummingbird

The eastern part of the Garden has an amazing Canopy Walk and shaded paths and bridges that should not be missed.

After almost three hours at the Garden, we decided it was time to find some lunch and move on to our next plans.  We ate at a Zaxby's and headed to Locust Grove, GA.  Locust Grove is home to Georgia's Tanger Outlets.  We didn't last very long at the outlet mall as being a Saturday afternoon (one of the last weekends before school starts) it was way too busy.

There were some great city views as we were leaving the downtown Atlanta area.

7 lanes of traffic in each direction!

Our next stop in Locust Grove was the Train Viewing Platform right next a fairly busy set of tracks.  The first train arrived before we could even get out of our car but the next one was only about 10 minutes behind it.  With a nice breeze, a little lower humidity and temperatures only in the 80s, we spent over an hour and a half and saw three trains go through.

Paul recorded the second train passing through that had two engines and 87 cars.  You can watch it pass through in the video below.

We then checked into our hotel, the Courtyard in McDonough and found way too much to eat at the Golden Corral, just a short walk away, before relaxing for the evening.