40 Years of Racing, Right Next Door

About two hours west of Atlanta, Talladega is one of the southern racetracks that host big events. You’ll see super-fast races, and of course, there’s the high likelihood of wrecks during a race. Loud but fun!

Upcoming races include the Truck Series Qualifier, the Amp Energy 500 (part of the Sprint Cup Series), and the ARCA Re/Max series.

43,000 people can’t be wrong – racing is ‘good times.’

Awaken Your Senses, It’s Worth The Drive

Due to popular demand, Bodies, The Exhibition and Dialog In The Dark are staying at Atlantic Station in Atlanta until May 31, 2010.

I have been to Bodies when it first came to Atlanta a few years ago, but I have not yet experienced Dialog In The Dark.  I did have a friend that experienced it last night and quickly found out that he was controlling and did not trust anyone.  He said that Dialog was life changing and he plans on going back to see how much he has changed.

Dialog is a blind instructor-led exhibit that allows you to experience the everyday life of a visually impaired person.

After the hour long journey you meet your instructor and, for most people, will also be in tears.

I plan on attending Dialog to see how I would react and I’m sure I will be the one in tears.

Have you been to either exhibit?

More can be found here: www.atlanticstation.com

Kennesaw Mountain National Battleground Park

From the  “http://www.nps.gov/kemo/” National Park Service page on Kennesaw Mountain:

“The Atlanta Campaign started here.
It was a swelteringly hot and clear Monday, June 27, 1864, when some of the heaviest fighting of the Atlanta Campaign occurred here. Preserved are historic earthworks, cannon emplacements and monuments. Interpreted here are the historic events where over 5,350 soldiers were killed in the battle fought here from June 19, 1864 through July 2, 1864.”

For those interested in some of the history surrounding Atlanta during the time of the civil war, there are few natural resources as wonderful as  HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kennesaw_Mountain” Kennesaw Mountain. Atlanta has more than its fair share of museums and former homes, but Kennesaw offers a beautiful park in addition to the history. Extensive trails cover the park area, and the mountain is quite a challenge to local trail runners.

Contact the Rangers at the park for more information on the battles that occurred, and tours available.

Ranger Activities
900 Kennesaw Mountain Dr.
Kennesaw, GA 30152

Phone
Visitor Center/Bookstore
(770) 427-4686 ext. 0

Chief Ranger Morris
(770) 427-4686 ext. 228

Links:
“http://www.nps.gov/kemo/” http://www.nps.gov/kemo/ (National Park Service)
“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kennesaw_Mountain” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kennesaw_Mountain (Kennesaw Mountain)

Myrtle Beach: 60 miles of Scenery

Myrtle Beach, with more than 14 million visitors a year, features 60 miles of beaches, luxurious hotels, attractions, golf courses, great restaurants and fantastic shopping.

If you are looking for a place to play in the water away from the beach,  try Wild Water and Race Theme Park. This park has speed slides, mat slides, tube slides and a wave pool to bat the heat. It also has mini-golf and other rides for the entire family.

For the fishing enthusiast, try the Voyager Deep Sea Fishing and Dolphin Cruises. For a very reasonable price you can go out on the water and try your hand at fishing for a half-day or fish in the Gulf Stream. The kids will love the dolphin cruise. It takes you through the inland waterways of the Carolinas the out to the Atlantic Ocean to watch the shrimp boat fleet work their nets. Then watch as the dolphins, sharks and other marine life feed behind the shrimp boats.

Learn more about Myrtle Beach at

Try a Quick Getaway to Gatlinburg

Would you like to get away but don’t think you have the time? How does horseback riding, canoeing, shopping or perhaps a dip in a hot tub sound to you?

You can do all of this in one weekend trip by driving to Gatlinburg, Tenn., which is closer than you may think.

Amid the splendor of the Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg embodies the simple goodness of small town life. Gatlinburg is where people gather together and stand in awe of nature’s glory.

The adjacent Great Smoky Mountains National Park, boasts more than nine million visitors annually, and has transformed Gatlinburg into a mountain resort destination, packed with accommodations of every sort, dozens of local-to-national restaurants, and attractions galore.

Surrounded on three sides by the natural beauty of the park, Gatlinburg prides itself in its mountain heritage, and the arts, crafts and retail shops of the area reflect that heritage to a large extent.

Enjoy the walking community along the Downtown Parkway, which runs from one end of town to the other with hundreds of things to see and do in between. The river walk along River Road echoes the wistful sounds of the Little Pigeon River, with gazebos and benches along the walkway. And the streets are dotted with shops and restaurants for about three miles.

Once the sun sets, there are plenty of fine dining and entertainment options. From family-fare to filet mignon and everything in between, the area’s restaurants have something special to please you. Log on to www.gatlinburg.com for more info.

If you have been to Gatlinburg and would like to share your favorite restaurant, attraction or photos, please let us know.

Meet Me in the Middle

Being located smack-dab on the Georgia-South Carolina border, football fans in Augusta don’t know who to cheer for. Do they whoop it up for their home state heroes, the University of Georgia Bulldogs, or get rowdy for their neighboring South Carolina Gamecocks?

Next week, these teams go head to head in a televised game at UGA’s Sanford Stadium. The game is Saturday, September 12  and kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. If you can’t make the drive to Athens, catch the game on ESPN2.

South Carolina has already proven they are in it to win it. They won their first game against North Carolina State 7-3, and success is sweet. However, history has a way of repeating itself and UGA beat South Carolina last year 14-7. Plus, UGA has the advantage of making the AP Top 25 polls with a solid ranking on 13, while South Carolina didn’t even make the cut.

Bulldogs coach, Mark Richt, even has a better overall record of 88-22. Although South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier  doesn’t have as many seasons under his belt, he still holds a respectable record of 28-22.

So who do you think is going to win? Who are you rooting for?

Road Trip: The Grand Canyon

Spectacular, unique and beautiful. Words don’ t do it justice.

The Grand Canyon is an enormous gorge carved by the Colorado River in Arizona. It is one of the seven natural wonders of the world. With the diverse landscape, habitat and elevation change from the top of the rim to the canyon floor, you’

ll find a wide variety of wildlife in the Grand Canyon National Park. The endangered California condor, the bald eagle, bighorn sheep, mountain lions and the peregrine falcon are just a few that you may see on your visit to the park.

While many people like to explore the canyon by foot, there are other options. A number of bus companies provide luxury Grand Canyon tours. For water lovers, rafting the Grand Canyon is considered to be one of the most exciting adventure tours in the United States. Or if you would prefer to soar above the canyon, then there are many companies that offer Grand Canyon helicopter-tours.

Log onto www.nps.gov/grca to find out more information about planning your trip to this amazing natural wonder.

If you’ve been, tell us about your trip. Send photos and comments.