Saturday Joy In Atlanta- Part 2 of Weekend Guide to the City
Welcome to Part 2 of my weekend guide to the city. PFB the link to part 1 which covers Friday afternoon to evening
Saturday Mornings:
For those wanting to get a bit of stretch into their step before lunch, I have a couple of recommendations, with the first being the parks. Whether it’s Piedmont, 4th Ward Park, Grant Park, etc there are numerous spots for you to unwind and get a quick morning run in.
For those looking for something different, Stone Summit offers customers the opportunity to climb, boulder, and even get some lifts in at their in-house weight gym. There are multiple locations around, but regardless of which you chose, and what activity you chose to do there, you are guaranteed to get yourself moving & in the mood for the rest of your day.
Saturday Afternoon:
The options are plentiful here so I’m going to break it down by theme while avoiding the standard recommendation such as the Aquarium, Zoo, College Football HOF, etc. Keep in mind those are still excellent spots to check out, just not something you need someone to recommend to you.
Games/Activities:
If you are feeling up to some adventures and activities, I’d recommend stopping in at Andretti’s GoKarting for karting, laser tag, bowling, VR and more. Other spots include the Fowling Warehouse, Puttshack for Mini Golf, Top Golf at the Battery, bars like Punch Bowl Social & The Painted Duck, or even Six Flags Atlanta.
A little bit further north, closer to Cummings, is the Atlanta Motorsports Park, which while home to professional driving, also hosts an incredible go-kart arena with an incredible backdrop. Completely worth what may seem like a bit of a journey, particularly when you experience a go-kart reaching speeds of up to 55 MPH.
Art Scene:
When one thinks of the Atlanta Art Scene, the High certainly comes to mind and it’s a perfect place for an afternoon. However, there are alternatives worth checking out. The most unique would be the Trap Museum, which pays homage to Atlanta’s robust hip-hop music scene through innovative setups and displays.
Another spot to consider would be the SCAD Museum of Fashion + Film which celebrates Atlanta’s flavorful art and film scene through its ever-rotating exhibits. At one point, they featured the costume pieces from Black Panther including the original panther costumes. If you thought it looked incredible on film seeing it up close was even more of a marvel(pun fully intended).
Other notable sites include MODA, Contemporary Art Center, Museum of Puppets, Buckhead Art Gallery, Zucot’s Art Gallery etc.
Nature Adventures:
One thing you will notice about Atlanta as soon as you arrive is how green it is, and if you want to take further advantage of all the green there is plenty of opportunities to do so. For those hoping to do a little mix & match and get some drink into their step, no better activity than to float down that Chattahoochee. Get your squad, your drinks, a cooler & hitch a 2–3 hour ride down the river enjoying some of the best metro Atlanta has to offer in terms of scenery. For those wishing to stretch their legs, there is the opportunity to jump off a cliff at one point as well.
Close to Cummings, Lake Lanier is the largest body of water closest to Atlanta and provides a great spot for those looking to get in a nice beach day, do some boating, kayaking etc
For those looking for a hike, I don’t have many spots I can recommend from personal experience, but from word of mouth, the two most satisfying appear to be Blood Mountain & Sitton’s Gulch. Based on a quick google search, I can see why they come so highly recommend, but quite frankly I doubt you could go wrong with any of the popular hikes around the area.
Saturday Evening:
Assuming you had an eventful day and are looking to wind down with a nice meal, this section is catered for you. If you have some energy left, my recommendation would be to refer back to the Friday night guide and either repeat or pick up something different this time.
Dinner Places I’d recommend checking out
Decatur Square: Located in a suburb of Atlanta, Decatur Square in many ways represents the ethos of suburban living in terms of its laid black yet well-kept aesthetic. A notable restaurant of choice would be the White Bull, which serves New American in a mod-rustic space.
Bufford Highway: For those looking for authentic international cuisine or just feeling the hole-in-the-wall vibe, look no further than Bufford highway. From Venezuela to Japan including everything in between is on display somewhere along Bufford Highway, where the only limitation is your palette and the size of your stomach. I don’t have any particular recommendations as the food is so varied, but I’d be fairly shocked if you walked away feeling anything less than satisfied with whatever you chose.
Heirloom Market:
My favorite BBQ in the Atlanta area, you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. Would highly recommend getting The Spicy Pork Sandwich as it’s to die for!
Bars: Refer Back to the Friday evening post
