Welcome to the ATL

This morning we had a late check out, so we decided to capitalize on pool time since it was another 100+ degree day. We had breakfast and headed to the pool for a few hours. We had the pool to ourselves so we had fun with handstand contests, playing catch and splashing around.

We had a little lunch and then loaded up to head to Atlanta. We had about a 4 hour drive, so we spent a lot of time reading, coloring, and playing. Emma has knocked out 5 books and over 600 pages, Grace is 200 pages in on the 4^th Harry Potter, Mark is on his 2^nd Steven King, and I am still working my way through, “I’ll Give You the Sun.” Mark and I have also listened to a bunch of really great podcasts while driving. If you like podcasts, we’re huge fans of This American Life, and my favorites have been; #487/488 Harper High School, #409 Held Hostage, and #439 A House Divided. This trip has been great for catching up on things we want to do instead of things we need to do; at the forefront…reading for fun.

Once we arrived in Atlanta we were greeted with their lovely traffic. It was slow going for a bit, but we made it to Centennial Park and decided to tour the World of Coca Cola museum. It came highly recommended by a friend, so we thought it should make the list of sights for Atlanta. It felt like they took a page out of Disney’s book on customer service. This self-guided tour, was full of fun, interaction, and efficiency. Coke definitely knows how to serve the tons of people that tour each day. 

Some of the highlights; seeing the vault room that holds the secret recipe for coke, experiencing the 4D theatre, and of course the tasting room. With over 100 different coke products from throughout the world, the girls loved being able to have unlimited tastes of fizzy drinks from 5 different continents. As a parting gift everyone received a free bottle of coke. The girls also somehow scored coca cola bracelets as well. 

Tons of Coke gear from around the world!

Of course, we had to meet their polar bear for some hi-fives and hugs. 

Emma, trying to make the perfect drink. She got the closest to the secret recipe.

The vault room...Grace was determined to find out the secret recipe. 

Trivia to see if you can recreate the Coca Cola logo. 

American Idol fans? Here is the Coca Cola couch from a few seasons ago.

They were excited for the 4D movie...only Grace was a fan by the end. 

Tasting the flavors from Asia. Only a few passed our tests. 

Unlimited taste testing of pop...dream come true or stomach ache? Thankfully the girls didn't go crazy, they tasted the ones that looked curious, but then at the end they finished with a huge glass of Dasani water - also made by Coke. Since they aren't big pop drinkers there favorites were; lemonade, powerade, and water...I was shocked!