my pretty city........

Welcome to Atlanta.... or as we would say: hey, y'all!

I've posted about Atlanta a few times in the past, but never accompanied them with nice pictures. Thank goodness google was able to step in and take over for me.

Since I'm not good with being able to move pictures around to where I'd like them to be in my posts... heck, I'm just lucky to just get them up here, I will try to explain them as best I can, and hope they hold their place when the real posting occurs.

The five people in the black and white photo goes all the way back to 1939, when the cast, author and producer of the movie, "Gone With The Wind" premiered in Atlanta at Loews Grand Theatre. The movie would go on to win eight academy awards, including best actress, best supporting actress, and best picture. Sadly, the author, Margaret Mitchell would die in a freak car accident ten years later, while trying to help her frail husband out of their car. She would step into traffic, and was hit by a drunk driver, dying five days later at Grady Hospital.
From left to right: Vivian Leigh, Clark Gable, Margaret Mitchell, David O. Selznick, and Olivia deHavilland. Best supporting actress, Hattie McDaniel, not pictured, would be the first woman of color to win an academy award, and the movie still holds the record for highest ticket sales (adjusted for inflation, of course).

The carving of the three gentleman riding, is Atlanta's Stone Mountain, the largest piece of exposed granite, and one of the largest monoliths in the world. It falls behind Mt. Augustus in Australia, and Haystack Rock in Oregon. Starting 300 million years ago, this massive stone is only one-third uncovered today. It is surrounded by forests, a man-made lake, and a small town named Stone Mountain. So, technically, it isn't within the city limits, but Atlanta has a habit of adopting in anything within it's reach, and Stone Mountain qualifies. It has been said that the second wave of the KKK was rooted on top of the mountain back in 1915, when men climbed to the top and burned a cross that could be seen from Atlanta, and it would be with funds raised by these men that the carving would come to fruition on the face of the mountain. Klansmen frequently held meetngs here, until the speech by Reverand King in 1964, when slowly the tides changed and the klansmen eventually were no longer welcomed in the area. Conceived in 1909, replicas of Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee, and Jefferson Davis were finally completed in 1972..... after many years of starting, finishing, and redoing the carving itself many times over. Today, the mountain and surrounding area is all park land, with attractions that could occupy your time for the whole weekend. Between the anti-bellum house (complete with slave cabins), the skylift to the top, the grist mill, covered bridge, and paddle-wheel showboat that crosses the lake, there is also a welcome center that shows history of the area, an "old town" of gift shops, and a ride on SMARTA, the train that circles the base of the mountain. It is also the largest picnic area in the state.... probably the world. All this is set in the splendor of the forest, not dimmed by any cheesy amusement rides, or boardwalks. You even have the option of climbing the mountain from the backside, where during your crawl up the 1.1 miles to the top, you will see etchings on the granite ground of people who have tread there back in 1898. If you aren't too queasy to make the trip down by yourself, the skylift is a cool ride. Runners and bicyclists are a constant companion of the trails and roadways, and for those who prefer to sit and gaze, there is always the carving, which is used as a backdrop for laser shows at night. Can you see why Atlanta has adopted it?

The Fabulous Fox Theatre is a landmark that will always stand in the city amongst all of it's tall buildings. Built in the 1920's, and of Moorish design, the theatre is a bit dwarfed, but magnificent and spectacular in it's own way on opening night. I have been several times, and still wonder at it's beauty every time I walk through the front doors. The last time I went there was for my birthday to see the play, "Annie". A few girls and myself got gussied up for the evening, ate dinner across the street, and walked the few steps over to make sure we didn't miss our seats in the nose-bleed section. As I watched the show, I couldn't help but wander my eyes up to the ceiling (not too far away, mind you). It's a thing you do everytime you're inside, because the ceiling has twinkling stars, behind a projection of moving clouds, and you get the feeling you are watching the show underneath a calm and beautiful night sky. In 1974, the Fox was headed for the demolition ball, as Southern Bell wished to build their new headquarters on the site. It was saved by celebrities and concerned local citizens, and eventually added to the National Historic Landmark register. Since that time, the theatre and building in total has undergone a complete restoration to bring it back to it's former glory of it's Egyptian Ballrooms, and the Arabian courtyard stage of the 1920's.

The picture of the mansion with the colorful flowers in front is actually named The Swan House, located next door to the History Center Museum in Buckhead (a neighborhood north of the city hustle and bustle.) It never fails to bring someone from out of town there in the Spring, as all the flowers are in bloom, and you feel like you might have stepped back in time. It doesn't hurt living in the area either, as it is "old" money, and the residents mansions reflect as such. Not a blade of grass is out of sync, and your neighbor is the Govenor of the State. You should see his lawn!

Then we have Underground, which is located in the heart of Atlanta. After Sherman came through and bow-tied the railroad tracks, laying the city to complete devastation, the city fathers decided to build the new Atlanta over what was left as rubble, and destroyed store fronts. During the 1970's, builders who revived Boston's Fanueil Hall, came to Atlanta and rebuilt the underground area of the city into shops and restaurants. While it was popular for a short time, it gradually lost it's appeal, and became home to rats, homeless, and wind-blown garbage. In the 1990's, another team came in and revived it once again. Although it was a hot spot for a few years, many of those shops have come and gone, and Underground does not have the same amount of tourists it once did. However, it is still hanging on, and it is where we drop the "peach" on New Years Eve.

I haven't even scratched the surface, as Atlanta has many more places of note that attract many tourists. The Martin Luther King Memorial and eternal flame is located just a few blocks from the Capitol Building on Auburn Avenue. Back in the 1920's, Auburn Ave was the city's own Harlem of it's time. Music and the smells of great food permeated the air, while Ebenezer Church would launch it's most prolific preacher. Today, the neighborhood is only a shadow of it's former self, as it has been quite run down due to the mishandling of it's funds by the King off-spring. As much as they want the city to take over the grooming of the park area, they still want complete say in the handling of the funds (which have been proven to be mis-appropriated), and do not want the parks department to do any more than all the work.
By complete contrast, the Jimmy Carter Library is completely handled by the Parks and Recreation Department (and government funds) , and you will see beautiful lawns and gardens well taken care of, and the wonderful historical papers of our only President from the state of Georgia.

I have been to all of these sites, and many more, as I wanted to know everything I could about this city..... how it breathed, and what stood where before it was reduced to rubble. In my journeys, I have come to see Atlanta as a city that doesn't know how to stop. Just take a gander at it's traffic problems, and you would want to head to the hills to live. Which is precisely what has happened, as the city now has engulfed the surrounding towns, heading forever outward in acquiring landscape. They may be named an entirely different name than Atlanta, but they still are considered part of the metro area. That's alright by the citizens though, as we are a proud bunch anyway. We have wonderful Universities, sports teams, and eateries..... not to mention the largest aquarium in the world (except the actual ocean itself). We don't stop, and we can't be pushed aside, we are Olympians in our quest to constantly build past our boundaries, and it shows through the many trees and parks that are still left.

So.... if you ever make it to my pretty city, make sure to look me up. You'll be invited in for a tall glass of very sweet iced tea, and many rich stories of a city that knows what it is to grow past the rubble it started with during Reconstruction. There is no doubt that the best seasons are Spring and Fall.... and better yet, you don't even need to bring a coat. Atlanta is just that nice during those fair seasons.