I know what you’re thinking right now, “Road trip to Atlanta? Is that even possible? Even if it is…why?”. I’m here to tell you that it is possible and can actually be quite enjoyable. This past weekend I found myself loading a friend’s possessions into a Penske moving truck and strapping a Honda Civic to the back for an 800 mile road trip to Atlanta. Let me make sure we’re on the same page here real quickly. The drive to Atlanta is long. Really long. And making the whole the trip that much less enjoyable was the need to tow my friend’s car behind the truck and the Penske mandated 55 mph speed limit while towing a vehicle. What would only be a 12 hour trip at normal highway speeds became and tedious 15 hour journey as we chugged along sub-posted speed limit. The drive itself is pretty enjoyable. The rolling hills through Virginia and North Carolina made for some very beautiful scenery. But the real fun of the trip began when we arrived in Atlanta and were able to start enjoying all there is to do in this exciting city.

After a full day of moving and apartment setting up on Saturday my friend and I had worked up quite the appetite and were looking to try something different. I’ve always wanted to go to a Mongolian BBQ and a quick Google Maps search revealed quite a few options in the Buckhead area of Atlanta where my friend’s new apartment is located. After reading a few reviews we landed on The Real Chow Baby, a modern take on the traditional Mongolian BBQ.

Our Real Chow Baby experience began at the bar while we waited for a table. They have an awesome selection of cocktails including some unique takes on favorites like the mojito. But the real reason you’re going to want to go to the Real Chow Baby is their one of a kind stir fry experience. After waiting in a line to get to the assembly station, ingredients are mixed and matched in bowls as you choose your favorite veggies, starches, and proteins to create a dish as unique as you are. I landed on flat rice noodles with an array of vegetables, beef, chicken, and pork all mixed together with Thai red chili curry sauce, Thai BBQ sauce, and peanut sauce. Following a short wait back at our table we were presented with our cooked dishes. Spicy and full of flavor, the fresh ingredients worked together perfectly in my masterpiece. If mine sounds like it might have been a bit too spicy for you, you can make your own. At the Real Chow Baby, “You’re the boss”. For all you can eat at only $11.99, there isn’t a better value in town.

Sunday afternoon our adventures took us downtown to the CNN center and the World of Coke. Since we were on a time budget, we opted to skip the CNN tour and just roam about the gift shop and the plaza. I’ve heard some really good things about the tour at CNN though so any future trips back to Atlanta will certainly include the tour. Home to CNN’s worldwide headquarters, the CNN Plaza is also a huge tourist stop. So much so that you’ll find a full food court with over a dozen different dining options. Most were fast food chains, but some were new to me and looked pretty good. Not wanting to spoil our appetite before dinner we just grabbed a coffee and bagel from the Dunkin Donuts.

Our next stop was the World of Coke a few short blocks away. The World of Coke is basically Coca-cola’s brainwashing center for lovers and non-lovers of Coca-cola products. Don’t love Coke going into the tour? Well chances are you will afterwards. I went into the tour a Pepsi lover and came out a grudging fan of Coke. Exhibits throughout the mostly self guided tour talk about the history of Coke, how it was invented and how it’s made. But the real highlight of the tour is the tasting room. This is the place for you if you’ve ever wondered what kind of soda people drink on other continents. Beverage stations separated by continent give us Americans an inside look at what we’d be drinking if we lived in Japan, Germany, or Brazil. It’s a lot of fun but best enjoyed in moderation. After several tastings I had hit a wall and drastically needed to cut down the serving size in each cup.

After scurrying through the Coke gift shop we realized it was about 3:45PM which left us about 30 minutes to get to a bar to watch the Eagles game. We ended up going to the Rocky Mountain Pizza Company which is homebase for all transplanted Eagles fans in Atlanta. We should’ve gotten there earlier beacuse the place was packed! Unfortunately because there were no tables left we had to sit outside in a screened in porch area. Now when I was packing for this trip I thought, “Georgia. Should be warm”. Don’t make the mistake I did. It was frigid all weekend long. Including as we watched the game outside. We had their baked strizzata as an app and their smokehouse pizza for an early dinner as we watched the game. Both were delicious but unfortunately, beacuse of the cold, we bailed on the Rocky Mountain Pizza Co in search of warmer climate. We made it to Barley’s Sports Bar downtown just in time to catch the Cowboys continue their spanking on the Eagles. Oh well, I guess the weekend couldn’t be 100% perfect.

So despite the distance I highly recommend everyone take a trip to Atlanta. It would be a great place to visit if you have a 3 or 4 day weekend and want to try somewhere new. Delta Airlines hubs out of Atlanta’s airport so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a cheap flight directly from Philly if that is the route you want to go.