The Attractions of Olympic Park in Atlanta

I started my morning at The American Hotel, a Signia Hotel by Hilton, with breakfast from their Friendship Market. My niece, Moriah met me at about 11:00 for a day of fun at Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park.

The National Center for Civil and Human Rights was under construction and closed, but we planned to visit the rest of the attractions that surround the park. A CityPass helped make this easier. With one, I didn’t have to worry about lines to get tickets for each place.

 

Centennial Olympic Park was opened for the 1996 Olympics. It has been maintained quite well and it’s hard to believe it is 40 years old. Remnants and dedications to the Olympics are represented in the middle, including the Quilt of Nations, Gateway of Dreams, and Olympic Ring Fountain.

Our first stop was the Georgia Aquarium. If you have followed my work, you’d know I love Aquariums and visit whenever they are near where I’m staying. This one was only a couple of blocks away from the hotel.

 

The Georgia Aquarium had many ramps and elevators, making it accessible for me and in powerchair. It’s a good thing because it has more animals, among 10 million gallons of water, than any other aquarium. There were tons of exhibits, feedings, and scientific information that included everything from alligators to whale sharks.

From the Aquarium, we went to the World of Coca-Cola. I must admit; I had no idea what to expect from this place. It turned out to be different than I ever imagined and now one of my favorite unique museums in the country.

 

The one things that didn’t surprise me was the history of the popular drink, showed through statues, signs, ad campaigns, and a movie, That first part was led by a tour guide, who was helpful in getting everyone in a wheelchair to the right spot in the theater for the movie about the brand.

After the film, we were on our own to explore more about the drink and start our tastings. You’ll find enough drinking options to leave the World of Coca-Cola with a huge sugar rush. First, head to the Coca-Cola Challenge, where you can create your own drink.

 

The highlight was the opportunity to sample unlimited amounts of more than 100 beverages at Taste It. Beyond the obvious Coke brand, you’ll find proprietary products such as Minute Maid, Fanta, Barq’s Cream Soda, Powerade, Stoney Ginger Beer from Tanzania (my favorite), and Sprite Cucumber from Romania.

We definitely didn’t leave that place thirsty, but we were hungry for lunch. The one thing Olympic Park needs more of is restaurants. The ones in the attractions were small and packed. We did a Yelp search and found a Peri Peri Grill just across the street from the park.

 

I have never been to Peri Peri and it’s nice to add another fairly healthy place to my list for when I can’t find something local. I had a chicken and rice bowl. It was quite good.

After lunch, we went back to Olympic Park. I am not a huge football fan, but I covered college sports for many years--and live in a college town (Go Illini). I wanted to visit the NCAA College Football Hall of Fame.

 

This was yet another museum that impressed me in downtown Atlanta. It dives deeply into the world of college football and provides an area for kids (and adults) to get involved in the sport through interactive experiences.

Moriah and I decided to skip the Centennial Wheel, a large Ferris wheel overlooking downtown. We agreed to meet up for dinner. Two hours later, I was comfortable with my feet up in bed and decided to order something in. We still had another day of fun and food in Atlanta.

I was hosted on this trip by Discover Atlanta, by opinions are my own.