Day Trip to Atlanta

This weekend was spent at two Atlanta staples: The Varsity and Turner Field. No trip to Atlanta is complete without at least a pit stop at The Varsity. When my cousin and I were younger, my grandparents would drive us up in their van (complete with reclining seats and a table) and we would park in the drive-in area and eat in the car. When you are 10 and your dad doesn't normally let you eat in the car, that is the highlight of any trip. They specialize in hot dogs, onion rings and grease. None of this low-cal, health-conscious business. It is a favorite of all of the downtown business men in their white shirts. Surprisingly they never spill ketchup or mustard on them. That right there is an art. 

If there is one thing France taught me, it is that mustard goes with everything. This is the Grey Poupon of America. When in Rome, I guess. 

Let's talk about the best way to get to Turner Field. Because driving in downtown Atlanta as 50,000 people are trying to enter/exit the stadium is probably worse than pulling teeth. We stayed at the Hilton by the airport, rode the shuttle to Hartsfield-Jackson, bought a $5 round trip MARTA ticket, rode to Underground Atlanta then took the accompanying shuttle to the stadium. It might be a little extra time, but will save you the headache. And at 11 that night when you are trying to leave, you will be thankful that you don't have to think about the traffic.

Fair warning, knowledge of this stress-free method is spreading, so make sure that you get there early.  

My parents and I sat on the third base line, which means no afternoon sun. And in the South in the late afternoon, that is priceless. Unfortunately we were surrounded by Cardinals fans, who after shelling out over $100 on food alone, went home disappointed. I even taught the two kids in front of me to do the tomahawk chop. Needless to say, their dad wasn't too happy about that. 

Oh, hello Waffle House in the stadium. Friday was their first night to be open and they are the only WH that isn't 24 hours. Baseball games are not just for hotdogs and popcorn anymore. Fans want waffles and their hashbrowns scatterd, smothered and covered, and WH answered that call. I refuse to pay $5 for a waffle, so I got my WH fix the next morning for breakfast. 

Which brings me to a rant about the price of food at a ball game. I thought movie theaters were a racket, but they got nothing on sporting complexes. 

Coke: $4.75. Hot dog: $6. Popcorn: $5. Watching a man hand a $10 bill for his beer, expecting change, and finding out it actually cost $10.25: PRICELESS.

Moral of that story: Eat before the game. Better moral of the story...get bumped up to the executive level of the Hilton and take advantage of the free hors d'oeuvres for dinner.  

This is what 50.000 people looks like. That is than the population of Valdosta, which kind of blows my mind. 

Saturday morning was spent at Tangar Outlet mall. Outlet shopping should be a sport because it can take a lot of perseverance and stamina if done properly.

How was your weekend?