I won’t bore you with the details, but I had to make less than a 2-day stopover in the US to handle some banking issues. Now that all of that is cleared up, I am more grateful than ever to be back on the global road. Here’s some of what I got into during my US “layover:”
Landing
After nearly 24 hours of travel, I landed in ATL at around 7am. Since I only had a backpack, I was outta there pretty quickly and happy to be greeted by the rising sun. Part of my love of plane spotting includes staring at air traffic control when I can, so that’s what I did while I awaited my Uber ride to my dad’s house to stay there for a few hours.
Check In
I spent the morning ironing out some of those banking issues and then made a quick stop at Trader Joes before it was time to check in to my Airbnb. I’d considered a hotel since my stay was so short, but the prices for something decent were three times higher! The Airbnb itself was nice, but the check in process was a nightmare. The host intentionally listed a different address for reasons I still cannot understand. I still got to enjoy lounging by the pool and reading my Kindle (the same one I’ve had since 2014) while resting my battered feet.
Settling In
Believe it or not, after a year away there were still some Trader Joe’s treats that I craved. These ice creams cones are one of them. But it’s the Spicy Thai Shrimp Fried Rice that’s my number one favorite. I cooked that for dinner on the first night. I also devoured a bunch of everything bagels while I was there because somehow I haven’t been able to find bagels anywhere in the city I’m in currently in. I think I got the TJ cravings out of my system for at least the next few years 😉
After a nightmare check in experience, I went wandering to see if there was another way I could enter the Airbnb moving forward and sure enough, I started using the nearby hotel bridges any time I wanted to exit or enter my temporary lodgings.
The Atlanta Marriott Marquis wasn’t far and the entrance experience of going up the first flight of escalators is simply stunning. A number of movies and shows have filmed scenes there.
Centennial Olympic Park
Despite years upon years of visiting Atlanta, I’d only ever spent time in the ‘burbs. I decided to make the most of having to do this trip by doing some touristy things in the city. Exhaustion kept me from visiting some of what I’d planned to do, but a stroll through a park was easy. As was watching Netflix documentaries, which I hadn’t had access to for months.
I remember visiting a Georgia mall years ago. I was living in Colorado at the time and blown away by all the Black beauty around me. For me, it was a return to a familiar environment, having grown up in Brooklyn in the 90s. But I hadn’t truly realized the absence of being around people who looked like me until I was faced with it. I especially remember taking in all of the hairstyles and thinking of what it must be like for little Black children growing up in areas where few people have hair like theirs.
Black History and Civil Rights Bus Tour
During my one full day in Atlanta, I wanted to get immersed in the city’s Black history. I joined a bus tour that would spare me some fatigue. I’d get to see some places I already had planned and plenty I would not have experienced otherwise. The guide was also our driver and operated a slideshow from an iPad the whole day. We visited a collective shop along Auburn Ave. that hosted various Black designers. It’s moments like these that make me think about what it would be like if I weren’t nomadic. I remember being at the graffiti workshop in Bogotá and seeing some fly (albeit expensive) gear that I thought I would’ve bought if I wouldn’t be lugging it around the world. The same thing happened at this shop. There were some cute shirts and accessories, but I couldn’t justify buying them and continuing to lug them around the world.
I did, however, buy a handmade lip balm from one of the sellers as that was an item I actually needed that wouldn’t take up space. We also visited a pastry shop where I learned about the Green Market. Had I known about it prior, I may have supplemented some of my Trader Joe’s groceries with things from there. But if you visit ATL in the spring or summer, now you’ll know. We also visited a historic diner with walls absolutely covered with pictures of celebrities. Toni Braxton was the first person I noticed, but I had to snap a photo when I spotted B5. I was a huge fan growing up.
We drove up to the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park area and had free time to explore spots like The King Center. I even meditated for a bit in the park there before boarding back at the agreed upon time. We also drove by Dr. King’s childhood home and the final home he and his family lived in before he was assassinated.
There was a Tyler Perry portion of the trip where we drove by the original Madea home (not pictured) and up to the massive studio grounds where his works are filmed.
I’d known of the Green Book since I was young. It was published to let Black people know safer options of where to stay during times of segregation — a life or death matter. This was my first time getting to actually hold a copy. I hadn’t realized that they also listed options abroad. If I were born during that time, I’d still be a traveler at heart and would rely on a book like this the same way I rely on blogs these days when determining where I’ll head to next.
Bounce (Luggage Storage)
On my final day, I had to check out a good 8 hours earlier than my flight and, unfortunately, my first stop would not have luggage storage. (That sure made me miss Japan, where tons of places offer temporary locker storage)
Had I been in a hotel, I probably could’ve dropped my bag at the front desk. Instead, I finally used the Bounce luggage storage service for the first time.
It was easy enough. You visit their website, indicate what type of item you’d like to store, and then arrive with a QR code proving payment to drop it off.
The location I visited is only open during business hours. There are other locations that are 24 hours. But they had air conditioning which kept my remaining bagels cool 🙂
Botanical Garden
It’s become clear over my travels that I’m not all that big on the commotion of cities. They are wonderful places for access to cuisine and the arts, but outside of that my favorite places in cities end up being parks. So, I was stoked to visit the Atlanta Botanical Garden and get to relax in nature. I’d heard great things about it and at $30 to enter, I figured it had to be incredible.
As soon as I walked in, my soul was settled. I was away from city chaos and already snapping photos to later identify in my Seek app. And I saw the 25-foot Earth Goddess plant sculpture from afar within 10 or so minutes of being in the park. Though I took my time weaving around the Canopy Walk before making my way over to the sculpture. I was starting to think I’d spend all day in the garden and was bummed I’d left my Kindle in my backpack at the Bounce location. The botanical garden felt like the perfect reading atmosphere.
But things took a turn. Shortly after the picture you see below, I started getting eaten alive by mosquitos. I hadn’t packed any bug spray for my trip and hadn’t needed it until that moment. I’d already worn my long pair of pants the day prior during the Black History Bus Tour, so it wouldn’t have crossed my mind to try to wear it for a second day in a row.
So despite the lovely surroundings, I picked up the pace. I still admired the plants, strolled around a large playground, and visited the Orchid Center, but I was no longer trying to spend all day there. Thankfully the orchid area had an indoor section with air conditioning that gave me a break from being bitten, and I tended to my swelling bites before moving on. I was surprised to learn that the photo below (on the right-hand side) is an orchid despite looking more like a mushroom!
An hour and change after entering the botanical garden, I strolled through Piedmont Park before heading onto the Beltline, which I’d always wanted to visit. There was set up for a festival going on in the park, so I had to take a roundabout way of getting there and was quite overheated by the time I arrived. I was surprised to find that there wasn’t much shade on the Beltline — or at least the section I was at. So, I bailed early, deciding to forego walking south to Ponce City Market and heading to lunch instead.
Waymo
You may recall that I took Waymos in Phoenix all the time when I lived there. I even took one when I visited San Francisco. The driverless service has since spread to many more cities, but I didn’t have intentions of taking one when I was in Atlanta. I’d actually refused a Waymo ride when Uber first offered one to me. But after scanning around for drivers the app told me the Waymo that was 12 minutes away was still my quickest option, so I accepted.
When I stepped in and it greeted me by name, it actually felt like reconnecting with an old yet robotic friend. I was so hot that I actually set the temperature to 60 degrees for a while, which is very unlike me. And it sure was nice to be alone in silence.
Food Break
I decided to treat myself to a nice meal at a Midtown hotel. The side of plantains were burnt, but the Peruvian chicken plate that two servers raved about did not disappoint. I’m normally such a slower eater, but I downed that thing. My cocktail was also yummy. I think the server thought I disliked the drink because every time she came around, it was still full. But that was just because there was so much syrup at the bottom that I was able to keep tossing more of my water on it to stretch the color and flavor.
Apex Museum
I’d been putting off visiting the National Center for Civil and Human Rights for a full day now, but I was still worried I’d pay the nearly $30 entrance fee and not have enough time or mental energy to properly absorb the experience. I’d also written off visiting the Apex Museum, but with the amount of time I had left before my flight, it felt like the most suitable option. Tickets are $12 but my tour guide from the day before said that if I mentioned I’d taken his tour, they’d offer a discount. When I mentioned this to them, they said they hadn’t set it up in their system yet, which seemed strange. Surely they could just punch in a discount price and make me pay that price, but it was a good educational cause so I just paid full price.
We sat through around 30 minutes of two different videos followed by a talk before we were set free to walk clockwise through the museum floor. There were some interesting facts that I learned, but I didn’t spend too long before I went back to grab my bag from Bounce.
Airport
It was a late Friday afternoon, but security wasn’t bad. I only had my backpack and already had my digital boarding pass, so that made things even smoother.
There was a long journey ahead of me, but I was happy to be heading back to what was home for the moment.
Share your thoughts and/or questions.