 It was a pretty good Memorial Day today. I just got back from a vacation in Florida near 4AM in the morning, but it was off to downtown Atlanta just a few hours later. I've read that many Americans had a 'staycation' this year, choosing not to travel far away from home due to rising gas prices. The Department of Transportation said figures from March 2008 show the steepest decrease in driving ever recorded. Compared with March 2007, Americans drove an estimated 4.3 percent less (equivalent to 11 billion fewer miles, according to DOT's Federal Highway Administration). Currently, the national price of gas per gallon is $3.936; the national average last Memorial Day was $3.23 per gallon. Anyway, today I went out with a couple from New Jersey and showed them around Atlanta. We went to the CNN Center, Centennial Olympic Park, and the New World of Coke (where today's image was taken). There was a slight adventure at the CNN Center when one of the security guards did not approve of taking photographs of the HD screen. He didn't give any reason as to why we were not permitted to take photos, but he was adamant about us leaving the CNN Center. I think it was a case of a distressed worker showcasing authority, sort of a self-empowering act by bringing others down. Anyway, the experience at the CNN Center was new for me because it was the first time I went on the CNN Studio Tour. The tour lasted about one hour, and during that one hour you get to see a mock studio room complete with the green weather screen, teleprompters, and other things you'd find in a typical news studio. We also got to see the CNN studio (shielded by glass, but you could see inside and see the anchors in the live broadcast) and the CNN Headline News studio (I learned that Headline News runs a tape on the weekends and holidays rather than a live broadcast). After the CNN Studio Tour and a few more photographs, it was time to traverse Centennial Olympic Park. We stopped by the fountains, and I was able to get in one of the Olympic 'rings' without getting wet. You have to be careful in trying to get in because the pattern of the fountains turning on and off was a bit chaotic (or difficult to figure out), so one of the persons I was with ended up getting splashed as she got inside the inner circle. It was still fun though, because it was a hot day, and it's always good to cool off. Final destination of the day was the New World of Coke Museum. I already posted an image of what it looks like on the exterior (click here to see it). It looks even nicer on the inside. I'll post an HDR image of the inside of the building in the near future, but for now, I thought this shot of the giant decorated Coke bottles would be good to post for today. I highly recommend checking out the New World of Coke Museum. The 4-D show is very enjoyable (it's called 4-D because you put on glasses to make the images look 3D, while the seats you're sitting in move in certain scenes, such as driving over a cobblestone road in rural France). The tasting room is pretty neat too. There is a drink from Italy called 'Beverly' which I thought tasted pretty disgusting (it tastes like medicine). I think I probably liked the Melon Fanta from Israel the most. However, Coca-Cola Classic is still my drink of choice to relieve quenching thirst. |
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