Page 264 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - USA

262  THE SOUTHEAST

s Atlanta P Martin Luther King Jr.
National Historic Site
* 456,000. ~ £ @ n 233 450 Auburn Ave. Tel (404) 331­5190.
Peachtree St, NE, (404) 521­6600. Open 9am–4pm or 5pm. Closed Dec
∑ atlanta.net
25. 7 ∑ nps.gov/malu
Founded as a terminus for Situated in a long reflecting
two railroad routes in 1837, pool beside an eternal flame,
Atlanta’s importance as a the crypt of the Nobel Peace
transportation hub made it a Prize­winner Dr. Martin Luther
Union target during the Civil King Jr. is a pilgrimage site for
War. After a 75­day siege, people from all over the world.
General William T. Sherman The Centennial Olympic Park in The pool lies within the
broke the Confederate defenses downtown Atlanta complex of the Center for
and set most of the town Nonviolent Social Change,
ablaze, a history recounted a 4D presentation, see a produc­ which has a gallery displaying
romantically in Margaret tion line in operation, and sample portraits and family memorabilia.
Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind. from a range of 60 products. Also located nearby is the
Today, the city claims to be the original Ebenezer Baptist
“Capital of the New South” and  Georgia Aquarium Church, over which Martin
has since been considered more 225 Baker St NW. Tel (404) 581­4000. Luther King Jr., his father, and
brash and faster paced than its Open 10am–8pm Mon–Fri, 9am– grandfather presided. The
Southern neighbors. 8pm Sat & Sun. & 7 - Martin Luther King Birthplace
∑ georgiaaquarium.org is down the street to the east,
Exploring Atlanta This is one of the world’s largest while the National Park Service
This cosmopolitan city is home to aquariums housing 500 marine Visitor Center, housing portraits
many industrial giants including species in five habitats. The and exhibits that relate the area’s
Coca­Cola. Its entrepreneurial Ocean Voyageur features role in the Civil Rights Move ment,
spirit led to an economic boom manta rays, whale sharks, and is right across the street.
that lasted two decades, thousands of other fish in the This district preserves the
capped by a successful bid to six­million­gallon exhibit. heart of the Sweet Auburn
host the Olympics in 1996. One Other tanks feature a neighborhood, which was
of the city’s landmarks, the brilliant rainbow of the center of African­
Centennial Olympic Park colored tropical fish. American life in the
downtown, commemorates this early 1900s.
event. Another is Turner Field, P CNN Studio
where the former boxer Centennial Olympic Park E Margaret
Muhammad Ali famously lit the Dr NW. Tel (404) 827­ Mitchell House
Olympic torch in the stadium. 2300. Open 9am–5pm Margaret Mitchell and Museum
Downtown’s attrac tions, Georgia daily. & Closed Easter, 979 Crescent Ave NE
Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, Thanksgiving, Dec 25. Tel (404) 249­7015. Open 10am–
and the Martin Luther King Jr. 7 with advance notice. 5:30pm Mon–Sat, noon–5:30pm Sun.
National Historic Site, are all ∑ cnn.com/tour Closed Jan 1, Thanksgiving, Dec 24 &
within a mile of these Olympic A 55­minute guided tour of CNN Dec 25. & 7 ∑ atlantahistory
landmarks, and can be covered by Studio takes visitors through center.com/mmh
a Peachtree Trolley tour of the the inner workings of the world’s Margaret Mitchell (1900–1949)
area. A short Metro ride north first 24­hour news station, wrote her magnum opus,
leads to the city’s exceptional located in a 14­story atrium Gone With the Wind, here in a
High Museum in midtown. East global headquarters. Book in base ment apartment she
of midtown lie the residential advance for the tour. The lobby affection ately called “the
neighbor hoods of Virginia High­ gift shop sells merchandise Dump.” The three­story Tudor
lands and Little Five Points, with ranging from Atlanta Braves Revival house has had a
their superb specialty restau­ paraphernalia to videos of dramatic history. It was
rants and the Ponce City market, Desert Storm coverage. abandoned, threatened by
which has an extensive food hall.
E World of Coca-Cola
121 Baker St. Tel (404) 676­5151.
Open 10am–5pm Sun–Thu,
9am–5pm Fri & Sat.
Closed Thanksgiving, Dec 25. & 7
- ∑ worldofcoca-cola.com
World of Coca­Cola displays the
world’s largest collection of Coke
memorabilia. Visitors can watch The pool, eternal flame, and crypt at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp276–8 and pp279–81

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