Atlanta Family Vacation Pellerini-Style!

Atlanta – just a few short hours away via airplane is a bustling city with so much to see and do!  We boarded a plane for a long weekend getaway to check out this metropolis and also catch up with a dear friend.

LEGOLAND® Discovery Center

First stop was, of course, to see my middle school friend Julie and family!  We met at the LEGOLAND Discovery Center – appropriately dubbed as “the ultimate indoor LEGO playground”.  My boys were super excited as they have been LEGO fanatics since they could perfect their pincher grasp on those colorful plastic blocks.

After purchasing a ticket, we walked through MINILAND® – a “land” made of over 1.5 million blocks.  We created a contest, trying to name all of the buildings!  I have to say that after MINILAND, we spent the majority of thee time at the LEGO Racers table building and racing, and then building and racing again, dozens and dozens of cars.  (Note: We do this every time we visit Disney Springs – a.k.a. Downtown Disney.)

The kids loved the rides – Merlin’s Apprentice Ride and Kingdom Quest.  I think they went on each about 4 times!  I personally enjoyed the 4D cinema most.

Tickets

If you plan on going, definitely purchase your ticket online to get a niiiiccceeee discount!  This is the perfect place to go if the weather isn’t stellar, or you’re looking for somewhere the kids and express creativity and release some steam!  Just as an FYI – don’t think you’ll get away without your kids asking for something at the store on the way out…either prep them ahead of time that there will be no post-fun shopping or embrace their inner creativity (translation: give in) and grab a set for them to play with in the hotel when there’s some downtime!

Food

There is a cafe inside for snacks and beverages but I recommend hitting one of the many restaurants in Phipps Plaza.

GEORGIA AQUARIUM

My absolute favorite aquarium in the entire world (that I have seen to date) is the Georgia Aquarium.  It was so impressive – you have to go at least once to experience everything it has to offer (which is A LOT).

We walked around at our own pace and were floored at all there was to do and see.

My favorite, by far, was Dolphin Tales, the Dolphin Celebration show.  I think the rest of the family agrees with me on that!

We are huge penguin fans, so it was fun to crawl beneath the penguin habitat and see them swimming in their lagoon.  One thing I love to do when we go to places such as the aquarium, is arm the boys with a notepad and pencil so they can draw what they see and take notes on all of the cool facts they learn.  While observing the penguin, my older guy realized that one of the penguins was following his pencil.  It was so cute to see my son move his pencil to the right, alerting the curiosity of the penguin to follow this odd object – then to the left, then around…it was super cute!

Tickets

Don’t forget to check the website and order your tickets online if you know when you’ll be visiting the aquarium – you’ll definitely save some money!

Food

Dining options include Cafe Aquaria which is very family-friendly (translation – PB&J, cheeseburgers, hotdogs) as well as Seaside Delights.

WORLD OF COCA-COLA

Who would’ve thought there would be so much history behind a soda brand?! At first the boys were a bit “blah” as they only knew of Coca-Cola as the drink they can have on special occasions.  After touring the World of Coca-Cola, it really opened their eyes (and mine) to the amazingness of this brand!

Located in Pemberton Place, just to the side of the aquarium, the World of Coca-Cola is a one-of-a-kind museum.

If you ask the boys, their favorite part was the Taste It! Beverage Lounge where you can sample (and sample, and sample) Coca-Cola brand beverages from around the world.  (Note: sugar rush.  BIG sugar rush will happen shortly afterwards.  Be warned!)

My favorite part was meeting the Polar Bear and learning about the history.  We got to walk past the vault that houses the secret formula (super cool!)

Of course there is a store and we actually had a fun time trying on all of the different Coca-Cola branded items.  We purchased a metal bottle opener and cap catch-all and hang it proudly in our backyard.  Every time I look at it (like I just did right now), I remember the great time we had in Atlanta!

Tickets

Whether you purchase your tickets online or on-site, there is no price difference.  They do recommend purchasing tickets in advance as there are some peak times that may prohibit you from checking this super cool museum out!

Atlanta Family Vacation Ideas

All in all, we had a GREAT vacation!  We enjoyed touring this new-to-us city and can’t wait to go back and explore some more.  Have you been to Atlanta?  Are there some must-see spots that we should add to our itinerary for the next go-around?  I’d love to know so don’t be shy – comment below!