stay on the island?

Last year we came to Tybee and had a wonderful time. We stayed at the Desoto and ventured into Savannah by the trolley tour-it was worth it not to have to park and to get around easily. The only drawback was the expense of the Desoto-it ran us over $1,000 for a four night stay. I plan to return again this fall and I am making it a girl trip, so the Desoto is not a good option this time partially because of cost, but partially because the only ocean view rooms have king beds. So I guess my question is two parts:

Is the Howard Johnsons as nice as the Desoto?

AND-

Can you stay in Savannah and come to the beach for the day and enjoy yourself with the pier as your base of operation?

Helen, Georgia

I just reviewed some comments from Helen, GA and the comments were from 2006. 2007!!

Why can%26#39;t Tripadvisor update their comments?

Cabins was the part I was looking into.

Helen, Georgia

If you give a little more specific information I might be able to help you. What feature, exactly, are you referring to? Have a link?

Helen, Georgia

Are you the person that I needed to send the message to? I did not mean to sound ugly but it just aggravates me when the updates are not done.

I don%26#39;t have a link but I was looking at hotels and cabins mainly cabins---

I am looking for a one floor cabin with 2 or 3 bedrooms my best friend and her husband both have bad knee problems and its very difficult for them to climb stairs--but we would all totally love the hot tub feature that most cabins have!! yoo hoo..

I will go back online today and give you the specific properties..

I again apologize for sounding so mean---I hope you have a wonderful day...

No, I%26#39;m just another member. (The ';destination expert'; title just means that I volunteer a lot of my time to help people on the forums.) I%26#39;m afraid I can%26#39;t help you if you cannot specify what your problem is exactly. Are you referring to the dates of the latest reviews on the hotels and cabins? In that case, the reviews are made by members, not TripAdvisor.

Where to stay for best small town

We are looking for a nice small town to stay in overnight in south georgia, any suggestions?

Just want that ';small town feel

Where to stay for best small town

Perry in central GA and in deep south GA then possibly Thomasville.

Where to stay for best small town

Don%26#39;t know your route or if you are looking for anything in particular but Bainbridge, Valdosta, Waycross, Fitzgerald,Moultrie and of course Thomasville are all good bets.

benefit

Atlanta Braves tickets for Memorial Day Weekend (May 23)

We are going to Atlanta for a Braves game May 22 or 23. Since we don%26#39;t know how the weather will be that far ahead of time, I am afraid to buy the tickets early. Will I be able to get tickets before the game or should I just bite the bullet and buy them early and just hope and pray for good weather? We already have hotel reservations at Hyatt Regency, but I can cancel that without losing money up to 1 day before the arrival date.

Atlanta Braves tickets for Memorial Day Weekend (May 23)

I wouldn%26#39;t rush to buy tickets. For a little while in the 1990s, it could be tough to get tickets unless you bought in advance, but for the last several years I%26#39;ve almost always been able to get whatever sort of tickets I wanted up until a few days before game time (and closer than that, if you don%26#39;t mind using StubHub).

Atlanta Braves tickets for Memorial Day Weekend (May 23)

Thank you. I will try to wait a little longer. Your advice puts my mind at ease.

I should say that for certain visiting teams that are particularly popular (e.g., the Yankees and Red Sox in late June) it may be tougher, but those would be exceptions.

Depends on where you want to sit. If you do not care if you are way up, you should be able to get something. Holiday weekends are usually difficult to get tickets. However, this year I think tickets are more available due to the economy. I would look at ticketmaster and see what they come up with -- that will give you a good idea. If you do not complete the transaction, you are not charged.

Hotels NOT in the historic district & getting around

My husband and I are planning a trip to Savannah for our 8th wedding anniversary in mid May. It will be our first visit and we are really looking forward to it!

We have reservations for 2 nights at the Residence Inn in the historic district. However, the more we think about it, the more we would rather stay 3 nights and have at least two full days in Savannah. We are on a budget and to be able to stay 3 nights we are going to have to pick a cheaper hotel outside of the historic district.

Can any recommend a NICE hotel that runs less than $90 a night in Savannah. Also, can you recommend the best way to get around. Should we pay to park in the historic district or would it be best to get a taxi. Is there a shuttle or anything that runs to the historic district. (If not, there should be!)

Thanks so much for your help!

Thank you

Hotels NOT in the historic district %26amp; getting around

The airport exit and the ';gateway'; area at hwy 204 and I-95 are both loaded with hotels that should be much cheaper than downtown. Some are nicer than others, look at the photos on their sites, you can tell which are newer and nicer.

Parking downtown is not that big a deal. When you get to the end of I-16 you are downtown. At the first traffic light turn right and park in the garage on your right.

When you come out of the garage, look back the way you came (west on Liberty) and you will see the visitors center, they have all the maps, all the trolley tours stop there and the free city shuttle stops in front. It is only $8-10 for the day parking there.

www.savannahvisit.com/images/maps/Map_72b.pdf

On that map you can see where 16 dumps into town, if you turn right on Liberty, the garage is between Jefferson and Tattnall, right on liberty. Over to the left is the visitors center.

From the freeway exits where the hotels are, it is 15 or 20 minutes on the freeway, to the parking garage.

Hotels NOT in the historic district %26amp; getting around

Another solution is to stay in the Midtown section and use the CAT (the city buses) system to get into the historic area.

A taxi would eat up any saving that you would get from staying out of the HD.

An option might be motels on Victory Drive. We typically stay downtown on Bay St when we go and spend a bit extra for the convenience. Did you check out the Hampton?

If you can save more by staying a bit out than will cost to park, it would probably be worth it. Not sure if you will say big $ at Victory Drive area.

Another option is staying in Pooler, which is a short drive from Savannah, it is beyond the airport area. We stayed here once and it was cheaper since it is off I-95, but the motel we picked was not all that nice. I am sure some better ones are there. You might save enough out here to extend visit, but would certainly want to drive and park. The Visitor Center has parking also, it might be less expensive. Not sure how late parking is open though.

Maybe a cheap night in Pooler would allow you to keep the Residence Inn downtown. It is soooo nice to walk around and stroll back to room.

BTW, be sure to see Bonaventure Cemetary, Forsyth Park (get out and walk around to see the fountain) and Tybee Island (make a 1/2 day trip out there for beach and lighthouse).

Also, your first day there I would recommend the On/Off Trolley Tours. Can catch one of several at the Visitor Center (we like Old Town). You can ride around and get on/off at sights and get the lay of the land for first time visit and identify things to come back to later.

Did you try priceline? Put in that you want historic district and bid low. I got the best deal for St Paddy%26#39;s day that way.

Savannah Ga

Want to spend a long weekend (four days) in Savannah the middle to end of May.

Got any suggestions on where to stay that is very nice and quiet. Also, do we need to rent a car while there?

Savannah Ga

Did you want to stay in the Historic District or at the Beach? A resort type place?

Whether or not you rent a car depends on whether or not you want to go somewhere that you can%26#39;t walk to.

We really need a little more information.

Savannah Ga

yea the first decision is savannah proper or the beach right outside of tow. (tybee)

we do downtown.

its very neat.

Nothing near the strip is quiet, but that is where most of the restaurants, nightspots are and shopping is there too. You can walk much farther than the maps indicate, although in May%26#39;s heat, you need to be used to the southern humidity. Parking was very easy in many of the squares, even though it did mean going through a lot of coin. If you want quiet, you%26#39;ll need to sacrifice something. There are some lovely hotels and B%26amp;B%26#39;s away from the crowds, but they can be more costly than the strip hotels. Whatever you do, stay away from the construction area near the old news building. It is horrible. You can stay outside of town, toward Tybee or Charleston, or south, but that will mean you%26#39;ll need a car.

By the way, we were there during the house tour in March, and 3 days was more than enough. We saw Tybee (though we didn%26#39;t stay on the windy beach for long - too chilly.) We went to Bonaventure too.

I couldn%26#39;t receommend Old Savannah Trolley Tour. It was boring and wasted too much time. You can%26#39;t really see much driving by. I would recommend a walking tour instead, just choose a topic that interests you.

We ate at 17 Hundred 90 because it was recommended on this site. Neither the service nor the food was memorable. For $102, we could have done much better elsewhere.

We also ate at the Olde Pink House. We were upstairs in a simple room. We had a great waiter, charming. The food was good, just nothing special.

Bear in mind, however, that my husband and I really enjoy good food and have traveled extensively. It is possible that those two restaurants were the best Savannah has to offer.

By way of comparison, we ate at 82 Queen in Charleston and loved the ambiance, service, and the food.

We did have breakfast and lunch at B Matthews. They are not the original owners, but we enjoyed both meals in a very informal but comfortable setting.

Wishing you a safe, fun trip,

BJB7373

Just spent two nights in the Savannah historic district last week. I highly recommend the Holiday Inn Express. We were pleasantly surprised with how up to date and clean it was. The staff made us feel very welcome. Can%26#39;t go wrong!

Best way to Tybee Island from Savannah airport?

Should we rent a car or take a cab, we are going to a wedding, we%26#39;ll onlybe there for a week end. Thanks

Best way to Tybee Island from Savannah airport?

Rent a car. The taxi will cost you a bundle and you still wouldn%26#39;t have transportation around Tybee if you wanted it.

First Timer

Hi, wonder how%26#39;s the climate during end Oct? Is the place fun for 6yrs old boy? Need help to plan for itinerary and accomdation. Need to stay near Clifton Road. TQ

First Timer

The end of October is typically cool or chilly. Weather patters have been varying so much lately that it%26#39;s hard to tell for sure. There are several different attractions around the city that your boy might enjoy including the aquarium (provided that you visit in the morning) and children%26#39;s museum.

First Timer

Tq for reply. My husband is attending for a course at Clifton Road, Ste. Which hotel would you recomment? The PIC suggested Holiday Inn Special.

I would recommend at trip out to Oakland Cemetery. While you are out the way make a stop at the M.L. King historic site.

The Oakland Cemetery is the historical civil war cemetery with both union and confederate soldiers. Also, final resting place for Bobby Jones, famous golfer, Margaret Mitchell Marsh, ';Gone With the Wind'; author, and several mayors of Atlanta. There is a great restaurant across for the cemetery called ';Six Feet Under.'; Great name, food, and loads of fun.

Also, the High Museum is a great for intellectual and visual stimulation. The High is the premier museum of the South and in my opinion, the nation. High has a children section too.

Also, check out Imagine IT! The Children%26#39;s Museum of Atlanta. They have a lot of programs that are entertaining, and it%26#39;s close to the Aquarium.

Tq for the good recommentation. I was reading more abt the place and found out that I will have problem to move around. Thanks for your prompt reaponce and I will read more about the place before planning.

I was worried about that. Clifton Road is out by Emory University and is not close to the city.

Good luck on your trip to Atlanta. Please let me know if I can help in any way.

If you have a choice about where to stay, you might consider hotels in the Buckhead or Perimeter Center area, or in downtown Decatur, and have your husband take the bus to the Clifton Road corridor. That would give you ready access to many of the tourist attractions and such that are readily accessible via the MARTA rail system, and it would still be relatively easy for your husband to get back and forth for his course by taking the bus there and back.

The #6 Emory bus runs along Clifton Road, and connects to the rail system at Lindbergh station on the North/South line and at Inman Park station on the East/West line. Also, the #36 North Decatur bus serves the southern part of of the Emory campus along North Decatur road and would get him within a short walk of the Clifton Road area -- it runs between Arts Center station on the North/South line and the Decatur station on the East/West line. Either would allow him to take the bus to his course in the morning and to return in the afternoon. You could also use these buses to get to other parts of town if you stayed in that area, of course, but it the bus system isn%26#39;t as convenient if you expect to need to make multiple trips per day. You%26#39;ll also have a lot more choices and a range of rates available if you stay in Buckhead or Perimeter Center, with a lot more shopping, restaurants, and activities within walking distance and lots more readily accessible by MARTA rail. Downtown Decatur doesn%26#39;t have as many hotel choices, but is a very nice, walkable area with lots of restaurants.

http://transportation.emory.edu/

The Cliff Ride shuttle is free and can also take you to Marta station.

http://www.emoryconferencecenter.com/

www.emoryconferencecenter.com/leisure.html

Thanks Travel IQ. Will consider you advice.

where to stay for aquarium stop on way to Florida?

We are planning on making a 2 night stop, on the way to Florida, to visit the aquarium.

I%26#39;ve been trying to get familiar with the neighbourhoods but I%26#39;m not sure where it is best that we stay.

I don%26#39;t want to pay the hefty prices for the downtown hotels, but would like easy access to the aquarium, and the 1-75, and something that might have shopping and restaurants around.

We are planning on leaving Monday am for Florida, if that makes a difference.

Any advice to get me on the right track?

where to stay for aquarium stop on way to Florida?

There are plenty of reasonably priced hotels in both the Cumberland Mall area near the I-75/I-285 interchange just south of Marietta, and in the Perimeter Center area near I-285 and GA Hwy 400. Both are close enough to downtown to allow for a reasonably easy drive, have lots of restaurants (albeit mostly chain/family places rather than fine dining) and shopping on offer, and are reasonably safe, nice areas. Personally, I%26#39;d tend to prefer the Perimeter Center area, as it%26#39;s a bit safer/nicer and has three MARTA rail stations nearby to allow you to get to Buckhead, Midtown, and Downtown without driving if you choose, but Cumberland has the advantage of being immediately on your route, instead of requiring a bit of a detour to the east once you hit I-285. Either should be fine, and hotel rates for Embassy Suites/Homewood Suites/Hyatt Place/Residence Inn class hotels are often under $100/night for weekend stays.

Of course, on weekends, you can often get rooms in Buckhead or even Midtown for not a lot more than that, and you%26#39;d be that much closer in.

The drawback for either would be that you%26#39;d potentially have to deal with rush hour traffic getting through or around downtown if you leave early on a Monday morning. Best bets would be to plan to leave very early Monday morning (before 7 am at least) or wait until 9 or 9:30 before hitting the road.

Unfortunately, there aren%26#39;t a lot of areas south of downtown that would be as easy to use as a base for your time in Atlanta, or that would offer the same combination of value and safety as Cumberland or Perimeter.

where to stay for aquarium stop on way to Florida?

thanks for the info :)

benefit

Ship Wreck Beach and other points of interest?

I read somewhere that there is an old shrimp boat wreck on the beach at Jekyll Island. I am going to spend this upcoming weekend camping there and was just hoping someone could point me in the right direction as I imagine it could be hard to find with 10 miles of beaches.

Also, is there any specific area or thing that is recommended? I have a great appreciation for nature and see that there are plentiful nature trails, forests, beaches, etc., so if anyone has a specific recommendation for me that would be great. I will be on foot with my girlfriend and my dog, so any advice that can send us to the highlights without having to walk the whole island would be nice. Thanks!

local dining

can you suggest places to eat seafood with local flavor- not into the commercail/ fancy places- prefer local dive- if you know what I mean..

local dining

We spent a few days on Saint Simons Island at the end of March. We chose only restaurants specializing in seafood, and we especially enjoyed our meals at Crab Daddy%26#39;s, Iguana%26#39;s, and Catch 228. I%26#39;m not sure what you mean by ';local dive';, but these were casual restaurants (Crab Daddy%26#39;s being the ';fanciest';, but we ate there in jeans and shirts with collars).

local dining

thank you - I guess the term refers to a place locals go, not just tourist-that is more casual, and has a local flavor to the menu and enviroment.

So, I will look those up. Thank you so much for your response.

biking

where is the best place to bike without much traffic- last time we were there, the traffic in town was too much for family biking. Are there some other places to bike with great views? (other than jekyll where we spend all of our time)

biking

We were there last Oct. and never had much problem with the traffic. We mostly followed the bike paths on St Simons.

Drive to Montgomery, AL

I%26#39;m coming out in September and have this thing about state Capitols. I realize that Montgomery is 2 1/2 hours away...is there anything along the drive to see and do or in Montgomery for that matter?

C

Drive to Montgomery, AL

The drive to Montgomery is pretty uneventful. Regarding things to do in Montgomery, if you enjoy going to the theatre and like Shakespeare check out the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.

Drive to Montgomery, AL

Montgomery has an interesting downtown area that could entertain you for a day or so. The First White House of the Confederacy is there. You can tour the Rosa Parks Museum, the Dexter Ave church where MLK led the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and see the beautiful Civil Rights monument at the Southern Poverty Law Center. The riverfront area of downtown is nice, and played a key role in the Civil War. The Old Cloverdale area and Huntingdon College are beautiful.

although it is not a state capitol, you may want to visit FDR%26#39;s Little White House in Warm Springs. It is a short drive off of your path:

http://gastateparks.org/info/littlewhite/

Callaway Gardens is just off I-85 near LaGrange, GA

It%26#39;s 15,000 acres of nature at her finest. Just went on Easter Sunday and it was absolutely beautiful.

Pet friendly hotels & tours

We will be visiting Savannah for a few days the 1st of May and are wondering if our small yorkie will be able to go on the carriage tour with us.

Also, any pet friendly hotels that you can recommend.

Pet friendly hotels %26amp; tours

Are you looking for specifically for a hotel, or would you consider B%26amp;Bs?

I don%26#39;t know any hotels that allow dogs - though I%26#39;m sure there are some.

B%26amp;Bs - there are a number that do allow dogs. I know the Catherine Ward House Inn does.

As for tours - I know that the overview tours typically allow dogs as long as they are on a leash and well behaved. I would assume the carriage tours are similar.

Pet friendly hotels %26amp; tours

Old Savannah Tours welcomes leashed dogs. I believe the other trolley tours will allow only guide dogs.

The carriage tour companies will warn dog owners that if their dogs bark and bark enough to scare the horses, they cannot stay on the carriage due to liability issues.

The Westin is a dog-friendly hotel.

bringfido.com/lodging/city/savannah_ga_us/

This is a great site, you can see how much they charge and the weight limits. Each hotel is different, example, Hampton Inn in Va didn%26#39;t charge me a thing but the Hilton Homewood suites in Savannah charged me 45.00. I think we are going to use Baymont, we have Boxers so have to watch the weight limit. I would much rather stay in the historic district but we are just making a short one night stop this trip.

We recently stayed at the Old Harbour Inn with our dog. Great pet friendly hotel

www.oldeharbourinn.com

Kayaking

We are headed to jekyll camping this next week and bringing our kayaks- we would like to do some paddling with a group- can you suggest any outfitters? we have kayaks but don%26#39;t know the area well enough with the tides to go it alone...suggestions?

Kayaking

Do a search here under kayaks as I asked the same types of questions a few months or weeks ago and the responses included links (which I deleted) to local outfitters. I think though that I only asked for Jekyll Island but there%26#39;ll be something there. We never went on our latest trip so I can%26#39;t tell you how good any of them are.

Kayaking

Southeast Adventure outfitters of Saint Simons will be your best bet. They also have a Brunswick store halfway between the Jekyll causeway and St. Simons causeway. Thier St.simons # is (912) Me-to-sea (638-6732). Ask for Michael, Cindy, or Robbie. The whole staff is very knowlegable and helpful.

benefit

Best Hotel in Historic District

Hello All,

We are looking to visit Savannah sometime this summer and was wondering if there was a great hotel in the Historic District that has great deals, food and service. Food is optional, but it would be nice.

I do have an additional question: what activities are must dos when visiting Savannah?

Thank you for sharing.

Best Hotel in Historic District

';Best'; is, obviously, very subjective.

I would recommend you look into the following, one of which may meet your definition of best:

The Mansion on Forsyth (a little far out maybe a mile from the river) very interesting place nice second floor bar, their restaurant has been up and down, maybe you can hit an up!

Avia, brand new boutique hotel has a restaurant also a Ruth%26#39;s Chris next door, very central

Westin, across the river but little walk on ferries run to it all day and evening from River Street, has a great brunch

Marshall House, restored old building, very central, pretty good restaurant and nice bar in the hotel

The biggest must do is walk, and slow down. Savannah is best enjoyed slowly, like anything interesting and complex.

Best Hotel in Historic District

as a Savannah resident, I agree with everything in above post.

We just stayed in the Hyatt Regency with a great deal through Priceline. Liked the hotel and the location on the water. Easy walking around the historic district, too. Not your traditional-feel hotel, but quite good.

The Hyatt seems dirty each time I go inside, despite renovating not long ago. I dunno what%26#39;s going on.

I%26#39;d book The Avia, its brand new, centrally located. It is getting rave reviews on travel sites and in travel magazines.

If the Hyatt had been dirty when we were there I wouldn%26#39;t recommend it. We had no issues with cleanliness of the room or the public areas. Wherever you stay, a good Greek restaurant is the Olympia on the river by the Hyatt.

Looking for fun restaurants for 20 somethings

Looking for fun and unique restaurants for a group of 20 somethings to dine at while visiting. Any advice?

Looking for fun restaurants for 20 somethings

I forgot to tell you we are staying in the downtown area!!

Looking for fun restaurants for 20 somethings

I hear Trader Vic%26#39;s is a fun place, and it%26#39;s in downtown Atlanta.

Trader Vic%26#39;s is only an option if you%26#39;re there on a Thursday night, when the band Tongo Hiti is playing. Otherwise its an overpriced tourist trap, and you won%26#39;t see anyone from Atlanta there.

Here%26#39;s a list of my suggestions, most of which are in midtown. All of these places have websites that you can find on Google: Two Urban Licks, Surin, Ecco, One Midtown Kitchen, Dolce, Vickery%26#39;s (good bar scene and location, average food), Fontaine%26#39;s, Shout, Vortex, TAP.

Just got back from ATL and loved Legal Sea Food over by the Aquarium. Great food, great service, excellent views and a cool bar area. Could handle your large party with ease! Enjoy!

I%26#39;m a 20 something some of my fav places are:

One Midtown Kitchen (feels like a club/lounge but great food)

Loca Luna (good tapas good drinks)

South City Kitchen - I%26#39;ve only been to the one in Vinnings which is a mecca for 20 somethings - great bar and good southern food

Sotto Sotto/Fritti%26#39;s - great Italian, in the Highlands, another 20 something mecca

First time camper at Stone Mountain, GA

This is my first time to go camping anywhere.

I was wondering if the location provides rentals equipment like tents, lanterns, airbed and all.

I do not wish to spend a lot of money because we dont know whether we will like the idea of camping out or not. I want to try out once and then see if it is worth buying all this equipment.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a newbie camper

First time camper at Stone Mountain, GA

No - they don%26#39;t provide this stuff.

First time camper at Stone Mountain, GA

I have been camping for years, NOWHERE provides this stuff!

You are going to have to buy your camping gear. The first few times you will get a better picture what to bring next time since everyone is different and youll the hang of it. BE WARNED tent camping is work!

Here are a few things that we bring....

Tent and mallet (to hammer the stakes in the ground)

Blankets/pillows, all the creature comforts from home. (Air mattresses are wonderful if your a diva like me!)

String to tie around the trees (to hang wet towels,etc)

Small grill unless one is provided, if so, just bring charcoal and lighter fluid

Coolers for drinks and food

Trash bags for trash, baggies for leftovers

lounge chairs

We bring cooking supplies but this can be very costly if your not going to go very often. Don%26#39;t forget a bucket and dish washing liquid to wash up those dirty dishes.

Oh and don%26#39;t forget the coffee maker if you have an electrical outlet...

Well this is just a few ideas....hope you have fun!

You should be able to get a tent, air mattress and lantern for about $125 at Wal-Mart to get you started.That%26#39;s not a whole lot to lose if you decide camping is not for you.

I wouldnt recommend trying camping unless you are taking an experienced camper with you. There is too much that you do not know, that can ruin your weekend --- I will be happy to answer any specific questions you have, but there is alot to learn (for instance, your brand new tent will be waterproofed, unless you touch the top of it with your hands excessively as you are putting it up -- which means rain comes in on you -- can your recognize poison ivey and oak ?). Might I suggest staying at one of the cabins in a state park first. While you are there, talk to some of the tent campers and note the essentials that they have, and just ask them or the rangers, what they would recommend for your next trip. Most state parks offer psuedo camping that offers electrical and water hookups at your site, and hot water showers/public restrooms near your campsite -- or they offer primitive sites, that are just that, sites in the woods that are totally secluded. If you do dare to try it on your own, dont pick a primitive site, and ask your neighbor for advice as you setup your site. Note: Stone MTn is no longer a State Park, so they do not have the essentials listed above, like you would find at Red Top, Amicolola, or many of the other popular parks.

It doesn%26#39;t take a rocket scientist to camp, please don%26#39;t let anyone scare you from trying it. It%26#39;s actually ALOT of fun. We didn%26#39;t have a clue the fist time we went in Tennessee and we survived. We even went through a torential lightening storm and got flooded out. Even after all of that it was one of the best trips we ever took. There are all kinds of camping sites that can help you out like...treadlightly.org, howtocampingtips.com, and camping.about.com. Hope you have fun!

Yeah go for it! The worst thing that can happen is you say to have to bail and go to a motel. Just try not to go on a weekend when there is a great chance of rain in the forecast. After you get a little experience try out some of the forest service campgrounds in the Chattahoochee National Forest too, they are a little more rustic but in pretty, remote sites. Also I%26#39;d like to recommend a book, The Best Tent Camping in Georgia, by Johnny Malloy.

We refer to it alot and always find some neat places to check out.

I know this is an old post but I thought I would reply to it in case someone else had the same question. We are thinking of going here on the fly this weekend. Its not cheap ($30 for water %26amp; electric) but for $100 apparently they will set up a tent %26amp; sleeping pads for four and you get to keep the stuff when you are done. Not the way I%26#39;d choose to buy a tent but a good way to eliminate that question to start. Of course borrowing the equipment might be a touch cheaper.

Drought in Marietta

We are wondering about the drought situation in

Marietta. Is it really bad as you read in the

paper regarding Atlanta and the surrounding area%26#39;s.

Thank You

Drought in Marietta

The state climatologist recently officially declared Georgia%26#39;s drought as being over, though not all weather and water-resource experts agree. Most of the area lakes are close to, at, or slightly over full pool; Lake Allatoona, the nearest to Marietta of Georgia%26#39;s major lakes, is slightly over at the moment, while Lake Lanier, a much larger lake that is the water source for most of the metro Atlanta region, is still about 8 feet below full pool (though that%26#39;s a dramatic improvement even since the first of the year).

Most experts would probably say that whether we%26#39;re ';officially'; still in drought right now or not, we remain close to the edge -- even a fairly short period of below-average rainfall would probably have us back there.

Drought in Marietta

I appreciate the report from rackensack

regarding the drought situation in Marietta and

the Atlanta GA. area. We would like to travel

in that region and I was wondering about the

the condition%26#39;s in that area.

lakes and rivers are surprisingly full for the first time in a long while. no current water problems. enjoy your visit!

Savannah Candy Kitchen

Someone I know just came back from there, and brought me some delicious treats.

These ';clod-hoppers'; are amazing. Fresh walnuts or pecans covered in caramel and milk chocolate.

I will never eat another ';turtle'; brand candy again!

Are they well known in Savannah?

Savannah Candy Kitchen

You can order their treats online at www.savannahcandy.com

Savannah Candy Kitchen

There are 2 very good candy kitchens in Savannah. There is the Savannah Candy Kitchen and also River Street Sweets. They both have websites and ship candy. Do a search and you can locate the web sites. Both have a store on River Street. You can go to and eat the broke up samples.

My wife teaches the owner of one of the places son, I do not recall which one. The only problem is we are both diabetic.

John

Good central location

I am going to spend one evening and the following morning in Savannah in late May and am looking for a good central location. I would like to spend the morning visiting some of the squares and taking photos. Can anyone recommend a hotel that%26#39;s covenient to the more scenic squares? We will only have about 2 hours to explore.

Also, how far is City Market from most of the historic areas? WE discovered a pizza place there on our last visit and think we will return there for a quick cheap dinner.

WE usually have points at Holiday Inns or Choice hotels if there is one that is very central to the above areas. I noticed there were a few holiday inn hotels.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Good central location

The Holiday Inn Express on Bay Street should work perfect. It is 4-5 easy blocks from Vinnie Van Go Go%26#39;s in City Market and a block from River Street.

The hotel it is on the corner of Abercorn and Bay, Abercorn has squares, Bull Street which is two blocks west, is the center of town and also has squares.

I would walk south on Bull, to Forsyth park, walk around the park a little, then go to Abercorn and head back to your hotel. A nice little walk.

Good central location

Unless it has changed Vinnie%26#39;s is only open in the evenings. It has been a while since I have been down there during the day. There are several good hotels on Bay street which will work. Just make sure that they hotels on Bay street are not WEST of MLK.

John

Thanks for the tips! Good to know about not staying west of MLK. WE will be there in the evening so we can go to Vinnie%26#39;s, we just won%26#39;t be doing much exploring after a 10 hr drive. I%26#39;m looking forward to exploring the next morning though.

We like the Hampton on Bay. Also near everything.

You may want to consider an on/off trolley ride so you can get the lay of the land and then hop on and off at places you really like.

Also, tried to fit in short visit to Bonaventure Cemetary (famous from the book Midnight in Garden of Good and Evil). Truly a beautiful and historic place.

Be sure to check out River St the first night. Save the squares for next morning.

benefit

30 something anniversary trip

I have been to ATL plenty of times in my 20%26#39;s; had lots of fun. However, I havent been since 2003. I am now married and we are both in our early 30%26#39;s. We are thinking of driving down to spend a couple of days there next Fri/Sat May 1 %26amp; 2. Have no idea what to do - need suggestions. We plan on shopping of course and eating out. I was told to check out Atlantic Station and Copeland%26#39;s Cheesecake. But what about live music venues (r%26amp;b, jazz, hip hop)? Other things to do? (not interested in the aquarium) Thanks in advance!!

30 something anniversary trip

I%26#39;m surprised someone would recommend Atlantic Station or Copeland%26#39;s Cheesecake Factory. Copeland%26#39;s is just another chain with big portions and a huge menu. It%26#39;s that chain%26#39;s attempt at Cheesecake Factory, but I think that the actual Cheesecake Factory has better food. If you%26#39;re going to Atlantic Station, you%26#39;d get a much better meal and dining experience at Rosa Mexicano, Lobby, or Dolce.

As for Atlantic Station itself, the layout and location are pretty cool. The movie theater and bowling alley are quite nice. But, the stores themselves are just the same chains you would find anywhere - Gap, Bath %26amp; Body Works, Z Gallery, Banana Republic, etc. I really wouldn%26#39;t consider it a tourist destination.

For jazz, Churchill Grounds is a great option. For blues, you%26#39;ve got to visit Blind Willy%26#39;s. To see a listing of all musical acts in Atlanta on the weekend of your trip, look at creativeloafing.com.

As for what to do, the Things to Do tab on the left will give a good overview of what Atlanta has to offer. I always suggest that people go to Oakland Cemetery, which is near the MLK historical sites as well.

30 something anniversary trip

Thanks so much, very helpful!!

I looked up Copeland%26#39;s online and wasnt impressed; I love Cheesecake Factory and would rather go there. I also looked up the stores at Atlantic Station; I was surprised to see they really arent different from the malls here at home.

Again, thanks. If you can think of anything else, please let me know. We just love live/good music.

Copeland%26#39;s isn%26#39;t too much worse Cheesecake Factory, so if you love CF you will probably like Copeland%26#39;s. I just do not like that large, unoriginal chain restaurant feel, especially when Atlanta has so many unique restaurants to offer.

I%26#39;ve heard good things about Sambuca cafe for jazz. Atlantic Station is cool and has great places to eat (Rosa!!!)

Sounds cool. We have a Sambuca here as well; I%26#39;ll check the calendar to see who is playing next weekend.

not to miss attraction/eatery

coming thru Rome tomorrow and Sunday -wondering if there is anything that we could stop and see- fun ice cream place- attraction- anything -will have teens with us on way to atlanta

where to stay and what to do in Savannah

My husband and I will be in Savannah for 3 days and would like to see as much of the history as possible. What are the most interesting places to visit. We would like suggestions of what to visit, where to stay and restaurants. We are newly retired and are on a limited budget but like to stay in nice safe hotels.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

where to stay and what to do in Savannah

Your best bet would be to search all through this site as this is a very, very common question. Hotels range from about $100 up easily a night in the Historic District. So you might search under Savannah hotels and also actitities or history or some such search word. Its a very, very easily walkable city with a regular downtown, lots of places to eat and over 20 ( I think) squares throughout the District which are each tiny parks wrapped among the streets. Bring your walking shoes, sign up for a tour maybe (search under tour also), you will love it. When are you coming? Summer is very hot and humid and St Patrick%26#39;s Day is very crowded so you might want to work around the heat and the major holidays as it is a popular place.

PS What is Duluth like?

I will be attending a concert at the Gwinnett Centre...if anyone can provide some basic information about Duluth, it would be most appreciated...thanks again, Sinead

PS What is Duluth like?

It%26#39;s a big suburb of a big city. Gwinnett County, where the arena is located, has about 700,000 people these days. There%26#39;s really no clear distinction when you enter or leave one suburban municipality and enter another (Duluth to Suwanee, or Suwanee to Johns Creek, for example) -- they all sort of blend together. There%26#39;s a large mall and plenty of chain restaurants and hotels in the immediate vicinity of Gwinnett Area, which is quite close to I-85.

PS What is Duluth like?

Duluth is your typical suburb. You can expect it to be clean and safe and generally affluent. It doesn%26#39;t really have anything that%26#39;s unique or a tourist attraction but will have all of the conveniences. Whenever I go to a concert there, I like to have drinks at Vreny%26#39;s/Kurt%26#39;s beforehand.

kurtsrestaurant.com/

It%26#39;s a nice departure from the box stores and chain restaurants in that area.

rack, i hope you%26#39;re talking about The Mall of Georgia, i wouldn%26#39;t tell an enemy to go in Gwinnett Place mall these days.

I was actually talking about Discover Mills, which is just across I-85 from the Gwinnett Arena area.

Do you like ethnic food? Duluth is a great area for Asian and other restaurants. Saigon Cafe is my favorite pho place (Vietnamese soup). Athens Pizza Kitchen has good Greek/Mediterranean food. We used to live closer to Duluth and ate there regularly but haven%26#39;t in the last few years. Those places might be closed.

The traffic around Gwinnett Place Mall is outrageous now. Discover Mills is a good suggestion.

Road Trip to Savannah from Cape May

Need suggestions to consider for a road trip from Cape May, NJ to Savannah, GA and back again via a stop in Virginia Beach (on the way back preferrably) also with stops in Washington, DC and SNP. Thank you!

Road Trip to Savannah from Cape May

How much time do you want to allot to the trip there and back? There%26#39;s loads and loads to do, so don%26#39;t worry about adding too much time. Here%26#39;s the basic route you can take: Cape May to Shenandoah via D.C. Through Shenadoah and down to Savannah via I-95, then back up through Virginia Beach to Cape May.

If you have more time you could take the Blue Ridge Parkway down to Asheville and see the Biltmore Estate and Blue Ridge Mountains. With even more time you could take a trip into Great Smoky Mountains National Park, as well.

Road Trip to Savannah from Cape May

Thanks for your response. Now I%26#39;m not sure about Washington, DC ... do you have suggestions for a route to get to Savannah for a long weekend and recommendations for number of days to stay in Savannah - thanks again.

Well, I already supplied you a route. How much time you should spend in Savannah depends on how much time you have overall and your personal interests.

Have you checked with www.mapquest.com ? they usually plan a fairly good route for a trip like that.

I am not sure that I understand your question either. Did you want to know the quickest way with no stops going TO Savannah?

Along the same lines, http://www.maps.google.com is a good maps resource. I prefer it to Mapquest because it%26#39;s usually more accurate and offers better features and a more convenient layout. (And you can fidget with the route and use various modes of transportation, and the like.)

:) Sorry for the confusion; I%26#39;m not sure what I%26#39;m asking either. All your suggestions are helping me decide. As to number of days, I was thinking of a long weekend - Thursday to Tuesday. I usually research trips %26amp; cities abroad; this is my first US road trip. Thanks again and sorry for confusing all you great trip advisors.

Ok, sounds like you are good at planning ahead.

Think about this.

Leave Cape May Thursday morning, see some sights along the way, spend Thursday night somewhere, and head to Savannah Friday morning, You%26#39;d get here Friday afternoon late. Spend Saturday and Sunday here, leave Monday to go back, again checking out places on the way, spend Monday night along the way and home on Tuesday evening.

Or, one day in Savannah, and a stop in Washington on the way down, and SNP on the way back.

Have a good trip!

Awesome! Now we%26#39;re getting to the point. Thanks again ... I think you did it!

Allot more time to Savannah so you can take a day or two at beach on Tybee Island. You could easily spend a couple days in Savannah just strolling around.

When are you coming. Be aware it gets hot down this way in summer. Even is DC is can be close to unbearable.

Charleston, SC is another really nice destination city. Both it and Savannah are good pedestrian tourism places with lots of history and nice strolls around older homes. Savannah is shadier, Charleston slightly more upscale. Both have awesome food.

Here%26#39;s another itinerary; this one excludes D.C. Note that I haven%26#39;t spend any time along this route but am familiar enough with travel distances and destinations that I can figure a good route.

Thursday: Drive to Shenandoah National Park and spend the day exploring the park. Spend night in Charlottesville (location of Monticello).

Friday: Take a good part of the Blue Ridge Parkway, then do Interstate driving the rest of the way to Savannah.

Saturday: Explore Savannah.

Sunday: Explore Savannah.

Monday: Morning sightseeing and drive to Virginia Beach.

Tuesday: See Virginia Beach and drive home.

Taco Cabana

My husband and I used to live in San Antonio, TX and ate at Taco Cabana quite a bit. We moved back home to Alabama and found that the closest one to us is in Atlanta. I looked on the Taco Cabana website, though, and it%26#39;s not listed. The address I found for it is 1895 Piedmont Ave Ne. Is this location still open? Or is there another one somewhere close by?

Taco Cabana

Nevermind on it not showing on the Taco Cabana website. I just looked again and found it. I%26#39;m not sure why I didn%26#39;t find it the first time I was searching for it!

Taco Cabana

That location was one of the ones that opened as a Two Pesos, one of a chain that was started by a restauranteur from Houston who had tried to talk the original Taco Cabana owners into partnering with him to take the concept nationwide. When they turned him down, he proceeded to hire former Taco Cabana managers and open copycat versions under the Two Pesos name, with virtually identical menus, decor, etc. The Taco Cabana folks sued and won (twice), in cases that went all the way to the Supreme Court. Eventually Taco Cabana bought out Two Pesos when it ran out of money and converted most of the Two Pesos locations to Taco Cabanas.

Don%26#39;t get your hopes up too high, however. A lot of people I know, even those who loved TC in other places, have nothing good to say about this one.

I think that Taco Cabana is awful. They use poor quality meat, and the food is always greasy. Despite my attempts to assure him that it was nothing like the original, a friend from Houston insisted that we eat there recently. He was disappointed.

It seems like I had read something about the whole Two Pesos/Taco Cabana thing. I didn%26#39;t realize this was one of those locations. Thanks for the info.

When we lived in San Antonio, we ate at T.C. quite a bit. Those places are like drug stores here. One on every corner. It was really good food, so I%26#39;m disappointed that the one in Atl. isn%26#39;t like what we%26#39;re used to. At least from the sound of it. Either way, thanks for replying. We may just skip this one on our next trip.

There is another place nearby on Cheshire Bridge called Las Margaritas, that has all kinds of latin food. We had a good experience there- food, drinks and service all were fine.

Also down Cheshire Bridge is Taqueria del Sol, a local favorite!

Rack, is there anything you don%26#39;t know? ;-)

%26gt;%26gt; Rack, is there anything you don%26#39;t know? ;-)

Of course. Just ask my wife and kids -- they%26#39;ll give you a whole catalog of things I don%26#39;t know ;-)

benefit

Gift trip to the Masters (practice) - how to

I realize that you can%26#39;t get in to the actual competition, but my MIL would love to find a way to give her husband a trip to the area for his 60th birthday on May 6 (gift to be redeemed in 2010). He is a lifetime avid golfer with a longtime desire to see the grounds (he works as a groundskeeper locally). I%26#39;ve done some research for her and these are my questions:

1. Is it worth buying a ticket from resellers to the practices? It seems like the going rate is around the 225-250 range - would you pay it?

2. Is there a preferred day of the practices or are they all the same?

3. Where would you stay? They%26#39;d be travelling from MA.

4. Would you enter the lottery and wait for a response, then buy from a broker if you didn%26#39;t get tickets, or buy now from a broker because you may lose your chance if you wait?

5. Can anyone recommend a reliable broker?

Thanks for your help!

Jen

Gift trip to the Masters (practice) - how to

I%26#39;ve entered the lottery the past 2 years and haven%26#39;t gotten chosen yet, so don%26#39;t wait for that- have heard that it usally takes several years.

Monday, Tuesday, are about the same, Wednesday has a par 3 tournament, if you%26#39;re interested in that type of thing

The pratice round tickets we used last year cost someone (not us!) $600 each bought on eBay so the $200 range sounds reasonable

You can hang around the gate and wait for someone to leave and buy their badge- we left early one day and sold our badges for $50 each

There is all types of lodging choices- in Augusta motel chains, state parks with cabins about an hour away, or Ritz Carlton resort on Lake Ocoee a little further

Hope this helps!

Hotels - Smoking

First of all, I do not smoke but I am planning on visiting Savannah with my significant other and my aunt. My aunt smokes. Is there any hotels in the historic district that still have smoking rooms or will allow smoking on a balcony if they have one? I will have a separate room from her. I%26#39;m sure most of the B%26amp;Bs are smoke free. Also, are most of the restaurants smoke free or do they allow smoking. I need to tell her so she will know up front. I am hoping she quits by then but I seriously doubt it.

Hotels - Smoking

Most higher-end hotels have a strict no-smoking policy inside the rooms, and many will charge you a $200 ';fine'; if they find that you did smoke in your room. Some will allow smoking on the grounds or on the balcony. You will be able to find lower end hotels that allow smoking in the room, but she really shouldnt do that, especially if you are sharing a room. I am a smoker, but I never smoke indoors, especially in small hotel rooms.

Hotels - Smoking

Only bars, that do not allow minors in, allow smoking in Savannah, restaurants are no smoking areas.

What most people do is go to restaurants with outside seating, the outside tables have become the smoking area.

Catherine Ware House allows smoking on the back deck and front porch. If you book the Jim Williams room, you will have a door that goes directly to the back deck without having to go through the rest of the house.

Gift trip to the Masters (practice) - how to

I realize that you can%26#39;t get in to the actual competition, but my MIL would love to find a way to give her husband a trip to the area for his 60th birthday on May 6 (gift to be redeemed in 2010). He is a lifetime avid golfer with a longtime desire to see the grounds (he works as a groundskeeper locally). I%26#39;ve done some research for her and these are my questions:

1. Is it worth buying a ticket from resellers to the practices? It seems like the going rate is around the 225-250 range - would you pay it?

2. Is there a preferred day of the practices or are they all the same?

3. Where would you stay? They%26#39;d be travelling from MA.

4. Would you enter the lottery and wait for a response, then buy from a broker if you didn%26#39;t get tickets, or buy now from a broker because you may lose your chance if you wait?

5. Can anyone recommend a reliable broker?

Thanks for your help!

Jen

Gift trip to the Masters (practice) - how to

There are two types of ticket for the Masters Golf Tournament: practice round tickets and tournament badges. You can try your luck with the practice round lottery. Applications are due on May 1st. Both types of tickets can be bought through a reseller. Badges cost about 10 times more. Wednesday practice rounds are different because of the Par 3 competition. You can stay in a hotel or rent a private home. Augusta has only a few “nice” hotels. They will all overcharge and are booked long in advance. PM me if you want a recommendation for a local tickets broker.

What is there to do?

How far from Atlanta is Augusta in driving time? Is it possible to see around or take a tour of the famous golf course?

What is there to do?

It takes approximately 2-1/2 hours to drive from Atlanta to Augusta. Sadly, it is not possible to tour the Augusta National Golf Course. The best you could do is take a picture of the front entrance. We would love to have you visit Augusta but Savannah and Charleston have much more to offer :)

What is there to do?

ok thanks, that saves us time and disappointment. Think we%26#39;ll give Augusta a miss then..... my husband who golfs wanted to see the golf course but we%26#39;ll just head on down to Charleston. Many thanks for your help.

I concur that you cannot see the Nationals except during Masters. Your trip from Atlanta to Charleston will, however, take you through Augusta. You might want to pop for a quick look. If you must see the course you can rent a plane and fly over.

What to wear in Atlanta end of April/first week of May

I will be in downtown Atlanta for a convention next week. Can somebody suggest what to pack? Can I take summer-like clothing, i.e. sundresses, sandels and sleeveless shirts?

Thank you!

What to wear in Atlanta end of April/first week of May

I haven%26#39;t pulled out my summer clothing yet. I will do that more towards the end of May. Right now I am wearing short sleeved shirts and slacks or skirts. The mornings are still cool so a light sweater is in order for most mornings.

What to wear in Atlanta end of April/first week of May

next week, the low is supposed to be no lower than 53 and most days will have high of 75-78 degrees. For Boston, that is a heat wave..so sandals,sundresses and sleeveless shirts would be fine, just in case have a small cover for the mornings.

Yikes- forgot that you%26#39;re from Boston. My daughter lives in Pittsburgh and she started wearing her summer clothes when she came here in early April. Hope you have a good trip.

Thanks so much for your replies, everybody! We%26#39;re supposed to be getting temps in the 80%26#39;s here this weekend, so the summer clothes will be out anyway. Summer clothes with a few sweaters/wraps along for good measure sounds like a plan!

Can%26#39;t wait to get some of that Georgia sunshine!

good frozen margarita

My husband and I will be spending one night in Commerce on our way back home from the Smokies. By then, we will be thirsty for a good frozen margarita with some chips and sauce. How about the LaHacienda restaurant? I noticed that it is about .5 of a mile from the Best Western. Thanks!

benefit

im going to the ROYAL RUMBLE in Atlanta in January

any tips?

re: will call ( as ive to collect tickets there)

places of interest and safely tips

im going to the ROYAL RUMBLE in Atlanta in January

Any details on what area you might be staying in or where the event takes place? That might help on the direction of the advice.

im going to the ROYAL RUMBLE in Atlanta in January

Hiya Im going to the Royal Rumble too (its being held at the Philips arena) Can anyone tell me if the Omni at the CNN Cnetre is a good location for the event and safe?

Yes, the Omni would be good for the event. It%26#39;s connected to Philips with mostly chain restaurants in CNN Center. The area is safe. You should have a good time.

Thanks Im so excited....is there much to do in the area? Touristy things like museums, zoo, etc? What is the public transport like as we wont be driving?

Look at the Things to Do tab to the left to see what tourist attractions there area.

im going to atlanta 4 the secand time and there is loads the land coke cola the aquerim the zoo toures round turner field and the geogia dome and the transport system is pretty good,also i can suggest the baymont in is a good hotal clean and pritty cheap as well

The Baymont downtown is a dump, in a dangerous area. I certainly wouldn%26#39;t recommend that.

TNA, if you have particular questions we would be glad to answer them but I%26#39;m not sure what you%26#39;re asking. Why don%26#39;t you review the sticky at the top and the Things to Do tab and then pose more specific questions.

climate

Can someone please tell me the sort of weather to expect end of March early to mid April. Looking to visit Atlanta and areas 2010 but want to get as much info on weather first.

climate

That%26#39;s a very unpredictable time although it%26#39;s also gorgeous. We had snow a couple of weeks ago. Lows should be in the upper 40%26#39;s F and highs in the 60%26#39;s.

climate

Hi

I always look on this site for weather when I am planning a trip. In the top bar there is a trip planner so you can narrow it down to stats for your actual dates. Of course there%26#39;s no safe bet when it comes to weather but it%26#39;s a great help.

www.wunderground.com

Clive

Thanks to catherp %26amp; cliveasmith for help on climate. Maybe I wiil change my dates to late April for a visit to Atlanta. I%26#39;ll let you know when I have done more checks. Again thanks

Tica Cabins - Blue Ridge, GA

My advice to anyone planning on staying at a cabin rented by ';TICA CABINS'; is.....DON%26#39;T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My family and I have stayed at several of the Tica Cabins over the past 5 years and we just got back today from another one of those stays. We stayed at the Chimney Path cabin (which is a log cabin home built in 2004) and wanted everyone that comes to this website to know just how bad the management treated us this time. We will NEVER stay at a Tica Cabin EVER AGAIN!! We checked in on Friday evening and were staying for 4 nights, 5 days. The cabin was very nice, but we had no idea there was a problem with the refrigerator. Well, by Sunday afternoon there was a horrible smell coming from the fridge. We noticed that our ribs ($35 worth!) were spoiled rotten. Then we noticed that so was our chicken, our pork loins, our filet mignons, our Italian sausage, and everything else that couldn%26#39;t handle being ';luke warm';. We ended up throwing away over $100 worth of food and called the emergency number. They had someone come out the next day to fix the refrigerator and told us to deal with how they would handle our loss when we checked out. WELL...............upon check-out, we were told that is was OUR FAULT that the meat was spoiled because we should have called on Saturday to let them know to fix it. Another reason they said it was OUR FAULT was that we turned the freezer temperature up to the max, which caused the fridge to not work properly. They also told us that there was ABSOLUTELY NO WAY that the meat could have spoiled within the 48 hour period. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT!!!!! They said they didn%26#39;t care if we no longer referred people (which we have done on many occassions) because they ';GET PLENTY OF REFERRALS AND THEY DON%26#39;T NEED OURS'; and then they LAUGHED at us!!!!! I am so disgusted by this place right now. If it wasn%26#39;t an hour round trip to go back to the cabin from the rental office, I would have gone back, gotten the bag of trash with ALL of that spoiled food, and DUMPED it right on the office floor!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT EVER YOU DO, PLEASE DON%26#39;T GIVE THESE PEOPLE YOUR MONEY...IT COST US $740 FOR THE CABIN PLUS OVER $300 FOR FOOD AND OUR TRIP WAS RUINED. All we asked for was a $100 credit for our troubles and they told us to get out of their office, they didn%26#39;t care, it was all OUR FAULT!!!!!!

Tica Cabins - Blue Ridge, GA

Dear Georgia Girl, I too know from experience the shadiness of this place. It%26#39;s right in the middle of town and one would think....its ok.l.l.Please people beware.

Tica Cabins - Blue Ridge, GA

Dear Georgia, Yes I couldn%26#39;t agree with you more about being careful of renting from Tica cabins in Blue Ridge. The ';blueridge';name that keeps recommending the Tica cabin rentals, is the owner.....I would never use Tica again I have had more than one bad experience. Hopefully you%26#39;ll persue others. I would suggest Premier cabin rentals or go with a privately owned one.

Oh Boy! Don%26#39;t slam me, but just a view from another side. First let me say I don%26#39;t know the owners of TICA nor am I affiliated with them in any way. However, I do know about cabin rentals.

Maybe if you could look at it a bit from their side:

It%26#39;s sounds as if they didn%26#39;t know the cabin refridgerator was broken, which is completely understandable as it might have been working fine when the cleaner finished up in there.

I have had similar situations where a refrigerator wasn%26#39;t cooling enough for a guest, so they turned up the freezer to the highest, which froze up the compressor.

Had a call been made to the cabin management company as soon as you noticed is wasn%26#39;t very cold, (ice melting, or when the freezer was turned up high) the food might have been saved by TICA providing ice and ice chests.

It was a very unfortunate %26amp; costly circumstance. And it sounds as if they did not meet your needs in resolving the issue. It%26#39;s really a shame that they lost a guest who had, up until this last trip been happy.

I am so sorry to hear that you had a bad cabin experience.

I am a simple Florida girl who LOVES Blue Ridge and the surrounding area... We have stayed many times in beautiful, clean and properly working cabins...

Visit mountainlaurelcabinrentals.com - Theresa is great. We have stayed in a couple different cabins and they are always nice.

We ended up buying land from her husband while we were on one of our visits!!!

I had a reservation with Tica Cabin Rentals when I read your post. However, I had already paid my deposit so I figured what they hay. My family and I decided to go anyway. We got to our cabin and it was wonderful. It had a wonderful Mountain view. The amenities were great as well. I am Sorry that you had a horrible experience. We had a wonderful time and would reccomend that anyone considering going to the ';Blue Ridge Mountains'; would use Tica. My family and I planned our trip from the visitblueridge.com website. The staff is friendly, courtious and eager to help plan your vacation.

Blue Mountain,

I think that Bettyboop75 is also the TICA owner.

On this forum ���BettyBoop��� says that she had a reservation which she kept despite reading the ���bad reviews��� in October and loved it, but in another thread she says that they stayed last summer for their anniversary. Things that make you hmmmm���..

Also go look at the website that she mentioned. It has the same address and phone as TICA down at the bottom. Obviously, it is just a front for them.

The funniest part to me is that she can���t even spell courteous. Very telling, I���d say!

I also question whether bbgman3341 is an owner. When they keep posting the website on every post it gets a bit dodgy.

We have gone to Blue Ridge 3-4 times a year for the last 15 years and hope to retire there in the next 5 years or so. We���ve stayed with just about every outfit up there at one time or another and I can say that what���s been posted here so far seems very accurate ��� good and bad (except where the owners are putting in obvious BS entries).

MANAGERS, please do not post pretending that you are a traveler with an objective point of view. We���re not stupid. Only savvy travelers are on trip advisor! If the only person saying nice things about you is you, may be you need to spend more time taking care of customers and less time covering up past mistakes.

Happy traveling to you all.

On the contrary to what the nice lady has written. I am not the owner of Tica nor am I a manager there. I have stayed on ocassion. I guess if I owned the place I would have better grammar and spelling. Sorry to disappoint anyone.

UNPROFESSIONAL....in one word is the way that I would describe Tica Cabin Rentals. I recently had my second stay at one of their properties. I was VERY disappointed with the accomodations this trip, and will never use Tica Cabins again.

The cabin we rented was not properly prepared for us. DEAD and ALIVE Lady Bugs were everywhere!!!! All over the floors AND in the beds. The hot tub...where do we start. It was not properly cleaned...the WORST smell came from that hot tub. In addition to the smell the hot tub jets were not working properly. The main source of light in the kitchen was not working and the list goes on.

Unlike another post, associates with Tica Cabins were notified promptly.

At check out the staff never once asked ';how was your stay?'; After getting no form of communication with them besides charging my credit card, I informed them of the issue at my cabin and gave the name of associate who was aware of these issues and said they would be addressed at check out. Once again, I got no response other than ';you%26#39;ll have to call about it tommorrow when the propery mgr returns.'; I accepted that, and followed through. I called the next day and 3 times thereafter, on different days giving them the benefit of the doubt, and let them follow through and return my phone call. I am still waiting....

The uncleanliness of the cabin, the lack of concern from the staff and MOST IMPORTANTLY no return phone calls is where I have a problem. This is a cowardly response to not owning up to their end of the contract.

As they expect payment among many other things...the ONLY things we as customers expect is to GET WHAT WE PAID FOR...PROFESSIONALISM and RESPECT.

Stay at your own risk.

We just returned from our fourth stay this year in a TICA Cabin property and as ALWAYS the amenities were fantastic!! Something many of you posting should remember---you are staying in someone%26#39;s home. I dare to say how many of us would be honest and admit that something in our home may break or not work properly on a weekly basis. If you don%26#39;t like staying in someone%26#39;s ';home'; GO TO A HOTEL!

we visited blue ridge last summer and stayed with tica on the advice of friends. the cabin was just okay and was begining to show it%26#39;s age. there is a reason they offer a $50.00 credit on the sidewalk in front of their ofice. we don%26#39;t see those friends any longer and won%26#39;t be returning to blue ridge. the railroad is seriously over rated and over priced. like others here have stated small children might enjoy it. our best memory of blue ridge was eating at blue jeans pasta factory.

One Sunday in Atlanta....what to do?

We are going to a surprise party in Peachtree City over Memorial Day weekend. The part is Saturday evening and we are leaving Sunday but the flight leaves at 8.30 pm. We have all day Sunday- what are the best things to do there for the day? Shopping, restaurants, culture, aquarium maybe? We are both in our mid-30%26#39;s. Thanks!!

One Sunday in Atlanta....what to do?

Check out the ';Things to Do'; tab and let us know what specific questions you have.

One Sunday in Atlanta....what to do?

Any outdoor festival that weekend? What might be a great lunch place, maybe outdoor seating?

For a lunch spot with a great patio, I would recommend Einstein%26#39;s or Tap in midtown. In Little Five Points, the Brewhouse is always a great spot for good pub food and people watching. Hand in Hand, Neighbors and Diesel in the Virginia Highland neighborhood have a good patios, and from there you can stroll all around that area.

www.virginiahighland.com

For Memorial Day events, see here:

http://tinyurl.com/dxtegb=

So far the offerings don%26#39;t look that great.

Thanks for the suggestions. Virginia Highlands looks like it may be fun for us.

Camping Advice on Cumberland

We are not experienced ';campers';, but have booked 4 nights at Sea Camp this summer with our 2 daughters, ages 9 %26amp; 13. I have camped many years ago and my husband has hiked and camped all over the world (but with someone else doing the cooking). That said, we want to make sure we are prepared, especially since we are bringing children. I have read all the posts, but was hoping that we might get some specific advice on what to bring and what to do while we are there (other than the obvious). Please also add any meal advice, especially kid friendly. Thanks!! KP

Camping Advice on Cumberland

If you are looking for easy cooking (boil some water, dump it in the pouch, let sit for 10 minutes, eat) and lightweight to carry around, you really cant beat the freeze dried meals you can get either online (more selection) or at REI (less selection). I%26#39;ve had several of these freeze dried meals and I actually like them and were surprised how good they taste for freeze dried. One dinner which serves two people (I usually eat one entire one by myself) can run from $4-$8. You%26#39;d be surprised at the selection that are offered. Check out http://www.wildernessdining.com/ if you are interested in this.

Another option would be to freeze dry your own food. That of course would take a machine, and your time. Lots of websites on the net covering this.

Camping Advice on Cumberland

I always take a huge can of peanut butter, needs no refrigeration and you can eat it right out of jar:)Beef jerky, trail mix, apples, etc...stuff that if you get hungry you can snack on right away.

We take steaks and chicken breasts that are frozen and after a day or two in the cooler they are thawed and ready to be put on grill(campfire in this case.)All the campfires have grates to cook on. You might want to bring aluminum foil.

You can buy box milk for cereal in the morning if kids like cereal.

Try to take the boat up to Plum Orchard, the park service offers this on certain Sundays.

Walk to the southernmost tip of the Island(past Dungeness) to see tons of fiddler crabs. Have a picnic on the lawn in front of Dungeness and try to imagine the house is all it%26#39;s glory.

The trees are wonderful to climb..your girls will have a blast.

You might want to consider taking a drink mix, the water is potable but has a certain taste and odor.

Enjoy it%26#39;s a one-of-a-kind place!

Morganton Point Campgrounds

My husband and I are planning a camping trip to Lake Blue Ridge for next month. I have already booked our site and I was wondering if anyone has stayed at the campgrounds at Morganton Point. I%26#39;ve been having trouble finding information online from anyone who has actually camped there. There%26#39;s information on the US Forest Service website, but that%26#39;s about it.

Also, if anyone has camped at the lake front site #11, I%26#39;d love to hear your thoughts.

TIA.

benefit

Small wedding reception??

Hello all!

I am getting married in September, and I would like to have my wedding somewhere in Savannah. It is going to be a small, intimate affair, with only 20 to 30 people. Does anybody have an idea of an AFFORDABLE place I could have my reception? I%26#39;ve been looking at inns, but the ones I%26#39;ve looked at seem expensive. We are trying not to spend loads of money on the reception (especially when it%26#39;s only a small group of people!) so we can have an extra nice honeymoon.

Thanks!

Small wedding reception??

My son had his reception at the Bamboo farm. It is outside which September is great for. Just a roof and picnic tables, on concrete but has bathrooms and a kitchen. It is maybe 20 minutes from downtown.

It is rustic but pretty and inexpensive.

There is a new building downtown, maybe you can google it, I think it is called the Morris center, just a big meeting room next to the Pirates House.

Small wedding reception??

I%26#39;m not sure of the price but I would also check the Round House. I been to a couple of small weddings receptions there and they were very nice.

If you send me an e-mail throug the the message center, I%26#39;ll tell you how to have a reception in the Gazebo in the middle of the lake at City-owned Daffin Park. It%26#39;s VERY inexpensive to rent and a beautiful venue to choose in Sept. Spouting fountains on each side, plenty of parking in the park, beautiful in the early autumn. My kids%26#39; reception was there and it was incredibly lovely and very affordable.

SavannahMame, my email is valibu26@yahoo.com. I am definitely interested in the Gazebo wedding reception, as I have a small wedding as well.

Here%26#39;s how we found a Great Wedding Planner!

Jeff and I met at a Cinco de Mayo party. About a month after we began dating, we became engaged.

I have always loved Savannah and Jeff wanted a beach wedding, so Savannah Beach would be perfect. We could still venture into the romantic city during the weekend, while enjoying the beach life.

I wasn%26#39;t sure where to begin, as planning a wedding can be difficult enough, much less in a city four hours south of our hometown. I started looking on-line and found RomanticSavannahWeddings.com and Ms. Nancy Hillis replied for our first conversation, I am happy to have I trusted her to handle my special day. Nancy did such an amazing job taking care of everything from getting the beach permit, reserving our reception hall at the historic Ft Screven, the catering for the reception, providing the photographer, D.J., cake and centerpieces, while keeping our budget in mind throughout. I never knew planning a wedding could be such a stress free event!

Finally, our big day came. I remember walking into the reception hall and being speechless. The food was well presented and delicious and our shell and pearl cake was prettier than the picture. Nancy had really outdone herself. Our five bridesmaids and five groomsmen stood watching while 100 of our closest friends and family sat on white chairs draped with starfish. With the beautiful Georgia coast right in front of us, we said our ';I do%26#39;s'; that 16th day of August, 2008.

The celebration began with wine and champagne flowing freely. Our D.J. was wonderful and everyone was on the dance floor. Whenever we took breaks to cool down, we would go out on the Fort鈥檚 balcony to talk and laugh with friends and enjoy the scenery. With the lighthouse to our left and the ocean, providing its cool breeze, was to our right as everyone spoke of our beautiful and fun wedding. If we had one day to relive for the rest of our lives, it would be this day. This was our best day

Thank You Nancy Hillis at www.RomanticSavannahWeddings.com

Island-Beach Hopper, you have been reported for violation of Tripadvisor%26#39;s policy against advertising in this travel forum. Please do not promote someone%26#39;s business here.

Non walking tours

Hi all,

Will be in Savannah for one night, two days in mid Nov. Traveing with friend who can not walk too much at a time - can anyone recommend non-walking tours, or other activities?

Thanks!

Non walking tours

You might want to try one of the trolley tours to get an overall feel for the town. I believe one of the companies (Oglethorpe?) also offered a night version/Haunted Trolley Tour.

Non walking tours

Go the the Savannah Visitors Center on MLK Blvd at Liberty St., in downtown Savannha. There you will find plenty of info about various tours: trolley or minibus, horse-drawn carriage, private car, etc. You have many options to see Savannah without having to walk.

I noticed recently that the pedi cabs now offer tours and even have an all day rental deal which is not cheap but would sure be handy if you have the $$.

Look here:

savannahpedicab.com/savannah-pedicabs/PageId…

Where should we stay on Tybee?

I%26#39;m hoping some last minute deals will pop up. We are headed to Tybee May 6-9. Looking for an affordable place with a pool to stay for 4 quiet adults in our late 20%26#39;s, early 30%26#39;s.

I found a AAA rate of 107.11 if we all share a room at the Ocean Plaza Resort. I also see that the Howard Johnson has rooms for $89.

Any advice? We were trying to get a rate of around $80/night. I%26#39;ve looked into condos too and can%26#39;t seem to find anything in our budget.

We will be in Charleston the 1-4, Cumberland Island/St Marys 4-6, Savannah/Tybeee 6-9.

Where should we stay on Tybee?

We stayed at the HJ last year for a couple of nights. Its VERY basic so if you only need a place to wash up and sleep, its fine but there are ZERO amenities. Basically, its a step above a youth hostel. It was fairly clean, horrible coffee and so called continental breakfast. No elevators, very dark rooms. But again, to clean up and sleep, its fine

Where should we stay on Tybee?

Ocean Plaza is on the ocean. However you will need to be on the top floors for a view. The ground floor has a nice parking lot view and the back side of the dunes.

John

No pool, but this is where we stayed.

http://www.vrbo.com/56838

I have stayed at the Ocean Plaza and found it adequate, although a bit worn around the edges from the wear and tear of water and sand. I found it clean and the rooms are large. Poster John is right about wanting a room on the ocean view side from the second floor up. Here%26#39;s the reason. The Ocean Plaza is really NOT directly on the beach. There is small public parking lot that separates it from the dunes and then the beach. So, if you have an ocean view room on the first floor, not only do you not see the ocean,but you overlook the public parking lot. Same thing for non-ocean view rooms. They overlook the hotel parking lot and first floor rooms here get the car headlights. The Ocean Plaza does have pools, but they are very small and located adjacent to the hotel parking...without extensive amenties. Here are the advantages of the Ocean Plaza: it is just steps from a great beach, it is within walking distance of downtown shops and the huge pier that jutts out into the water and it has a restaurant onsite, although I did not eat there. I think for the money you want to spend, the Ocean Plaza is a good deal. Just remember, that Tybee is very laid back and most of the lodging options reflect this.

We spent one night in Tybee and stayed at the Ocean Plaza.

Pros: the people were very nice, the restaurant was excellent, it is a short walk to what few shops there are, and the room was very clean

Cons: you have to cross public parking to get to the beach, the parking lot was very noisy with young people, our room was not ready for 2 hours after check in (they did give us $25 off for our troubles, sleeper sofa was horrible though the beds were great.

All in all it wasn%26#39;t bad. Try the grouper fingers and the she crab soup!

Safe Location---Olde Savannah Inn?

Hi all,

We are on the cusp of booking a 3 night stay in Savannah next week and are strongly considering The Olde Savannaha Inn at 217 Gaston St. However, not being familiar with Savannah we want to verify that this is a safe location because I noticed several areas seem questionable at night from reading the posts. It seems to be East of MLK, but they do say it is 2 blocks from Forsythe Park. We tend to stretch the long Spring days and eat dinner after sunset. We would also like to walk everywhere, so being safe and central are major factors. Still, we crave the charm and experience of an Inn or B%26amp;B. As a backup, are AVIA and Hilton Bay Street recommended in terms of location and cleanliness/atmosphere? Thanks again for your insight.

Safe Location---Olde Savannah Inn?

I assume that address is west Gaston?

Savannah addresses are east or west of Bull Street, so you are 2+ blocks west of Bull.

If once you get to Liberty Street you stick to Bull, then west on Gaston, I would think you would be fine.

Drunk at 2am you are always taking a risk but my wife and I have walked home that way, going several blocks farther down the edge of the park and we have never had any trouble. Midnight, with your wits about you, you should be fine.

If you don%26#39;t feel comfortable, grab a pedi-cab at Bull and Broughton and get a fun ride back to your inn.

The Avia is brand new and I think very nice.

The Hilton Garden is a block away and only a few years old, both are central and nice.

Safe Location---Olde Savannah Inn?

Thanks very much for the info. Olde Savannah is actually on East Gaston between Abercorn and Lincoln (across from the Gastonian). Their reviews look great, and the inn keeper seemed to indicate that it was withing walking distance of attractions. I%26#39;m just hoping it%26#39;s located close enough to the squares and heart of town to walk to easily. Thanks again.

It%26#39;s not what I would call centrally located. It%26#39;s about one mile from River Street. You wouldn%26#39;t be near the restaurants either.

Thje Olde Savannah Inne on East Gaston is wonderful. But it%26#39;s a good mile or so away from the main attractions likes City Market %26amp; River St. I would not walk late at night. The handy pedi-cabs are all over downtown Savannah and that%26#39;s what I would use to get back to the Inn late at night: have a pedi-cab drive you back to Gaston St.

As a backup hotel, the Avia has it all over the generic Hilton Garden Inn.

If you are a walker, it is just a nice walk to the River or Broughton or wherever you are going, as Aileen said, about a mile.

You are a couple blocks from Forsyth (no e) Park, a couple blocks from a grocery store and a block from a liquor and wine shop.

The Mansion on Forsyth is a few blocks away, they have a nice bar on the second floor with a large balcony, a nice spot for a pre dinner cocktail or a nightcap. A little expensive but nice.

In your walking use Abercorn, Habersham, Bull and Barnard. I often see tourists walking down Drayton and I want to tell them it is the ugliest street in town, go a block east or west, a much nicer walk. The same with Whitaker except for right around Jones, there are some nice shops there.

Is parking an issue in town; could we drive into town and back particularly at night instead of a cab since we %26#39;ll have our car? I have practically fallen in love with the Olde Savannah Inn%26#39;s description and reviews, I just wish it were more central! Thanks for all your input.

Hi again!

What about Zeigler House? Is that more central than Olde Savannah Inn? It looks nice, though a bit more expensive than we had hoped. Any insight on its centrality and how nice it is in general would be greatly appreciated. I am looking into Avia too since it is so highly recommended and central. Thanks.

What is there to do? Where to stay?

We are a family of 4 (2 kids 12%26amp;10). Flying into Atlanta on 30th June for 3 or 4 nights before going on down to SC coast for a week. Need some advice on where to stay and what to do and see for those days? My 12yr old want to hit the malls for shopping and both kids LOVE a pool for swimming??? We usually stay in 4* accommodations - advice/suggestions welcome. Clean, safe and convenient are the priorities (don%26#39;t mind saving the pennies for mall spending for 3/4 days!). Do we need car hire while in Atlanta - would car be safer/easier than public transport to get around? Initially we were going to drive down to SC but intend to fly down now as the flights seem cheap enough so going to put off hiring the car till SC -again advice welcome please. Also love suggestions on other attractions to see in Atlanta. Many, many thanks for help.

What is there to do? Where to stay?

First, check out this sticky thread that discusses the relative merits of the three areas you%26#39;re most likely to consider staying in, Downtown, Midtown, and Buckhead: tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60898-i104-k16962…

Also check out the Things to Do articles, tripadvisor.com/… in particular the one on Family Travel: tripadvisor.com/Travel-g60898-s401/Atlanta:G…

Once you%26#39;ve looked through those and familiarized yourself with what%26#39;s here, please ask us whatever more specific questions you might have about them.

What is there to do? Where to stay?

I agree, do a little reading, and then ask specific questions about things that interest you, as the possibilities are endless. The obvious choices would be the Aquarium, Six Flags Austell, Six Flags Water Park Marietta, and/or a Braves Baseball game. Any four star hotel you choose in atlanta should have a nice outdoor pool.

I%26#39;d advise renting a car with two kids, especially if mall shopping is in the plan. For shopping, try Lenox mall or Perimeter mall. Phipps Plaza is more upscale and probably won%26#39;t have as many stores that appeal to the younger set.

I also agree that the kids will probably most enjoy the Aquarium, Six Flags, the water park, and a Braves game.

Fabulous information! Thank you all SO much!! I will now look for a hotel in the Midtown area of Atlanta -the kids would LOVE the water park (how far is it away from the city?). Am sure my 10yr old sport-mad son would love to experience an American baseball game as opposed to all the rugby, cricket and golf he plays at home! Has the baseball team has a website where we can check out games/tickets? Was really hoping to do without the hassle of car hire when we%26#39;re only there for 2 full days(could do without the experience of driving round cluelessly!). Suppose it depends on what activities we choose to do and how easy they are to get to.

Atlanta Braves (Major League Baseball) team web site: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com . Stadium (Turner Field) is just south of downtown -- the local transit system, MARTA, runs a shuttle bus between Five Points Station and the stadium before and after games, and if you%26#39;re staying at a Midtown hotel that%26#39;s probably the easiest way to go, avoiding downtown traffic at rush hour and the congested parking lots.

I%26#39;m assuming the water park referred to was Six Flags White Water Park in Marietta: tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g35091-d10… . It%26#39;s 15-20 miles northwest of Midtown -- about a half-hour drive. There%26#39;s no practical way to get there other than by car.

Honestly, for most of the destinations you%26#39;ve mentioned (with the exception of White Water Park) there%26#39;s no reason you%26#39;d need a car. If you%26#39;re staying at a hotel with ready access to a MARTA rail station (as would be the case for nearly all downtown, Midtown, Buckhead, and Perimeter Center hotels) there are only a handful of other places that are difficult/impossible to get to on the train: Stone Mountain Park, Zoo Atlanta, Fernbank Natural History Museum, The Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University, The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Carter Center, and Six Flags Over Georgia are the main ones that come to mind. Zoo Atlanta, the Carlos Museum, and the Carter Center are accessible via public transportation, but require bus rides of varying lengths (or some long and in some cases inadvisable walks). Atlanta Botanical Garden and Atlanta History Center will require either a short bus ride or a moderate walk on top of the train ride. The other tourist attractions I can think of are all within walking distance of MARTA stations.

The Midtown and Buckhead shopping areas, including Lenox Square Mall and Phipps Plaza, as well as Permieter Mall and its neighboring stores, restaurants, etc., are also within walking distance of various rail stations, as is the downtown Decatur area. The Virginia-Highland district isn%26#39;t readily accessible by rail, but can be reached on the #16 bus, or by walking north from the Inman Park-Reynoldstown station, through the funky Little Five Points neighborhood; also, the Ponce de Leon bus route makes it relatively painless to get from Ponce and Highland to either North Avenue or Decatur stations, so you can walk out and take the bus back, or vice versa.

If you really have to hit the water park, you could rent a car for a single day just to get there and back -- off-airport car rental agencies often have lower rates, but make sure you%26#39;re clear on all of the required insurance coverages.

Also as you get closer to your trip you may want to check out the website accessatlanta.com - it will tell you what events are going on! I also definitely suggest Lennox or Perimeter Mall for your 12 year old. If you do go to White Water/American Adventures there is an outdoor shopping area not too far away called the Avenue at East Cobb where a lot of younger kids like to shop but there is also great shopping for adults --- its a nice alternative to the mall %26amp;amp; a good excuse to be outside!

Thanks again everyone! Will check out the Baseball game definitely. Think we%26#39;ll give the water park a miss - we%26#39;re going to have lots of %26#39;water%26#39; for the 10 days at the coast anyway! Am searching out hotels in the midtown area - so far I like the Ellis hotel. Did think of taking a chance on booking a 4* through priceline or hotwire websites. Thoughts or experience on that appreciated.

Ellis is a decent choice -- it%26#39;s downtown rather than Midtown, but it%26#39;s an interesting old building that%26#39;s recently been completely rebuilt inside.

One caveat on Priceline/Hotwire and similar booking services -- most of the time, these services stipulate that they are guaranteeing you a room at the hotel only -- you can request specific bed configurations or room types, but they are only guaranteeing that there will be a room with a bed. That%26#39;s usually fine for leisure travel solo or as a couple, but is potentially problematic when you%26#39;re traveling with kids -- unless you want them sleeping in the same bed with you. Make sure you understand what you%26#39;re buying before you pull the trigger, as they%26#39;re generally non-refundable.

Good point on using priceline/hotwire. Am a bit confused about the descriptions of %26#39;midtown%26#39; and %26#39;downtown%26#39; hotel locations. The ones I looked at on various websites were described as %26#39;midtown%26#39; -eg, Ellis %26amp; Twelve Centennial but on tripadvisor the same hotels were described as %26#39;downtown%26#39;. Basically we are not intending to hire a car so we need something close as possible to MARTA/public transport. Need suggestions on 4*+ quality hotels similar to The Ellis in good location? Very Much appreciated.

To distinguish from midtown and downtown, a good guideline is that anything along or near Peachtree St south of North Avenue will be downtown, and north of North Avenue will be midtown.