Girls' Getaway Weekend in Atlanta-Day One

I have flown through Atlanta more times than I can remember, but it has been about 10 years since I got out of the airport. My niece, Moriah, decided to get her MSN in nursing at Emory and I had another good reason to go.

The flights to Atlanta, Georgia, went well. I used frequent flyer miles for this trip. There is a direct flight close to here in Bloomington, Illinois. I did not have enough miles for that roundtrip so I and took American Airlines from Champaign, through Chicago, to Atlanta.

It was the first time I was texted a photo of my wheelchair being unloaded from the plane and it was reassuring. I have previously had issues in Chicago with getting wheelchairs and having mine delivered to me in a reasonable time.

Before the trip I did what I always do first after booking: I make sure I have transportation to the hotel. It turned out to be more difficult than I expected. There is a train from the airport to downtown, but my flight was getting in right at rush hour, and I was worried about traveling alone in my powerchair—with my luggage—through the crowds.

 

I called a few places that either did not have an accessible van or did not have one available. Someone finally recommended an individual named Clyde Fleming. It was the night before my trip when I finally got the information, and I booked him for $90 and hoped it worked out.

Clyde was there when I got out of the airport and we instantly hit it off. He is a veteran who was ready to build a business providing wheelchair accessible rides. He wanted to make it as affordable as possible and was just waiting to get approval on a purchase of vans that could hold 14, including wheelchairs. (His company, CFJS Safe Travels, did come to fruition and has been doing well in the months since.)

 

The Visit Atlanta team set me up at The American Hotel. It was a terrific location, just a couple of blocks from Centennial Park. That is the ideal area to stay in when in Atlanta as all the main attractions we planned to go to the next day are there.

My room had the accessibility I needed. A small, vintage, red refrigerator was within the dresser. It was easy to get around, and the bathroom was large enough to turn around in my wheelchair. The shower was accessible and had a seat. The bathroom was also well-stocked with easy to find towels, lotions, and tissues.

 

My favorite amenity was the digital key, which made room entry much easier for me. This was the first time I had one in a hotel that actually worked. You could also use it in the elevator, so you don’t have to dig for a key when going to the room.

I wanted to pick somewhere special for our first night. I asked around and Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint came up often. It offers Southern food and live music and is just a short wheelchair ride away from the hotel. I made reservations, which are highly recommended as the place fills up.

 

Sweet Georgia’s was an excellent choice. We started with Hush Puppies and cocktails. I had Miss Ceely’s Punch, with cherry moonshine and pineapple juice. (It’s available with your choice of moonshine.) Moriah had the Sneaky, Sneaky, with sweet tea moonshine, lemonade, and lemon.

For dinner, I chose the Braised Short Rib Brisket. It was tender and delicious and was served with mashed potatoes and Bourbon Glazed Sweet Potatoes. Moriah had the Stewed Oxtails, with Red Rice and green beans. It was her first experience with oxtail, and she enjoyed it.

 

Both Clyde and the receptionist at the hotel said we must have the Peach Cobbler, and we did (with ice cream, of course). I agree it is worth raving about.

The band played throughout our dinner and they were excellent. Carlton & One Nation Express was a cross between Blues and Jazz, danceable while easy listening.

 

The one thing I did not love about the restaurant was the two-hour limit on the table. I thought they might let us stay longer, but we were asked to pay our bill and leave, albeit politely, when the time came. It wasn’t bad because we were both exhausted from a long day.

Moriah walked me back to my hotel and went back to her apartment. We had a big next day planned and it was time for me to get a good night’s sleep.

I was hosted for some of this trip by Discover Atlanta and Atlanta Airport District, but opinions are my own.

Smithsonian Zoo for Washington DC Finale

It was my last day in Washington D.C. and it was going to be a good one.

I was able to sleep in at the Embassy Suites Chevy Chase Pavilion and enjoyed their hot, complimentary breakfast. I made up a bowl from the yogurt bar and had a couple of pancakes on the side.

My niece, Alea, had some school work to do so we decided to meet directly at the Metro Station beneath the hotel.

We took the train to the stop closest to the Smithsonian National Zoo. I love zoos and I was especially excited to see the giant pandas here.

This zoo is not only one of the best in the country, but it’s free.

The pandas did not disappoint. They were happy to eat and play for the growing audience. We hung around for a while and the kept us laughing and smiling.

We walked around and also saw the tigers, lions, and cheetah. I’m always thrilled to see content animals in a zoo.  

 Alea and I got back on the Metro to head to an interesting spot for lunch.

Bayou Bakery is located at the Old Naval Hospital, a historic building which goes back to President Abraham Lincoln.

 

The Washington, DC café is owned by Chef David Gaus and is modeled after his New Orleans roots. 

  

Chef Gaus frequently hits the talk show circuit and has also served as host of the Travel Channel’s American Grilled.

We were very hungry and ready to taste some of Bayou Bakery’s Southern cooking.

  

While we waited for our food to be ready, we had to try one of their Dat-O cookies, sort of a homemade Oreo, but bigger and better.

We also shared an order of light and sweet beignets. 

I then had an egg and cheese on a flaky warm biscuit, while Alea went for the lobster roll.

We walked back to the Metro and took it to the hotel where we said our goodbyes. 

It was time for me to head to the airport and leave Washington DC , but I’m sure I will be back soon.