Passport to refreshment

Coke is the older of the two fighting colas. One of the biggest global brand today, Coke had its humble foundation in Atlanta more than 100 years ago. What better reason to go and pay a visit the World of Coca-Cola, that pays tribute to the legendary brand that introduced the world to its favourite drink, the Cola.

World of Coca-Cola is one of the biggest attractions of Atlanta. Situated at Martin Luther King Jr. drive, it is a must see destination for all Cola fans.

We headed out on a sunny Sunday morning, boarded the Marta to 5 points station in downtown Atlanta(read the previous post for more on Marta). They said that to get to WOCC, we needed to walk “underground” for a while.

Before a shock takes over you, I should tell you that “underground” is another of Atlanta’s tourist attractions. Underground Atlanta has a glorious past, and more about underground can be read at their website.

I will narrate my experience, which was no less than awesome.

Underground Atlanta is actually underground, and it gives the appearance of a flea market. Citizens of delhi will be able to relate it to Palika bazaar, though the underground is way too cleaner, is much more organized and has a lot of culture attached to it. There are several old cars, perfectly restored, that are parked at various places in the underground. And most of the shops are on carts. There is a food court, some excellent dining places, live performances, and most of the knick-knacks you’d expect to find in a typical city market. A truly wonderful experience.

After walking through the underground for a few minutes, we came out and saw WOCC staring at us. I must say that the location of WOCC is stunning, and it sure will take your breath away. The old time charm is also restored to some extent by horse-carriages that take you for a ride around the avenue.

We entered WOCC, purchased our tickets(reasonably priced at $9 for an adult), and headed straight in. The lift took us straight to the third floor. This floor contains a lot of historical artefacts, many dating back to early 19th century. Also on display is a mini-bottling machine, that shows how the bottling process works.

Moving ahead, there is a soda shop, with a real “soda jerk” behind the counter showing how coke was made in the good ‘ol days. And it cost only 5 cents!! But I guess 5 cents was a lot of money back then.

After the soda shop is the most interesting room in the entire building. It is the sampling room, where one can sample the drinks that are served by coke all across the world. From tutty-fruity to a bitter italian flavor(that I liked), the room presents a unique, soda filled challenge for the taste buds.

After that trip to the WOCC, we spent some time exploring the area, and not before long we were at the Georgia State Capitol. The capitol has a magnificent building, with a gold dome and a replica of the statue of liberty atop it(well, that’s what it looked like). The capitol is open for visitors from Monday to Friday only, and as it was a Sunday we could not get in. But its outside is no less magnificent. It has statues of famous US presidents, cannons from the US civil war, a lamp lit for the martyrs of World Wars I & II, and of course, the gold dome that is visible from a distance.

After spending half an hour looking around, we decided to head back to end our tryst with the history of one of the world’s favourite drinks, and some history of the place I spent the last month and a half at.

Now for the good news, bad news drill.

Bad news is, this was my last Sunday in Atlanta. I have come to like this city very much, it has a lot to offer for the tourist and a nice place to stay too. My stay here was also made wonderful by the staff of the Residence Inn Alpharetta, where I stayed during this trip. Thanks a lot guys.

Now the good news. My trip to the US still continues, and now I am headed for a new destination. My next stop is the city of Linthicum, located in the state of Maryland. This will also land me close to Washington DC, and it luck be, I might pay the power center of the US a visit. So for now, its good bye Atlanta, hello baltimore.

The next post will be from my new destination. Till then…watch this space.