ATL: Arrival (part 1)

I woke up last Thursday so thrilled: finally headed to Atlanta, Georgia to visit my cousins and their beautiful girls.  This trip has been put off approximately a million times the past few years, and despite the outrageously expensive airfare, the time for excuses was finished.  It was our 3rd wedding anniversary and the splurge seemed appropriate.  I love the anticipation- even the anxiety- of visiting a new place for the first time, and this was in no short supply as we did last minute packing and got on our way to JFK airport.

One note on booking: I did a lot of research to find the best airfare and car rental.  I tried some of the discount sites, but eventually found the exact same fare on www.delta.com .  Similar experience with the car rental.  I ended up reserving a standard car at www.nationalcar.com , the rates were comparable and I always feel more comfortable when I book directly.  However, if you are booking flight, car, and hotel together, the rates on discount sites like www.orbitz.com become way more competitive.

The trip seemed blessed from the start: the day was sunny and warm (for NY in February anyway), there was no traffic, and as we turned on 880am to listen to traffic reports, it transitioned to live coverage from the Vatican of Pope Benedict XVI's preparation for resignation.  This made for an interesting and easy drive,  and we pulled in at JFK with plenty of time. 

I hadn't flown from JFK in a few years, and it had been longer than that since I flew Delta, so we opted to park in the terminal parking lot rather than the remote long term parking or one of the privately held lots nearby.  The terminal parking is $33 per day and if you are lucky, there are covered parking spots available as well.  From our uncovered spot it was only a 5-7 minute walk to the Delta terminal. 

There are signs everywhere touting a new Delta Terminal coming May 2013, and let me tell you, it is desperately needed.  When we arrived at our gate area it was crowded, filthy, and woefully out of date.  We traipsed back to the international departure gates and found Bar Brace at gate 15.  Plenty of seating, varied selection, and a modern feel made this an excellent choice.  I had a grilled veggie wrap, while my husband had a turkey club wrap.  Both were tasty enough although outside of an airport we would have been much more critical, especially for the price.  Of note at Bar Brace: inside the seating area there are TONS of outlets if you need a last minute charge, and restrooms are directly across the hallway which is convenient. 

We boarded our flight on time and this was when I remembered why I disliked Delta in the past.  We were forced to gate check our bags on the jetway- because Delta charges for the 1st checked bag, obviously every passenger carries on, and if you aren't among the first to board, you're out of luck.  We had packed some fragile chocolates and gifts but had to check the bags as there was no time to shift everything around.  The plane seemed old and rickety, my knees were up against the seat in front of me (I'm 5'6), and horror of horrors: no TV in the headrest.  Yikes.  Luckily I thought ahead and downloaded some shows and movies to my iPad.  The beverage/snack service featured all the usual suspects and was definitely not served with a smile.  One other oddity is the ongoing pitch of the American Express Delta Skymiles credit card.  Not only a lengthy announcement, we were then individually accosted by the rude flight attendant attempting to shove an application into our hands.  However, we took off on time and landed on time.  The flight from JFK to ATL was just about 2/12 hours so it was not so bad.

Upon arrival, we were awestruck at the cleanliness and efficiency of the Atlanta airport.  It is chock full of great food and beverage options, plenty of shopping, and there was even a live pianist in the food court area!  What a change from JFK!  The airport is huge though, and once we got to the main terminal it was somewhat confusing to get to the car rental area.  I asked a police officer who was so polite and friendly (with a Jamaican accent nonetheless) and we easily found the train to get us there. 

The representatives at National were polite and efficient and gladly upgraded us to a 7-passenger GMC Yukon for only $100 more.  This was a huge savings over what we would have paid online, so apparently the tips I read are true: book a standard car online, then haggle for an upgrade at the counter.  The Yukon ended up costing us $289 for the 3 days- when I priced it online it was over $500!  The rental process was quick and easy and the car was spotless and in great shape.  I  would not hesitate to rent from them again and plan on joining their Emerald Club rewards program (it's free, why not?).

Only a quick 30 minute drive (during rush hour) from the airport and we arrived in Decatur.  Since we made such good time, I took a swing through the downtown section of the city and was immediately impressed.  It has a very hip and young vibe- tons of great restaurants, lounges, salons, and shops to be found as well as a gleaming MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) station. 

Our cousins are about 5 minutes from downtown Decatur in traffic, and we immediately fell in love with the neighborhood.  Atlanta has an abundance of old growth trees and it adds so much to the already beautiful neighborhoods.  Once we were settled, the boys headed out to purchase some adult beverages at The Beer Growler www.thebeergrowler.net in nearby Avondale Estates.  Their selection and service was reported to be great and the beers we had were delicious.  Definitely nicer than grabbing a six pack! 

My lovely cousin prepared a delicious root vegetable stew for dinner from the Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special cookbook www.mosewoodcooks.com.  We were surprised after dinner with a stunningly beautiful vegan chocolate cake for our anniversary from Southern Sweets Bakery www.southernsweets.com.  This cake was AMAZING: chocolatey and dense but not overwhelming.  The frosting had a mocha flavor that was to die for, and the chocolate frosting layer had chocolate chips for texture.  The outside even had yummy chocolate sprinkles!  Well worth the calories.  We popped a bottle of bubbly (juice for the kids) and enjoyed a lovely rendition of "Happy Anniversary" sung by the girls.  A perfect evening and great way to begin our stay in Atlanta.

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for the second installment of our trip, ATL: Just Peachy (part 2)