Home of the Braves

It distinguishes itself from structures around it; there is absolutely no mistaking the Westin Peachtree Plaza for any other hotel. Its dark, circular shape juts out into the landscape, as if to say, "Here I am--look at me!". When I made the reservation, I was only concerned about the distance from the Georgia World Congress Center. The Westin was the first thing that became available, so I pounced.

Naturally, I’ve stayed at Westins before and know that the beds are the best thing to welcome a weary body; the parts of the bed are also for sale!

If you are flying it, the Westin has its own shuttle, but you need to call ahead. There are other shuttle services, which charge $27 round-trip (that’s discounted), tickets for which are purchased right on the spot.

On arrival, you will take an escalator to the registration area, which begins on the fifth floor. It’s more than a registration area, though, as it encompasses a huge circular living room, so to speak, with conversation pieces arranged by way of super-comfy couches, armchairs, bistro-type seats, and tables, particularly around the resident Starbucks. The hotel café is also on this floor, and we’ll talk about that later...

I arrived a bit early for check-in, but they were kind enough to find me a non-smoking room on the 15th floor. What did I give up? A view of any consequence was missing, but my room was, once again, designated for handicaps. A great benefit in a circular configuration is that you can never be too far from the elevator, and if you miss the exit doors, just keep going around in a circle!!

The accommodations were more than adequate, although the furniture seemed tired. The nouveau "décor" du jour was in place, with ebony-colored woods, black and white photos on the walls, and a semi-circular desk with Internet hookups (don’t even bother--it’s a damn rip off!), and a coffee and tea machine (well, actually, it’s a coffee machine which become a tea machine when I moved in). A furnished bar was in the room, but I refused the key, lest I be tempted. Floor-to-ceiling windows were covered by sheer and heavier drapes to shut out the light. I never closed them. The hair dryer was not mounted but was on a low shelf for easy accessibility. The bathroom was huge but had very little counter space, considering all the real estate here. The shower was heavenly at any time of day, and bath towels were extra-large. And you can avail yourself of the super-plush white terry bathrobe, which is not hanging in any closet, but rather is folded next to the hair dryer. There is no closet. Everything is on hangers and is fairly low, so I hung up my long coat on the ironing board. We had to improvise. The Westin service fell on its face on Valentine’s Day.

Ninfa’s is a stone’s throw from the Westin, and that makes it okay in my book, especially in the shape that I’m in. Ladies, I must emphasize to you that if you don’t own a pair of Ugg boots, this is a good time to get them, if you are prone to achy feet from walking too much on a hard floor. They are heaven-sent, especially if you wear no hose and just slip your bare feet into them!

It occurred to me that this was not my first visit to a Ninfa’s; I will remind you that when I was in Houston, also for a trade show, my colleagues and I collapsed at one of the tables at Ninfa’s in downtown Houston. It did not earn particularly good marks from me for both food and service. This restaurant chain began in the early '70s in Houston by a woman who is credited with having introduced the "fajita" to the United States. To her credit also goes the avocado and tomatillo green sauce.

While all other restaurants had folks spilling outside their doors, there were actually some seats available here. It is also deceptively small, since as you walk in, all you can see is a long and narrow path between the tables and the wall. However, when you approach the end, you make a quick right, and the restaurant widens! We were seated at a wonderfully intimate booth on the right-hand side, and it seemed quiet. Our server turned out to be a Russian student from St. Petersburg who confided that Atlanta was a bit too much "country-like" for her, and she was looking for more excitement. I invited her to come to New York.

We were served our beverages--sangria for Chuck and a virgin piña colada for me. For those who enjoy alcohol, this restaurant is acclaimed for its margaritas. Then came the basket of requisite nachos, which were not terribly good, so it was quite easy to dismiss them. My plate of simple queso quesadillas came with garnishes of sour cream, guacamole, and chopped tomatoes. Chuck went for the fajitas, which are accompanied by arroz con habichuelas (rice and beans). As the place started to fill up quite rapidly, the service declined proportionately. But the mood was jovial, as many people from the convention were there, and we chatted with them. By the time we were ready to leave, the restaurant did not have any empty seats. The food seemed fresher here than in Houston. I saw plates of sizzling beef go past, and the portions are huge. They gave us a green chili sauce which looked menacingly spicy, so I passed. There is a rumor that the chain has filed for bankruptcy.

Durango Steakhouse was the only place to give us a twenty-minute wait on Saturday night, so Durango it was! Durango smells like Bennigan’s; with a second whiff, there’s a hint of next-door Ninja’s in the air. And there is smoking section. We sat on the long wooden chaise that bordered the hostess’s area. From here, while we chatted, I could see beer-guzzling and interesting drinks (they have 28 fruit-blended margaritas on the menu!) being carried by the waitstaff. Food is grilled here on real oak-wood fire. As we waited, Chuck asked for a menu; in a nutshell, it consisted of steak, steak, steak, ribs, chicken, and sides. Though they offered Mexican plates, I didn’t want a repeat of the night before. Just glancing at the menu can raise one’s cholesterol level, one’s blood pressure, and certainly one's blood sugar level. As I was looking through, I was struck by the repetitive "motherload" description of some of the items. Here’s what you get with a motherload baked potato: potato is the first layer, then jack cheese, then cheddar cheese, then bacon, then butter, then sour cream, and finally chives. Calling Dr. Atkins!

Okay, Chuck and I settled on sharing a 10-ounce Colorado prime rib and shrimp, of which I would have 3 ounces. This is the best part of this whole restaurant; our server was yet another Russian student, and we were trying to explain how to split the steak, as I can’t have rare meat in front of me or in my mouth, for that matter. Luckily, the chef’s mother is on a low-carb diet, and he knows all about the 3-oz.-of-meat deal. He came to our table and wanted to make sure the steak had been cooked to our liking--my piece was fine! Chuck’s was still moving. Along with that were 4 jumbo shrimps that had been rolled in bacon (yes, bacon!) and grilled, and frankly, they tasted really good. A fresh garden salad had been our choice as the appetizer, for which they brought me olive oil and lemon. A baked potato (without the motherload part) rounded out the meal. If you are not potato-friendly, other "sidekicks" included rice and beans, mashed potato, Southwestern rice, and Durango (French) fries or a vegetable of the day. Barbecue sauce is offered for dipping the shrimp, but neither one of us showed interest.

There are sandwiches to be had here, soup and salad dinners, and a kid-friendly menu. The dessert menu had me weak in the knees for just a split-second when I read about fried ice cream; after analyzing what else would be piled on top of it, I began to restore my dignity. And for chocolate lovers, they serve what they call a "Chocolate Avalanche". That is an understatement--picture chocolate cake (generous slice), saturated in chocolate sauce, with vanilla scoops on top and more chocolate sauce. Don’t they call this death-by-chocolate in some places?

I imagine this to be much like the joy experienced by the addict who has just gotten the ultimate fix; admittedly, I am a news junkie, and when I knew I was going to be in Atlanta, my mind began to chant its news mantra: "Ohm, CNN... Ohm, CNN..."

Make no mistake, though; I have been rather angry with CNN lately and have gotten my dope from BBC, MSNBC World News, TV5, and anything else international I can get my hands on through cable TV. So, that said, I met Chuck in between business meetings at the World Congress Center, as the CNN Center is virtually across the street.

The building is extraordinary on the inside, and the security is set to match. Especially on the tour. Tickets cost $10/pp, which I found to be a good value. You will be searched; though we both had cameras, we were told quite resolutely that no photos were allowed. While we waited for the tour to start, we sat in the enormous dining area/atrium populated with shops and eateries. In center stage were polished, square wood tables bearing the logos of various CNN channels. Flags representing CNN presence in various countries hang from the ceiling.

Our tour guide was a young man who tried to look authoritative, but he was too funny. The group of about 10 people was flanked at the tail end by two security guards, as if we were going to steal classified materials. The first stop is a stand-up kind of theater where the guide will explain the tricks of the trade, such as the reason weathermen look so hapless in front of a weather map (the area behind them is green (or blue), and the map you are seeing on your screen is directly on the sides of him/her). So, as they circle their arms or point to the wrong state, you can now easily understand why. Were they to dress in green, like their backdrop, they would disappear! I wonder if they could try that with Bill O’Reilly over at Fox...

Subsequent to this lesson were the several studios from which various broadcasts emanate: the main US channel that morning had anchors Daryn Kagan and her new male sidekick. I found out that when they are busy at their PCs, it has nothing to do with news: they could be emailing a friend or chatting! The newscasters are supported by a huge team of writers and one emperor, who gets to decide what news gets delivered and when. And then there are the teleprompters. Another interesting tidbit is that the cameras are unmanned. We filed behind our guide to learn about CNN Headline News, CNN en español, CNN International, and so on. The latter has a main office in Hong Kong, as well as in Atlanta.

For a more candid report on this, go to my blog, where I mince no words.

It is not possible to accurately portray Atlanta through the lens of a business trip. There simply is not sufficient time, nor is the mood conducive to getting lost in the hope of magical discoveries. However, were it not for the serendipity sighting of certain plaques, I would not have learned so much more than I had known prior to my visit. One also does think about the folks who may read this or other journals penned in haste in their attempt to find any facts or tidbits they can add to their agenda of things to do and remember about a place.

In addition to having seen the genesis of CNN and Coca Cola, Atlanta also witnessed the publication of the first black newspaper in 1928. A year later, it was here that Martin Luther King’s first cry as a newborn was heard. Is there a difference between the Atlanta of the historical South and today’s Atlanta? She appears to be a bit ambiguous in her leanings, all the while leaving her door open to Northern influences while facilitating major black initiatives, which include six black universities. How dearly indeed Atlanta paid for her Southern ties when, in 1864, she was all but completely destroyed by the army of General Sherman. This, however, seemed to have given more courage to the city of the Phoenix to rebuild. Eventually, Atlanta indeed earned the moniker "Pearl of the South," as described by Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind.

During one of our strolls downtown, we stopped at two historical placards that sum it up: a) from rather humble beginnings as a railroad town, Atlanta grows up to be a metropolis, and b) how Atlanta set the bar for building safety codes after a devastating hotel fire in 1946 destroyed the Winecoff Hotel , the remainder skeleton of which still stands as a memorial to those who perished. Within days of this event, cities across America began putting in place more stringent fire safety laws.

Atlanta began as a settlement by one John Thrasher in 1839 as a forested area that was destined to become a railroad depot that would facilitate trade and transport with the North. First called Thrasherville and then Marthasville, it was re-baptized in 1845 and incorporated under its current name.

Atlanta likes to claim that Santa Claus sports the colors of Coca Cola, red and white… I never knew that! And I imagine there are people in the world who have put their lips to an untold number of bottles and/or cans of Coke who never believed much in Santa Claus. There is an immense pride amongst native Atlantans about one of its citizens, a pharmacist called John Pemberton. In 1886, he concocted the recipe for the world’s most famous soft drink, and its name came from his bookkeeper who apparently had a gift for scripting letters, as in the long, flowing, and majestic red C’s in the name. Did you know that at one time, the drink contained extracts of cocaine? If you are a student of marketing, as I am, and want to see the genius of brand development, dedicate an hour or so to the World of Coke located at 55 Martin Luther King Dr., adjacent to the Underground Mall . You don’t even need to take the tour; just indulge in the memorabilia collected over the years and take in the enormity of the success of the brand by counting the over 200 flags representing the countries that embrace the product. Soda fountain floats, jukeboxes, bobby sox, and pigtails were all part of the culture of Coca Cola.

Appropriately enough, the exhibition for which I had come was happening in February and coinciding with Black History Month. The celebration itself was only a footnote for most conventioneers, who had business on their minds. However, it figured prominently on most newsstand magazines, as well as Atlanta travel guides found in the rooms of the Westin and other hotels. I need to emphasize the importance of Atlanta as an artistic venue since I know about it from my business dealings here over the last quarter century. Thus, it was not with surprise, but with some glee, that I noted that Judith Jamison had brought her dance company of 32 down here to present contemporary dance that draws from African-American heritage and current culture on the occasion of this celebratory month.

Additionally, major art stores and galleries are found in this metropolis, and you may be surprised to learn that there is a strong French alliance between Atlanta and Paris. I count several of them as customers and long-time colleagues. There is also the AtlArt event, which I regretfully missed, that brings together 28 galleries and four museums for an 11-day extravaganza of openings, avant-garde exhibitions, paper borne, and other visual arts, including an Art Papers Auction. Most of this is free and open to the public. Where else?

If your travel plans include the first Thursday of any month, then consider yourself in for a delicious treat: the Downtown Arts Walk, which happens every first Thursday of each month and includes self-guided tours of galleries, museums, artists’ lofts, etc., with the added bonus of restaurant discounts. Your parking tickets will be validated so as to be free! If you want a sneak preview of what’s happening when, go to this website and click on "First Thursdays."

Another of my personal favorite institutions is the Robert C. Williams American Museum of Papermaking . This is more than a repository for the history of papermaking; there are artifacts that recount and support this history, and there are people I know there who sponsor travels to Europe, and Italy in particular, where they can witness the art being practiced much the same way as it was in the 1200s. There is a modest donation of $3 to enter, but it’s well worth it. Eventually, I plan to part with my collection of exotic Japanese paper books, knowing they will have a wonderful home in this museum.

Atlanta can continue to dazzle the historian in all of us with its "Anne Frank in the World" exhibit (call 678/797-2083 for more info), its "Jimmy Carter" presidential library (call 404/929-6300), its "Rhodes Hall" (nothing to do with the scholar, but rather a furniture magnate), and the "William Breman Jewish Heritage" museum (678/222-3700), the largest of its kind in the Southeast.

As I prepare for a forthcoming trip to Vietnam, I am also reminded that the CDC calls Atlanta home. That is the Center for Disease Control, the nation’s health cop. There must be a zillion other things that distinguish Atlanta and make it a fabulous place to visit, and I’ve penned a few for you. The one thing I could have done on this trip that I didn’t is personally take in the view from the Westin’s Sundial Restaurants. I don’t like the outside elevator idea at all.

Located at 285 Andrew Young International Blvd. NW, The Georgia World Congress Center, affectionately called the GWCC here in Atlanta, is a mammoth 3.9 million square feet in size, 1.4 million of which is exhibit space. They could have easily held the Olympics in here if they wanted to. This place makes the Jacob Javits Center in New York look like a miniature golf amusement park. I would have loved to win the contract for carpeting the GWCC; then I would not have had to attend this trade show!

The center is really geared to handling everything and anything you may need for conducting business or otherwise. At the main entrance were shuttle buses that bring you to and from your respective hotels. As you enter the lobby through the glass doors, it’s not easy to guess which way to go, as there are exhibit halls to the right, to the left, and several floors down each way, but I give it very high marks for establishing a very visible "concierge" desk where you can ask any question you have about the city and expect to get clear answers with or without accompanying brochures. Dinner venues, show recommendations, shuttle services to the airport, Broadway-type shows… it’s all here at the desk. On the exact opposite side is the much needed and almost always busy IT center for your email and other online needs; for our particular convention, the services were offered free courtesy of one of the firms affiliated with the show. It made my life certainly easier, as the Westin was shamelessly gouging for use of the Internet in one’s room.

At the entrance there are very few benches for folks to sit on and regroup, and this is definitely something they could improve upon if they were looking hard. There is also a Fed-Ex/Kinko’s kiosk, or actually office, that can handle any eventuality that may arise. Within the complex itself, and since it is multi-level, you can find ample supplies of food and beverages; there are Starbucks espresso-based drinks just about everywhere; sandwich and convenience food eateries, some with chairs; and a self-service food court called Food World, where I had the pleasure of enjoying a leisurely lunch with a Canadian customer. Actually, I recommend it highly; it’s a flat fee of $10 per person and encompasses the all-you-can-eat concept. The variety is infinite, including a carving area for meats and a salad bar to satisfy any vegetarian! There are also hot entrées and interesting hot vegetables, like yellow courgettes, which were delicious. I refused to linger around the dessert area, but they do go beyond the basic brownie here. Juices, soft drinks, coffees, and teas are available as well, with refills if you so desire. The seating area on one side overlooks the show floor, which can be interesting; we sat away from it in a booth toward the back of the establishment. It was relatively quiet and therefore easy to discuss business. Also available are over 100 meeting rooms.