Booming Alpharetta

Alpharetta is a good destination for business travelers. There is an abundance of good hotels and restaurants, although not a lot of culture or activities, in an area that only a couple of decades ago was mostly forest.

Many companies are located in Alpharetta. For those companies not headquartered in the skyscrapers of downtown Atlanta, the northern edge of town provides a ready supply of new office space and housing for their employees. With new businesses comes support personnel, contractors, outsourcers, and all the other associates who fill up hotels and restaurants.

All of the common hotel chains have locations in Alpharetta, so there is a large selection of places to stay. With the new residents and visitors, several new malls have opened up in the area providing shopping, dining, and general outing destinations for those who can't spend another minute in their hotel rooms.

Suburban growth naturally spawns golf courses, and there are several exclusive country clubs, as well as public courses, in the area. The Country Club of the South in nearby Roswell is a well-known course that offers challenging plays in the north Georgia hills.

Be certain you check out historic downtown Alpharetta. Most of the old businesses are now arts-and-crafts and antique stores with unique Southern products.

Quick Tips:

The hotels in Alpharetta are not as popular as the larger urban hotels for meetings and conventions, so the occupancy rates are rather steady. Don't be surprised to find hotels full, or that your preferred room type is not available.

There are many restaurants in the area, and you'll find that the desk clerks at the hotels are usually quick to point out a nice place to eat. From my hotel I can walk to Golden Corral, classic steakhouses, fast-food places, and Chuck E. Cheese’s. Find out what's around, as many restaurants are chains, but there are many local restaurants that provide local color as well as good food.

Best Way To Get Around:

If you fly into Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, you'll probably want to rent a car just to make your stay more flexible. Taxis are available in Alpharetta, but you'll probably have to wait a few minutes for one to arrive.

If you have someone who can pick you up in Alpharetta, the MARTA subway/train system runs to Alpharetta from the airport. Once there, however, you're a bit of a walk from anywhere, but taxis are usually available at the MARTA station.

The Embassy Suites Atlanta - Alpharetta is one of the nicer mid-range chain hotels in the North Atlanta area, convenient to many businesses in the area, and close to many dining options.

This hotel is smaller than many Embassy Suites in the chain, as it is only six floors and fewer rooms per floor than the hotels found in more urban settings. Whether due to size or location, the hotel was quite full while I was there. A mix of business travelers and families made it a more lively experience, with the children softening the business travel a bit.

The indoor pool and exercise room are conveniently located at the elevator entrance on the main floor, limiting one's trip through the main part of the hotel when wearing workout clothes or a swimsuit, but making for a wet elevator when a bunch of kids leave the pool for their rooms without drying off properly.

The complimentary breakfast is very good. Pancakes, omelets, fruit, juices, and a good selection of breads and cereals provide a variety of tastes and dietary options. Room service is prompt, affordable, and good - the hot wings and a couple of beers are affordable and a nice way to have a light dinner while catching up on email. I was disappointed with the manager's complimentary bar from 5:30-7:30pm each night. The drink selection was good, but the snacks were limited to peanuts, popcorn, and chips.

Nearby dining options include several upscale restaurants and chains, fast food, and the food court at the North Point Mall which is about a quarter mile away.

Overall, this is a nice hotel. It is quite new, and the furniture is still fresh and in good condition. Check-in and other services are delivered by a prompt, courteous, and well-trained staff. The best rate I could find was $169 per night and I wasn't able to get a king bed, but I attribute that to popularity in a great location.

This hotel is somewhat generic, similar to those we see trip after trip. The probably single greatest aspect is the service. The hotel staff is friendly and helpful, but unfortunately they were required to assist with inadequate Internet service that was sporadic. The free high-speed service was nice to have, but it would have been nicer if it had worked properly.

My hotel room was smaller than many I have occupied. It was on the main level, so I had a door to the courtyard, but the outdoor pool was not very busy or entertaining due to the cold. The indoor heated whirlpool tub was very large and clean.

Breakfast is free at the hotel, and it was adequate but nothing special. The hotel serves a limited number of cereals and breads, the components of breakfast that often provide some variety.

The hotel is convenient, located adjacent to a grocery shopping center parking lot. There's not much to do within walking distance, so you will either need a car or some good walking shoes to get out and about.

Overall, it's not a bad place to stay, but there are better selections nearby for the same price.

"Talking animals. Moving animals. Keep your eyes open and your plate covered," were the first words my server said at the Bugaboo Creek Steak House. Located near the North Point Mall in Alpharetta, Georgia, the restaurant is decorated to look like a large Canadian hunting cabin, complete with stuffed animals that talk, sing, swing on ropes, and peek out of barrels.

Bugaboo Creek has found a nice combination of elements that make it a very attractive dining destination. Moderate prices, large servings of good food, interesting decorations on light pine paneling, and animated wildlife appeal to families and business travelers alike.

When I sat down at my table, the host explained the menu, asked what I wanted, and made a couple of recommendations. We chatted for a couple of minutes about the history of the chain, and then my server appeared with a hot loaf of bread to take my drink order. Returning with my drink, he took my order, and within a couple of minutes, I had my garden salad.

The salad was good but nothing exceptional. The tomato chunks were nicely cubed, but later I noticed the pepper mills being used by other servers. Mine had forgotten to offer fresh pepper, a requirement for any good salad.

My 16-ounce prime rib and baked potato arrived at just the right time. I believe they have a faulty scale, as the slab of meat was at least 24 ounces. It was perfectly cut and warmed nicely. The potato was small but was fully loaded with fresh ingredients and very hot. It was actually the right size, as I had plenty of beef to eat.

The dessert list looked great, and the couple next to me sharing the chocolate cake and ice cream (as they had not consumed massive amounts of cow) spoke highly of their selection.

Drinking a lot of iced tea with my personal side of beef, I challenged my server's ability to keep my glass full. I was still ready to tip well, but while working on my ticket, my server stopped to chat with a cutie on the staff. The manager came by and asked how I was doing, and once I told him I needed a to-go box and my ticket completed, he quickly got things moving. The server lost a few percentage points on the tip, and hopefully he learned something.

Overall, it's a great restaurant. I'll eat there again. I'm looking forward to taking my kids there so they can enjoy the food and the animated entertainment.

For more information, click here for their website.

When I first drove by, I thought Atlantic Seafood Company was a wholesale fish company. The unpretentious, almost plain exterior gives way on one side to a scalloped roofline and some tables for outdoor dining. It was a beautiful day and I wanted fish, so I wheeled in for a bite.

Walking in, I was impressed with the spacious bar to my left and the group of what appeared to be overflow tables for the bar to my right. Just past the bar was the hostess stand, where three young ladies waited to assign a table. It was early evening, and while I was tempted to eat outside, I was drawn towards the large mural on the wall and the delightful interior. As I was led to my indoor table, I passed the wait staff waiting along the wall in very neat blue shirts and clean white aprons.

The menu was well organized and easy to read. Starters and salads were on the left, and a matrix of fish and recommend preparations on the right. Kelvin quickly arrived to pour some water and tell me about the specials. I decided on the Greek salad and the wood-grilled salmon. I first asked Kelvin if the chef knew how to grill salmon properly, and he assured me that he did. I asked him to recommend a wine with the salmon, and he selected a nice Frei Brothers pinot noir.

The salad was delicious – a collection of fresh greens, olives, cheeses, peppers, and what appeared to be too many onions. Tasting the salad, I was reminded that I was in Georgia, home of the Vidalia onion. The sweet onions provided a light, almost sweet flavor to the salad – a nice combination of traditional Greek flavors and a local treat. I would have suggested an offering of crackers or bread with the salad, but it stood well by itself.

Kelvin was right about the chef’s ability cooking salmon. I requested it medium rare, and the cooked outside gave way to a center that was almost raw. Served with mashed potatoes, carrots, broccoli, and green beans, it was a hearty meal, as it was a large serving of salmon. A couple of glasses of wine were required to wash down a meal of that size. I was curious to taste a dessert and probably should have taken one back to the hotel room, but the calories and the tab were beginning to add up.

I was happy to find a restaurant like this with no wait, free valet parking, excellent food, and a beautiful atmosphere. I plan to return again on a Wednesday or Friday, as I understand the live jazz music is very nice. I explained to the manager, Pauline, that I was taking photos for igougo.com, and she recommended several other restaurants in the area I should visit and review.

See more at , their website.

On the third Saturday each month from March to October, the Downtown Alpharetta Business Association sponsors a market day in the main street of Alpharetta. Artisans and collectible dealers from across northern Georgia sell their wares from booths in the streets between the arts-and-crafts stores that line the main thoroughfare through the old city center.

Some of the best crafts are the woodworking and country craft furniture, folk art, and ceramics. Several nice quilts were for sale, but the prices of the best quality quilts have climbed to the level that our grandmothers who made them by hand would be shocked to see what suburbanites are paying for them.

Local bands provide a variety of music styles, including rock, jazz, bluegrasss, and country. Dance in the streets, or take the kids to the bounce houses, petting zoo, or face-painting tents.

Food vendors sell standard market food, with some delicious jumbo corn dogs that are tasty and convenient while walking around. Several sweets and candy vendors will keep the kids pumped up on sugar overloads.

It gets quite hot during the hotter months of summer, so wear a hat (or buy one there), apply sunscreen, and drink plenty of water so you can enjoy the day.