Our Atlanta Botanical Gardens Adventures

There are many wonderful advantages to living just two blocks from the Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail, one of them being an enjoyable bike ride to The Atlanta Botanical Gardens! It first occurred to us to pedal to the petals this summer when we took a little “stay-cation” to celebrate our 23rd wedding anniversary. Turns out it was a very good idea.

We rode the Eastside Trail to Monroe and stopped for lunch at Woody’s. We each had a Polish Sausage Dog and a Sweetwater 420 – DEELISH!  Then, armed with the nutrients we needed for an active day, we rode through Piedmont Park to The Gardens.

It was easy to spend hours strolling through the vast gardens, enjoying the Imaginary Worlds Mosiaculture exhibit of larger-than-life, living sculptures. As a matter of fact, we arrived around 1:00pm and didn’t leave until they closed at 7:00pm!  Oh, the sights we saw.

Early on in our garden adventure we spotted a familiar mammal, although this shaggy dog is about seven feet tall and is growing grass in place of fur:

We especially enjoyed the tropical jungle inside the Fuqua Conservatory (…where there are topiary turtles and frogs and quails) and the beautifully refreshing flora of the Fuqua Orchid Center.

We were there for such a long time that we depleted our Woody’s nutrients! Luckily, we were able to refuel at Metro Fresh in the Garden, conveniently located near this guy:

As we neared the end of our garden adventure we decided that we wanted to visit again… and again. So we purchased a Garden Membership and we’ve been back several times since that day.

With the holidays upon us we are looking forward to visiting for the Garden Lights Holiday Nights Event ( beginning November 16th and running through January 4th; evenings from 5pm-10pm). Around the holidays, it’s the shiniest place on the Emerald Halo (another name we’ve given the BeltLine). We went on Christmas Day last year even though it had rained all day and was still a little misty. The millions of lights refracting through the mist and reflecting off the wet sidewalks enhanced the experience, so don’t let a little inclement weather keep you from going.

As Thanksgiving draws near, let’s pause to be grateful for Atlanta Botanical Gardens, bicycle adventures, and very good ideas. And dream of s’more Botanical Garden adventures in 2014!

Photo credit: Joey Ivansco