King Tut: Atlanta

While visiting Atlanta over the Valentine's Day weekend, I visited National Geographic's exhibit TUTANKHAMUN AND THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE PHARAOHS. I hadn't read or heard much about the exhibit, but I thought the title was self explanatory, and I was excited. After paying the somewhat steep price, we entered a line for the exhibit. As we approached the entrance, we were ushered into a room, and shown a video about the discovery of Tut's tomb. Then, the great "stone" doors before us swung open, and we entered the exhibit. The first part of the exhibit consists of busts of other Pharaohs, and information about their reign and rule. Among my favorites was the long faced Bust of Akhenaten.

We moved from here into a room displaying jewelry of the empire. Fantastically detailed intricate metalwork, sometimes offset by stone settings. This was probably my favorite part of the exhibit. I love to examine the small details and see how the largest of pieces are so delicately put together.

Beyond we finally came to the Tut portion of the exhibit. Here are 50 artifacts recovered from Tut's long hidden tomb. They range from the impressive gold foil sandals and finger and toe caps that adorned the mummy himself, to the more basic items such as the wooden bed, looking like a low twin frame, that Tut may have slept on in life. But my favorite item was the Tutankhamun Canopic Coffinette. This item features on many of the posters advertising the exhibit, and can easily be mistaken for a full size sarcophagus, but it is in fact only about a foot or two tall. As with the jewelry, I was amazed by the fine details and workmanship, but even more so. Out of respect for other visitors, and likely security protocol, I did not press my face to the glass and stare at it for an hour, but I would have liked to.

As we left the exhibit of artifacts, there was an explanation of the various entombments that had surrounded the body. I rounded the next corner hoping that some of these sarcophagi were here. But I was admittedly disappointed to find only a multimedia display discussing a body scan that was done of the King's mummy. Although the web site's FAQ is quit clear, I could not help but feel a little misled.

Overall the exhibit is impressive, and it's well worth the slightly inflated price. Take your time and read the information on the walls, look hard at the jewelry, and just be amazed that these items are thousands of years old, and still quite impressive by today's standards.

Kooza Atlanta

Over Valentines weekend of 09, we headed down to Atlanta to see Kooza under the big top. Ever since I saw my first Cirque Du Soleil production on public television when I was younger, I've wanted to go actually see a show, so I was very excited to find that they were relatively near by.

This is one show where it is definitely worth it to arrive early. Before the show starts, there are actors in the aisles, in the seats, on the stage. So many clowns to entertain that it hardly feels like you are waiting for the show to start at all.

When the show finally does start, it remains a frequently funny, always interesting and some times artistically sweet production throughout. The entire show as a whole is rapid fire perfectly done entertainment. Some of the best acts are the incredibly quick juggler, and surprisingly fast contortionists. Equally impressive were the balancing chair and unicycle acts. Perhaps my favorite was a chance to watch a truly gifted pickpocket at work, on of all things an airline pilot.

The various characters, from the king and his clowns to the Innocent and his dog, provide the theatrical touch that makes a cirque production so much more than just a circus. Currently playing in New York, with additional dates across the US this year, this is a show not to be missed.

High Museum

For Valentine's day, I finally visited the High Museum in Atlanta. We were fortunate enough to visit when they were hosting both a collection from the Louvre, and Terracotta soldiers from the famous site in Shaanxi Province of China.

The current Louvre exhibit that was being show was en exercise in learning what makes a masterpiece. There were several fine pieces, and in some instances, interesting comparisons. It wasn't quite as interesting, surprisingly, as a similarly themed exhibit of Tiffany stained glass that I once saw at the Frist in Nashville. Still, I enjoy art of all but a some of the modern kind, and found it very interesting. The exhibit continues through September of 2009.

The Terracotta army was fascinating to me. Not only are these life sized soldiers part of one of the most impressive archaeological finds ever made, not only are they ancient pieces of art from one of the world's great civilizations, but they are part of an army of individuals. Through the interpretive displays, this exhibit explains both the different roles represented by the statues, and the way in which they were each built, much like cabbage patch dolls, such that, from a limited set of faces, hairstyles, etc, each piece was a different combination, and in the final details, are unique. Visiting displays like this are always a Catch-22 of sorts. Everyone wants to see them, but they want to see them alone. The site these soldiers originated from now has a solid place on my list of places to see, and I can only hope that in the most populous country in the world, the exhibit won't be as crowded. But despite the crowds, don't miss this. The exhibit closes April 19th.

Atlanta: Little 5 Points

In Atlanta there is an area known as little 5 points, which is a fun place to spend the day visiting shops, watch street performers, and grab a good bite to eat.

The shops range from places selling hemp and tie die, to world home decor goods, to records and Cd's, to the Junk Man's Daughter, which sells a collection of goods from vintage or vintage styled clothes, posters, magnets, books incense and much more.

Out on the street, depending on the day, you might see a comedic juggler or a street musician, and even if there are no performers, the crowd this street draws is can be something of an attraction in itself.

When you've worked up an appetite, there's no better place to get a burger than the phantasmagorically fronted Vortex, or if it's pizza you're after, try a white slice at Little 5 Points Pizza.

Incredible Aquarium

My husband and I were first drawn to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta shortly after its opening in late 2005. On that visit, we were astounded by the Whale Sharks most of all, but also impressed by the quality of the many other exhibits, and so we returned in January of 2007 to introduce some friends, who, though local, had yet to visit. And while the dynamics have changed as the tanks have matured somewhat, the Georgia aquarium remains an incredible experience.

The aquarium has several touch tanks, with sharks, rays, sea urchins, starfish, and anemones, and the best part is everything feels you back! They have a wide variety of animals, including a sea otter that seems to have a bad habit of sucking his thumb. Even the fresh water tanks are enjoyable, though I have seen a lot of them.

There are a few major areas: the cold water exhibits house the belugas, sea otters, urchin touch tanks, penguins and more. The fresh water tanks have exhibits from around the world. There is a also tropical exhibit and the whale shark exhibit, which I discuss below, and there is even a kid's play area.

This isn't just a bunch of fish tanks. This aquarium is designed with a real theatrical flare. Each of the main areas of the aquarium has a passage that you follow in a loop, which leaves and returns to a main lobby. The lobby has a soaring ceiling, and a snack bar, which has prices to match the ceiling.

When you enter the tropical exhibit, you walk into a dark and narrow hallway, drawing attention to the many tanks filled with brightly colored fish and sea creatures. Then, you walk around a corner and suddenly, you find yourself standing fifteen feet under the ocean looking at a beautiful tropical coral reef. Magical music floats through the air, and you are faintly mesmerized. Just as you are almost over the initial awe, the surf crashes onto the beach which is just out of sight above and behind you. You'll just have to see it for yourself to understand. At least, that was my experience the first time. The second time the wave machine had been turned off and there was a largish fellow in a wet suit dusting the muck off the corals. A somewhat less magical experience.

But the tropical exhibit is nothing compared to the whale shark exhibit. The pathway for this exhibit simply loops around a single massive tank. A tank with 100,000 fish. A tank with currently 3 whale sharks, hammerheads, leopard sharks, groupers, and schools of rays. It is fantastic. This display is as well directed as the reef exhibit. You walk around the tank, at first being given only small windows to peer through, that mask the tank's true size. Then you come to the tunnel, which is truly impressive. the light shines down through the water like a dozen suns, the school of rays soar overhead like graceful birds, and a grouper, with an entourage of yellow fish surrounding him goes by. After this, there are more widows, of many shapes and sizes, all giving limited views of the tank. Finally, you arrive at the main attraction: A single huge window. It is larger than a movie theater screen. Just as with the coral reefs you are suddenly actually there, underwater, gazing at the fish from the ocean floor, only now you are much further under the surface. .

I wish I was still sitting on the floor my face practically pressed to the very thick acrylic and just watching ocean life play out right in front of me. On my first visit the tank a single school of fish was the most dominant feature. They were yellow and smallish, about the size of your hand or smaller, and they were REALLY schooling. They were like a whirling tornado, spinning and swimming, and turning as one entity. The whale sharks circle the tank, which is so large they sometimes disappear into the depths as they reach the other side. If one of the sharks swims through the school, they feed on its back, and as the shark emerges it pulls a golden finger of the fish away from the main school with it. The rays go by like birds migrating, and the smaller sharks circle the tank, or lay on the sandy ocean floor. The dynamics of the tank had changed when I visited in January. The yellow fish are mostly gone, and there are more large fish about. There is music here also, which could not be more perfectly epic. This is worth the trip, and the cost. Parking is about $8 and tickets for adults are $23 per person w/tax. I only have 3 suggestions: bring a camera; you'll be sorry if you don't, as I was the first time I went. Eat before you go, you can't bring food in, and it's too much inside, though the deserts are tempting. And finally, if you live within range to visit more than 2 times a year, buy a pass, you'll be wanting to go back every day. I give this site an absolute A