Staycation Atlanta - Part 3: Aquatic Center and Food For the Week

On Wednesday, we had a lazy morning, and then went to the Gwinette Aquatic Center for the afternoon. This is a place that just opened up this summer. It has instructional pools, lap pools, and a great outdoor facility with two big water slides, a lazy river, and a kids place with smaller slides and water pouring out everywhere.

Only one pic for this one - I am taking the girls through the lazy river:




Another part of this week has been the food. I try very hard not to be a "Let's just grab something from the snack bar" guy. To me, the food is a part of the experience. To that end we have had some great food this week. I can recommend several places to visit if you are in town:

• Mary Mac's Tea Room: The BEST restaurant southern food ever. I cannot say enough good about this place
  
• The Varsity: It's the Varsity. If you don't know about it, throw a rock and you will find someone who does.
• Fresh Air Bar-B-Que: This joint is in Athens, GA, and is a great Bar-B-Que place. Good pork and ribs as well as great Brunswick Stew. If you are Athens, check it out.
• Steamhouse Lounge: I have a long and storied history with this place. Back in 1997, I came down to Atlanta from OH for the Peach Bowl. We ate seafood at the Steamhouse, and I discovered their Lobster Bisque (I call it Liquid Gold). At the time, it was in Buckhead. Over the years, I came back to Atlanta on business several times, and would visit the Steamhouse every opportunity that I got. Therefore, when we actually moved to Atlanta, I was pumped that I was finally close to the restaurant. When we drove past it the first time, I discovered that it was a crater, LITERALLY. The place, and everything around it had been torn down. I heard that they gave the Bisque recipie to Fontaine's Oyster House in the Virgina Highlands area of Atlanta. I visited Fontaine's and found that the Bisque was in fact the same. This morning, I decided that I wanted to take the familly to Fontaine's for lunch. In the process of looking for it online, i discovered that the STEAMHOUSE LOUNGE HAS REOPENED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now it is in Midtown. So that is where we went for lunch. One cup of Lobster Bisque, a Lobster Roll, and a Stella Artois later, I was a happy guy. The Steamhouse lives...balance is restored to the universe.

I will have more memories from the Staycation over the next few days.

-Cliff