From tea to the sea
After exploring the world of tea for several hours, I decided to take a break and visit the Georgia Aquarium. The Aquarium was just a couple of blocks away from the Georgia World Congress Center. To make ticket purchasing convenient, the Aquarium has an automated ticket kiosk setup in front of the facility. You can swipe your credit card and select the number of tickets you want. The tickets print at the machine. When I went, it was complete chaos. It was a Sunday afternoon, and the place was packed. After discovering I didn’t need to stand in line to buy tickets in the 90 degree weather, my experience started to improve. The first thing you notice inside is the cool temperature. I grabbed a map and started to explore. Their major displays are called: Coldwater Quest, River Scout, Georgia Explorer, Ocean Voyage, Tropical Diver, and Deepo’s (sort of looks like Nemo) 3D Wondershow. There are a few exhibits where you can actually touch the “fish.” I wish my kids and wife could have 
been there. It wasn’t nearly as fun going by myself – my girls would have loved it. On my walk over, I was talking to a doctor who was in town for a conference. He asked me what I was doing in Atlanta. When I told him I was attending the World Tea Expo, he looked at me and said, “I didn’t know they had such a thing.” The majority of people I talk to pretty much say the same thing. Tea has a long way to go in the US… Back to the aquarium… My highlights were seeing the Beluga whale and Whale shark. The Beluga whales actually looked happy. I couldn’t get over the human-like qualities of their eyes. The penguins were pretty cool…penguins always make me laugh. If you’re in Atlanta, I do recommend the aquarium. I definitely recommend it, if you are on vacation with children. I was impressed, but my children would have been in awe over the massive displays.
A very important note to all aquarium goers: This place is more secure than the airport. You will be searched and scanned to enter the facility. They will make you throw away (they may have a storage area – I wasn’t given the option) any items that they do not want inside. So, most people had to get rid of any candies (including gum), plastic bottles, etc. You’ll be amazed at the security – trust me and expect to be searched. It’s for the best, but you must be prepared.
marTEA