That’s right, we’re coming back strong with this week’s #onethingoneweek. Technically, we went on this trip months ago, but I’ve just now got time to edit and upload some photos. I also have some things to post for the upcoming weeks so stay tuned for that!
This week’s #onethingoneweek is dedicated to friends. Whether you are out hiking, climbing, running – taking in the scenery around – or exploring your city, having friends along for the ride makes it that much better. Our goal was to visit our friends down in Georgia and to save some money on airfare, we embarked on our road trip.
As much as my computer wants to auto-correct Dahlonega to Decathlon, that’s it’s actual name. Dahlonega is a small city in North Georgia, home to North Georgia University. Pictured above is the Gold Museum, chronicling the history of gold mining since 1828. That picture was taken right after Christmas, so you can see the nicely lit trees to either side.
Honestly, the square did not have much for us to do, although it was almost midnight. Even the trees were not lit, but I found some switches and fixed that quickly (although the cops weren’t too thrilled about it). Although we did get some nice pictures, hanging around together was enough.
I can’t get this far without talking up Sam. Sam is one of the friends we were visiting and if you need to know one thing about him (besides that he’s the best), he’s a mean cook. When we went to school together in Taiwan, I sadly missed the chance to taste his cooking. But oh boy did I have my fill in Georgia. One of the best things this whole trip!
Pink Jelly, Georgia Aquarium School of Piranha, Georgia Aquarium Tiger Jelly, Georgia Aquarium
One of the first stops on our trip was the Georgia Aquarium. The Georgia Aquarium was the largest aquarium in the world until 2012 when the Marine Life Park in Singapore took its spot. We saw everything from whale sharks to Manta Rays to beluga whales. Apparently, I’m a bad photographer because many of the shots were just bad. However, the few I did manage to salvage turned out alright.
Right next to the Georgia Aquarium is the Civil Rights Museum. As we all know, the Civil Rights Movement was marked by violence and bloodshed. Reading about all the lives that were lost in exchange for equality was difficult. African Americans were killed just for wanting to be treated equally, and even the white people who helped them were killed too. As difficult as it was to look at some of the exhibits, I think everyone should try to visit this museum if they can. The hardest experience was the immersive experienced that simulated the sit-ins at a diner.
Worldwide Coca-Cola Drinks, World of Coca-Cola Coke Taxi, World of Coca-Cola
Also right next to the Museum was the World of Coca-Cola. It was filled with Coca-Cola history, memorabilia, and at the very end, drink tasting. The boast having hundreds of different Coca-Cola flavors available. The most interesting were the ones you see above from various regions. There were definitely awful ones like a cucumber flavored drink, but Bibo from S. Africa was one of my favorites.
Our trip to Georgia was a blast. It was one of the best mini-Vacations I’ve ever been on, in no small part thanks to friends. The above card I received from Sam sums up my emotions on that day. It was a fun time driving to Georgia, traveling with friends, having good food. But it was also sad knowing I’d finally have to say goodbye. So while I appreciated the card, it also made me sad. As I finish this post up, I want you to remember – grab some friends and make this week’s #onethingoneweek special.