Every year, DragonCon takes on a life of its own. This year was no different with fun new trends like The Loyal Order of the Ribbon, cults going strong, or massive groups like the T-Rex Horde. That’s all on top of the fantastic cosplay, Mardi Gras atmosphere, star-studded panels, meet and greets with celebrities, and nighttime parties and live performances!

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The opulent, white marble ascends into the Atlanta skyline and stands in juxtaposition from the beautiful blue of the daytime sky. There’s a quintessential permanent red carpet with the nicest doorman that opens the heavy, brass doors into the striking lobby. Straight ahead is a bank of brass, original elevators that have a sign above them that says, “next car.” You can lounge on the circular sofa and watch the people come and go from the elevators or stare in awe at the large, sweeping marble staircase where you’re greeted with a marble lion and paired with one of the most beautiful chandeliers in all of Atlanta. Welcome to the beautiful, Candler Hotel.

In front of you, the golden mountains point to the bright blue sky that’s dotted with puffy white clouds. As you weave through the hills, mountain streams bob and weave, cutting through the green grass and creating a beautiful, relaxing view from the road. Close to the mountain majesty, there’s a cozy downtown filled with warm red brick buildings that line the quaint two-lane street. Jasper has come into its own with cute shops, coffee houses, several good restaurants, and even a brewery. It is quickly becoming a hot day trip for Atlantans that want to get away for a day. Being only about an hour, we ventured up to Jasper to try Old Mulehouse for brunch, then meandered our way through the beautiful mountains to Talking Rock and Talking Rock Brewery, and our final destination at North Georgia winery, Fainting Goats.

Only about 40 minutes outside of Atlanta, there’s a cute, small town that boasts a gorgeous Grand Hotel downtown opposite from some small shops, a hometown pub with food and beer, a pizza joint with slices and wings, a market, coffee shop, and a cool little driving range and bar, a short walk away. Hogansville is a small town has all the small town feels and the most charming people you’ll ever meet. We didn’t meet a stranger the entire night! It’s where stories from veterans, movie industry people, factory workers, and farmers all intermingled to create a patchwork of small-town American Life. Phones don’t work very well here, so it was refreshing to get out and actually engage people and learn more about this town and their way of life.

The moment you look up the elevators have contorted creating a horror sci-fi scape looming down. Below beings have morphed into a range of monsters, aliens, prehistoric creatures, all caught in a sea of cosplay. Dragon Con can be whatever you make it, from Sci-fi horror scape to herds of bubbly t-rexes to living as a fairytale princess. The best part is you decide. What would you be?

As the sunsets over the luxurious rooftop bar, the rays hit the beautiful bay water throwing up shades of purple, orange and pink, enveloping all spectators in the final moments of the day’s light. Down below a large stream interconnects with lakes, rivers, and eventually into the ocean where sunbathers sip cocktails under branded umbrellas. There’s also a walkway covered in palms and other lush trees where a couple walk hand-in-hand pass a treehouse and a large bridge with marina views. The rows of boats bob up and down in the water as the blue and purple of the evening sky meet at the horizon. Did you feel that? That’s Sandestin. 

A pile of chicken sits perfectly atop a stack of warm waffles just waiting for a bit of maple syrup on top, beside it sits two beautiful poached eggs just waiting to run down the side of a smoked salmon benedict. And just like that, we are hooked on the savory, sweet, smoky, earthy flavors of brunch. We poured, dripped, sipped our way around Atlanta finding all the best brunch spots and came upon a good list of favorites. These top spots each have something unique and special that we want to share with you, so grab your stretchy pants and get ready to eat.

The glow of the sign can be seen down Peachtree Street for as far as the eye can see, while the marquee rolls with show titles and draws your eye into its beautiful dance of light. The Fox Theatre has been a staple in Atlanta since 1929, bringing joy and song to the city for decades with everything from musicals, to plays, to dance, and bands. Its stage holds a childhood full of unforgettable memories for Atlantans like me mesmerized by its grand foyer, memorable Turkish-Egyptian over-the-top décor, and that overall Fabulous Fox Theatre mood. One of the most beautiful places you can find here, they’ve actually made it even more beautiful and ornate during the pandemic, while upkeep on this place is daunting, they do it impeccably. Seeing the theater’s beauty from every angle really was a treat, from the top of the balcony to standing on the stage looking out, seeing the fly system, backstage, and where the organ comes up into the orchestra cannot be any more surreal. To say this made my year would be an understatement, so let’s go through the entire journey from start to finish.

There is a buzz that lifts through the air as the lights dim on stage, you hear several voices raise in excitement, several clap with enthusiasm, while others stand quietly in anticipation. A small group shuffles through the dark to their instruments as the lights go up and blaze into a prism of blues, greens, and reds. The crowd cannot contain itself and erupts in applause, singing, and joy. The future of live music hangs in the balance on this weekend of performances, because if done right, this could be the norm until we “get back to normal.” And Big Night Out is the path forward. With acts like Moon Taxi, Big Boi and his friends, as well as Futurebirds, and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, we can proudly announce that live music is back AND SAFE.

One thing that Atl-iens can all agree on is that Atlanta is an exceptionally large city, there’s so much to get into and do here, plus the patio scene has exploded beyond the ones we’ve highlighted in the city. So, we went on another Adventures in Patio, this time to highlight Hidden Gems and OTP patios in areas around Atlanta so no matter what neighborhood you live in, there’s one near you to try. Are you ready to take a tour of our fair city?

Umbrellas are blossoming all over town, Spring must have sprung! As you can imagine, here in Atlanta we have warm Spring weather and one way to truly enjoy the city is to take it all in on a Patio! Especially, this year being outside has been a game changer to the restaurant experience. We thought intently about our favorite spaces, patios, and outdoor dining destinations and came up with a carefully curated list of our top patios. We considered everything from type and range of views, bites, sips, and the little things in between. Are you ready for the patio lifestyle? Who do you want to see on the list?