Bang on the boards
Date taken: July 13, 2013
Location: Dick Lane Velodrome
It’s a hidden gem tucked away in East Point. The Dick Lane Velodrome features the second steepest concrete track in the country (36 degrees). The velodrome, built in 1974, offers classes and training opportunities for kids and adults. And, on a few select Saturdays during the year the pro series comes to the track. For just $5 spectators are treated to an evening of diverse (and creative) races — and are encouraged to bang on the boards to cheer on the racers. There’s the traditional scratch race, with a mass start and set number of laps. There’s the unknown distance race, which is just what it sounds like — riders don’t know how long the race will be and wait for the bell to signal the final lap. In the Keirin, cyclists follow the draft of a motorcycle, and in the miss and out race, the last rider on every lap is eliminated. But the crowd favorite could be the Madison, where teammates grab hands and sling each other forward.
Dine in Southern style
Location: Blue Willow Inn
Date taken: July 6, 2013
You might say that the Blue Willow Inn is off the beaten path — from Atlanta you head east on I-20, wander a few miles down a country road, then drive through the tiny downtown of Social Circle until you reach a stretch of historic Southern mansions. But for people who love traditional Southern food or tourists in search of a unique meal, the journey to the Blue Willow Inn is well known and well traveled. The inn’s now famous Southern buffet has been written about in Southern Living, USA Today and numerous other publications. But if you want a detailed review, just find someone who’s eaten there. Here’s mine: “Best mashed potatoes I’ve ever eaten. I piled my plate high with Southern veggies — collards, sweet potatoes, green beans, fried green tomatoes. I tried chicken livers for the first time, which not surprisingly taste like fried chicken. And, the best benefit of a buffet is you get to sample lots of desserts — buttermilk pie, lemon meringue pie, coconut pie, peanut pie, peach cobbler, banana pudding. Yum.”
Stand in a field of sunflowers
Location: Sunflower Farm Festival
Date taken: July 6, 2013
Atlanta may be home to dozens and dozens of festivals each year, but if you venture a few miles (or 40) outside the city limits, you’ll find an array of unique festivals — including the Sunflower Farm Festival in Rutledge, Ga. Ever wanted to walk through a field of sunflowers? Pick a bucket full to take home? Pose for flower-filled photo op? Drink your weight in sweet tea (check out Bayou Billy’s Dixie Sweet Tea)? Or eat a funnel stick? Held the first weekend in July, the Sunflower Farm Festival features a festival atmosphere amid a field full of sunflowers — some standing more than 15 feet tall.
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