Hit the pallino
Date taken: July 25, 2013
Location: Bocce ball courts at Midway Pub
Bocce ball — an Italian game that you can play with a beer in one hand and a ball in the other. Through the Atlanta Bocce League dozens of teams are competing at Atlanta bars and parks on any given weeknight (and Sunday). The game’s objective is much like horseshoes or corn hole — get your ball as close as you can to the one, smaller white ball (also known as a pallino, jack or snitch by Harry Potter fans). A little hand-eye coordination may be necessary to post a win, but athleticism is not required. What is required is a cheesy team name that includes a bocce pun: Chewbocce, Invasion of the Bocce Snatchers, Love is a Boccefield, The Big LaBocce, The Lawn Rangers, FreeBallin … you get the idea.
Sing your heart out
Date taken: July 26, 2013
Location: Melody 2
For those of us born without an ounce of musical talent, a night of karaoke can sounds quite terrifying. But when your solo is limited to a group of your closest friends, karaoke becomes a little less intimidating. Among the international flavors of Atlanta’s Buford Highway sit several private room karaoke clubs. Rent a room. Bring your friends. Order drinks. Select a song, and sing your heart out. There are books and books of songs. Make your selection, enter it into the room’s iPad and soon you’ll be singing your favorite rock song, love song, country classic, ballad or cheesy 80s hit. And, if you’re lucky, your song will not only feature lyrics but an entertaining video as well (don’t be alarmed if you start seeing the same actors over and over).
See what the future holds
Date taken: July 14, 2013
Location: Big Psychic Fair
Enter the big, blue barn at Harmony Place, and you’ll find rows of small tables set with pairs of chairs. At each one sits a psychic ready to offer insight into the past, present or future. At the Big Psychic Fair in Roswell, two readings can be purchased for $25 and attendees can choose from a long list of psychics. Tarot cards, dream interpretation, crystals, aromatherapy, massage — there’s a little bit of everything at this monthly event.
Fill your bucket with berries
Date taken: July 13, 2013
Location: Dacula Briar Patch
Growing up in Atlanta, my family would often head a few miles north on Georgia 400, park on the side of the highway and pick the blackberries that were growing wild. Yes, things were different then. 400 was vastly different then. Now, picking your own fruits and vegetables has been so popular that there are websites devoted to helping people find farms. In the Atlanta area, there are plenty of places to choose from. I love picking blueberries — there are no thorns or brambles and in one strategic grasp you can grab a handful of the summer berries. Of course, one of the perks of picking your own fruit is eating as you go. And, nothing tastes better than a blueberry cobbler made with the berries you worked so hard to pick.
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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