Atlantan Kim Steen
Location: Intown Tumbling
Date taken: July 31, 2012
Chalk. Sweat. Gym mats. Those are the scents that send Kim Steen down memory lane. The Stone Mountain native spent most of her childhood and teenage years in competitive gymnasts. She would leave school early several days a week and head to the gym for five hours of practice. On the weekends, she traveled with her Atlanta School of Gymnastics teammates to competitions. For Kim, the gym was her second home. Her teammates and coaches, who she called by their first names, became part of her family.
When I asked Kim why she first fell in love with gymnastics, she replied, “Who doesn’t love to flip?” When I asked Kim why she loves teaching gymnastics, she said, “I love helping kids get stronger, more flexible, improve their coordination and just have fun.”
As soon as her competitive gymnastics career ended at age 18, Kim started teaching gymnastics. And, two years ago, after recognizing that there were no gymnastics classes being offered in town, she started Intown Tumbling. Now, Kim teaches gymnastics (and yoga) in a non-competitive environment and creates a community for her students that is similar to the one of her childhood gym — but in a more intimate setting. She said, “I want this to be a place where kids feel good about themselves and welcome.”
Intown Tumbling, located in the Poncey-Highlands neighborhood, offers classes for kids ages 2-14, summer camps, yoga and birthday parties.
Climb a mountain for a panoramic view
Location: Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park
Date taken: August 9, 2012
Growing up in Atlanta, Kennesaw Mountain was a frequent destination for hiking, a little bit of history and spending the day outside. I often spent time with my best friend at her grandparents’ house, which was located at the base of the mountain. We would climb to the top and try to spot their tiny green house below. Then, we would wander around their backyard with her grandfather, watching him use his metal detector to locate and dig up Civil War artifacts. I learned about the Civil War in school, but seeing him pull a button or a bullet out of the ground provided a different sort of history lesson.
Take yourself out to a ballgame
Location: Atlanta Braves game at Turner Field
Date taken: August 14, 2012
In 1991, the “worst to first” Atlanta Braves lost the World Series, but the city threw them a parade anyway. The parade was held on a Tuesday, and my high school emptied out in the middle of the day as everyone headed downtown. I recall piling into my mom’s minivan with several friends. Wearing our Braves gear, we couldn’t wait to watch our favorite players ride by in the parade (mine was Tom Glavine). It was a great day to be an Atlantan. The Braves had come a long way since the 1980s, when going to a game usually meant you had an entire section of Fulton County Stadium to yourself. These days, the crowd at Turner Field is quite a bit bigger than in the 1980s. And, I’m sure if you asked them, they’d say they are ready for another parade.
Experience the adage ‘one person’s trash is another person’s treasure’
Location: My Favorite Place
Date taken: August 1, 2012
My Favorite Place is truly my favorite flea market in Atlanta. There are aisles and aisles of furniture, dishes, purses, sports equipment, books, toys, random collectables and the occasional mounted deer head — all stacked on top of each other. Unfortunately, the name of the store has resulted in numerous “Who’s On First” conversations over the years:
Friend: “That’s a great lamp. Where did you get it?”
Me: “My Favorite Place. It was only $13!”
Friend: “Wow. Nice deal. Now, where did you buy it?”
Me: “My Favorite Place. It’s in Chamblee near the car dealerships.”
Friend: “I realize this is your favorite place, but what is the actual name of the store?”
Me: “I am telling you the name — My Favorite Place!”
Watch writers compete in a battle of words
Location: Write Club at PushPush Theater
Date taken: July 11, 2012
The first time I heard about Write Club and its seven-minute bouts, I envisioned a few different scenarios − writers assigned a topic and writing a story in seven minutes; writers throwing sentences (like punches) back and forth; writers sitting with paper and pens (computers would be too dangerous) in a giant boxing ring. The reality is that Write Club is set up better than I imagined. The monthly event features three rounds. The writing is carefully crafted beforehand (fiction, non-fiction, poetry) and delivered in seven minutes. The audience is lively and loud. And the winner of each round (by audience vote) selects a charity where proceeds are donated.
And, if you are wondering about the photo … the boxing gloves are just a prop. The clock is not.
Atlantan David Stephens
Location: David Stephens’ home puppetry studio
Date taken: July 29, 2012
It was a standard fifth grade assignment on the Gold Rush of 1949, but David Stephens felt nervous about standing up in front of the class. So, for his presentation, he decided to try and recreate a little bit of his favorite show, The Muppet Show. David made hand puppets out of paper, turned a table on its side and improvised a show about the Gold Rush. His classmates cheered and laughed. His teacher, Mrs. Harris, was so impressed she had him perform again for another class.
“That was a magic moment,” David recalls. “I thought ‘This is a powerful thing … to be the person who is presenting the magic, entertaining people, getting people to laugh.’ It was an extension of me but not really me.” David grew up mesmerized by Jim Henson’s Muppets from a young age. He would wake up early every Saturday to watch The Muppet Show in syndication at 5:30 a.m., subscribed to Muppet Magazine and frequently drew the show’s characters.
By high school, David was performing puppet shows at libraries, preschools and birthday parties in his south Alabama hometown. Since then, his career has been all puppets (and a little banjo ‒ check out David Stephens and Banjolicious). From performing original works at Atlanta’s Center for Puppetry Arts to receiving national awards and grants to working on Sesame Street to crafting handmade puppets, David has come a long way since his first performance in Mrs. Harris’ class.
David’s All Hands Productions features several shows and handmade puppets. In October, David Stephens and Banjolicious will be playing every Thursday evening at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens.
Wander around a historic cemetery
Location: Oakland Cemetery
Date taken: July 5, 2012
Historic Oakland Cemetery Interesting Facts:
• Established in 1850 as Atlanta Graveyard or City Burial Place
• Listed on National Register of Historic Places
• Bobby Jones, Margaret Mitchell, Maynard Jackson and other well-known Atlantans are buried here
• Final resting place of approximately 6,900 Confederate soldiers
• Home to second oldest Jewish burial ground in the state
• Atlanta’s first greenhouse was located in the cemetery
• Historic Oakland Foundation offers weekend tours, twilight tours, Halloween tours and audio tours
• Cemetery hosts an annual Run Like Hell 5K and Run Like Heck Fun Run
atlantaheydays.com 
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