Cleveland, Georgia

We headed to Cleveland, Georgia to visit Babyland General where Cabbage Patch Kids are born.  My niece was so excited about this part of our trip, and it was quite an experience. The nursery was set-up with many adorable babies waiting to be adopted. A sweet nurse was on hand to encourage us to hold the babies, talk to them, etc. Across the hall was the playroom for the kids or toddlers. They were having a lot of fun while waiting for new adoptive families.  The final room was a large room with Cabbage Patch Kids of all shapes, sizes, colors, and themes.  There was plenty to buy and lots of babies and toddlers to adopt.

 

Every 30 minutes, a new baby is born in the cabbage patch.  The nurses are called to help and the doctor keeps everyone apprised of what is happening while helping to deliver the baby.  Everyone waiting is encouraged to help with breathing and in naming the baby.  Yep, there is a new boy in the nursery named for my nephew.  The whole experience was quite sweet.

My mom and grandmother were part of the craze back in the 80s when Cabbage Patch Kids were "the thing" for Christmas.  I was blessed with two kids, Jacob and a little girl, whose name I just can't remember (It starts with an R, and her middle name was Joan.), and one baby, Skipper, that year. My niece had a bald baby named Ash she carried around as a toddler, so being a part of the hospital experience with my mom and niece was very special.

We left the hospital with a new baby, Beezus Ramona, and a toddler/kid named Amelia Hart.  The adoption process is so cute with the completion of paperwork and raising of the right hand to promise to love and take care of the babies.

Atlanta, Georgia

After spending 3 days in Savannah, we went to Atlanta.  The traffic at 1 or 2 in the afternoon was unbelievable.  Everywhere you looked, there were automobiles.

In order to save a little money and see some great places, we bought the City Pass.  With it, we got admission to The World of Coca-Cola, the Georgia Aquarium, tour of the CNN studios, Zoo Atlanta, and the Fernbank Museum of Natural History.  We could have chosen an art museum and historical tour rather than the zoo and Fernbank.

We went to the World of Coca-Cola our first afternoon in town.  It is full of history and memorabilia. My niece's favorite was seeing the vault where the secret recipe is kept.  My nephew and I loved the Tasting Room.  There were stations set up for each continent.  At each station, there were 6-12 different drinks that are sold/made by Coca-Cola on that respective continent.  Many involved fruit, and there were some interesting tastes.  My favorites came from right here in North America.  There was also a whole station of just Coca-Cola.  Along the wall, there were stations where you could choose the overall drink and then look at sub-samples where various flavorings are added.  We had so much fun tasting and tasting and tasting some more.  Before we left, we received a free bottle of Coca-Cola produced right there in the museum.  We also had to visit their store.

On day 2, we went to Zoo Atlanta.  It was a nice little zoo, not too big, not too small.

While looking for a Welcome Center to get a map of Atlanta, we found the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site.  It was a great experience walking through the museum and then driving through the neighborhood.

We ate lunch at The Varsity, a famous burger and hot dog restaurant. It is a neat experience.

On day 3, we went to the Georgia Aquarium.  They have several touch tanks and have really designed it with kids in mind. Dolphin Tales, the 4D experience, and frog exhibit were great.  I enjoyed seeing the whale sharks, penguins, and so much more. It spouts itself as the world's largest aquarium.  Again, we ate at The Varsity.  They have one room without tables and chairs. Instead, it is full of school desks, all facing one direction, toward the television on one end.  My niece found that room quite interesting, and she had to eat her lunch while sitting in a desk.

On day 4, we went to the Fernbank Museum of Natural History.  Their traveling exhibit is The Scoop on Poop.  There were signs that said: "It's the #1 exhibit about #2."  The kids thought that was hysterical. The building is beautiful, quiet, and a nice change from the crowds at the zoo and aquarium. 

We enjoyed lunch at The Varsity again before heading to CNN Center for a tour of the studios. The tour is a 50 or 55 minute walking tour.  You go up the tallest and longest free-standing escalator and walk down 8 flights of stairs throughout the tour.  I am not much of a CNN or HLN watcher, but it was very interesting, and I have found myself checking out those stations more and more since.

Atlanta was a great experience with plenty for families to do.