Travel as Remedy

My blog is mostly about past travel because we haven’t been taking many trips lately. But recently we went to Atlanta and it restored my soul, so I’m sharing an extra blog this month.

January was tough. We’re both struggling with career and health issues, and I had one of those weeks where the hits just kept on coming. I needed to feel normal again, and suggested we take a trip. We spent one of our weekend date nights searching Google Flights for somewhere cheap that we could get to in under 5 hours from DC. Atlanta met our criteria.

We used Delta miles to cover my flight, and Hilton points to book our room. If you ever find yourself with 24 hours to spend in Atlanta, our one-night stay may be the blueprint you need.

Overview

• When did we go? February 2025
• Weather: Sunny and warm. 70 degrees by day, 60 in the evening. Meanwhile, it was in the 30s and 40s in DC!
• Duration: 26 hours, arriving and departing in the afternoon with one overnight stay.
• Total Cost for two: $900 + 31,000 Skymiles + 38,000 Hilton Honors points.
• Logistics: Non-stop round trip flight; we used Lyft and the streetcar to get around in Atlanta.
• Packing list: Packable coats/jackets for the airport, jeans, polo shirt (him), light sweater and a scarf (me), nice pants/shirts for dinner, sneakers for day, loafers for night (me), soft carry-on bags that double as backpacks, purse (me), and a small backpack (him, but this created some difficulties when he had two bags to lug around and only one back).

The King Center and MLK Jr. National Historic Park

Our flight arrived in the afternoon, so with limited time before closing, we went straight to the King Center from the airport in a Lyft. The linked website has a suggested route, but we started in reverse order by visiting Dr. and Mrs. King’s Crypts, the Eternal Flame, and Freedom Hall first.

The monument has large engravings of the Six Principles of Nonviolence. These are the principles written in Dr. King’s first book, Stride Toward Freedom; they were inspired by the lives and teachings of Jesus Christ and Mohandas Ghandi.

We read each principle carefully, thinking how far we still have to go to defeat what Dr. King calls the Triple Evils – poverty, racism, and militarism. Certainly, we saw poverty in action on the drive into the city; encampments of homeless people in the green medians of the highway, and again later, when we took the streetcar to our hotel. It is the same in DC. When I read so many articles talking about our strong economy, I have to wonder – are we measuring it the right way?

After checking out the exhibits in Freedom Hall, we took pictures outside Ebenezer Baptist Church, where both Dr. Kings (Sr. and Jr.) were pastors. On this corner, Mrs. King held the hands of her children going into their father’s funeral, after he was assassinated in 1968.

I found myself reflecting on the life of Coretta Scott King; there is an exhibit dedicated to her in Freedom Hall. The movement was never one person’s to carry, and yet her husband carried so much of it. After he was murdered, she took in on her own shoulders, for decades. I was struck by one of her quotes:

People who think nonviolence is easy don’t realize that it’s a spiritual discipline that requires a great deal of strength, growth, and purging of the self so that one can overcome almost any obstacle for the good of all without being concerned about one’s own welfare. – Coretta Scott King

I feel so tempted, sometimes, to return anger and hatred with more of the same, but visiting the King Center was a timely reminder that there is a better way.

After the church, we stopped in the National Historic Park visitor’s center, and then we went to see Dr. King’s birth home. Note that the home is closed for tours until November 2025, but it is still possible to see it from outside and take pictures.

Where to Eat

After a brief respite at the American Hotel (part of Hilton’s Tapestry Collection), we had dinner at Twisted Soul Cookhouse and Pours in the Blandtown neighborhood. This was the biggest expense of our trip, other than his flight; we spent about $230, and it was worth every penny.

Twisted Soul is founded by award-winning Chef Deborah VanTrece. She calls her cuisine ‘modern global soul food,’ which is a perfect description. I appreciated the generous portion sizes and the authenticity of the dishes. I am Southern, so I’m a tough judge of restaurants who attempt our cuisine; every dish tasted exactly as it should, but the supreme version. For example, the sweet potato puree that was served with my order of baby-back ribs tasted like Thanksgiving, only better than my mom or aunts ever served. I say that so you understand what I mean by supreme. (And don’t get me started on those ribs. The. Best. Ever.) The mixologist is also a James Beard nominee and the cocktails were fantastic, even at DC-worthy prices. We both enjoyed the ‘Club Paradise’.

The location is on the quiet outskirt of a bustling restaurant and retail district, but if you’re looking for vibes, Twisted Soul is a scene unto itself. We left around 9:30 pm (because we’re getting old like that), but other people were just getting seated, and dressed to impress. (We wore smart casual and didn’t feel out of place.)

Honorable Mention: We had breakfast at Atlanta chain Hansel & Gretel Bakery Cafe. It’s a bright, whimsical bakery with some unusual drink offerings; I wish I could have tried more of them! I ordered the butterscotch cream latte and we both had almond croissants; we also purchased a couple of conveniently-wrapped baked treats for the flight home.

A Garden in Winter

After breakfast, we took a Lyft to the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Adult tickets are $29. It’s worth the price, but I would consider membership if I lived nearby, to get more bang for the buck.

In the entrance, we were greeted by a friendly and helpful host who offered us a map and pointed out attractions we shouldn’t miss: three glass sculptures by Dale Chihuly, a camellia flower show in the Day Hall, and the Fuqua Orchid Center.

We started with a ramble along the Camellia Walk. I was surprised to see so many blooming in February, but it was 70 degrees. We have a small patio garden for our DC rowhouse with one camellia – a fall-blooming variety. I’m guessing the varieties we saw would either bloom in spring or not be suited for DC climates. But I was in love.

I don’t know what it is about camellias. Maybe it’s the colors – red, white, pink, or some combo of the three. Or maybe it’s how they look like a rose but different; their leaves are evergreen and their stems have no thorns.

We sat by the Cascades Garden and paid our homage to the Earth Goddess sculpture. At other times of the year, her hair is decorated with blossoms, but she is just as beautiful in winter. I think a lot about how different we might be, if our image of God was a woman. Would men be kinder to women? Would women be more forgiving of ourselves? We would allow no one to force their will onto anyone’s body, I think.

We rambled in the woods. At the base of a tree that looked like the one from the planet Pandora in Avatar, we encountered a woodsprite in the form of an ordinary Southern man (couldn’t fool me). He taught us about forest bathing and gave us tiny scrolls of colored paper with our fortunes written on them. Mine told me to describe the feel of sun on my skin; his asked how many shadows he could see.

The sprite gave us a quest: find his kin at the other discovery center in the Japanese Garden, where we might prove our worth in 11 to 15 syllables of tribute to the garden in winter (follow the link to enter the online haiku contest, open to anyone through February 28.)

Along the way, we visited the exhibit of superlative camellias grown by gardeners from faraway lands like Alabama and Mississippi, and saw pitcher plants from the equally exotic high-elevation tropics of Borneo, the Altiplano and tepui of South America.

The volunteer (our sprite friend) told us that the Longleaf Restaurant is excellent and reasonably priced, but unfortunately we did not have the foresight to make reservations. There was a wait, and not enough time before we had to leave for our flight. But all was well. At the hostess’s recommendation, we purchased drinks and snacks and enjoyed them on the cafe rooftop until it was time to say good-bye to Georgia.

Restored and Resilient

I came to Atlanta feeling angry, depressed, and helpless. But I returned to DC rested and ready to do roll up my sleeves and do what needs doing.

The heroes of the civil rights movement and their words reminded me how long and how hard they fought. The fight for civil rights never ended after one battle; it must be renewed and fought again, and then again.

In the garden, quiet reflection and my flight of imagination helped me feel like myself again. Each of us is part of a tremendous and miraculous ecosystem; we have all that we need to be strong.

But sometimes it is hard to find that strength. If you need to recover your own resilience, or remember why we must keep fighting, you don’t have to board a plane. You might visit a nearby park, or museum, or monument. Or make a space of your own, no matter how small. Hang in there, and keep going. I’ll do the same.

More Options

Several people gave us suggestions on what to do and where to eat in Atlanta, but we were unable to do all of them. We’ll save them for next time and share them with you, in case you have more time to spend or would prefer one of these options.

Attractions:

• Atlanta Zoo
• Georgia Aquarium
• National Center for Civil and Human Rights

Dining:

• Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint (for the live music)
• Iberian Pig (Decatur)
• Vortex (Little Five Points)
• Pollo Primo
• Chai Pani (Decatur)

Thanks for reading, and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss my March blog series about our honeymoon!