DOWNTOWN ATLANTA
An overview of travel information, transportation within Atlanta and some of the more famous sights are included on these pages. Additional meeting information will be forthcoming in articles by the Program Chair in issues of the ASP Newsletter.
GETTING THERE
80% of the population of the United States can reach Atlanta in a short 2 hour flight. Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport is the largest passenger terminal complex in the world. Recently a new International Concourse with 24 gates was opened. The Omni Hotel is located in Downtown Atlanta which is approximately 10 miles from the airport.
SPECIAL PRICES ON AIRFARE!!
Trans American Tours say they can beat just about any airfare offered by the airlines or other agencies. Before recommending them, we tried them. From Atlanta to London we saved $700; from Toronto to Houston we saved $400; from Atlanta to Tampa we saved $150! The flights were on standard Delta and Continental planes. We got good seats, frequent flyer credit and special meals. We received good service from the agency and the tickets came on time.
If you want to try Trans American Tours, check out the best price you can
get and then call them. (Be sure you compare similar fares like including
a Saturday night stayover or not, or 7 or 21 days advanced purchase, etc.)
If you use them - please let us know how your trip was, how much you saved
(on which flights), or other comments so we will know whether to recommend
them next year.
Trans American Tours is located in San Francisco and can be reached at:
415-391-8181 or FAX 415-391-9505. When you call be sure to say you are
with the American Society for Photobiology (ASP).
Warning: The tickets can't be changed or refunded, so if you change your plans a lot - go somewhere else!
MARTA - Metropolitan Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) is Atlanta's
rapid-rail system of north-south and east-west lines intersecting at the
main Five Points Station in Downtown Atlanta. Stations are designated N,
S, E, or W denoting their compass relationship to Five Points. The Hartsfield
International Airport Station is Airport S7. Timetables are available at
all stations. Atlanta's MARTA buses coordinate with the rapid transit service.
The rail systems operates from 5 am - 1 am Monday through Saturday and from
6 am until 12:30 am on Sunday and Holidays. Trains run 8-15 minutes apart.
Upon arrival at the Hartsfield International Airport, follow the signs to
"Ground Transportation". The Airport Station is located inside the main terminal
building - just a few steps from baggage claim. Tokens and weekly passes
can be purchased at the MARTA Ridestore inside the Airport Station or from
vending machines in the Airport Station. The fare is $1.25 (one-way fare
anywhere on system). To get to the Omni Hotel take MARTA to the Omni Station
- W1.
Taxi Service: To downtown, approximately $15 for one passenger, $8 per person for two passengers and $6 per person for three or more passengers. Fares are subject to a 6% tax. The 10 mile trip takes around 20 minutes.
Airport Shuttle/Limo Service - Also available; prices start at $10 and go up depending on the service.
Each year more than 17 million people visit Atlanta and discover - besides 36 streets named Peachtree - dozens of exciting attractions and activities. The diverse mix offers something for everyone.
1996 SUMMER OLYMPICS - Although much of the preparation and pre-Olympic activities will be evident during the ASP Meeting, the actual Olympic events will not take place until July 20 - August 4. The most visible changes to the face of Metropolitan Atlanta are the newly constructed Centennial Olympic Stadium and Olympic Park. (The Olympic Stadium will be home to the Atlanta Braves after the Games).
Many events of the Olympics will be held in areas outside of the city (tennis, cycling, archery and three other events at Stone Mountain) as well as in other cities in Georgia (yachting events at Savannah). One group, track and field, will be holding some of the training sessions during the ASP meeting at the Georgia Dome next to the Omni Hotel complex.
So come and enjoy the excitement of the centennial celebration of the Olympics and don't worry about the crowds of people - that's not until 4 weeks after the ASP Meeting ends.
OTHER ATTRACTIONS
CNN Center (part of the Omni Hotel Complex) - global headquarters
of Turner Broadcasting attracts sports stars, celebrities, artists, and
politicians with studios of three 24 hour news networks -CNN, Headline News
and CNN International. Shop at the Turner and Braves Clubhouse store, sample
the food court or see a movie. Tours of the CNN Studios - depart every
15 minutes from inside the CNN Center and last approximately 45 minutes -
Monday through Sunday; 9am to 5pm. Tickets range from $4 to $6. Underground
Atlanta - The vantage point of Upper Alabama Street offers a clear view
of the tracks and the viaducts built over the old railroad lines, creating
the "underground" city streets of the 1920s.
A set of glass doors across the old brick street serve as an entrance to
Underground Atlanta. Step inside and explore the old buildings that are now
home to shops, restaurants, street markets and lively entertainment spots.
Underground Atlanta encompasses six city blocks both above and below ground
and features great restaurants such as Mick's and Damon's or for a rare culinary
experience, Dante's Down the Hatch, Underground's most famous destination.
A recent addition to the growing Underground complex is the World of Coca
Cola Pavilion which features exhibitions of both rare and familiar Coke
memorabilia. Free samples of more than a dozen soft drink flavors produced
by Coca Cola are offered in authentically reproduced soda fountains from
the past.
Stone Mountain Park - located 16 miles east of Atlanta is home to the world largest exposed mass of granite. The north face features a magnificent carving of Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson which measures 90 X 190 feet. The 3,200 acre park features a skylift to the top of the mountain, paddlewheel riverboat, antebellum plantation, wildlife trails and a nightime laser light show.
Cyclorama - this is an immense circular painting 42 feet high and 358 feet in circumference which revolves around viewers seated in a theater. A diorama-style landscape of red clay, cannons, tree stumps and soldiers depicts the 1864 Civil War Battle of Atlanta.
FernBank Museum of Natural History - this is the largest museum of natural science in the Southeast. Permanent exhibits chronicle the development of life on earth, display mollusks from around the world and explore the physical properties of light and sound in a collection of interactive learning stations.
State Capitol Building - built in 1889 and located at 206 Washington Street in Downtown Atlanta the most famous feature is the radiant golden dome which was a gift from the citizens of the nearby town of Dahlonega, site of America's first gold rush in the 1830s. The thin covering, made from 43 ounces of gold-leaf, was first applied in 1958 and refurbished in 1981.
Fox Theater - lights up Peachtree Street with a neon rainbow and marquee that recall its 1929 opening. It sports a Moorish/ Egyptian/Art Deco design complete with twinkling stars and clouds.
SciTrek - the science and technology museum of Atlanta ranks as one of the top 10 science centers in the country.
Atlanta Botanical Garden - 15 acres of landscaped gardens containing more than 3,000 plants and features roses, southern vegetables, herbs and wildflowers.
MISCELLANEOUS FACTS Temperature for June: average high of 87; low of 68.
Dress for June: lightweight clothing - same style as any cosmopolitan city.
Altitude: 1,050 feet.
Just in case you wondered: the 36 streets named Peachtree are: