The Georgia Aquarium 11/22/2005 visit

Wow is way too small a word, way too overused, way just not big enough to describe what the Georgia Aquarium is going to do to you. Wow happens when you first walk inside and see the atrium. It is like standing inside a new mall and looking all around. You are overwhelmed from the very beginning. The crowds are huge, yet there is room to walk, room to trip over your own feet as the enormity of what you are experiencing hits you. This is not just a aquarium. This is a world. A world that the vision, hard work, and unrelenting dedication to excellence has built. It may have started as the dream of Mr. Bernie Marcus and his wife Billie, but it ends up being our dream too. And all you have to do is let it happen. Pick a direction and be changed. See the wondrous adventures that are down each of the avenues off the main atrium. It becomes both a reality and a symbol of what we are capable of, the experience, the knowledge, the know how of a world of experts and visioneries that would not accept the limitations of what has been done before. They have not set new standards, they have pushed the poles out where only one dreamed they could go. They have built what could not be built, moved what could not be moved, and set up what had not been done before. They have brought a piece of the future back in time to us.

Mr Marcus was out and about all day long. He was so happy and so proud with the response from everyone. What a great day for all. In case you have not guessed, you gotta go. Buy a season pass, you can not do it in one trip. Take cameras and camcorders. You will forget as much as you remember by the time you walk out the doors. Only the images you have saved will bring back what you forgot. You will be overwhelmed quickly, often, and it will be wondrous. The element that the TV news, your pictures and video, my pictures and video can not convey is the sheer size of everything.

When you first walk in you have the different themes spoking off the main atrium. Beginning on the left is the Georgia Explorer, Discover Our Coast, presented by SunTrust, then comes the River Scout, Freshwater Mysteries, presented by Southern Company. Next is the Cold Water Quest, the chilly Unknown, presented by Georgia-Pacific. Continuing on around clockwise you come to the smaller gift shop, FishScales, then the Cafe Aquaria Food Court. Next comes the Ocean Voyager, Journey with Giants, built by Home Depot. Next comes the Tropical Diver, The Coral Kingdom, presented by AirTran.

What follows is pictures and dialogue about each section. Bear in mind I missed so much. I only was there for about 4-5 hours. There were things I saw in the last few minutes that I had not seen all day. There is a long list of things I did not get to see at all. Trust me, this is just a taste of what is in store when you take your own adventure to the Georgia Aquarium. And I am just going clockwise for convenience. From the center atrium, you can go to any of the galleries, in any order. Take your time, enjoy. Each gallery has its own music, and it is impressive. Sets the mood of the gallery.
Click a link below and get a glimpse of what you have to experience for yourself.

Georgia Explorer, Discover Our Coast

River Scout, Freshwater Mysteries

Cold Water Quest, The Chilly Unknown

Ocean Voyager, Journey with Giants

Tropical Diver, The Coral Kingdom

Deepo's Undersea Wondershow.
250 seat, 4D Theatre. There was a nonstop line of folks going to this. It must have been great. I never got to it.

Food. Cafe Aquaria
This was a great surprise. With all the crowds we expected trying to eat was going to be a joke. But no, enter the Cafe Aquaria. Different serving areas have something for everyone. Really. Grab a tray and roam around picking up the food everyone wants. Here you can get hamburgers, chicken fingers, french fries, there you can get pizza. For the older of us, salads and deli sandwiches are at another spot. a huge selection of waters, Coke products, and StarBucks coffee can be picked up. The pastries, deserts, cookies and candies are to die for. Take all your selections to a centralized checkout. You are in and out in just a few minutes. And lots of places to sit. The food was good. The prices were not as bad as I expected. Big sandwiches, bag of chips and drinks still left me with lots of change from a twenty.

The gift shop. You will go through the gift shop when you exit the Aquarium, so leave the t-shirts and stuff until you are ready to go. No point in carrying it all around. There is a smaller gift shop part way through with stuffed animals, some snacks, film and batteries.

Lots of Pictures in a slide show, click here They are not in any particular order. Just lots of pics of the Georgia Aquarium. Enjoy.