I am planning on going to Atlanta in March for the NCAA basketball tournament and i am taking my girlfriend. I have dinner reservations for the Sun Dial restaurant and i see the prices are very expensive, is it worth it? Also, we are looking at staying at the Westin at the airport for a very discounted price, but i have read alot of bad reviews on it, would it be worth about $70/ night. Also thinking of taking a day trip to Savannah, any suggestions for a romantic date there?
Visiting Atlanta in March, Activities
Get out of the Westin by the airport...stay in something in midtown or downtown, so you can get a better feel for the city. Plus you will be able to walk to everything instead of being trapped down by the airport.
Visiting Atlanta in March, Activities
I haven%26#39;t been to the Sun Dial in years so I can%26#39;t testify to the quality of the food. The view, however, is wonderful as long as there is no fog. Maybe the others here can tell you more.
I agree with Thunder that if possible (which may not be since it is NCAA time), I%26#39;d try to stay in Midtown if you can. There%26#39;s nothing much to do down at the airport unless you%26#39;re just using the Hilton as a place to sleep.
As far as a day trip to Savannah, that%26#39;s a heck of a drive for one day. It takes about three to four hours to get down there and it is one boring drive. Not to mention having to drive back. You wouldn%26#39;t get to see much in the time you had left. I wouldn%26#39;t go unless you planned on staying overnight.
I think the Sun Dial is mostly known as a tourist attraction with a good view, and not as a place with great cuisine. If I were making the call, I would go with a nicer restaurant for the same price, and just have a drink at the Sun Dial to take in the view. You might want to check out Atlantacitysearch.com to get an overview of the restaurant scene, and you can search by many different categories. For my money, I would choose Rathbun%26#39;s unless you%26#39;re really looking for a hip scene, in which case I would choose Two Urban Licks or Piebar.
I got a room at the Sheraton Atlanta Downtown last April for $60/night using hotwire.com. It is a beautiful facility with an absolutely gorgeous indoor pool area that looks like an indoor garden and has a retractible roof. It is within walking distance of all of the major downtown attractions and several MARTA stations, and the Peachtree Center Mall is just about a block away. I have never stayed at the airport, but if it%26#39;s like staying near airports in other major cities, I think that you would be much happier downtown and could probably even get it cheaper!
As far as activities go, the tourney is near the new Georgia Aquarium, which opens this month and is , by all accounts, spectacular. You should really try to see that while you%26#39;re here.
I think you%26#39;d find staying near the airport very inconvenient. I%26#39;d definately look for something in town. And probably near a Marta station.
Also, I do think the Sundial is mainly a tourist trap...oops..I meant to say tourist destination. :) But, the view is really nice. Just going for a drink is probably good advise. Atlanta has alot of good restaurants. Even Hard Rock Cafe would be better food than the Sundial I think. It%26#39;s across the street from the Westin.
Also, I don%26#39;t think I%26#39;d try the Savannah day trip. It%26#39;s four hours there and back so you wouldn%26#39;t have time to see much if your doing it all in one day. If your interested in seeing some antebellum type scenery I would suggest a trip east on I20. Going toward Augusta. There are several cute little towns with some beautiful antebellum homes and fun town squares to explore. It%26#39;s about a 2.5 hour drive from Atlanta to Augusta on I20. The towns I like in order of how you come to them are, Covington, Madison, Greensboro and Washington. Madison is probably the most beautiful. But they are all very nice. Also, between Covington and Madison is a much smaller town, Social Circle. The downtown area is much smaller but there are a few nice homes. It%26#39;s known for the Blue Willow Inn however. A beautiful antebellum home that serves a very popular southern buffet. The food is fine. It%26#39;s basic southern cooking. The house is beautiful. And depending on when you go it could be very busy. Maybe because I%26#39;ve been there several times already, it doesn%26#39;t really excite me that much. It%26#39;s kind of expensive, imo, for what it is. But, it%26#39;s worth experiencing one time anyway if your looking for that kind of cuisine. Otherwise, Madison has some nice little restaurants on the Square.
I think I was unclear on the Savannah time. It%26#39;s 4 hours, both ways, so that%26#39;s 8 hours round trip.
I agree with that last reply. Better to take a road trip to Washington, GA. It%26#39;s less than 2 hours away, and just as pretty as Savannah (although much smaller), so you won%26#39;t spend all your time driving. And it%26#39;s soooo romantic. My girlfriend loved it. And I hear they have a few good places to eat too.
My sister use to live in Washington and I hunt close to there. I really like Washington, but while it is very historic with quite a few antebellum homes on the national historic register, it is not a place I%26#39;d think of when it comes to a romantic getaway. It%26#39;s more of a town where people live than come to visit. I really wouldn%26#39;t mind living there.
Plus, everyone should see Savannah once in their lives. Old Savannah with it%26#39;s well order squares, parks, live oaks with spanish moss and it%26#39;s stunning mansions definitely fits the bill for romantic. Having said that, coming from Atlanta I%26#39;d at least do an overnight stay to give you time to see old Savannah and enjoy the clubs and restaurants along River St.
If you do decide to stay overnight, I%26#39;d recommend the Marshall House. This Italianate mansion, built in 1851 is the epitome of romance and elegance and is within easy walking distance of all old Savannah sites. The Marshall House is also on the list for Savannah%26#39;s ghost tours. Three times during the 19th century it was used as a hospital, once by the Union army during the Civil War and twice during Savannah%26#39;s devastating Yellow fever outbreaks. It is on every ';haunting list'; compiled for the U.S.. And this is just me, but we%26#39;ve always enjoyed the nighttime tours of Savannah%26#39;s famous cemetaries, highlighted in ';Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil';.
P.S. I%26#39;ve always enjoyed dining at the Sun Dial. It is expensive, but I think it%26#39;s worth it. The view at dusk and then watching the Atlanta skyline light up, above most of it is fantastic. And when you get back home you can tell folks that you dined atop the 8th tallest hotel in the world. (for years it was the tallest). Just don%26#39;t do what my wife did. She laid her purse on a ledge behind our booth and about 20 minutes later she realized that even though we had rotated about a third of the way around the hotel, her purse was still on that ledge where she%26#39;d put it. She got it back intact.
Another alternative for hotels; ';Rennaisance'; Waverly hotel, I-75 and I-285. Wonderful Hotel, convenient to Atlant,Buckhead,Midtown and the Airport. Excellent Sunday Brunch and several good surrounding restaurants.
City of Marietta 10 miles north of the hotel. Historic town square,antique shops and restaurants. Antebellum homes and mansions. Marietta and surrounding area was the site of three civil war battles. Its more of a day trip than a romantic getaway.
Spring is a good time to visit. Dogwoods and Azaleas in bloom. Temps are his 70 lows 40-50s.
Hvea a good trip.
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