Travel Guide: Atlanta

Hello! Enjoy this old post from 2015 but for my always up to date Atlanta Travel Guide, head here!

Happy Tuesday loves! Before I share my travel guide for Atlanta, I want to share how excited I am to be featured on LaurenConrad.com today! I’m featured in the Tuesday Ten: April Style Ideas story so head on over and take a peak. Thanks to the lovely ladies at LaurenConrad.com!

Last week, I spent 5 days in Atlanta. Half of my family lives in Atlanta so I was visiting a lot of uncles, aunts, and cousins. I also snuck in some time to shop, eat, and explore. I think Atlanta is prettiest in the spring because flowers and dogwood trees bloom everywhere. If you find yourself heading to Atlanta any time soon then check out my guide so you can plan the best possible trip! Without further adiew, my travel guide: Atlanta…

Atlanta’s dogwood trees

Shop:

• Westside Provisions District: a perfect little outdoor shopping district with stores, restaurants, and bars
  • Highlights:
    • Ann Mashburn – I picked up a chambray button-down and two gingham tops
    • Bungalow Classic – gorgeous home decor
    • Simplyput Paper & Gift – lovely stationary, cards, and gifts
    • There is also a Calypso St. Barth, J.Crew, Billy Reid, Anthropology, Free People, Lululemon, and Steven Alan
• Scott Antique Markets: the world’s largest antique market takes place the second weekend of every month in Atlanta
• Virginia Highland: a happening neighborhood filled with lots of restaurants, bars, and shops. It’s a great part of town to walk up and down on a nice day.
• Buckhead Atlanta Shops: go here for shops you don’t see in every city like Warby Parker, Intermix, and Alice + Olivia
• The Shops of Miami Circle: the mecca of home stores! A must for interior design darlings or anyone who is redecorating
• Restoration Hardware: one of the company’s few premier locations. It is gorgeous just to walk through. You can also take in views of Atlanta’s skyline from the rooftop park
• Shops Around Lennox: a little shopping district next to the Lenox Square Mall. Check out Kendra Scott, Tooties, (for lines including Missoni, Tibi, Rag & Bone, Trina Turk, & DVF) and The Impeccable Pig (for reasonably priced clothing and jewelry).
• Phipps Plaza & Lenox Square are two of the best malls in Atlanta

What I wore one day in Atlanta: sweater / purse / watch (similar) / sandals / perfume (smaller size)

Two scenes from the gorgeous Ann Mashburn store

Eat (in no order):

• Krog Street Market: a food market with little food stands, bakeshops, bars, and restaurants including the yummy tex mex spot, Superica
• JCT Kitchen: awesome fried chicken, fries, cornbread, cocktails, awesome everything!
• Star Provisions: a great breakfast & lunch spot connected to a beautiful cooking store
• Miller Union: a modern take on southern food with tasty cocktails
• Jeni’s Ice Cream: Jeni’s is good when you buy it in the grocery store but it’s amazing when you get it in the shop. Get the Brambleberry Crisp flavor.
• Taqueria del Sol: blended Southern, Mexican, and Southwestern food that will make your belly happy
• The Optimist: a go-to restaurant for seafood lovers & oyster fans
• One Midtown Kitchen: in a renovated urban warehouse with views of Atlanta. Go here for well-prepared American cuisine & “bottomless wine”
• Canoe: they specialize in fresh seafood and game and have the best location in town – on the Chattahoochee River
• Horseradish Barn and Grill: you can never go wrong here + they have a great outdoor patio
• Le Petite Marche: a family owned french(ish) cafe serving breakfast and lunch
• Holeman and Finch: a fun bar with an outstanding cocktail list + a great beer & wine list
• The General Muir: a New York style deli and breakfast spot that will fill you up
• King + Duke: go here for everything from hushpuppies to avocado toast and lobster rolls to steaks
• Yeah Burger: if you’re looking for great burgers, go here… you won’t be disappointed
• Roots Juice: Yummy green and fruit juices as well as smoothies
• Sun in my Belly: a delicious neighborhood breakfast spot. Their biscuits are to die for!
• The Varsity: an Atlanta tradition for burgers, hotdogs, fries, onion rings, and shakes (the FO shake is a must). Fun fact: my grandpa worked at The Varsity in college.
• Mary Macs: might as well be an Atlanta historic site. Go here for perfectly traditional Southern food or go for tea
• Pitty Pat’s Porch: the other Atlanta spot for traditional Southern food. Go for mint juleps, fried green tomatoes, shrimp and grits, gumbo, and pecan pie
• The Cookie Studio: breakfast + the best baked goods in town
• The Pie Shop: this delicious spot makes over 100 different kinds of dessert and dinner pies
• Little Tart Bakeshop: a french inspired pastry shop where everything is made from scratch and is beyond tasty
• Aurora Coffee Shop: I don’t drink coffee but I hear this place is the best

A view of the patio at the Tex Mex favorite, Superica, in Krog Street Market

The out-of-control good truffle fries and cocktails at JCT Kitchen

Do:

• The Swan House: a historic Atlanta mansion that gives people a glimpse inside high society life in the 1920s and 30s. It’s gorgeous and a must for anyone who enjoys history!
• Atlanta History Center: next to the Swan House, it is an interesting little museum that covers Bobby Jones, The 1996 Atlanta Olympics, ‘Gone With The Wind,’ the Civil War and more. It covers a lot but you can get through it quickly.
• The Margaret Mitchell House: learn about the vivacious woman who wrote ‘Gone With The Wind’
• High Museum of Art: the South’s premier art museum. It always has very interesting special exhibitions. Right now, the museum has an exhibition on the history of the Coca-Cola bottle (so cool!) and a photography exhibition on segregation in the 1950s South. I enjoyed both immensely!
• The World of Coca-Cola: take a tour of the legendary Atlanta company. This is a super fun tour and includes tastings!
• Inside CNN: tour the global headquarters of CNN. This is a very interesting tour especially for those interested in media
• College Football Hall of Fame: need I say more? Go here if you’re like me and love college football. You get to pick your favorite teams when you enter and then your experience is catered around your teams. Go Buffs! Roll Tide!

Two exterior shots of the Swam House (how amazing is the historic yellow car?)

Just one of the amazing interior shots I took at the Swam House. I’m obsessed with the wallpaper.

Art prints at the Coca-Cola exhibition in the High Museum of Art

I hope you enjoy Atlanta as much as I do every time I visit. I think it’s one of the most interesting and beautiful cities in this country!