As a former resident of the Atlanta area I can attest to the fact there are a myriad of options for exploring the city. Below are some things I’ve explored and my thoughts on each destination to help you if you are in the area and looking for things to explore.

This spans varies neighborhoods and areas in downtown and the surrounding areas. This is by no means a complete list, just suggestions from what I have experienced and enjoyed.

Nightlife

Metalsome – located below the Dark Horse Tavern, a live band performs with you as you belt out your favorite rock tunes for the ultimate live karaoke. Weekends get VERY busy so be prepared or go early.

Variety Playhouse – awesome concert hall spot within Little Five Points!

Fox Theater – performing arts venue that seats over 4,000! Keep this in mind when booking tickets (in some seats it can be harder to view the performance).

Laughing Skull Lounge – an intimate comedy club located in the back of the Vortex. Get front row seats for an interactive evening! Grab a hamburger beforehand at the Vortex and prepare to laugh.

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra – excellent orchestra and every seat is a good seat within the concert hall.

Shakespeare Tavern – tavern that started in the mid-1980s with various Shakespeare plays in an intimate setting (~200 seats). Food is good – it is supposed to be period style food.

Agatha’s A Taste of Mystery – fun murder mystery dinner where the audience participates in the show. Fun, unique experience with good food.

Museums/ Cultural

Georgia Aquarium – my favorite place to spend an afternoon (I volunteered here)! Best times to go are weekdays, otherwise it can be very busy. I highly recommend the behind the scenes tours and animal encounters!

Atlanta Botanical Gardens – the botanical gardens are beautiful all year around but I think my favorite time of year to visit is during the “Garden Lights, Holiday Nights” for the light displays.

World of Coca-Cola - fun place to taste Coke from around the world and learn the history. You probably will not like all the flavors!

Zoo Atlanta - they are making upgrades and expanding (last time I went was summer 2019), overall a wide variety of animals can be seen here.

CNN Studio Tours - ever been curious what goes on behind the scenes? This gives a great look and you can play in front of the green screen.

National Center for Civil and Human Rights - emotional but educational trip, where I learned so much. It is a well done museum.

Fernbank Museum - I love the Fernbank museum and highly recommend! I believe they still have adult themed events (what used to be IMAX and Martinis), so check the calendar.

Tellus Science Museum - if you are able to drive about an hour northwest of Atlanta to explore this site then do it. There are a variety of well put together exhibits, and I thoroughly enjoyed the visit; they even had a solar house display!

High Museum of Art - a classic must see if you love art. Check the calendar to see what exhibits are on display.

Breman Jewish Heritage Museum - a heart wrenching look into the life of Nazi Germany and the impact to their Jewish citizens. Despite it being very depressing, I learned a great deal.

Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA) - smaller art museum across from the High Museum of Art, but had some really unique exhibits.

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir - located in Lilburn, about 30 minutes northeast of the city, this temple is amazingly beautiful. Visit during a ceremony to immerse yourself in the culture.

Shopping/ Food

Ponce City Market / Skyline Park - large marketplace with a variety of shops and eateries right off the Beltline.

Krog Street Market - another marketplace located conveniently off the Beltline. If you love fine dark chocolate I'd recommend stopping at Xocolatl. They also offer chocolate tours and tastings.

Atlantic Station - outdoor shopping complex with several well-known brands.

Buford Highway - the place to go for ethnically diverse food. It is a must! Our favorites include Food Terminal, El Rey Del Taco, and Lee's Bakery.

Athletic Activities

Beltline - run, bike, rollerblade, walk, etc. along this roughly 10 plus mile network of trails through some cool spots in downtown Atlanta.

Piedmont Park - another park downtown where you can play a variety of sports or stop in for a festival; various events and festivals are held here throughout the year.

Silver Comet Trail - a paved trail (over 60 miles in total length) that spans from the northwest suburb of Atlanta to close to the GA/AL state line.

Stone Mountain - lots of things to do within the park: hike, tram, village, laser show, festivals, train, plus in the winter they make snow for a winter wonderland! To enter the park there is a fee.

Kennesaw Mountain - great place for some history and hiking. Less built up than Stone Mnt. Free, you just have to find parking - it can be busy on beautiful days.

Arabia Mountain - another great free option for hiking! The granite is mostly exposed and offers scenic views thanks to its nearly 1,000 foot elevation.

Stone Summit – indoor rock climbing just within the perimeter on the NE corner of the city.

Porsche Experience Center - I've not actually driven the Porsches here but the facility is really nice with an awesome museum!

Shoot the Hooch - every native has done this at some point, but it is a fun lazy summer activity to float down the river with some booze (or without it). Just rent some tubes or bring your own.

Events

DragonCon – if you are in town during this event (Labor Day weekend every year) it is totally worth it to walk around and see all the cosplayers. I've participated a few years and it is ALWAYS a blast!

Scottish Highland Games - held at Stone Mnt ususlly for one weekend in October; this event is a great time with traditional dance, games, and bagpipes!

Renaissance Festival - held south of the city in Fairburn, typically April through mid-summer, the festival boosts turkey legs and jousting - how can you go wrong?

Braves game – see a baseball game at SunTrust Park or just walk around and check out the eateries in the newly built park.

Falcons game - see a football game at beautiful new Mercedes Benz Stadium.

Other

Little Five Points - hip/funky little Atlanta neighborhood with all types of food, music venues, and cool shops - check out Junkman's Daughter for some eclectic finds.

Sipping Plant - Located in Sandy Springs (for the one closest to downtown) this is a venue that teaches you how to make string art or terrariums (would recommend the string art over the terrarium). Made for a fun ladies night when I went!

Bury the Hatchet – axe throwing which is located in the same building as Sipping Plant in Sandy Springs.

Tom Lowe’s Skeet Shooting - located in SW Atlanta, this is an open skeet shooting facility that typically has deals on Groupon.

Oakland Cemetery - the coolest cemetery I've ever been to due to the unique headstones which belong to some of the most notable Atlanta citizens. They offer tours and even have events/festivals here!

Six Flags Over Georgia - huge amusement park with lots of great rides (Superman is awesome!). Fright Fest is a spooky good time too (Halloween themed).

Other great cities in Georgia

Athens - home to the University of Georgia (my alma mater) and is a beautiful college town. Walk through campus, get some excellent food, go to a game, or listen to some live music. There is always something to do!

Savannah - I've been here so many times and it never gets old! River Street is fun to walk along, and I also highly recommend taking a ghost tour!

Helen - German inspired town in NE Georgia. Typically people go to beer festivals here, but just strolling through town, tubing, rafting, gold mining, or hiking are all fun options.

Blue Ridge - another quaint little town in North Georgia. This is a good stop to shop, eat, and relax if you are in the area for some hiking or the art scene.

Aaron and I moved to Colorado in the fall of 2019. We have been exploring places in our suburb as well as downtown and mountain towns. Even in compiling this list I am struck but how much there is to do here because we've barely scratched the surface! This is just a list of things we have experienced and enjoyed.

Nightlife

Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox – Hip spot with great music and fun cocktails.

Nocturne – jazz venue that also serves dinner for more swanky vibes.

Colorado Symphony Orchestra – excellent orchestra that schedules really cool collaborations for example RZA from Wu-Tang Clan.

Improvised Shakespeare Company Denver – this is in the same performing arts complex as the Symphony and they are hilarious!

Tilt Pinball – arcade games and pinball spot located in Louisville.

Museums/ Cultural

Spectra Art Space – such a cool and unique space. Small but vibrant and lots to explore

Museum of Illusions – fun place that gets busy on the weekends so go early. Be ready to take lots of selfies and pictures!

Museum of Contemporary Art Denver - awesome museum with rotating exhibits and a small rooftop bar with to enjoy.

Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Art - loved learning about Vance Kirkland and really thought his work is so cool.

Denver Botanic Gardens - large garden and they have a holiday lights special.

Wings over the Rockies Air and Space Museum - very cool museum where you can walk though the hanger with planes and other models.

Museum of Nature and Science - they do a great job of changing exhibits but also have great permanent exhibits.

Tour the Denver capital - learn a lot of history and get great views from the capital.

Forey Museum of Transportation - all modes of transportation are highlighted here. This is located close to downtown.

Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge - you can can drive or hike through and see buffalo roaming the refuge.

Red Rocks Amphitheater - popular music venue but also great for hiking and is located ~20 minutes from downtown.

Butterfly Pavilion - located in Westminster this has an insect area, small aquarium area, and butterfly greenhouse areas.

Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art - another fun art museum with rotating displays.

Shopping/ Food

Union Station - beautiful train station with lots of food and cocktail options.

Milk Market - marketplace located in Denver with lots of food options.

Denver Central Market - another marketplace location in RiNo (River North) district of Denver.

Uchi - high end sushi restarurant that is delicious.

La Loma - Mexican restarurant with the best green chile.

Rioja - delicious fancy Mediterranean restarurant.

Acreage by Stem Ciders - located in Lafayette (~30 minutes from Denver) this is a delicious spot with great views and a great spot to watch the sunset.

Tu's Kitchen - located in Broomfield, this is a hidden gem with authentic Vietnamese fare.

Reservoirs for water sports and fun

Horsetooth Reservoir (close to Fort Collins) - larger area (compartively for CO) for boating, swimming, and SUPing. Gets VERY busy in the summer on weekends so arrive before 10am.

Carter Lake (close to Loveland) - swimming, boating, and SUPing allowed. Very friendly staff that work there.

Union Reservoir (close to Lomgmont) - great for swimming (for humans AND dogs) and SUPing (no permit required) but gets crowded on weekends so get there early. $10 to enter.

McIntosh Reservoir (close to Lomgmont) - small crafts allowed (no permit required for SUPs), NO swimming, and no entry fee.

Boulder Reservoir (near Boulder) - swimming, boating, and SUPing allowed. Does require a permit for SUPs. $10 to enter.

Bear Creek Lake Park (close to Morrison) - swimming and SUPing allowed (no permit required for SUPs).

Standley Lake (near Westminster) – we still need to investigate this option!

Please note: This list is not comprehensive. Check for up-to-date restrictions before going. Vests are required for each SUP. SUP = Stand Up Paddleboard

Great trails near town

Flatirons Vista - pretty views of the Flatirons.

Mount Sanitas - great views of Denver and surrounding areas and it’s a nice workout!

Betasso Preserve - lots of great trails for hiking and mountain biking.

Standley Lake & Westminster Dog Park - large open space to hike with your dog off leash.

Clear Creek Trail - paved walk near Golden.

Boulder Canyon Trail - trail that follows Boulder creek that’s beautiful.

Mt Falcon - has ruins next to the trail.

North Table Mountain - popular spot for hiking and mountain biking with great views of Denver.

NCAR trailhead - trailhead next to NCAR with lots of trails from the main trailhead.

South Mesa Trail - another trail with ruins and some incline trailhead next to NCAR.

There are SO many great trails. This list is not comprehensive - these are just trails close to us that we enjoy.

Events

Scottish Highland Festival - held in Estes park which is a gorgegous location! The festival includes traditional dance, games, herding shows, and bagpipes!

Renaissance Festival - held south of the city (~45 min drive) in the summer (June-August), the festival boosts turkey legs and jousting - how can you go wrong?

Underground Music Showcase (UMS) – long weekend music festival with a wide variety of muscians taking over mutiple venues in a few block area.

Unique experiences

Meow Wolf - It was fun, but not sure it was for us.

Immersive Van Gogh - located just north of downtown this immersive experience is so pretty. Overall I think we were there for ~45 minutes.

Holey Moley Golf - indoor putt putt in downtown.

Weathered Wick - make your own scented candles in Denver.

Tubing Clear Creek (Golden, CO) - I'd recommend this activity for late in the summer as the creek runs cold yearround. You can rent tubes or bring your own and walk along the path. It does get busy but everyone has fun with it!

Indian Hot Springs - west of Denver by about 45 minutes this I believe is one of the closer hot springs. You can rent private tubs, go into the caves, or into the main pool area. Book in advance!

Loveland Laser Tag - big facility with games and laser tag!

Game show night at Louisville Underground - fun to go during Halloween.

Anderson Farms - for pumpkins in the fall.

Celestial Seasoning Tour - they are headquartered out of Bolder so stop in for a tour and free tea samples.

Comedy show at Rayback Collective – in Boulder, the Sunday night summer show books all kinds of comedians!

Rocky Mountain Goat Yoga - do yoga with goats!

Other great places to check out

Colorado Springs - Must see: Garden of the Gods, awesome place to hike and stare in awe at the beauty. Another point of interest: Royal Gorge bridge and park

Estes park - Must do: Rocky Mountain National Park, if you have time for a long hike do Bear Lake.

Grand Junction - Must see: Colorado National Monument, drive around and hike some scenic spots.

Crested Butte - Snodgrass Mountain in the fall is jaw dropping gorgeous!

Buena Vista - the town is adorbale and the Twin Lakes / Interlaken House hike is beautiful!

Great Sand Dunes National Park - bonus tip: stop and hike the nearby Zapata Falls.

Kenosha Pass - this is probably one of the more popular stops for fall leaf peepin.