After our arrival in the delightful City of Atlanta, we decided to explore a piece of their (quasi) natural scenery. The Atlanta Botanical Garden is one of the most famous botanical gardens, featuring many prestigious pieces of art, diverse greenery, fountains and grand sculptures.
As soon as we entered the Visitors Center, we were met with a spectacular Dale Chihuly piece called the ‘Nepenthes Chandelier’. This piece was inspired by the Nepenthes Pitcher plants, one of the many plants featured in the garden.
Already a tourist attraction, the Gardens have recently become even more popular with the addition of Thomas Dambo’s “Save the Humans” collection. The collection includes six different trolls, each with their own written fairytale and style.
The enormous trolls are composed of wood and have their own personal accessories such as rocks, bird houses, and my favorite, a car! Each LEAP Ambassador chose their favorite one and made sure to take a picture in front of it! My personal favorite was Rosa Sunfinger, a troll with its own tiny garden grown out of a car! The true meaning behind this piece is to showcase how plants can beautify, transform and bring back to life our everyday items.
The beautiful sights did not stop there, as we made our way through the garden…
… we were met with the Earth Goddess.
This particular piece is about 20 feet tall, and contains thousands of plants that decorate the embodiment of the goddess.
The sculpture is eye-catching, it just draws you in with its vibrant colors and different plant species. The sculpture is paired with a fountain that flows in front and through the hands of the earth goddess, making for a tranquil and serene landscape.
As we made our way to the Levy Parterre section of the garden, we saw many man-made rivers and cascades. The cascades added a relaxing and gentle sound alongside the chirping of birds and frogs. The real show stoppers were the multiple Dale Chihuly pieces we saw on our way to Levy Parterre.
There was a tall yellow piece named the “Radiant Yellow Tower” that stood at about 30 feet tall.
The gleaming tower stood over a calm pool and cast an amazing reflection that showcased its vibrant color. The other Dale Chihuly piece we saw was “The Parterre Fountain Installation” and it was colored with a gorgeous blue tint, and its shape mimicked the flow of the fountain’s water.
The Botanical Garden was definitely a hidden gem in the City of Atlanta.
Despite the city’s reputation, the 30 acres of outdoor garden proved to be a must see location. We used this opportunity to learn more about the different aspects of nature and how beautiful it can be. With this, we ended the night in awe of all the stunning sights the garden had to offer.
It may be summer, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t learning, and for the next two weeks, we plan to learn a lot, while also having some fun. This opportunity comes from the LEAP Center and the Southern Legislative Conference, with the latter hosting their annual conference in July in Nashville, TN. We are expanding that a bit by also visiting Asheville, North Carolina and, Atlanta, GA.
First Flight, Jessica Cuevas
It was early in the morning and the sun had not risen yet, but the LEAP students were all on their way to their closest airport, each departing from their hometown, (Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas) to catch their early flight and embark on their new journey that would begin in Atlanta, Georgia.
Having never stepped foot into an airport or airplane, I was feeling a bit nervous and overwhelmed. Thankfully, there were signs all over the airport directing me, and I also had my Morgan (flying out of DFW) and Yvette (flying out of San Antonio) as resources, and, of course, I could ask airport staff.
I made it through the luggage check, then to security, all the while experiencing a bit of anxiety and feeling a little overwhelmed. Fortunately, I was not selected for additional screening by TSA, and I made my way for some coffee. After purchasing a tall drink at the price of a grande (airports mark up prices, I learned), I settled in to wait on my flight.
As I went through the process of boarding the plane, bit became surreal, and I thought, “I really am doing this all on my own and for the first time.” I listened more intently to the safety protocols and paid attention to the plane (a Boeing B737-900), and sat in wonder during takeoff, the flight, and the landing.
It would be two hours before I stepped foot on the ground
Georgia’s State Capitol, Yvette Mendoza
Although it wasn’t my first time in Atlanta, it was my first time to really put my feet on the ground and explore, and the first place in this exploration was Atlanta’s Capitol grounds.
Part of our education as LEAP Ambassadors includes the basics of architecture, and the Capitol building was a great school room in that sense. The capitol dome is covered in 24K gold leaf, symbolizing the fact that Georgia was the site of the country’s first gold rush–in 1828 in Dahlonega. Apart from this piece of “bling,” the capitol was nicely configured in traditional Greek and Roman architectural features–pediments above entrances, grand columns (corinthian, mostly), and arched windows.
Continuing our walk into the capitol we first caught our eye on the circular, golden plate Great Seal of Georgia that displays three pillars stating their motto “Wisdom, Justice, and Moderation” and the year of the Declaration of Independence, 1776. Then, walking up the staircase we finally entered one of the grand wings of the capitol.
Seeing the overly-sized painted portraits of former Governors dating back to the 1800s was astonishing. Not only did we admire the portraits, but we took a closer look at the numerous chandelier dispersed throughout the interior, which, built in the 1890s, were designed to be used by gas or electric methods.
As is true in most capitols, the rotunda was both literally and figuratively the center of the building. This rotunda was a bit more subdued, but nice nonetheless.
In addition, we were able to stand on the glass flooring, which allows light to spread to multiple floors.
Surrounding us in the rotunda are the portraits of the founding fathers that were placed there because Georgia was a part of the 13 colonies. Walking around seeing more portraits we learned that Jimmy Carter was not only a president but a former Governor of Georgia. Alongside the portraits are offices for the Governor, secretary of state, House of Representatives, and many more.
We enjoyed the large spaces in the capitol, as well as the details amidst the largeness. The doors, for example, have the state seal intricately carved into the knob, and the seats in the House and the Senate include original desks provided to the members.
On the top floor, the Capitol have displays capturing the history of Georgia, as well as facts about the state.
Everyone knows, for example, that the official state fruit is the peach, but did you know its official bird is the brown thrasher?
Wrapping up our tour, we came across a photo opportunity: a podium with the state seal.
For a moment, we had a chance to be Governor and host our own press conferences. It was a fitting end to a fun and educational tour.
High Museum of Art, Yvette Mendoza
As we transitioned from politics and architecture to art, a heavy rainfall began, but it was unable to wash away the LEAP Ambassadors’ excitement to the works on display at the High Museum of Art. At the entrance, we were hit by an optical illusion created by Roy Lichtenstein, called House III. Painted in primary colors and in a triangular shape, the perspective changes as you move alongside it, from convex to concave and back again. This was a great introduction to the fun and engaging art in the building–and the building, by the way, was its own piece of art, designed by Richard Meier.
As a further introduction to the High, we were greeted by a lady wearing a dress clearly inspired by Piet Mondrian, with its grid and primary-color design. All of this, intriguingly, was before we got inside!
Inside, we saw work by Ellsworth Kelly and other major artists, but we beelined it to the Picasso-Calder exhibit. While their art is not typically seen as similar, their grandsons created this exhibit, which emphasized similarities in the artists’ approaches, subjects, and output. The exhibit featured dozens of pieces, including pieces large and small by both artists.
We took turns posing in front of our favorites. Morgan’s, for example, was “The Acrobat,” by Picasso…
…mine was “La Grande Vitesse” by Calder…
…and Jessica’s was the simple “The Bull,” by Picasso.
We didn’t have time to explore all the floors, but we got our fill of Picasso and Calder!
And we did see their American collection, which included many of the “decorative arts,” including works by Frank Lloyd Wright, Charles and Ray Eames, and Isamu Noguchi.
We also saw paintings by John Singer Sargent, Childe Hassam, and Georgia O’Keeffe. Among the modern artists, we were particularly struck by Anish Kapoor’s untitled piece, which had interesting aural and visual effects. This was the most popular piece in the museum.
Our last stop in the museum was the gift shop, where we continued to learn about great artists such as Frida Kahlo and Grant Wood. We bought magnets, flower vases, and postcards to help us remember the beautiful High Museum of Art!
Atlanta Botanical Garden, Morgan Robertson
The SHSU Leap Ambassadors started the afternoon off with a caffeine jumpstart from Caribou Coffee. The coffee house on Peachtree St. offered a wide variety of drinks including drip coffee, cold brew, mochas, lattes, teas, and for non caffeinated options, smoothies, shakes, and pastries. The coffee house served as a good break before heading to the Atlanta Botanical Garden.
The 30-acre garden strategically lays out pathways leading you past countless landscape features and works of art (this would be a good introduction to landscaping architecture, which will learn more about at the Biltmore Estate, landscaped by Frederick Law Olmsted). Upon entering the garden, the bright gradient canopy created by Shearn looks as though it is suspended by nothing as it guides your walk on the Kendeda Canopy walk.
The hand-tied streamer-like pieces (more than 79,000 of them) flow with the wind while simultaneously curving with the treeline and the path of the 40 foot tall walkway.
The art and architecture work together in order to create vivid movement through the garden.
One of the major and most memorable works of art employs the use of 18,000 different kinds of flowers to create the Earth Goddess.
Lounging with complete serenity, the Earth Goddess extends a hand pouring water into the pond.
Taking advantage of the scenery, LEAP Ambassadors posed for a picture, some poses emulating the Goddess herself.
The garden is also home to a large collection of Dale Chihuly glass and painted pieces in the botanical garden.
After learning and hearing about his works on past trips, this was our first time seeing a Chihuly in person and our expectations were exceeded. The glass blown into shapes of flowers and different spirals and sprigs creates a mass of individual pieces working together, which fit perfectly within the garden itself.
The botanical garden mission is “to develop and maintain plant collections for the purposes of display, education, conservation, research and enjoyment.” This mission statement is employed in every aspect of the garden, especially through the most obvious way: the plants. From edible gardens, to neon flowers, and trees that make you want to guess their age, the botanical garden is a place to get lost in wonderment and adoration of something that has been around since the beginning of time.
My personal favorite collection of flowers stems from the orchid conservation lab and greenhouse.
This fragile, common house flower dominates in the climate-controlled greenhouse (72 degrees during the day, 52 degrees at night). Orchids growing in every imaginable way from wall hangings, to in the ground the collection brings a new appreciation to the flower.
Keeping with the colorful flower trend, Yvette’s favorite plant was the hydrangeas.
Commenting on how the color did not even look real, Yvette was able to snap some pictures of the beautiful flowers.
The tropical greenhouse gave an impressive depiction of a rainforest complete with the sounds of frogs and birds. Jessica admired the edible garden in which visitors are able to smell herbs such as rosemary, mint, oregano, basil, and marigolds, but have to imagine what the sweet snap peas or the juicy tomatoes would taste like.
We also had an opportunity to see 16 separate installations by Jason Gamrath, a glassmaker from Seattle–he studied art at Dale Chihuly’s school.
His pieces were large, and they complemented both Shearn’s work and the garden itself.
Between Shearn, Gamrath, and Chihuly, we were in good company throughout our walk.
The floral and green experience creates a longing to step back into nature. And even for some LEAP Ambassadors a desire to develop a green thumb.
Jackson Street Bridge, Morgan Robertson
A little while after sunset, the LEAP Ambassadors walked across the Jackson St. bridge for a picturesque view. Most known for its appearance in the tv show The Walking Dead, The Jackson St. bridge plays a distinct role in the post-apocalyptic show. As a single sheriff trots, he passes by hundreds of abandoned cars toward downtown Atlanta on a horse. The shot is taken from Jackson St. Bridge.
The bridge allows for an excellent shot of the skyline of downtown Atlanta, and a nice teaching experience for photography. Experimenting with different shutter speeds, angles and other functions, we were able to capture several images of the skyline.
Other sightseers had the same ideas about the bridge as we did. Upon walking up to the bridge there were several groups snapping always on cameras, phones, and even drones.
Culinary Adventures, Jessica Cuevas
Although we rest our legs while taking a break for meals, we don’t stop exploring. Thus for lunch, we were treated to Mediterranean Food at a small local restaurant La Shish Kabab in Atlanta, Georgia. Having only eaten this cuisine twice previously (both times with LEAP), I tried the Chicken Shwarma, a simple chicken dish with rice served with pita.
Yvette got the Gyro meat platter, which had beef and lamb….
… and Morgan ordered the Beef Kafta.
Many of the flavors are not in our day-to-day diet, so it was an enjoyable experience comparing each other’s choices. It was a nice meal to tide us over for the next couple of hours.
It was past 10:00 PM and we were arriving dangerously close to not finding any open restaurant that we could dine in, with most kitchens being closed for the night early. Thankfully, we eventually found The Corner Tavern. We made our way to the restaurant where we were greeted with rain (in the parking lot) and a friendly staff (in the restaurant). To start, we ordered chips, queso, garden salsa, and fried artichoke hearts. For our entrees, Yvette ordered a burger with French fries…
…Morgan had the tavern club sandwich with Pimento mac and cheese, and I had the buffalo chicken burger with tater tots. This last meal wasn’t particularly adventurous, but by the time we were able to find an open restaurant, we were pleased just to have food before bed.
And thus with full stomachs, following a full day, we began to burn the midnight oil blogging about our day of adventure…
Although none of us got more than four hours of sleep, we were excited to explore Atlanta, Georgia. The morning started off pretty sweet with a visit the World of Coca-Cola. The staff were welcoming and made us all excited to explore the grounds. The self-guided tour was interesting because they made every room in the two-story building represent all parts of the world.
Coca-Cola was invented by John Pemberton in 1886. It has evolved from a local refreshment to a worldwide assortment of beverages that are unique to its environment.
We learned all sorts of fascinating facts about the history of the coke, how they are created and assembled, advertisements, and we even had the opportunity to watch a 4-D movie about “the secret of the Coke”. One of the highlights of our visit, was a photo opportunity with the Coca-Cola Polar Bear…
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To conclude our visit we entered the taste testing room where we sampled Coca-Cola products from all seven continents. It was great to taste what others around the world drink every day.
For lunch we stopped at a New York City style deli called Reuben’s Deli. As soon as we entered the Deli we realized that it was filled with lively chaos which made ordering a bit of a task. When it was our turn to order we were being hollered at and expected to yell back while ordering, if not they couldn’t hear you past all of the other noise and you would not receive your meal. When it was my turn to order I asked for a Godfather sandwich on honey wheat toast. I yelled out what I wanted in my sandwich which included tomato and spinach as additives, but I wasn’t loud enough so I didn’t receive the tomatoes. Even without the tomatoes, my Godfather sandwich was by far the best sandwich I have had from a deli. The bread was soft and sweet and not dry like wheat bread usually is. Others at the table ordered hotdogs and Philly cheese steaks, and Kaitlyn purchased one of their oversized chocolate chip cookies which she kindly shared with us.
Next, we stopped for a quick photo at Martin Luther King’s gravesite. It was a beautiful gravesite where he was buried alongside his wife, Coretta Scott King. Their gravesite was surrounded by a pool which made it a perfect scene.
After our quick photo we moved to our next destination, the state Capitol. At the very beginning of our self-guided tour, we ran into a nice gentleman who turned out to be Georgia Representative Tom Taylor. In fact, he was so nice, he offered to give us a tour.
He started by telling us about himself and then shared some of his favorite governor portraits with us. One of the interesting stories he shared is the background of the Lester Maddox portrait (Maddox was a Governor of Georgia from 1967-1971). Maddox didn’t get along with the state’s largest newspaper, the Atlanta Journal Constitution, and he often said that the only thing it was useful for was for wrapping dead fish. In his official governor’s portrait, Maddox included an interesting detail in the background:
In case you can’t see it, here’s a close-up of the bottom right corner:
Yes, that is the newspaper wrapped around a dead fish!
We moved on to the House Chamber where Representative Taylor told us history of the chairs and desks and then gave us an overview of how things work in the state House of Representatives.
The house still uses the original desks from the 1860s. Although the desks are original, they have been updated. The desk was originally equipped with an ashtray, which has now been converted to an electronics outlet; a microphone has replaced the old ink-holder for their quill pens; and while the drink coaster is still there, it’s now used for coffee or water rather than Bourbon.
We were also given a chance to occupy the spots used by the Representatives, and we had fun posing in positions we may actually occupy officially in the future.
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Amazingly, Representative Taylor offered to take us to the Governor’s Office, where we took a group picture, were given some “official Georgia peanuts,” and took photos of the office.
Representative Taylor also guided us into the Secretary of State’s office where we were given state flags as souvenirs. At that point, Representative Taylor had to depart, so we continued on our self-guided tour, but not for long. We stopped into the Senate chambers, took a fun photo…
As we were about to leave, the Parliamentarian and Secretary of the Senate, David Cook, greeted us and offered to show us around the chamber! By this time, we were feeling pretty important, but we think the reality is that the folks in the Georgia Capitol are just very welcoming. He gave us a great tour of the senate where we learned a lot and got to take plenty of pictures. Secretary Cook also showed us a “cheat sheet” for parliamentary procedures that he keeps on the podium, and he explained some of them to us.
Also, each one of us got to slam the gavel, as though we were were presiding over the Senate.
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It was great to be welcomed with such hospitality. We definitely learned more than we expected about Georgia’s legislative branch.
Following our exciting VIP capitol tour, we hurried over to the Carter Presidential Library. During the capitol tour, we learned that Jimmy Carter was previously a governor of Georgia. This was the perfect transition for the Presidential Library. Jimmy Carter was elected to office in 1977. The library began with a video which gave visitors background information on President Carter and his life.
Arranged as a timeline, the museum began with the birth of President Carter, proceeded through his early life and political career, and ended with his numerous awards.
The library contained extensive amounts of history, but also more personable artifacts such as President Carter’s childhood report card, or the President and First Lady’s passport. Dispersed throughout the museum, videos of President Carter and first lady Rosalynn played adding a more personable element throughout the library. Emphasized throughout the museum, President Carter and Rosalynn’s commitment to serving people and helping to establish world-wide relations to promote world peace were clear. The library gave visitors a better understanding of President Carter’s accomplishments in the White House, but also who he is as a person. The Carter Presidential Library is situated on beautiful grounds, giving us the perfect opportunity to take stop for photos.
Atlanta’s High Museum of Art was the next stop. The High Museum of Art consists of more than 14,000 pieces of art ranging from American, European, and African…the list goes on. The building is four stories high with all forms of art (photography, sculptures, paintings, and furniture) displayed throughout. It was a special day because as we admired the art a live band played great tunes.
The combination of the two were perfect and made the visit unforgettable. The museum offered a variety of styles to fit everyone’s palate. The group all had different favorites, however one in particular stood out to me. The Crochet Chair proved my favorite because of its uniqueness, but also its practicality. Created by Marcel Waders, this piece proved its originality with its simplistic concept. Another group favorite was more interactive, allowing visitors to listen to each other from a distance without creating extra noise.
We also enjoyed paintings by Thomas Moran, Childe Hassam, Ernest Lawson,William Haseltine, Thornton Dial, and Mr. Imagination, the latter of which is a folk artist who actually appeared at the Wynne Home a few years ago.
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Words and pictures do not capture the beauty of the artwork, but after spending a few hours exploring the massive art museum, we departed the museum–but not the grounds. The grounds had been decorated with “yarnbombs,” decorative and useful objects that attract people to create my relaxing….
…and dynamic locations in a city…
Kaitlyn Spins Alex on a Yarnbombed Merry-Go-Round
…and it certainly worked for us!
Dinner was different from what we anticipated. We were supposed to be stopping at West Egg Cafe for dinner, but we found ourselves in the Odd Bird instead because the West Egg Cafe turns into the Odd Bird after 3pm. The menu for the Odd Bird was limited to Chicken Biscuit sandwiches, Chicken Sandwiches and Chicken and Waffles. Three of us ordered the BBQ Chicken Sandwich which came with coleslaw and pickles and the other three ordered the Chicken Biscuit. I am a barbecue fanatic so I was pretty excited for my BBQ Chicken Sandwich, but when it arrived I realized that the Barbecue sauce from the Odd Bird tasted more like buffalo sauce than barbecue. I believe that the Odd Bird lived up to its name with its odd sauce. After we were through eating our entrees, we indulged ourselves with blueberry custard pie which left a sweet taste for the road, but after a wonderful dinner at John’s City Dinner the night before, Oddbirds was a bit of a let-down.
We had heard much about the view from the Jackson Street Bridge, so that’s where we headed. The view lived up to its name, giving us a beautiful view of the downtown skyline at sunset.
In fact, the view turned us in to shutterbugs, and we enjoyed it immensely.
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The sun had set by the time we arrived at the Botanical Garden of Atlanta so we were able to go into the garden while it was filled with lights. As soon as we walked in we were greeted by a gorgeous piece of glass art called the Nepenthes Chandelier by Dale Chilhuly that was hanging from the ceiling (with Maple Leaf Rag) by David Horner in the background).
As we walked a bit further into the gardens we were able to see another piece of glass art by Dale Chilhuly called Parterre Fountain.
The main feature of the garden at night was a temporary and special exhibit by Bruce Munro, who specializes in art made from fiber-optic lights. Making our way through the gardens we passed numerous amounts of beautiful flowers like orchids in full bloom and Munro’s complementary art….
…and we then walked over a bridge which gave a beautiful view of colored lights below us and led us to a statue of a woman covered in over 1800 individual plants.
The Atlanta Botanical Garden was a peaceful way to end our adventure-filled day.
Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics 