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Tag: Atlanta GA

  • Atlanta’s LEGOLAND – A Must See

    Atlanta’s LEGOLAND – A Must See

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    Local mom Andrea Beam shares her family’s experience at LEGO™ Discovery Center in Atlanta. Read her review, with tips on what to expect and how to make the most of your visit this LEGOLAND in Atlanta!

    Things to do with kids in Atlanta GA

    My son decided he wanted to have his birthday dinner at Hard Rock Café in Atlanta. What 11 year old does that? Hey, it was cheaper than most venues, so count me in! We decided to turn it into an overnight trip and check out LEGO™ Discovery Center while there. The overnight stay was an added bonus for our family, but it is completely doable as a day-trip.

    I visited Trip Advisor and several other sites and found mixed reviews. I had no idea what to expect.

    LEGO™ Discovery Center is located at Phipps Plaza. I plugged the address into my Google GPS and had no problem. Driving through Atlanta is never high on my “To Do” list, but we survived. You’ll want to avoid morning rush hour traffic. If you don’t, pack a picnic because you’ll be eating lunch on 85!

    We parked on the upper parking deck of the mall and entered through the door of one of the department stores. LEGO Land is located in the middle of the mall on the third floor. It doesn’t matter which door you use. Take the escalators. If your kids are anything like ours, they’ll enjoy this as much as the rides inside the building. Doors open at 10 am.

    LEGO LAND Discovery Center Atlanta

    What to expect at this LEGOLAND in Atlanta

    The lines were well organized. Once you pay and walk through the front door, you’re pretty much on your own. Pick up a brochure/map at the entrance. There is SO MUCH to see! Most everything is interactive and hands on.

    Spaceship Build was a BIG hit with our crew. There are stations for the littles (and not-so littles) to build spaceships and a “control center” where they can fly their own ship. None of those compare to the space ship that actually launches every five minutes, complete with smoke and a countdown! I caught this magic on video. The boys have watched it multiple times.

    Mini Land was really cool. While it’s not hands-on, we had fun looking at the replicas of the historical places around Atlanta. I had to keep reminding myself that everything is actually built out of LEGOS. It’s unreal.

    View of towers at Miniland at LEGOLAND Atlanta

    Duplo Park is the perfect destination for the smallest visitors. There is a play zone as well as soft/hard blocks. Because my kids are older, we didn’t spend time here, but I poked my head in to see what it was about. Everything looked clean and kids were having a good time.

    4D Cinema offers multiple movies featuring your favorite LEGO characters! Photos/videos are not allowed during the movie. This is unfortunate because the smiles on our kids’ faces were priceless. They LOVED getting wet! Oops… I hope I didn’t give anything away!

    Your kiddos will love the Create and Test area. This is the spot where you build your own car to race down the ramps.

    If you asked our kids to tell you their favorite thing about LEGOLAND, Pirate Adventure Island would be the unanimous choice. You could easily spend half a day in this play area. There is a huge water table, a slide and several climbing sections. This area reminded me of The Children’s Museum of the Upstate.

    Entrance to Pirate Adventure Island at LEGOLAND Atlanta

    One of the biggest complaints in the online reviews was how expensive the food is in the Café. There is another option – a Food Court right outside the entrance and we ate there. An employee, stationed at the exit, will stamp your hand for reentry. There is not an extensive selection of restaurants to choose from but it’s certainly the best option. There is a Moe’s and everyone loves Moe’s, right?!

    Before you hit the road, purchase your tickets ahead of time. You’ll pay more at the door.

    Plan Your Trip to LEGOLAND

    LEGO® Discovery Center
    3500 Peachtree Road NE
    Atlanta, GA 30326
    404.848.9252

    Monday – Friday, 10 am – 7 pm (last entry 5 pm)
    Saturday, 10 am – 9 pm (last entry 7 pm)
    Sunday, 10 am – 7 pm (last entry 5 pm)

    Online tickets start at $22.99 (prices may vary by time and date).
    Ticket extras for VR, Minibuild, and the Activity Pack are $7-$15 more per person

    Has your family ever visited LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Atlanta?

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    Andrea Beam

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  • What happened when we went in search of Stranger Things in Atlanta?

    What happened when we went in search of Stranger Things in Atlanta?

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    Are you a fan of Stanger Things? Originally filmed just around the corner in Atlanta, you can visit the filming locations of iconic scenes from the first seasons of Netflix’s Stranger Things.

    Disappearing children, secret laboratories that harbor a gateway to a parallel world, young ladies with an affinity for waffles, these all amount to some pretty scary stuff going on in Hawkins, Indiana.

    For fans of the 1980’s science fiction hit “Stranger Things” a weekend trip to the troubled Indiana town would sound like fun, except for the driving distance. The good news for fans of the Netflix hit Stranger Thing, is that it’s filmed just around the corner in Atlanta. The even better news is that there are a good number of recognizable locations that you can visit!

    stranger things atlanta
    “Hawkins National Laboratory” is really part of the Emory University Campus

    Hawkins National Laboratory, Evil Ground Zero on Stranger Things

    1256 Briarcliff Road Northeast, Atlanta GA 30306
    Seasons 1-3
    This is a working set and there were crews filming when we visited. In reality, this is a former psychiatric hospital. Making this location all the more interesting and unnerving to visit.

    Starcourt Mall

    Startcourt Mall

    2100 Pleasant Hill Road, Duluth GA 30096
    Season 3
    Reader Kristen cautions that the Gwinnett mall doesn’t want people taking photos or videos down the vacant wing of the mall that was used for filming. However, they do sometimes allow it.

    Hawkins Middle School, Photo by Kristen B

    Hawkins Middle School & Hawkins High School

    109 South Lee Street, Stockbridge GA 30281
    Seasons 1-3
    The Building is locked, but the “Upside hole” is still in the wall for photo ops. Reader Kristen says when visiting this location, someone was playing an episode shot at the school on their phone, so locations could be recognized.

    “Downtown Chicago”

    Fairlie-Poplar Website neighborhood of downtown Atlanta.
    Used to recreate the city of Chicago in numerous scenes

    Stone Mountain Cemetery Website – Barb’s funeral scene in season 2
    1025 Silver Hill Road, Stone Mountain GA 30087
    Access to the cemetery does NOT require an entrance fee for Stone Mountain Park

    Stone Mountain Park – Hawkins woods
    Seasons 1 and 2
    Access requires an entrance fee for Stone Mountain Park

    Stone Mountain Cherokee Trail – Railroad tracks
    Seasons 1 and 2
    Access requires an entrance fee for Stone Mountain Park

    Residential Scene Locations

    Steve Harrington’s Family Residence

    8253 Carlton Road, Riverdale GA 30296
    Season 1
    The pool where Barb entered the Upside down in season 1

    Barb Holland’s Family Residence

    2980 Piney Wood
    Drive, East Point GA 30344

    Will Byer’s Family Residence

    The interior of the home was shot on a sound stage. The exterior shots were done at a residence, and that the location has not been made public at the owner’s request.

    Lucas Sinclair’s Family Residence

    2550 Piney Wood Lane, East Point GA 30344

    “Mad” Max Mayfield and Billy Hargrove Family Residence

    5280 Moore Street, Stone Mountain, GA 30083

    Lonnie Byer’s Residence – Will’s estranged father

    930 Garibaldi Street Southwest, Atlanta GA 30310

    The Ives Family Residence – Eleven’s Aunt and Mother

    422 Lees Lake Road, Fayetteville GA 30214

    Hopper’s Trailer

    2300 Daniel Road Southwest, Atlanta GA 30331
    Located on private property and not viewable from the street.

    Hopper’s Cabin Website aka Escape Woods

    628 Sleepy Hollow Road, Powder Springs GA 30217
    Seasons 2 & 3
    This location was a huge part of seasons one and two. The cabin was built on the property of a seasonal attraction and then left there when filming wrapped. The owners have turned the cabin into an escape room attraction based on the show.

    Iconic Scenes

    Supernatural Locations

    Merrill’s Pumpkin Patch – Sleepy Hollow Farm Website

    628 Sleepy Hollow Road, Powder Springs GA 30127
    Season 2
    Scenes with rotting pumpkins that Hopper investigates

    Location of scene where Eleven Flips the utility van

    3782 Sarahs Lane, Tucker GA 30084
    Season 1

    Chicago Hideout – Industrial Park

    315 McDonough Boulevard Southeast, Atlanta GA 30315
    Season 2
    Where Eleven and Eight develop their power. The building is occupied, and surrounded with a perimeter fence.

    Alley Near Chicago Hideout – Apartment Complex

    125 Ted Turner Drive Southwest, Atlanta GA 30303
    Season 2
    Eleven passes through this alleyway on her way to the Chicago Hideout.

    The Tunnel where a collapse was faked to lose the cops

    531 Glenn Street Southwest, Atlanta GA 30314
    Season 2

    Secondary Scene locations

    Hideaway Bar – Smokin Cue Facebook Page

    112 Martin Luther King Sr Heritage Trail, Stockbridge GA 30281
    Season 1
    Hopper visits a State trooper to discuss the case at this bar.

    Ravi’s Food Mart – Oscar’s Gas N’ Go Facebook Page

    7705 Covington Highway, Lithonia GA 30058
    Season 2
    The main characters rob this convenience store.

    Enzo’s Restaurant – Dominick’s Website

    95 South Peachtree Street, Norcross GA 30071
    Season 3

    Hawkin’s Town Hall – East Point City Hall Website

    2777 East Point Street, Atlanta GA 30344

    Hawkins Community Swimming Pool – South Bend Pool

    2000 Lakewood Avenue Southeast, Atlanta GA 30315
    Season 3

    Hawkins Library, Photo by Kristen B.

    Hawkins Library – Butts County Probate Court Website

    25 3rd Street, Jackson GA 30233

    Hawkins Police Department – Courthouse In Douglasville

    Courthouse Square West, Douglasville GA 30134

    Benny’s Burgers – Tiffany’s Kitchen

    7413 Lee Road, Lithia Springs GA 30122
    Season 1
    Diner where Eleven hides out at the beginning of the series

    Store where Eleven buys Eggo waffles

    504 Center Street, Palmetto GA 30268
    Season 1
    Bring some empty Eggo waffle boxes for an awesome photo opp

    The Arcade

    6501 Church Street, Douglasville GA 30134

    Sattler Quarry – Bellwood Quarry

    Location Will’s “body” was found in season 1

    I have purposefully left the address absent from this location for two reasons.

    • The location is closed to the public and trespassers have been arrested.
    • The address listed for this location elsewhere on the internet takes you to a closed to the public service entrance.

    Here’s the good news. Once this location is open to the public it will be amazing.
    I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at what is being done. The city of Atlanta is spending millions of dollars to turn this quarry into a park visitors can enjoy. The Quarry will also supply the city with 2 billion gallons of drinking water.

    Fans of the AMC show “The Walking Dead” will recognize the quarry from the first season of the series. It was also featured in the Hunger Games movie.

    The park was scheduled to have the first phase complete for the opening, April of 2020. However, due to the pandemic, the opening is now pushed back for safety reasons. Once the opening is announced, we plan to be there to cover it. The drive from Atlanta will be worth it to spend the day there, and personally, I can’t wait.

    Awesome Fans

    It’s no secret that we have some of the best fans around. I would like to thank Kidding Around reader Kristen B. for her help with this article. She helped with tips for some of the locations and her enthusiasm for this topic encouraged me to find all these locations!

    Kristen says “The best thing we did was talk to other fans doing the same thing. Some had been where we were going next and gave us tips. Some showed us things we never would have noticed… I wish I would have taken a photo of my son with all the people who helped us, it would have made a more personal fan connection later so we could remember what each of them helped us with.”

    We hope fans of the show enjoy visiting the locations listed here and come back to the comments section to share your “Stranger Things” adventure with us. Please note that not all locations are always open to the public, and some locations require a fee to enter. Please use caution and follow the law when visiting these locations.

    Outer Banks TV show film location in Charleston, SC
    Places to travel in the United States

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    Kidding Around Team

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  • This Atlanta Treehouse Is Tucked in a Bamboo Forest with Alpacas

    This Atlanta Treehouse Is Tucked in a Bamboo Forest with Alpacas

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    If you wish you could escape for just a few days to an exotic destination and just forget about your worries, then the Atlanta Alpaca Treehouse vacation rental is the place to go! You can also visit for the day if you’re just looking for some alpaca and llama cuddles. Find out what this unique property offers and about all the llamas and alpacas who live there.

    Through an affiliate relationship with Stay22, Kidding Around earns when you book through the lonks on this page.

    Lay back and read a book while gentle animals roam past. Let the sound of a bamboo forest lull you to sleep. What if I told you you could have this type of escape for a weekend with minimal travel time?

    You can, and it only requires a short drive from the Upstate to Atlanta. 

    Nestled in a residential area and totally hidden is a place that boasts the title of “Most Wish Listed” on the travel site AirBnB. Once you start to explore this magical place, it’s not hard to see why.

    Atlanta Alpaca Treehouse

    In July of 2016, Kara O’Brien’s dream of building a tree house among the decades-old bamboo in her yard came to fruition. She forged ahead and knew what she wanted, despite the naysayers. We couldn’t be happier that she ignored the advice not to follow her dream. The result of her work is the Alpaca Treehouse. Everyone who visits falls in love with this bucket-list destination.

    Alpacas and Llamas Steal the Show

    So many different aspects make this location special. The stars of the show that make this a truly unique experience are the ladies who watch over the accommodations. No, I’m not talking about Kara and Kate the proprietors, although I think they are a huge part of why the property receives a perfect score from every visitor. I’m referring to Dali Llama, Llama Mia Figaro and several more alpacas named Sunny Shevoun, Paloma Piper, Caitlin Tastee, Llyra, Little Rio, and Elfie Fay Von Picklesprite.

    Dali Llama at the Atlanta Alpaca Treehouse
    Dali Llama

    A recent visitor to the Alpaca Treehouse noted that – “waking up on a bali bed, in a bamboo forest with an alpaca staring at you, should be on everyone’s bucket-list!”

    It truly elevates the tree-house experience to walk through the bamboo and discover one of these lovely ladies relaxing in the forest, and I think that is why people have flocked to this backyard-turned-into-an-urban-farm.

    The Treehouse

    The treehouse is also a pretty big part of why this property is one of the most-booked accommodations on the VRBO site.  Built from reclaimed materials, this is definitely not just any backyard treehouse. Tons of thought went into every detail of the treehouse. Extended eaves protect visitors from rain while they relax on the bali bed suspended beneath the treehouse. Two guests will enjoy air-conditioned accommodations, along with a pod-style coffee machine, snacks, and a stocked mini fridge. Children 12 and older are allowed with their adult

    Alpaca in Decatur, GA
    Alpaca

    The Llama Cottage

    If treehouse dwelling isn’t your thing, the property also offers a couple of other cottages and unique lodging opportunities. The Llama Stay Farm Cottage is a three-bedroom home that can accommodate up to 7 guests. It still offers the same access to the animals on the property. This would be better suited for families with younger children. You’ll also find the Luxury Llama Cottage, great for groups of 5 guests.

    Despite the feeling of being transported away from civilization, big city conveniences are just minutes away. You can have food delivered or drive just a few minutes away to places like downtown Decatur that boast some great restaurants and shops. Plus, Decatur has a Marta station so you can hop a train into the heart of the Atlanta if you so desire.

    Visitors to the Alpaca Treehouse and the cottages are invited into the garden behind Kara and Kate’s home next door to harvest figs, grapes, organic carrots, herbs, and other yummy treats. Something else guests can enjoy are the freshly-laid eggs supplied by the ladies’ chickens. 

    Come for the Day with the Alpaca Experience

    If you want to experience this property without spending the night, Kara offers a one-hour Alpaca experience for $50 for adults, $20 for children under 12, and free for babies 2 and under. This allows you to see the animals and the property without staying the night. The Alpaca experience would be a perfect way to get a quick photo shoot among the bamboo forest. Recording artists, reality shows and sitcoms have made their way to the Alpaca Treehouse recently. If you’re a fan of “Love is Blind” or “World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals”,  you may have seen the property.

    If you are looking for a way to escape the hustle and bustle to an exotic destination without the travel, time, passports and expense, I can’t think of a better place than this shangri-la that Kara O’Brien and Kate Giroux have created in the shadow of downtown Atlanta.

    The Alpaca Treehouse
    1162 Fayetteville Rd SE
    Atlanta GA 30316

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    Kidding Around Team

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