A Sophisticated Traveler's Guide to Atlanta

It's no secret, Atlanta is probably my favorite city in the South Eastern United States. I love the culture, I love the landscape, the food...to make it plain and simple, I love it all! A couple weeks ago I made use of a few vacation days and took another short road trip to the ATL. This time the occasion was for some relaxing, a little shopping and believe it or not two birthday celebrations. So, let me break down my trip. 

How'd I get there?: Me and a friend gassed up the car and drove. Depending on what city your in, the trip from North Carolina to Atlanta is between 5-6 hours. Plus, once you hit 85 it is literally a straight shot! 

Where'd I Stay?: Our hotel of choice for this trip was the W- Midtown Atlanta. Every other time I've been to Atlanta, I've always stayed downtown. This time I thought it would be cool to experience another borough of the city. As for the W-Midtown, my friend and I were initially attracted to the hotel for its modern and swanky decor-- it just seemed like the place where hip young people stay (There is a club inside the hotel). We had a great time here, but I will say that perhaps it is time for some sprucing up in some of the rooms. There was definitely some noticeable wear on some of the furniture in our room. One plus about the hotel though was valet. In the past I've stayed at places where it takes FOREVER for valet to bring your car around... this was never the case at the W-Midtown! 

Where'd I Eat?: The real question is where didn't I eat!? On our first full day in the city we went to ZinBurger at Lennox Mall. There I tried "The Ringer" which is a hamburger complete with applewood smoked bacon, hot sauce and onion rings. I ate the entire thing plus my friend and I split a side of sweet potato fries. I also ordered a Pumpkin Pie Milkshake, which I didn't end up loving...but, it was pretty and made for a cute prop in my picture. 

Other spots we dined at included Thrive, an upscale Southern food restuarant/ lounge in downtown Atlanta and the Sun Dial at the Westin. Funny story about when we went to this restaurant. When we walked in I was so focused on finding my friend Jamilla who was celebrating her 23rd birthday here, that I didn't notice Kandi Burris and Todd Tucker who ended up being seated RIGHT smack dab behind me, filming for the reality show, Real Housewives of Atlanta. It wasn't until I was seated with my back to them that I heard Kandi's voice and turned around and saw them! 

Southern Fried Springer Mountain Chicken

The experience of dining at the Sun Dial was a tad scary at first, but once I got my barrings about me, absolutely amazing. Once you arrive at the Westin you take a glass elevator up 72 stories to the restuarant. Once you arrive you are seated at a table and as you dine, the floor beneath you rotates giving you a birds eye view of the entire city of Atlanta. I do not like heights, so the ride up I was literally terrified with my eyes glued shut, but on the ride down I managed to get myself together enough to admire the beauty of it all. I ordered lobster tail for the first time and overall was satisfied with my meal. 

My view from the elevator

Lobster, Shrimp and Grits

Where'd I Shop?: I spent some time at Lennox Mall mostly window shopping....$1200 Chanel sneakers anyone? 

 I also took sometime to check out the Men's store at the Macy's in Lenox.

#ReailProblems

The following day I went to Perimeter mall. I wanted to make it to the new outlet stores in Atlanta, but didn't have the chance. 

What'd I Wear?: I did't get too many pictures of my casual looks but I made sure to capture my night time looks. Yall know I love to unleash Flyy Kiki!

It was extremely cold and windy while I was in Atlanta, so as much as I wanted to be cute, my main focus when getting dressed was warmth. This is what I wore to dinner at the Sun Dial. A gold sequined dress that I threw in my suitcase at the last minute, my new favorite Ivanka Trump faux fur coat and Enzo Angiolii suede zipper back heels. 

My favorite look from the trip however was this my Parker New York beaded jumpsuit. I splurged on this beauty months ago and was waiting for the perfect opportunity to bring her out of the closet. A night out with my cousin to celebrate his girlfriend's birthday seemed like the perfect occasion to me, though I'm sure I will be showing this beauty off again for the Holiday season!