I SEE DOLLAR SIGNS!

The Federal Reserve Bank in Atlanta is one of eleven branches throughout the United States that helps the function of monetary policy, bank regulations and a nationwide payment system. You can visit the Atlanta Federal Monetary Museum and discover the fascinating story of money, history of banking, and also examples of rare coins and currency. Also there are interactive and multimedia exhibits explaining the role of the Federal Reserve in our economy. But the real interesting part is taking a look inside the cash-processing operations where millions are sorted, counted and shredded on a daily basis. You also will get a glimpse inside the automated vault and see robotic transports that handle all the heavy lifting. Visit the website, www.frbatlanta.org to sign up for a tour and to check the hours of operation. Show me the money!

Tybee Island: Historic Lighthouse

One of our favorite places to visit is the Tybee Island Lighthouse. Ordered by General Oglethorpe in 1732, the light station has been guiding mariners into the Savannah river for over 270 years. Located on five acres, it is one of the few lighthouses that has all of its historic support buildings intact. It has been rebuilt several times and just recently underwent a massive restoration. The Fresnal lens is very rare and now uses a 1000 watt lightbulb that is maintained by the Coast Guard. Visit this historic lighthouse and you will get a wonderful view of the Tybee Island Beach and the rest of this barrier island. Numerous restaurants and attractions are nearby as well as Savannah. For more information visit:
www.tybeelighthouse.org

TOUR DE GEORGIA 2008

If you love the Tour de France or are just a bike racing fan, then you need to come on down for the annual Tour de Georgia 2008. This event has attracted 2.8 million spectators and generated over $148 million in economic impact for the state of Georgia. For the 2008 race, the local beneficiary will be the Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service of Children. This sixth annual tour will be scheduled for April 21-27, 2008 and will include the salty marshes and ocean shoreline to the skyline of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This is a premier professional cycling event and has a varying route of approximately 650 miles of racing. It is also sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale and is part of the USA Cycling Professional Tour, making this event one of the top races for elite athletes around the world. So if you have a favorite cyclist and would like to get upclose and personal with some of the world's best athletes, then plan on attending at least one stage of this event. You can find more information at www.tourdegeorgia.com.
These photos are from one of the former races and the last one below is Lance Armstrong taken as he passed me by!

Weather The Storm!

We all love to watch The Weather Channel! Located on the outskirts of Atlanta, The Weather Channel launched twenty-five years ago. It reaches more than 87 million households and 95% of the cable market. People tune in because of the essential information that is available any time of the day and how it pertains to their daily life. And we also love to watch when the severe weather "kicks in" and they bring up-to-the-minute reports of hurricanes, snow storms, tornadoes, etc. More than half of the viewers rate it "indispensable" to their daily lives. So when you cannot find anything worth watching, turn over to The Weather Channel for interesting news and reports. You will find more information at weather.com on sports, activities, healthy living, travel and many more interesting articles all pertaining to the weather. Go Weather Channel!

BOOK REVIEW: Historic Photos of Atlanta

Atlanta was once known as the city within a forest and was the end of the railroad line. The town finally grew and became Terminus, then Marthasville and then Atlanta. After the march of Sherman, Atlanta laid in ruins. But it rose from the ashes and became a city of railroads, business, trade and even the Olympics. Professional and amateur photographers have chronicled the growth and documented the history through the years. This volume presents nearly two hundred images of the past and gives you a feel for the people and their lives through the years. Historic photos of Atlanta would make a great gift or coffee table book for anyone interested in the many faces of this southern city. Available on our sidebar ads from Amazon.