I was in Atlanta this past week. I went mostly because I had a friend that was actually in town this time and I wanted to see her and catch up a little bit. For me it was a nice change of pace and as usual I stayed with my friend R and his dog Ataneq who I have come to adore and look forward to seeing. So I asked for four days off and left on Wednesday after I got off work and went to the gym. It was a night driving kind of trip and I must say that it was nice to know that I got everything done before I left and I felt good with my routine that I was building. 

So Once I was in Atlanta I got settled I went through the routine. R had to work so I stayed home with Ataneq and worked on what I needed to and did my running routines while I was there. As we went through the four days I realized that I needed to plan ahead on what I wanted to do if I wasn’t seeing people in town. So when Saturday came around we both were chilling around the house and chatting when he asked me if there was anything I wanted to do and from there he listed a few places. One that came up with the Atlanta Botanical Gardens and I knew that I wanted to go see this place but by the time we had finished what he needed to do, watched a movie, and let him nap it was pretty late in the afternoon and I knew that we weren’t going to make it there in time to see it. SO I decided that we should go the next day. 

So of course Sunday was the day that we got out and stretched our legs. Personally I love it when I can walk around, take pictures, and be somewhere surrounded by nature. I know for R it wasn't the most exciting thing we had done together but Botanical Gardens for me are a gold mine in terms of photography. So we spent a few hours talking and walking around with the occasional stops to take photos. 

It was quite beautiful and I think we chose a day where it wasn’t too hot and we could actually survive the day. 

Personally the botanical Gardens is quite the treat and I was pretty impressed with all the garden statues and I loved the plants. The fees to get in were pretty reasonable, especially since we spent a good 3-4 hours there. To get into the gardens its about $21 before taxes and to park they charge $2 an hour. Sounds like it’s a lot but if you take your time and really want to enjoy everything around you I think that the price isn’t too bad. Of course if you have a big group of people then that’s where things get a little pricey and it might change your mind on going inside. The nice thing about the gardens is that its attached to a big park that you can walk around in for free so at least you have a second option if you change your mind. 

If you’re in that area during the holidays (Like Christmas or Halloween) I hear that they have some special events where they decorate the gardens so if your one of those people that likes to see places on special occasions then that might be more your speed. 

Either way, if you enjoy nature but don’t like to go "into" nature then I recommend checking out the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. It’s quite the treat and it’s a nice way to get away for a bit and get some of the precious Sunlight.