Alpharetta, Georgia: Where Mama Got Her Groove Back

I am the ginormous on in the back.

I was invited by the Atlanta Metro Travel Association to join them and a few other amazing Atlanta bloggers and media experts in a two day mini tour of some of the cities outside the perimeter of the city of Atlanta. A taste of four communities that encompass Atlanta, all of which have something quite different to offer. I was excited to be included and check out some of the areas of Atlanta that I have heard about but have yet to experience first hand. Plus, I got to mark off one of the items on the 2011 list! Now, in order to do each of these place justice, I am going to split the trip up into four posts.

Our first stop after meeting up at the Atlanta History Center was Alpharetta, a city that exclaims they have "the right blend of hometown charm and big city sophistication". Alpharetta is the home to Verizon Amphitheater and the only American Girl Boutique and Bistro in the South East among other amazing shopping and dining opportunities.

Our experience was a little more hands on that a little shopping though. We got to learn to ride dirt bikes, have an amazing lunch, and have an amazing hotel experience!

Hot stuff, no?
(Really, it was HOT.)

When we pulled up to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, I was a bundle of nerves. I still wasn't really sure what we would be doing and lets face it, I am not particularly in the best of shape. We went inside and met our fearless instructor, April, who put me at ease right away. They have all of the equipment and gear there for you to use but of course you are free to bring your own also. They have classes for everyone from  age six and beyond. They even have a class called "Dirt in a Skirt" that is only available to women. Perfect for a girls day out to work out some stress and get that adrenaline pumping!

Once we got all fitted into the gear, we were ready to hit the dirt.

For those of you who have never ridden a dirt bike and are curious, it is so much fun. It is very physical and tiring but its the kid of thrill that you just can't explain to someone. Words don't really express the adrenaline rush.


After a few hours getting down and dirty (and loving it) we had an amazing lunch at the always amazing Pure Taqueria and got a chance to chat with the ladies from the Alpharetta CVB. We got to learn about some of the amazing events that go on in Alpharetta including the "Scarecrow harvest" in which local groups and school all decorate a scarecrow and they place them all around town. We got to see some of them and the work put into them was awesome! Of course there are lots of other events all year round including things like the Tree Lighting Ceremony coming up soon.

Of course after a long day of getting down and dirty on the dirt bikes and a filling lunch, we were all exhausted and, honestly, a little smelly. So we headed to the Atlanta Marriott Alpharetta to get checked in to our room. Now, this was no ordinary hotel room. We got the American Girl treatment.

Pink!

First, there was the special check in procedure in which we got to strut our diva stuff down the runway and got the special American Girl "credit card" good for one free dessert in the restaurant or a candy bar or chips in the gift shop. We also had the option of having milk and cookies delivered to our rooms with our turn down service. Of course the rooms were decked out in all pink accents. Pink pillows, towels and even the trash cans had been switched to pink. The most special part of this particular hotel package (for those of you who are American Girl doll fans of course), was the American Girl doll-sized travel bed that your little girl gets to keep!

After checking out our rooms and, of course, a quick shower, we were off again to the city of Lawerenceville for dinner and ghost tour to haunt our dreams. Stay tuned.


If you would like to read more about how to book your own adventure or get more information in general check these sites out:

Atlanta Metro Travel Association

Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Buereau

More awesome Alpharetta Events

Motorcycle Safety Foundation 

Atlanta Marriott Alpharetta American Girl Package

#OTPATL - The Twitter Hashtag from our adventures