By Leighton Maynard
“Where are you going on spring break?” I asked my Newspaper class.
Some replies: “Skiing.” “Arizona.” “Mexico.”
“Nowhere,” Tanisha Naik said, with a grunt of resignation.
While I did get to travel this spring break, my siblings and I have always gone to different schools, which has meant we’ve usually had separate spring breaks.
As a result, I’ve often had to stay home on spring break, which does have a benefit: I’ve figured out a few things to do in our city.
You can experiment with restaurants you’ve never heard of, go to museums to discover things you are interested in, see animals you’ve never witnessed before, or even just stay home and make crafts that looked cool on TikTok.
Of course, you could also just do nothing and use this week for rejuvenation.
But let’s say you’re hungry. We’ve all likely been to restaurants like Chick-fil-A or Willy’s a thousand times, but have you been to Mary Mac’s Tea Room? It is a southern restaurant well-known for its great hospitality. They have been open for 75 years which has made this homey restaurant even homier. If you are a chicken tender and fries type of person this is the place for you. They serve vegetable plates, hamburgers, roast pork, baked chicken breasts, fried chicken, dumplings, and much more mouth-watering foods.
Next up on the itinerary is the best place for some burger lovers. Manuel’s Tavern has been open since 1956 and has been a well-known stop for politicians like Jimmy Carter. As a barbeque lover, Fat Matt’s Rib Shack offers some of the best barbecues you will ever taste. Once you try a bite of their barbeque sandwich you will never want to leave. The mix of sweet and salty savory goodness makes you fall in love with the place.
Shifting away from American food, Grand China is another must-try restaurant. Their food is served with precise perfection and their ramen noodles are to die for. They offer foods like sweet and sour chicken, Mongolian chicken, Sautéed Udon Beef, Thai Basil Shrimp, and much more.
Want something sweet? Donut lovers, your time is here. Sublime Donuts has the tastiest donuts you will ever eat. Whether you want just an original glazed donut or a wild chocolate berry fritter donut you can get them all at Sublime Donuts.
If you’d like more restaurant recommendations, check out DiscoverAtlanta.com.
Moving away from all those delicious, mouth-watering foods we are going to head over to museums around Atlanta. First up is Martin Luther King National park. If you want to get some more information on Martin Luther King this is the place for you. This museum has exhibits on Dr. King and what his life was like growing up.
If you love art, head to the High Museum which shows art from the 19th century to the earliest 20th century. The museum features a permanent collection as well as temporary exhibitions. Right now, you can see works by Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian. According to the High website, she was an Iranian artist known for “her geometric mirror sculptures.” You can also see really colorful paintings by Joseph Stella.
Now if you are more of a natural history person and love dinosaurs Fernbank Museum of Natural History should be your next stop. Fernbank is interactive and shows extraordinary things like fossils and 3d movies to lock in your experience. Fernbank is also a great place for little kids. If you have a younger sibling or child I’m sure they will love this place.
The Atlanta History Center is also a fun interactive museum where you can learn about our city. There is also a great coffee shop called Brash right next door that has killer coffee. If you want to hear more about museums around Atlanta look at timeout.com.
Museums are fun but if you’d like your “art” to move around more and swim, you should take a trip to the Georgia Aquarium. The Georgia Aquarium has animals like Beluga Whales, Whale Sharks, Sea Lions, Bottlenose Dolphins, and Manta Rays.
But if all of this traveling around the city sounds too exhausting (or if you’re looking for an evening activity for when you get home from all of that food and culture), consider staying in and having a spa night instead of going out. I have a few fun at-home things to do. Painting is always a great way to get cool, calm, and relaxed. You can head to Pinterest for some easy and pretty painting ideas to recreate if you need some inspiration.
If you don’t consider yourself a painter type try a science experiment. It’s always interesting to see how those things work out. Don’t judge me, but my brother and I have a book called a Big Book of Science Experiments that’s given us ideas for at-home experiments, like making an egg clear or exploding a coke can. We have managed to take up a lot of counter space in the pursuit of discovery.
When I’m not advancing my STEM career, I like to sit back and relax and get into the spa mode. Do a face mask or make one! Paint your nails or make a bath bomb! Remember that rest is the most important thing on breaks or weekends, so don’t do too many things that aren’t giving you the rest your body needs.
These are just a few options for fun things to do Atlanta when, like Tanisha, you’re going “nowhere.” Treat yourself because you earned it, even if it’s just an average Saturday afternoon during the semester.
