atlanta travel: getting steamy all night long at jeju sauna (as seen on trazzler)

The communal bath house is a relaxing tradition that’s found in many cultures, but most Americans would raise an eyebrow at the notion of visiting a 24-hour Korean spa. Rest assured, it’s not that kind of affair, even though the hot-pink neon signage out front might make you think otherwise.

$25 gets you a locker and unlimited access to the facilities at Jeju, plus a standard-issue, one-size-fits-all short set that evokes images of Logan’s Run. If lounging au naturale is your thing, the gender-separate locker rooms have showers, steam rooms, and soaking pools, and for an extra fee, you can have one of the older lady masseuses smack you up, flip you, and rub you down.

You might opt to literally spend the night in the large common area, which boasts 7 different therapeutic saunas – like the Jade room and the Charcoal Room, a large swimming pool, and a quick-serve Korean snack bar. Just a few hours at Jeju makes for a happy ending you don’t have to be ashamed of.

cheers,

k

Jeju Sauna
3555 Gwinnett Place Drive
Duluth, GA 30096
www.jejusauna.net

atlanta travel – touring the future on the beltline (as seen on trazzler)

Usually, if you want to get to know a city, you visit monuments of its past. But if you really want to get to know Atlanta, you can also take a tour of its future. The Beltline—a multi-year, multi-billion dollar urban renewal effort—is also a symbol of the things Atlantans love most about their town: its historic neighborhoods, urban green spaces, and its legacy of rising from the ashes. Today, the Beltline isn’t much more than 22 miles of abandoned, overgrown rail lines. But enthusiastic tour guides will lead you by bus, bike, or foot on a journey behind the scenes and into the future of the South’s brightest city. Don’t expect pristinely picturesque scenery. Like the future, the beauty of the Beltline is less about what you can see with your eyes, and more about what you can imagine in your mind.

cheers,

k

View other Atlanta travel stories on Trazzler…

the NBAF festival turns 21…

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Do you remember what you did for your 21st birthday? Did you see a movie?  Go to a concert? Go shopping? All of the above?

If you’ve been under the equivalent of a cultural rock for the last month or so, it might come as a surprise to you that the 21st anniversary of the National Black Arts Festival officially kicked off this week in Atlanta.

But if you’ve spied the signs around town and have caught the ’smoke signals’ on Facebook, Twitter, or even today’s article in the AJC, well… you already know what’s in store.

This year’s festival is slightly different than that of previous years – namely, a shorter schedule, and a single venue for most of the events. Some of the changes are a sign of the times: a down economy equals fewer donations and sponsorships, and a tighter budget.  But other changes show that the NBAF is truly a ’now’ kind of girl.

By hosting most of her events in a centralized place that’s Marta-accessible and located directly across from headquarters, she’s decreased the carbon footprint for her staff and her attendees, and made it more economical than driving to several locations.  And Lord knows, Atlanta could use just a little less traffic on the road for a few days.

Being true to the times also means making greater use of social media. So for her 21st birthday, the NBAF sent out invitations to the ‘cool kids’ – local Atlanta bloggers that will provide online coverage of 2009 NBAF events.

I’ll give you one guess who’s included in the bunch.

For the next few days, I’ll post regular updates from the NBAF via Twitter and Facebook, beginning with the daily staff meeting. I’ll also post bite-sized reviews of the NBAF events I attend throughout the week here on the blog. If I’m not completely worn out, I may even do a longer recap of each day’s events at the end of each day.

But you know how 21st birthdays go. There’s no telling what might happen. Still, I have no doubt it’s gonna be a party to remember.

Here’s where you’ll find me:

Thursday, July 30

 

Meet Me at The Festival!

late night cabaret – groundhog day jugglers festival

Around 10 p.m. on a side street in Avondale Estates, a crowd gathers. Amber light flickers on the faces assembled in the night, and the faint aroma of smoke hangs in the air. In the center of the loose ring of people there is fire. It is leaping and diving, twirling and flipping back and forth. Seemingly wild, yet contained, controlled by the hands of several masters who are demonstrating their craft to the eager onlookers.

One of them skilfully handles poi – long lengths of chain with flames on the ends – whirling and windmiling them about, making him look like the most daring club kid ever. Another, a young woman clad in an all-black, Xena-inspired outfit, undulates slowly around the circle. Her hands are held high, clutching a pair of ironwork fans tipped with fire. At the end of her dance, she shakes her hands to extinguish the fan flames, and utters a single word of satisfaction, “Smoky!”

Indeed.

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atlanta day trip: escape to appalachia

I’m stressed, driving in gruesome holiday traffic on Roswell road, trying to keep my nostrils from flaring. I cannot believe that I locked myself outta the house! Somewhere between leaving a key for my visiting guests and numerous wardrobe and purse changes over the last couple of days, I managed to leave both my spare and my regular house key inside the house. Now I’m driving across town to pick up the spare spare when I should be headed out of town for my relaxing weekend vacation in the mountains. GRRRRR!!

Heading up to the Georgia mountains is something I’ve done at least once a year since my senior year in college. Of course the Georgia mountains are nothing like those out west, they’re more like impressively large hills by comparison. But I always relish the opportunity to leave the smog and traffic of the city behind and immerse myself in nature and a much slower pace of existence for a few days. I try to focus on this idea instead of on the cuss-words I’d like to hurl at this guy tap-dancing on his brake pedal in front of me. My inner voice pipes up, “Be easy. In only a few hours, you’ll be practicing zazen from a rocking chair on the front porch of a charming cabin”. It’s enough to keep me sane for a bit longer.

Here’s a few tips should you need an escape to sanity as well.

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atlanta day trip: sapelo island’s annual culture day

Unspoiled natural beauty, rural relaxation, a unique blend of African and Southern traditions, a step back in time – this is Sapelo Island.

I was first introduced to Sapelo by my cuzzin Miko almost 2 years ago. She and her husband Fred were regular volunteers with SICARS – the Sapelo Island Cultural and Revitalization Society – and were then planning to have their nuptial celebration on the island. She invited me and a few other friends to go down to camp out and explore the island for a weekend and ultimately to understand why she and her husband considered the place special enough to be the location for their wedding. After that first trip, I was smitten; and since then I’ve been absolutely head over heels in love with Sapelo.

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