Day 3 in Georgia. . . After the wilder Friday night crowd in Marietta, we wanted to go be with the Saturday morning locals and check out how they live. We went back to the lot right by the Marietta Square farmer’s market for the fresh produce and artist’s stuff. We only got a few things including gluten free baked goods, a teeny honey bear, and my very first Georgia Peach! Honestly it’s an amazing market but since there weren’t as many things that would pack or travel well, we mostly chatted up vendors and got their opinions on GA when they weren’t too busy. It was a really pleasant morning. I love a good market full of a mix of types of people, dogs, babies, wares, and flowers. It feels I dunno fresh and hopeful somehow.
We looked at lots of historic homes on our trip too on our little tour of Marietta. Amazing. Dripping with Charm. I still fantasize about living in a historical home sometimes. (Even though we live in a contemporary new build currently).
We popped back over to Roswell after lunch which we just grabbed at a starbucks in Smyrna. We weren’t impressed with Smyrna. We tried to be. We felt that way about a lot of the outskirts we saw this trip. BUT Syd did chat with this frog there. . . and we caught up with his Mom. He’s a good egg.
We stupidly drove into Atlanta for lunch and to check out Inman park. It was hip and young and loud and chaotic. It gave us both anxiety. We are officially old. It reminded me of Silverlake in LA along the bends behind the main drags. Been there done that. We both lived in LA for 9 years or more already (and other big cities). The crowd was both metropolitan and hipster, but both sets were LOUD. Like I said we’re no longer worried about being cool. . .
Lunch was yum though. Had a fried chicken sandwich with green beans at The Albert and they were delicious! I was shocked at how good green beans could be IN A BAR! YESSIR.
We were so beat from the heat and crowded vibe of the inner city. Headed back right after. I do think that sandwich was pretty epic for bar eats though! Syd had snacks at the farmer’s market so he wasn’t hungry yet. I just had my first Georgia Peach. It was so juicy I had to be careful not to get covered in it.
We then headed to the hotel in Marietta for a bit to cool off and freshen up before dinner. We went to the famous Marietta Diner. They have a million things on their menu. It was such a mixed experience. The hostess was rude and acted like she hated us. Probably somebody’s mother. She clearly didn’t want to be there. Yikes. Let her retire. Throw in a Granddaughter or son instead maybe? We worked in restaurants for years.(Especially me). If you can’t even fake being borderline polite, don’t work front of house. This was not specific to us. It was everyone. The wait wasn’t terrible despite the fact it was PACKED about 15ish minutes. My pasta was delicious. Syd told them about his dietary restrictions and they slathered everything in butter anyway. He’s allergic. (Our server was super nice but in the weeds all the time). Not her fault. They seemed to really work their people hard! One of the owners helped us get a to go box and was really charming and personable. I think I would maybe go back on a girl’s night or something, but Syd got a little queasy from them not doing the substitutions he asked for and they said they could do. Bummer. Recommend for unfussy eaters who love variety and large portions. Don’t recommend for food allergies or a fine dining/service oriented clientele. It’s frustrating. We suggest going a little early. To be fair we did go during the dinner rush on a Saturday night. It had like Perkins/Casino vibes. It was casual and crowded and everyone and their mom was there for dinner. It seems like a local staple. Loved the outside facade. Mid-Century Vegas feel.
Near the River walks in Roswell. . . Took a drive and a stroll here after dinner. So peaceful with the Geese gliding across the water. People running and walking their dogs. On their boats. Historical signs with what happened in the area over the years. A green and serene space for the community to gather and play and workout or relax. Everyone waved or said hello.
We packed ourselves up to check out for the next day when we headed to ATL proper for the rest of the trip!
The Adventures of Syd and Meg 