Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow...Somewhere Else

Southerners and snow; it's a bit of an odd combination. A few parts of the South are accustomed to a few inches of snow every year or two, but the majority of us just see it with eyes of disdain and/or horror. When there's even a chance of snow, people rush out, stock up on bread and milk, and drive in any lane they see, cowering in fear of the "giant blizzard" that's on its way.

People also seem to lack the basics skills necessary for driving in the snow. It's bad enough when it rains, but a few sightings of the fluffy white stuff and all common sense is lost to oblivion. Granted, because we so seldom get snow, there's not a lot of chance for experience.

Thanks to our sudden weather changes down South, often times the ground isn't cold enough for snow to stick for more than an hour or so. But one of the biggest problems I've encountered with Southern winters is the ice. We always get ice. It seems to almost always rain right before it snows, which leaves a nice wet layer for the snow to rest upon and freeze once the sun goes down. The next day, some of the snow melts, but usually not enough to do anything but make it more treacherous. That freezes again that night, leaving more ice.

All in all, Southerners just do better in warm weather. We have nice weather 9 months out of the year, even if it is a bit on the hot and muggy side sometimes, but that other 3 months just about does us in.

Peaches-n-Cream

I have been incredibly absent lately, but I figured what better way to come back than with a city adventure.  I recently traveled to Atlanta, GA, my likely future home. 

Atlanta is the largest city in the Southeastern United States (excluding Miami, but like I said before, I don't consider FL a Southern state), a title once held by New Orleans, LA, and the gay capital of the South.  Atlanta has to be one of the most welcoming and diverse cities in America.  And it has everything you'd want in a large metropolis: great public transport, a diverse population, great restaurants, wonderful nightlife, and, best of all, Southern culture. 

While there, I experienced a couple different restaurants.  The first was The Flying Biscuit at 1001 Piedmont Ave.  Technically a chain, but it has all the charm Midtown Atlanta has to offer.  And great food.  I definitely recommend the Roasted Red Pepper Hummus appetizer and the Georgia Peaches-n-Cream for dessert.  And what better to eat Georgia?

The other restaurant we tried was Canton Cooks at 5984 Roswell Road Northeast.  We were actually looking for another Chinese restaurant that the Urban Spoon app on my phone gave us, but we couldn't find it.  We stumbled upon Canton Cooks and were pleasantly surprised by the hours.  While they're closed on Wednesdays, they're open until 2 am every other night of the week.  And the food is amazing.  They have a lot of the usual things you would expect at a Chinese restaurant, but in a less Americanized fashion.  And there are tons of authentic choices.  I would most definitely recommend it. And you can't beat the prices.  Very reasonable.  Not to mention, it's fun to relive the 1980's in the decor.  

Expect many more updates on Atlanta dining and attractions as it's one of my favorite cities and not but a couple hours from my current location.