Has your bucket list of fun activities to try this summer already run dry? Then fill it with ideas from Atlanta, where new attractions offer art and entertainment thrills for the whole family. Check out these three:
MYSTERY GIRL
What is it about the anonymous girl that captivates us? She is modestly clothed in a roomy, neutral-toned bodice accented by a blue-and-gold turban. Yet, her head slightly tilted, she seduces with an air of innocence and mystery, parted lips, over-the-shoulder look and oversized pearl earring.
Her intimate glance draws us in as we contemplate the painting “Girl with a Pearl Earring” at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. We get lost in a dance of discovery with this “Dutch Mona Lisa.”
This marks her first visit to the Southeast. Johannes Vermeer’s iconic painting is one of 35 works by Dutch Golden Age artists on display at the High through Sept. 29.
The exhibition also features Rembrandt, among other masters. The collection comes from the Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis, The Hague.
Little is known about the subject of Vermeer’s famous painting. But she has maintained her fresh appeal since around 1665 and inspired a book and movie in recent years.
Pay her a visit before she departs. The High Museum is open daily except Monday. For information, call 404-733-4444 or visit www.high.org.
TAKE A SPIN
If you want a view of Atlanta from on high, check out the new giant Ferris wheel downtown.
Located at the south end of Centennial Park, SkyView features 42 gondolas that spin near CNN headquarters, Georgia Aquarium, Georgia Dome and World of Coca-Cola. From nearly 20 stories up, you also can see Centennial Park’s dancing fountains in the shape of the Olympics symbol.
You might even glimpse a star or two. Since the private, for-profit attraction opened July 16, its riders have included Adam Sandler and Keisha Pulliam, as well as Atlanta Braves players.
The 200-foot-tall wheel originally operated in Paris, across from the Louvre, then traveled to Switzerland before coming to the United States.
SkyView’s climate-controlled enclosed gondolas are a step up from regular open-air Ferris wheel seats. The ride is quiet and lacks the thrill factor of looking down and seeing the ground below your feet — unless you’re in the VIP gondola, which features a glass floor.
A standard ride takes about 15 minutes and includes four rotations of the wheel — plenty of time to absorb the Atlanta skyline by day or night.
For more information, visit www.skyviewatlanta.com.
BABY ANIMALS
Across town at Zoo Atlanta on Cherokee Avenue, Lun Lun, a 15-year-old giant panda, gave birth to twins on July 15. They’re the first twins to be born in the United States since 1987.
The tiny male cubs will make their debut to the public in late fall, zoo officials say, but meanwhile you can watch them live via PandaCam, www.zooatlanta.org/home/panda_cam.
Meanwhile, an eastern black rhinoceros was born Aug. 17 for the first time in the zoo’s history. Zoo President and CEO Raymond King noted, “This is a critically endangered species that absolutely deserves the spotlight right now. We hope that as we watch the calf grow up, we can spark new connections with wildlife that desperately need our support.”
In addition to the adorable baby animals, there’s plenty to enjoy at Zoo Atlanta. Regular features include giraffe feedings, petting zoos and wildlife shows.
The zoo is open 363 days a year, closing on Thanksgiving and Christmas. For information, call 404-624-5600 or visit www.zooatlanta.org.
[Published in the Knoxville News Sentinel, August 24, 2013]