Masters here we come!!!

It's ALL about the golf now...as much fun as it was to shoot photos during the practice round, it's now time to eat, sleep and breathe the tournament...now, let's go smack some golf balls!!!

Amen Corner

This is mecca for golf fans. Amen corner is one of the toughest spots at Augusta, it's where the men and the boys part ways. The photos don't do justice to the beauty of this course. Abundant flowers, especially azaleas, were bursting with color.

Hanging with Tiger and Greg

Tiger looks pretty relaxed here, twirling his club like a baton as he strolls down the fairway. Greg Norman was relaxed, too. That's because it was a practice day...the next day they were ALL business.

THE MASTERS!!!

Oh, yeah...we were among the lucky few to breathe the rarified air of Augusta National. Got the badges, which they threaten to revoke if you:

1) Behave without proper golf decorum (i.e. no loud swearing, drunken behaviour, yelling at players)

2) Run. There is NO running at Augusta.

3) Use a cell phone or camera (cameras are allowed on practice days only).

In general, the crowd was the most amazing sports crowd we'd ever seen. Everyone was respectful, threw away their garbage. Everyone was quiet - you could hear the birds sing when a player was agonizing over an important put. That of course was followed by a huge roar when he made it!

CNN in Atlanta

Started in 1980 (has it been that long?), Cable Network News gained prominence in 1991 during the gulf war as the first 24 hour news network. We did a studio tour and saw the news and research teams in actual production mode. Mike, a.k.a. the producer, is pointing out some script issues to the current broadcaster.

World's Largest Aquarium in Atlanta

This aquarium has a HUGE tank, as big as a football field, with 6 million gallons of saltwater enclosed in 2 ft. thick acrylic walls, specially designed to house whale sharks - the largest fish species in the world. There are also enormous goliath groupers, hammerhead sharks and big manta rays. We missed an opportunity to scuba dive there, but we'll be back. When we do we'll be sure to avoid the pirhanas and deadly jellyfish.

Eating GRITS in Atlanta

Mmmmm. Have you ever seen such a big grits section in a grocery store? Instant, slow cooked, cheesy, or bacon grits, y'all. Breakfast, lunch and dinner (and even dessert), it's a staple down here. What are grits? Ground corn mixed with a multitude of ingredients to sway the non-taste one way or the other. 75% of grits in the US are sold in southern states stretching from Texas to Virginia, also known as the "grits belt".

75

Drinking Coke in Atlanta

Yup, we did drink some (diet anyway) and learned some fast facts about the Coca Cola Company:
Coca Cola was invented in 1886. In the first year, syrup sales totaled $50. The inventor sold the drink for $2,300. The guy who bought it for $2,300 became incredibly successful, but he sold the bottling rights for $1. Amazing, huh? Coca Cola now sells 450 brands of drinks in 200 countries.

No longer sold as a "brain tonic", though! And check out the early attempt at portable syrup "canned especially for home and outings". Looks like motor oil, doesn't it?