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You know we love to have friends visit here at the Scenic Route, and you've visited with News & Record copy editor Mel Umbarger before, when she shared her trip to Florida. This time, she's on an adventure to the ATL for adventure, food and sightseeing. She''ll be dropping in to make a few posts in the next few days. -Janet

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We went down to Atlanta recently for a few days to meet up with my parents and to play tourist. I've been to Atlanta before, but I had never done some of the more touristy things and was curious to try them.

We headed to the World of Coca-Cola around 11 a.m. on Monday. There was a bit of a line at the ticket counter when we arrived, but we followed a few people heading over to ticket kiosks across the way. We got our tickets with no wait, so if you're paying with a credit or debit card, skip the line and look for the easy-to-use kiosks.

The tour starts out with a brief intro by a perky guide, who pointed out a few interesting pieces of Coke memorabilia.

We were then directed into a large theater. I was a bit creeped out by the furry balls with lips on top of the building, and the creepiness was not abated by watching them in a longer version of a commercial I've seen a number of times before movie trailers. Instead of watching a bunch of critters bottle Coke in cutesy animation, I would have loved to have seen something with more of the history of Coke or interesting facts. But kids are probably amused by the creatures and will want stuffed versions on the way out in the gift shop.

At the end of the short film, the screen rose to reveal the rest of the World of Coca-Cola. Because my dad was in a wheelchair, we sat at the top of the rows in the theater where we entered. By the time he got down the elevator to where the screen had risen, we had to go through a back, employee hallway because they said the screen was about to be lowered for the next group. I thought they should have allowed a little more time for their disabled guests -- the hallway had hard-to-maneuver corners and tight doorways, and we weren't that far behind the rest of the group.

The view once you entered the rest of the building:

Once you enter the rest of the building, you're on your own, which I quite liked. We went through a room where they showed you how Coke is bottled, slowed down quite a bit so you can actually see what is happening. I thought the robotic arms and machinery were really fascinating to see up close.

They also had a history area, where you could watch short videos and see artifacts from throughout the history of Coke. I thought the machine they sent up in space for astronauts to be able to drink Coke was pretty neat (and a clever marketing ploy). There were timelines and different bottles of Coke products on display, but I was amused when my husband pointed out that there was no mention of New Coke anywhere. The timeline did point out, however, when Classic Coke was reintroduced, with no mention of why it had ever left. We also got to see some Norman Rockwell paintings up close. (They mentioned that some of his paintings for Coke were still missing, so if you check your attic and find one, they said they'll talk to you about your retirement.)

My favorite part of the tour was the tasting room, which seems to be the most popular stop. You can taste as many of the types of Coke products on tap as you want. Each station was a different continent, and it was interesting to taste what different nationalities want in a soda.

People like to be cruel, however -- on many of the rating and review sites I had looked at ahead of time, many people recommended that you try the Beverly beverage from Italy. Earlier, in the theater, when the tour guide asked for favorites, at least one person yelled it out as a recommendation as well.

I am here to tell you that Beverly is probably one of the grossest things you may ever be served. I say probably because my husband lucked into trying it before I did, saving me from that fate -- the look on his face was enough for me, and I didn't bother trying it for myself. See some reactions for yourself on YouTube.

Other than that one, though, nothing was bad enough to make me have to spit it out. And some of them were quite good -- I wish we had more interesting flavors available in mainstream grocery stores here. I would have been curious to taste the different formulas of actual Coke that are sold in other countries, as well.

On the way out, we were each given a keepsake bottle of Coke.

Outside, there is also a miniature golf course, complete with characters from the Coke animation spots, but I only saw one family brave the oppressive Atlanta heat to play.

Overall, it was an interesting experience, although at times it did feel like we were paying $16 per person (plus $10 for parking) to be part of a long Coke commercial. Based on the kids I observed there, I'd wait to take yours until they are at least 12 or so -- the younger kids seemed bored and agitated until the tasting room. And while several people on our tour said they were repeat guests, I'm not sure there was enough there for me to do it more than once. 

If you do go to the World of Coca-Cola, make it a double trip and check out the Georgia Aquarium next door. You'll only have to pay for parking once, and you can buy a ticket to both for a reduced price.

Coming up next: The Georgia Aquarium.