Every other year I go to the convention of the National Council of Teachers of English. This year, it was held in Atlanta, Georgia and I attended with four of my co-workers at BYU-Idaho. The conference was held at the Georgia World Congress Center, downtown by the Georgia Dome and the Olympic Stadium.
Thursday was spent traveling. Friday, we got checked in and attended workshops all day. That night we ate at a good seafood restaurant in our hotel and then went to bed. Saturday, we attended more workshops and then the ladies went shopping. I went to a good pizza place with Josh and John and then vegged for the rest of the night. (I'm not a shopper.)
On Sunday, we went to church. Loved the ward there! Our Lyft driver never showed up to take us home, so we figured out MARTA, the public train system, and somehow made it back to our hotel. That afternoon we went on a tour of Civil Rights sites in Atlanta. The tour director was a white man who was one of the Freedom Fighters and he also chauffered Martin Luther King, Jr. for several years. He had some great insights.
We started at the Ebenezer Baptist Church, then saw Dr. King's burial site. Then we drove around some key sites such as Auburn Avenue, as he talked about the different people and organizations that were part of the Civil Rights Movement. We also saw Dr. King's birthplace and the home he lived in when he was shot. It was a very eye-opening tour. Dinner was at a great barbeque place across from our hotel.
Monday morning we started the ALAN conference, which focuses totally on Young Adult Literature. The highlight of this conference is a big box of the latest YA publications. I also got to hear some great authors speak. Some of my favorites were Maggie Stiefvater, Neal Shusterman, and many others. That afternoon, we went to Coca-Cola World, which was a hoot. We got pics with the polar bear, saw the vault where the secret recipe is kept, and saw some fun films. The highlight is definitely the Taste It area, with drinks from all over the world owned by the Coca-Cola company.
On Tuesday, we wrapped up the conference. Then we spent the afternoon at the Atlanta History Center, which has some great exhibits on the history of Atlanta, the Civil War, the Native Americans in the Southern area, and other folk arts. They also have acres of gardens and restored historical buildings such as a cabin, an 1860s farm, and the Swan House mansion. Definitely glad we took the time to visit.
We got up bright and early this morning to participate in the busiest travel day of the year at the Atlanta airport. Luckily everything went smoothly and I'm glad to be home. Glad Kory held down the fort alone while I was gone. What a great husband.
Thursday was spent traveling. Friday, we got checked in and attended workshops all day. That night we ate at a good seafood restaurant in our hotel and then went to bed. Saturday, we attended more workshops and then the ladies went shopping. I went to a good pizza place with Josh and John and then vegged for the rest of the night. (I'm not a shopper.)
On Sunday, we went to church. Loved the ward there! Our Lyft driver never showed up to take us home, so we figured out MARTA, the public train system, and somehow made it back to our hotel. That afternoon we went on a tour of Civil Rights sites in Atlanta. The tour director was a white man who was one of the Freedom Fighters and he also chauffered Martin Luther King, Jr. for several years. He had some great insights.
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| Me getting a book signed for Caleb by Dav Pilkey. He writes Captain Underpants. |
We started at the Ebenezer Baptist Church, then saw Dr. King's burial site. Then we drove around some key sites such as Auburn Avenue, as he talked about the different people and organizations that were part of the Civil Rights Movement. We also saw Dr. King's birthplace and the home he lived in when he was shot. It was a very eye-opening tour. Dinner was at a great barbeque place across from our hotel.
Monday morning we started the ALAN conference, which focuses totally on Young Adult Literature. The highlight of this conference is a big box of the latest YA publications. I also got to hear some great authors speak. Some of my favorites were Maggie Stiefvater, Neal Shusterman, and many others. That afternoon, we went to Coca-Cola World, which was a hoot. We got pics with the polar bear, saw the vault where the secret recipe is kept, and saw some fun films. The highlight is definitely the Taste It area, with drinks from all over the world owned by the Coca-Cola company.
On Tuesday, we wrapped up the conference. Then we spent the afternoon at the Atlanta History Center, which has some great exhibits on the history of Atlanta, the Civil War, the Native Americans in the Southern area, and other folk arts. They also have acres of gardens and restored historical buildings such as a cabin, an 1860s farm, and the Swan House mansion. Definitely glad we took the time to visit.
We got up bright and early this morning to participate in the busiest travel day of the year at the Atlanta airport. Luckily everything went smoothly and I'm glad to be home. Glad Kory held down the fort alone while I was gone. What a great husband.
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