Road Games Travel Tips: Discover Southern hospitality in Atlanta
Jun 9, 2020, 11:01 AM | Updated: Jul 20, 2020, 11:19 am
Regular Season, Week 1: Seattle at Atlanta Falcons, Oct. 27, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, 10 a.m. Pacific
SPONSORED – I’ve worn two suits in Atlanta.
Two very different suits.
One was a purple track suit with white stripes that I work with a purple hat that I wore to a pair of football games involving my alma mater, the University of Washington. The other suit was paired with a tie and worn to cover professional football games involving Seattle.
And to be totally honest, I haven’t had much luck in either attire. Washington went 0-for-2 in those games, losing a college playoff game to Alabama in the Peach Bowl in December 2016 and then dropping a non-conference game to Auburn in September 2018.
On the professional side, Seattle has won its two most recent regular-season games in Atlanta, including a 27-20 victory midway through last season, but that success is outweighed by two postseason losses in this city, first in January 2013 and then again, four years later.
So let’s hope for some better hospitality this tie around in the opposite corner of the country where the biscuits are soft and the tea is sweet.
Arrival: Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, which is an exceptionally busy airport that also happens to have great public transportation options both to and from the airport.
Stadium: This will be Seattle’s second game in Atlanta’s new stadium, which opened in 2017 and has a roof that can be opened. The stadium looks futuristic – almost robotic – from the outside, and inside features top-tier amenities. I wouldn’t go so far as to call the stadium food affordable, but it is very reasonable compared to concessions in other cities.
Last time here: Seattle last played in Atlanta in Week 8 last season, winning 27-20. Seattle has won six of the eight regular-season games played in Atlanta though the Falcons have won the past two postseason meetings, which took place in the divisional round in the 2017 season and the 2012 season.
Dining: Horseradish Grill (4320 Powers Ferry Rd. NW, Atlanta, 30342) specializes in classic Southern cuisine in a cozy setting at a restaurant that has been operating since 1946. It’s absolutely terrific. King + Duke (3060 Peachtree Road NW, Atlanta, 30305) draws its name from two characters in Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Fin” and a 24-foot open hearth gives the restaurant its signature, which is cooking over wood fire. The pumpkin pie is nothing short of incredible.
