Archive for the ‘Phoenix Flies’ Category

“Ooh, Yeah, History Right There.”

---

The Wren’s Nest was featured this morning on CBS Atlanta in their “Blog Stew” segment, airing at 5:43am.  I missed it.  Shoot.

Luckily, the whole clip can be found right here.  We’re at the beginning, in case you can’t free up more than 58 seconds in your schedule.

Sue Rodman, of the wonderful Field Trips with Sue, led the segment, and was kind enough to highlight the Wren’s Nest as one of the many, many worthwhile destinations being showcased this weekend as part of Phoenix Flies (more on that tomorrow).

The best part is that they’re basically scrolling through the Wren’s Nest Facebook picture page as they chat, meaning that Lain and I are now totally famous photographers.  Well, along with Jonathan Hillyer.

Wait, did I say that was the best part?

I meant that the real best part is the quote featured in the title of this post, which embodies how I feel when I walk into the Wren’s Nest every single morning.  Breathe it in.

This clip also highlights a challenge we face every day at the Wren’s Nest: “Joel Chandler Harris” can be very hard to say.  Most frequently, people lob off the Harris and drop an “h,” leaving us with the esteemed Joel Candler.  Being that we’re in Atlanta and Candler is a name seen often around town, it’s understandable.  Plus, I mean, three names?  Who does this guy think he is? Mary Lou Retton?

Anyhow, thanks to Sue Rodman and CBS Atlanta for showcasing the Wren’s Nest this morning — it was great!

The Asian Cajuns, Amelia, and Lain Hike the Beltline

---

Sure, the Wren’s Nest was open (and free to the public!) this Saturday for Phoenix Flies and the Southern Literary Trail.  It’ll be free next Saturday and Sunday, too.

But that doesn’t mean Amelia and I enjoy working on both Saturdays and Sundays.  No sir.

So, this Saturday we took a little staff field trip with our friends Lauren, Catherine, and Matt.  We walked 7 miles of the Beltline, one of the largest urban renewal projects in the country.

The Beltline will ultimately be a 22 mile ring of transit, parks, and trails around Atlanta.  Right now, however, it’s mostly an abandoned rail corridor.  Lauren and Catherine have pictures on their blog, as does Urban Hiking Atlanta, so I’ll leave most of the explanation to them.

The Beltline is significant to the Wren’s Nest for two main reasons:

1. It runs just a few blocks from here, and is one of the few places to have already broke ground.
2. It is and will continue to encourage historic preservation in Atlanta.

I’m also excited that the staff of the Wren’s Nest will be a bike or one-seat train ride away from the Carter Center, the MLK birth home, or Piedmont Park.  Imagine the new lunch options!

If you’re interested in walking the Beltline, subscribe to Urban Hiking Atlanta or sign up for the Wonderroot e-newsletter.

(h/t, weirdly enough, to Decatur Metro who covered our story faster than I could)

See Historic Atlanta on the Cheap! Thanks, Phoenix Flies.

---

The Atlanta Preservation Center’s Phoenix Flies program offers free or reduced admission and special tours for many historic landmarks in Atlanta.  Neat.  This year it’s from March 7th – 22nd.

And guess what!  The Wren’s Nest is part of it!  Yippee!

On March 7th and 8th as well as 14th and 15th we’ll have free admission and storytelling every hour, starting at 10:30am.  Our Sunday hours (yep, you read that right — Sunday hours!  Crazy times at the Wren’s Nest.) will be 11am – 2pm.

This is a great opportunity to see some of the sites in Atlanta you’ve been putting off.  Being no strangers to procrastination ourselves, Lain and I plan to stop in at a few landmarks when we’re not manning the Nest.

Lain is hot to go to the DOCOMOMO talk at the Central Atlanta Library, while I’m especially keen to go on a walking tour or two (Unseen Underground!) and finally see Rhodes Hall, land of a million light bulbs.

Our camera broke the day we went to the re-opening of Ivy Hall, restored by SCAD-Atlanta, so I can only show you this one reasonable picture.

Thus, I suggest you go and use your eyeballs, as it is also included in this Phoenix Flies free-for-all.

Note that this is a grand statement, as they are our arch nemeses, being the only other Queen-Anne Victorian home in Atlanta open to the public.  We called a truce — for now.

Be sure to check the Phoenix Flies website for details and remark how hard “Phoenix Flies” is to enunciate.  I also cannot spell “Phoenix” without thinking really hard (or spell the name “Phoebe”), and this post has really taken it out of me.  But this opportunity shan’t be missed on my watch!