Georgia on your mind? Here’s a travel guide

By Luke Glaser

After sweeping wins down the street in Louisville, the Cats are heading south to Atlanta for the next two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

They painted Louisville blue for a few days, and UK fans will no doubt flock to The Big Peach in equal devotion.

From game day to off day, and everywhere in between, the Kernel’s got you covered.

The Games

With a win over Iowa State, the Cats head to the Sweet 16 to face all-too-familiar rival Indiana. The fourth-seeded Hoosiers infamously gave UK its only regular-season loss with a desperation basket in the closing seconds of the game in December. Terrence Jones, Darius Miller, Anthony Davis and Anthony Davis’ arms are all hungry for revenge. Prepare for a heated game that tips off Friday in the Georgia Dome.

With a win over the Hoosiers (knock on the closest piece of wood you can find), the Cats would move on to the Elite Eight to play Baylor, Xavier or Lehigh on Sunday.

Tickets

If you were lucky enough to escape spring break with some leftover funds, or for those of you who skipped spring break and spent the week dreaming of basketball, tickets are available.

If you are hoping to see the Cats put our red-clad neighbors to the north back in their place, Ticketmaster.com has tickets available starting at $160.

For more confident fans, Primesport.com has a two-game package available. Prices range from $570 to $1,350, depending on seating. This package includes both the regional semifinal and final games.

Primesport and Ticketmaster are the official ticket distributors for the NCAA. Fans looking for cheaper options can visit Stubhub.com, eBay or craigslist.

The closer you get to game day, the more expensive tickets will be.

Getting to Atlanta

As of now, the tip-off time for the UK game is yet to be determined.

You can bet on the game starting in the evening, but that shouldn’t stop you from setting off early. Atlanta is famous for peaches, Chick-fil-A and notorious traffic.

The travel time to Atlanta is about six hours, and with time allotted for traffic, pit-stops, hotel check-in and getting to the Georgia Dome, fans should plan on leaving Friday morning at the latest (the Kernel will take this opportunity to encourage students not to skip class, though we understand it will probably happen anyway).

Getting to Atlanta by road is pretty easy. It’s a straight shot down I-75 South. Crossing the Kentucky state line, one southbound lane of the interstate was open as of Sunday, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s website. Be sure to check the traffic situation at http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/tsis_org/selectcounty.asp before you leave.

Stuff to do

So maybe you get to Atlanta and find that, gas prices being what they are, you have no money for games. Or perhaps you are just going to Atlanta to be part of the scene.

Either way, basketball only lasts so long. Fortunately, there are a host of interesting activities in Atlanta.

The World of Coca-Cola is the official museum of America’s favorite carbonated beverage. The museum features the history of Coca-Cola, a viewable bottling plant and the vault where the secret recipe itself is stored.

The museum also features 60 different Coca-Cola products for visitors to sample.

The museum is open daily from 9 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. on Friday and until 7:30 p.m. on Sunday (the last tickets are sold an hour and a half before close) with adult ticket prices at $16. The museum opens at 10 a.m. on Sunday.

The Atlanta Cyclorama and Civil War Museum is devoted to Atlanta’s position in the war that divided the nation. Features include the world’s largest oil painting (depicting the Battle of Atlanta) and  “Texas,” the steam locomotive that played a part in the Great Locomotive Chase of 1862. It’s open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Adult ticket prices are $10.

In 1996, Atlanta hosted the Summer Olympics, and its legacy remains at Centennial Olympic Park. Visitors looking for less expensive tourist options can tour Olympic venues or just relax. Music at noon also features local bands. All events and attractions there are free, and the park is open until 11 p.m.

Hanging out with Wildcats

The Greater Atlanta University of Kentucky Alumni & Fan Club watches all of the games at Stout Irish Pub, located at 56 East Andrews Drive Northwest.

For more information, visit the UK Alumni Association’s website.