There is a lot of history at this intersection. On one side of
the street is the Georgian Terrace Hotel, which first opened in
1911 and hosted the cast of Gone with the Wind when they
came to Atlanta for that movie’s world premier in 1939. Take a
moment to read the historical marker in front of the hotel.
On the other side of the road is the Fox Theater, the grand old
theater of Atlanta. Its original name, which can still be seen on
an engraved block on the wall, was the Yaarab Temple Shrine Mosque,
and it was designed in the late 1920's as headquarters for the
local Shriner's organization. It opened in December 1929, just as
the Great Depression was beginning. After operating for many years
as a movie theater, it was nearly demolished in the late ‘70’s to
make way for the nearby headquarters of BellSouth. A “Save the Fox”
campaign raised the money necessary to buy the building and save it
from the wrecking ball. Since then, more than $20 Million has been
spent restoring the building.
This National Historic Landmark is shaped like a mosque,
complete with minarets and an onion dome. However dramatic the
outside of the building is, the inside is even more lavish. The
auditorium is made to resemble a Moroccan market, with a tent
canopy coving the balcony (made of steel and plaster, the "canopy"
serves to funnel sound to the back seats) while a faux sky,
complete with twinkling stars and drifting clouds, covers the
orchestra section. If you haven’t been inside the Fox, you really
owe it to yourself to go to an event there. One of the more popular
events at the Fox is its Summer Film Festival, a series of popular
classic and contemporary films, preceded by a sing along with the
“Mighty Mo,” the Fox’s 4000 pipe Mighty Moller theatrical organ. It
is generally a good family-friendly event. Check the Fox’s
website
for details on upcoming events.
This cache is readily accessible from the sidewalk and there
is no need to go into the street. This intersection is
extremely busy so extreme stealth is a must while searching
for and retrieving this cache. In particular, you should not
attempt this cache immediately prior to or immediately after shows
at the Fox or during mealtime hours during warm weather when people
will likely be dining on the patio of the Georgian Terrace. The
cache contains only a log so bring your own writing instrument.
I’ve given this cache a difficulty rating of 2, largely because
of the difficulty of being stealthy while searching for and
retrieving the cache and due to the fact that the nearby buildings
interfere with GPS reception. I would appreciate feedback as to the
appropriateness or inappropriateness of that rating.
FTF honors go to: The Impromptu Ponce Cache
Event*
*mydoll, Camper17, flygURL, JMTBuzz, and roveron