lots of travel and an ATL bucket list update

After I got back from Africa, I went straight to Boston and East Long Meadow, Massachusetts for work:

Then Austin with Robyn:

Chicago and Freeport, Illinois for work (with an added bonus of friend time):

And today I head to Toronto and next week back to Chicago.

With all of the weekly travel, I've become obsessed with the unplanned weekend. I'd already developed a deep love for it when my brothers first moved here this summer - keeping my weekends open for them, hoping to explore new nooks and crannies.

But now, my love has become a full-blown obsession. I crave slow weekends, wide open for Atlanta adventures. Last weekend was tip top on the scale - I tried three new restaurants and showed Duke new areas of town. With all of this adventuring, I realized I need to give a serious ATL bucket list update.

But first, last weekend's review:

Urban Pl8: New to me, not new to Atlanta. And it was grrrr8. The menu had a ton of gluten free and vegan options, which is always a plus. I loved the vibe - I sat there for three hours reading blogs, eating breakfast and sipping coffee. How's that for an unplanned Saturday?

Timone's: New to Atlanta, from Ron Eyester, who also owns Family Dog and Rosebud. We LOVED the atmosphere. Duke loved the pizza. For me, the sauce was a little too sweet and I didn't love the cheese mix. However, next time I would just add jalapenos for spice and ask for Parmesan only. I think that would do the trick. And, with it being just a few blocks away, I will definitely give it another try.

Chicken Biddy: New to me, one-year-old in ATL. This place is my jam. I love the decor and the food was amazing. I had black bean soup, GF cornbread and a quinoa spinach salad. How I've never ventured here when it's just a mile from my house is beyond me. It will definitely be a new favorite. The ONLY complaint I had is that the food is small. If you're starving, order more than you think you'll want.

Since posting, I've checked off quite a few more places, including Zoo Atlanta, Octane Coffee, Oktoberfest in Helen and I went to Paris on Ponce, but didn't buy anything. So it doesn't count.

I've added a few new things, too, including Chomp & Stomp (it feels like a Cabbagetown staple), Juicy Jenny (new to town, from Souper Jenny) and running in Lullwater Preserve. I forgot what a gem Lullwater is until I took Duke this weekend. He was speechless as we explored the park, which made me realize I've been holding out on you fare readers.