Circus recap! (once we finally made it) #RBBBATL

Thanks to four events happening in the same location of Atlanta at the same time, our excitement of going to the Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey circus: Dragons was quickly turned into stress and frustration. Traffic was the worst I have ever seen! (And I've been here since 1999.) Every street was at a standstill. Our usual 30-minute ride to the city ended up taking almost two solid hours. We were charged 3x the usual cost for parking, and ended up being 45 minutes late for the show. Ooops!

Crucial tip if you are visiting Atlanta: check traffic via the 511GA.org starting two hours before, and PLAN AHEAD. Check the schedules at Phillips Arena, Georgia Dome, and GA World Congress Center as well. If more than two big events are happening, go EARLY! You can always eat and waste time in the neighboring CNN Center.

We finally relaxed in our seats around 3:45 yesterday afternoon, just in time to catch an amazing lady hanging by her hair! The show was interesting and fun. My almost-five-year-old adored the dogs and cats; I could have watched the elephants for hours. The Torres Family Dragon Riders were the highlight of the show for both of us. Speeding red motorcycles in a steel ball cage. They continued to add riders, flying around at top speed, until there were eight at a time! My fists were clenched - it was nerve wracking and amazing. 

Dragons is playing at Phillips Arena in Atlanta through Monday, 2/18, before moving on to the Gwinnett Center for several more days of high-flying fun. Columbia, SC, Washington DC, Baltimore, MD, Albany, NY, and Columbus, OH, are upcoming, as well as others. Check the Dragons tour schedule for a city and dates near you.

You can also check out information on the Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation. Located in central Florida, this 200-acre, $5-million, state-of-the-art facility is dedicated to the conservation, breeding and understanding of these amazing animals. I want to visit sometime!