How I Spent My Summer Vacation

 #ATLMovieTours @ATLMovieTours

So this year I had a "staycation" which meant taking a week off of work and really having no specific plans.  I ended up doing mostly mundane things like going to a couple of doctor’s appointments, moving furniture around my house, and shopping for throw pillows.  I did, however, plan one special activity.  In the past several years, Atlanta (and Georgia in general) has seen an explosion of television and film productions due to generous tax credits.  As a result, the local economy has gotten quite a boost both for existing and new businesses.  On such business is Atlanta Movie Tours.  I decided to go on the Big Zombie Tour Part 1 which is a three hour tour focusing on the different places in Atlanta where The Walking Dead has filmed, primarily in Season 1.  Our lead tour guide was Chazz who has been an extra in 30 or so productions including a zombie extra in The Walking Dead.  Chazz was very knowledgeable giving us the episode and storyline for every site we visited.  He also had a lot of great stories about his adventures on set and tidbits about how Hollywood productions operate.  I was struck by how much empty space and creative space the city has which is perfectly suited for film production, especially post-apocalyptic fare.   One really great location is The Goat Farm which has been used for Catching Fire as well as The Walking Dead and a number of other productions.  Atlanta Movie Tours also offers two other tours-- the Big Zombie Tour Part 2 for diehard Walker fans who also want to see Senoia, Georgia where Seasons 2, 3, and 4 have been filmed and  a general tour of Atlanta movie sites. Tours run from $48 to $68 per person, depending on which tour you book.  You ride a comfortable air conditioned bus and are treated very well by the friendly tour guides and staff.  Atlanta Movie Tours is located in the downtown Atlanta neighborhood of Castleberry Hill and so is very convenient to other Atlanta attractions such as CNN, the Georgia Aquarium and The World of Coca-Cola.  You can make a day of it if you are visiting Atlanta or have out-of-town guests.  But for the rain on the day of my tour, I enjoyed my Big Zombie experience immensely. [Disclaimer--I was not paid or solicited for this review.  I’m just a chick in Atlanta who loves movies.]

 My Michonne souvenir.

My Zombie Tour Group.  Can you guess which one is me?  Hint:  I'm the only.