Michigan State Football: Tips and notes for those traveling to Peach Bowl

Michigan State football and its fans will be heading down to Atlanta or watching on TV to cheer on their Spartans as they play Pitt in the Peach Bowl.

I recently went to see Georgia play Alabama in the SEC title game and here are some suggestions and helpful tips for those Michigan State fans traveling to Atlanta to see the Spartans take on the Pitt Panthers in their New Year’s Six bowl game.

Take a long walk through downtown Atlanta

Atlanta is not a huge city and even though it is hilly at times, it is a walkable city to site see and take pictures with your friends and family. Right near Mercedes-Benz Stadium within a mile and a half are many places you can see and take pictures.

CNN and Coca-Cola have their headquarters nearby and you can take a walk through Centennial Olympic Park as well. There is also a 20-story Ferris wheel called Skyway Atlanta that you can go on to get a view of the whole city.

Tickets

Coca Cola:  https://www.worldofcoca-cola.com/purchase-tickets/
Skyview Atlanta: https://www.skyviewatlanta.com/tickets 

Attractions for you and the family

The Georgia Aquarium is not far from the stadium and on Dec. 29 from 4-8 p.m. ET, it’s fan night and you can get tickets at a discounted price if you purchase by Dec. 26. It is considered one of the top 10 aquariums in the United States.

While you are in Atlanta and if you like basketball, you can go to a Hawks game as their arena is right by Mercedes-Benz Stadium. However, their only home game is on Dec. 27 so if you are in Atlanta by then you can buy tickets and see one of the most entertaining basketball teams in the NBA at State Farm Arena.

If you are willing to take a Lyft or Uber, you can take a short car ride to Zoo Atlanta. There they have the IllumiNights where you can take a walk and see and experience more than 80 animal lanterns depicting some of Earth’s most charismatic creatures.

The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Game Day Parade is not like the Rose Bowl parade but it will be a worthwhile event to attend. It is taking place on Dec. 30 from one to two and the event is free and it concludes at the Fan Fest event.

Best places to eat that are lesser-known

Especially if you are staying at one of the many hotels on Peachtree street, one restaurant that is reasonably priced and usually not overcrowded and does not have long lines is Meehan’s Public House Downtown. They have excellent burgers and a good menu that regardless of your favorite cuisine tastes, they have something for everybody.

If you are willing to take a Lyft or Uber for a short drive, I recommend going to Ponce City Market to get something to eat. They have several unique restaurants to dine in where many of them are partially outdoors. One restaurant in particular that I recommend is Minero’s which offers reasonably priced, quality Mexican-style cuisine.

Finally, if you like pizza, Carlo’s Pizza is open late and serves good pizza. It is located right at the bottom of Skyview Atlanta and is definitely a place to get a quick eat while walking around downtown Atlanta.

Must-see places to visit and experience

The College Football Hall of Fame which is right by Mercedes-Benz stadium is a definite place to visit while downtown. It’s priced a little higher than you might imagine and it is not as big as you might think but it is a place to visit and they do have interactive things you can do and participate in and at the end of your self-guided tour, you can attempt to kick a field goal before you leave.

Fanfest at the Georgia World Congress Center will be by far the number one thing you should do for various reasons. If it is anything like the one I attended for the SEC Championship, it will have many activities, free giveaways, and interactive events to participate in. It will be on Dec. 30 from 2-6 p.m. ET and the cost is reasonably priced at $10. The Georgia World Congress Center is right by the stadium and Fanfest will be fun for all ages.

Going to the game is a must obviously on your trip to Atlanta and tickets right now are reasonably priced if you have not purchased them through Michigan State ticket services. The best part about Mercedes-Benz Stadium is the amazingly cheap food prices and they have various types of foods you can select from. You will have to do a lot of walking as can be imagined but it is a good stadium to watch a football game.

If you are not going to the game and watching it on TV

Day: Thursday, Dec. 30
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Streaming: WatchESPN
Who: No. 10 Michigan State (10-2) vs. No. 12 Pitt (11-2)
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, Ga.)

Have fun and enjoy your trip

Atlanta is not Miami; the temperatures the week of the game will be in the low 70s with it being in the low 60s at night. The Lyft and Uber fares are reasonable but it is a walkable downtown if you don’t want to travel by car depending on what hotel you may be staying at.

If you are flying into Atlanta and you have not flown into the city’s airport before, it’s big and you will ride the monorail called ATL SkyTrain to get to where you need to go. There will be plenty of cabs/taxis there so you don’t have to wait for a Lyft, Uber, or shuttle if you are willing to pay around $30. The ride downtown will be approximately a 30-minute drive depending on where you are staying.

I recommend talking to Georgia fans. I know many of them will be in Miami for their bowl game but if you see any downtown, their fanbase is polite and talkative. They, generally speaking, know Mel Tucker from his time there as a defensive coordinator and will have a good conversation with you if you feel like talking to a Bulldog fan.

I did not see any Georgia Tech fans there on my trip and even though there is a ton of advertisements for Georgia State, I did not run to any of their fans either.

Lastly, enjoy your trip in Atlanta as you cheer on the Spartans and have some fun exploring and enjoying your time at the Peach Bowl.