virtual food lover | hockey | bobby holik | Tony Stewart

shopping
as seen on tv, (404) 389-0825. underground atlanta is one of the city’s top tourist destinations, but we never seem to be able to make it beyond this one store. its kitschy collection of gizmos and gadgets — like the ronco inside the shell egg scrambler and, appropriately enough, the gone with the wind 3-d jigsaw puzzle — keeps us entertained for hours.

your dekalb farmers market, (404) 377-6400. what? we’re recommending a farmers’ market? oh, yeah. covering 140,000 square feet (and air-conditioned, we might add), this place is a virtual food lover’s paradise, carrying everything from pig trotters to freshly ground peanut butter. the kiddos stay occupied, too, checking out the exotic fruit (what exactly is a mountain soursop?), teasing the live crabs in the fish market, and snacking on cupcakes from the well-stocked pastry bar. the cafeteria-style restaurant (where you pay by the pound, not by the dish) is so good, we almost put it in the dining section.

sports
atlanta thrashers, (404) 878-3000. remember hockey? it’s back, and the thrashers, led by free agent signee bobby holik, hit the home ice starting october 8.

bass pro shops mbna 500, (770) 946-4211. nascar greats like tony stewart, rusty wallace, and last year’s winner, jimmie johnson, go full throttle october 30 at atlanta motor speedway in a race for the nextel cup.