World Energy Engineering Congress (WEEC) Conference & Expo 2017 / Atlanta

September 28, 2017, 8:00 pm - 1:00 am at Georgia World Congress Center, 285 Andrew Young International Blvd NW, Atlanta, GA 30313, United States

Price: AEE Members: USD 895, Non AEE Members: USD 995

WEEC brings together the top experts in all areas of the field to help you set a clear, optimum path to energy efficiency, facility optimization and sustainability. Attendees gather and network from all 50 states and more than 60 countries around the world. WEEC is the one truly comprehensive event where you can fully assess the "big picture" and see exactly how the economic and market forces, new technologies, regulatory developments and energy industry trends all merge to shape your critical decisions, as well as define what specific steps are needed to achieve optimum energy efficiency and performance within your organization.

Expand your knowledge of fast-moving developments in the energy field

Explore promising new technologies

Compare energy supply options

Learn about innovative and cost-conscious project implementation strategies

Sponsored by: Trane, Southern Company, Yamaha Motor Manufacturing, US DOE Better Plants, WSP, US EPA ENERGY STAR and many other prominent industry leaders. Complete list: www.energycongress.com/about

On Wednesday September 27, 2017 at 8:00 am (ends Friday September 29, 2017 at 1:00 pm)

Speakers: Featured Guest President George W. Bush, Astronaut Scott Parazynski

                                                                                                                           September 29, 2017, 8:00 pm

10 Most Unusual Places in Georgia You HAVE To Visit

1. Broxton Rocks

Broxton Rocks are the largest exposure of sandstone found in the Altamaha Grit and expands about 4 miles. Broxton Rocks sandstone layers were formed due to erosion. What’s really unique about Braxton rocks is that it is home to many endangered plants and animals. Some of the endangered plants that are located here are the Greenfly Orchid, Georgia Plume, and the Fameflower which brings color and beauty to the area. Some of the endangered animals that are located in Broxton Rocks are the Bachmans Sparrow, Pileated Woodpecker, Gopher Tortoise, and the Indigo Snake.

2. Cumberland Island

Cumberland Island is Georgia’s largest and southernmost island. The island consists of undeveloped beaches, forests, and marshes. The island also has over 9,800 acres of wilderness where deer, squirrels, raccoons, armadillos, boars, alligators, and even feral horses roam. The island was home to many famous people including Andrew Carnegie, brother of Thomas Carnegie, who was an industrialist in the steel industry. The heir to the Carnegie family gave current ownership of the island to the National Parks Foundation’s control.

3. The Tate House

The Tate house is located in Tate, Georgia and is made of beautiful pink and white marble. The house was built for Samuel Tate in 1923 by Walker and Weeks, who were architects in the neo-classical era. The Tate house was made with the marble supplied by the Tate’s Georgia Marble Company and is often referred to as the “pink palace”. Inside the house is marble floors and mural wallpaper. The Tate house is a popular place for weddings and special events.

4. Providence Canyon State Park

One of Georgia’s natural seven wonders is located in the city of Lumpkin and it resembles the Grand Canyon in Arizona. This natural wonder was formed due to poor farming techniques and years of erosion. Visitors can stay at the top of the canyon and look down from the edge or they can go down into the canyon via stairs. This natural wonder also is home to a rare plant called the plumleaf azalea.

5. The Lunch Box Museum

In Columbus, Georgia, there is a museum filled with nothing but metal lunch boxes. The museum is owned by Allen Woodall Jr. and features over 2,000 lunch boxes. These lunch boxes include everything from Superman to King Kong lunch boxes. Some of the lunch boxes are so rare that Woodall has replicas of them and the real ones are locked away at home.  It is a very exciting place to go if you want go back in time and feel like a kid again.

6. Habitat For Humanity’s Slum Theme Park

The Habitat for Humanity’s headquarters is in Americus, Georgia and it shows what the nonprofit organization does for people in poverty. The headquarter explains what they do, but, they also let you experience what they want to get rid of. The organization built a theme park showing what poverty is like all around the world and what they hope to eliminate. The theme park is self guided and walks you through different parts of the world. There are even signs in some places saying “deadly insects” to show that some places like Africa, have insects that cause horrible diseases. At the end of the tour there is an open field with trees, flowers, and plants around little houses. This “mini-utopia” shows what the organization wants to achieve.

7. Tank Town USA

Usually you have to be trained to drive a tank, however, for a price you can drive tanks and crush cars in Morgantown, Georgia. The tanks are actually not tanks, instead they are FV432’s which are armored carrier cars used in the British army because the United States army does not sell operational armor to the public. Learning how to drive one takes about 3o seconds and once inside the view is panoramic. The fee for driving the vehicle is 5o dollars, which includes the driver and a passenger, but if you want to crush a car it costs 500 dollars.

8. Little White House

In Atlanta, Georgia there is a house that is exactly identical to the White House in Washington D.C. Fred Milani fled from Iran to the United States in 1979 and built a successful real estate company. After becoming wealthy, Milani built himself and his family a replica scale model of the White House. Milani built this replica as a tribute to the democracy of the United States of America. Inside the house has a few replica rooms such as the oval office which has a desk similar to the one in the presidential office. There is also a replica of the Lincoln bedroom with the copy of the emancipation proclamation hanging up on the wall. After the housing market bust in 2009, Milani had to put his house up for sale for 10 million dollars. Unfortunately, in 2011, the house foreclosed.

9. Georgia Guidestones

In Elbert County, Georgia there are giant slabs of stones with different languages of writing on them. Nobody knows who put them there, but a mysterious person under the name of R.C. Christian hired Elberton Granite Finishing Company to build the structure. The structure has 10 guidelines or rules in 8 different languages, including English, Spanish, Swahili, Hindi, Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese, and Russian. To the left of the stone there is a tablet that states the astronomical features of the tablet and an apparent time capsule buried 6 feet below the monument. Also, on the tablet it says “Let these be guidelines to the age of reason” and around it has 4 different ancient writing languages including Babylonian, Greek, Sanskrit, and Egyptian.

10. Dawson Forest

Dawsonville has many things to do such as the outlet malls or Amicalola falls, but deep in the forest there is something many people don’t know about. Inside Dawson Forest there used to be a nuclear aircraft laboratory used during the Cold War. It was a United States Air Force facility named air force plant #67 in which they were trying to design nuclear aircrafts. The entrance to the actual plant is underground, however the entrances have been buried. The only thing that remains left is the nuclear cooling building, which has an entrance that is completely sealed shut and large amounts of radiation around the area.

The Most Beautiful Places in Georgia You Need to See

1 Tallulah Falls
A 1,000-feet-deep gorge that’s nearly 2 miles long, TG is the deepest gorge east of the Mississippi, and is more aptly called Tallulah Gorgeous, especially when you consider the nearly 2,700-acre Georgia state park adjacent to it. With six waterfalls, which cause the river to drop 500 feet over 1 mile, an 80-foot-high suspension bridge, and ample hiking and biking space, it’s literally breathtaking. Pro tip: If you want to hike the gorge floor, get there early for a permit -- and keep in mind they’re not available during water releases.

2 Savannah

This 822-acre historic site near Savannah boasts the ruins of a fortified home constructed by one of Georgia's colonial founders, Noble Jones; a museum; an interpretive center focusing on daily life in the 1700s; and, most importantly, a picturesque oak-lined 1.5-mile avenue that’s as romantic... um, that’s as romantic as any place where slavery was once practiced, anyway.

3 Lithonia
Arabia Mountain is one of only 49 National Heritage Areas in the country, i.e., places recognized by Congress for their peerless contribution to the nation’s history. What you’ll appreciate most, though, is its starkly beautiful granite landscapes, incredible, awe-inducing views, and dozens of brilliantly colored rare plant species. If a more serene place exists, we haven’t found it yet.

4 Atlanta
Despite being smack dab in the middle of the city, Lullwater Park is a total retreat. You can't hear the cars zipping by over the quiet sounds of leaves rustling in the trees, but you can zone out and enjoy exploring the old water mills. When it comes to parks, Lullwater really has it all: shade and sun, hills and open fields, multiple trails, peaceful running water and fishing ponds, and beautiful serenity. It’s basically nature’s answer to a stiff after-work drink.

5 Pine Mountain
A public garden and resort on 14,000 acres of beautiful Appalachian foothills near Pine Mountain, Callaway Gardens is teeming with gorgeous views of multiple multi-acre kaleidoscopic flowers gardens, and much more, including some legit golf course action, too.

6 Clarkesville
Despite being landlocked, Atlanta has some really gorgeous bodies of water nearby, including the stunning Panther Creek Falls, a cluster of multi-tiered waterfalls that drop into a pool of clear, beautiful water below. Oh, and if you want to do more than simply bask in the falls’ cool serenity, you can enjoy the nearly 6-mile Panther Creek Trail that runs alongside.

7 Morningside
A true hidden gem tucked away by the CDC, Morningside Nature Preserve is a secret even to many who live in the neighborhood. It’s a great place for hiking, trail running, walking, letting dogs frolic, or simply forgetting that a huge metropolis is hidden behind the lovely trees, trails, brush, creeks, suspension bridge, and sandy beaches. Seriously, you’ll feel like you actually got away without ever really leaving the city.

8 Cartersville
This 54-acre site is the most intact Mississippian culture (a mound-building Native American civilization) site in the Southeast, and it features six earthen mounds, a plaza, village site, borrow pits, and a defensive ditch. Artifacts at this archaeological site include huge, hand-carved stone effigies that still have some original pigments. No doubt: this is one of the coolest history lessons you’ve ever had.

9 Dahlonega
Nestled away in Dahlonega is a Montaluce, a stunning winery (and upscale restaurant!) that offers not only fresh, artisanal wines, but also breathtaking views of both the North Georgia Mountains and the sprawling vineyards responsible for all that sweet vino. It also offers events such as deluxe wine tastings, nature hikes, tours, holiday festivities, and more. Pro tip: Splurge on a meal and at least a case of wine. You won’t regret it.

10 Florida-Georgia border
The largest intact freshwater and black water wilderness swamp in North America, Okefenokee Swamp has to be seen to be believed. It’s full of vegetation and animals you’ve probably never seen before, like alligators and cranes. Check it out via paddleboat/motorboat water trails that are the sweetest way to explore the indigenous creeks called “The Land of Trembling Earth.”

10 of Atlanta's most underrated places

1.Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site

One great place to start would be learning the history of Atlanta, a fractured, fire-burnt affair marked by moments of human triumph.

We have Martin Luther King Jr.'s national historic site, a national park forever memorializing the iconic leader's childhood home, church and final resting place; each preserved as a testament to not just King himself, but the entire civil rights movement of the 1960's and the power of civil disobedience.

Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, John Wesley Dobbs Ave., Atlanta. Use GPS coordinates instead of a street address

2.Explore the life and times of the only president to hail from Georgia

Eggs have long been gifted to Commanders in Chief but this intricately crated ostrich egg is one of the more folksy items ever gifted to former President Jimmy Carter. Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum.

3.Jimmy Carter Presidential Library

Or stroll through the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and contemplate Georgia's homegrown president — the 39th —and consider how his legacy has actually been more impacted by his global humanitarian efforts than by his term as president.

9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 4:45 p.m. Sunday. Last admission taken at 4:15 all days. Admission: Adult: $8; seniors, military and students with ID: $6; kids under 16: free.

There is beauty in the macabre too, in the lives of another era at Oakland Cemetery. Or at the Memorial to the Six Million, a holocaust memorial in Greenwood Cemetery which exists to serve as the grave site that mourners and descendents can visit in the absence of a proper resting place for so many who died in that era.

4.Visit the graves of Atlanta's first settlers

Benjamin Hirsch, a Holocaust survivor and the Atlanta architect who designed the Holocaust Memorial at Greenwood Cemetery (in background), stands near the memorial which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. The memorial features six large white poles with gas flames on top, which represent the six million Jews killed by the Nazi regime during WWII. Rich Addicks / AJC Rich Addicks / AJC

5.Greenwood Cemetery

And at the very earliest moments in Atlanta history, you can visit the burial site of Atlanta's first two settlers. Navigate yourself to 797 Ponce De Leon Terrace in Atlanta, and you can find the resting place of Richard and Martha Todd...in a homeowner's backyard. You'll notice when you arrive that the above address is a house in the middle of a neighborhood. Yes, you can go (during daylight hours) to the homeowner's backyard via his driveway (there's an official easement on the property allowing for such a bold move) and see for yourself where ATL began. Todds. Buried in the backyard. At rest amidst an Atlanta that has grown up all around them.

6.Get an inside look at life above Atlanta

061214 ATLANTA: The Douglas DC-3 Ship 41 (from left to right), a Northeast Airlines Stinson SR-8E Reliant built in 1936, and a restored 1931 Curtiss-Wright 6B Sedan that celebrates the Travel Air that flew Delta's first passengers on June 17, 1929 are on display at the Delta Flight Museum on Thursday, June 12, 2014, in Atlanta. The iconic DC-3's spreed, range and passenger capacity made the airlines profitable.

7.Delta History Museum

Sitting at the nexus of most southeastern travel routes remains Atlanta's claim to fame — Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which has long been the busiest airport in the world. The airport is the home to Delta Airlines. The travel giants just opened their Delta History Museum to the public; it was once for employees only. Visitors can see for themselves artifacts from the history of flight, learn about the importance of Atlanta in global trade and take the wheel of a flight simulation.

8.Explore vintage kid entertainment

Atlanta Center for Puppetry Arts

Mondays, closed. Tues. through Fri. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sun. 12-5 p.m. Ages 2 and up (museum entry only) $10.50; guided tour $14.50; puppet shows and create-a-puppet workshop prices vary. 1404 Spring St. NW, Atlanta.

If history isn't for you, perhaps Muppets are. At the Center for Puppetry Arts, the Jim Henson exhibit showcases the famous puppeteer's largest collection in America. There's Kermit, and Ms. Piggy, even a full-sized Big Bird, among the informative installations outlining Henson's mastery of the craft.

9.Get a good laugh

And nothing is cheerier— Muppets excluded — than a comedy show.

The city has several places to see (and participate in) improv; at The Improv, Dad's Garage, Whole World Theater and Village Theater (amongst others). Professionals can be seen working usually at The Punchline. Then there's the secret comedy show at Smith's Olde Bar.

If none of the underrated history or laughs above quite whet the whistle, maybe you need a change of pace.

10.Explore food outside the Perimeter

As the city has evolved into something far more sprawling and neighborhood-centric than it once was, Atlanta offers things worth doing beyond the great wall at I-285.

In Decatur, a lively craft beer culture exists thanks to Brick Store Pub and Twain's Brewpub, while in Roswell, Canton Street is a fun place to spend a Friday night thanks to open container laws that allow for drinking in the streets.

Lastly, you can always spin the wheel of chance on Buford Highway.

Who knows, you might be the one to bring the next underrated Atlanta to-do, by finding it tucked in one of the many international strip malls offering all manner of global food and shopping along the road.