Monday, October 28, 2013

Day of the Dead

I have been wanting to go to the Atlanta History Center's "Day of the Dead", or "Dia de Los Muertos", for years, and just hadn't made it for various reasons. But this year, quite by happenstance, I got to go, and had a splendid time...for hours!

Day of the Dead, Atlanta History Center
Day of the Dead, Atlanta History Center
First, let me clarify what Day of the Dead is—as best I can, anyway. No, it's not the Latin Halloween holiday...so many make that erroneous assumption! 

Day of the Dead is a holiday in Mexico that's celebrated throughout the country of Mexico, as well as in many other cultures around the world. It's a time when families and friends gather to pray for and remember friends and family who have passed away. It's celebrated with music, dancing, food, and shrines filled with favorite foods and personal items of those being remembered.

Day of the Dead, Atlanta History Center
Day of the Dead, Atlanta History Center
This year's celebration of Day of the Dead at the Atlanta History Center was yesterday, Sunday, October 27. And the Atlanta History Center did it up right! There was dancing, food vendors, a market, and the various museums were open (we stopped in a few) and free to the public, as were the gardens and historic homes.


Day of the Dead, Atlanta History Center
Day of the Dead, Atlanta History Center
The Grand Overlook—the Atlanta History Center's special events ballroom—was filled with shrines in memory of the dead. And there were trinkets on display and some for sale, as well...many of which were skulls—the most common symbol of Day of the Dead that I've seen.


Day of the Dead, Atlanta History Center
Day of the Dead, Atlanta History Center
There was also a face-painting station set up in the food and market area. And it had the longest line! As a matter of fact, when we left for the day, when the houses and museums had closed, there was still a fairly long line at the face-painting station!


Day of the Dead, Atlanta History Center
Day of the Dead, Atlanta History Center
This is a holiday that I really like. While you'd think it'd be somber and sad, it's truly not. It's a remembering, as well as a celebration of children and the continuity of life. And it's colorful! It'd be challenging to not have a festive time with such vibrant colors and lively music.


Day of the Dead, Atlanta History Center
Day of the Dead, Atlanta History Center
We'd eaten not too long before heading to the Center, but when we saw and smelled the various Latin dishes being cooked right on the spot, we found ourselves in line—the shortest line because we'd mysteriously become ravenously hungry again! Sooooo good!


Day of the Dead, Atlanta History Center
Day of the Dead, Atlanta History Center
The festival entertainment was quite varied. The dancers were the first thing we saw, and later we saw a solo vocalist. In keeping with authenticity, none of the announcements from the stage were in English, but I did hear "Atlanta History Center" a number of times. 

I can speak conversational Greek, but never did pick up Spanish, although I could understand a bit after two weeks in Argentina.


Day of the Dead, Atlanta History Center
Day of the Dead, Atlanta History Center
There were hundreds and hundreds, if not thousands, of people there...all having a great time, especially the kids with their brightly colored faces.


Day of the Dead, Atlanta History Center
Day of the Dead, Atlanta History Center
I mentioned that the museums, gardens and historic houses were open and free to the public. Usually, to tour the Swan House, you have to pick up timed tickets at the main entrance.

Well, on this day, the house was open and they had docents as well as "characters" positioned throughout the house. The lady who greeted us at the Swan House told us about the personalities—who would be sharing information with us about the house—but all I heard was Philip Shutze, who was the architect of the Swan House. 

Well, we made a beeline for the second story, where Shutze was regaling his time of (re)designing and building the Swan House. I was impressed. The gentleman spoke in first-person and was incredibly knowledgeable about the house...and I'm one to ask at least one, perhaps two, challenging questions (that I really want to know the answers to, of course). This Shutze was brilliant!

So, Day of the Dead at the Atlanta History Center was great fun and it will remain on my list of things to do on an annual basis—truly that much fun!

Saturday, October 26, 2013

At the Garden with MJ & The Guys

Last weekend I went with one of my dearest friends and her boys to the Atlanta Botanical Garden to see Scarecrows in the Garden and Imaginary Worlds: Plants Larger Than Life...we had a fantastic time! 

See all of our photos in a video at the end of this post.


Atlanta Botanical Garden, Moon Gate
Atlanta Botanical Garden, Moon Gate
Mary Jo had not been to the Garden in a number of years, Zach had been once but didn't remember a lot, and it was Kam's first time...we were all in for a treat with TWO exhibitions going on!


Unicorn, Imaginary Worlds, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Unicorn, Imaginary Worlds, Atlanta Botanical Garden
The Garden is filled with scarecrows, which you start seeing (and making photos with) immediately upon entering. Same with the Imaginary Worlds living sculptures--there are 19 of them throughout the Garden, whereas the 131 scarecrows are scattered throughout the Southern Seasons Garden and the two-acre Children's Garden.


Scarecrows in the Garden, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Scarecrows in the Garden, Atlanta Botanical Garden
I do believe this is a record year for Scarecrows in the Garden, and I heard a number of visitors say it was "the best year ever." It was fun having the boys along because they "got" the scarecrows that were based on cartoons and gaming icons.

Zach, pictured above with Mary Jo, had a birthday a few days after our excursion. "Happy birthday, Zach!"


Mary Jo and Kam, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Mary Jo and Kam, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Mary Jo and I have been dearest friends since 1987, having met when we both worked for Equifax. That seems like several lifetimes ago! So, I've known the boys since they were born. But I lived in Washington, D.C. during most of their formative years, but I got to watch them grow up via Facebook.

Kam was being a little camera-shay at first, but got over that before we got too far into the Garden...got some great photos of him and I love the one above of him and MJ.


Zach, Cobras, Imaginary Worlds, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Zach, Cobras, Imaginary Worlds, Atlanta Botanical Garden
I'm not a father and my nieces and nephews live in another state--and they all have kids of their own now!--so it's a real treat to get to hang out with these guys. After the Garden we went to Grindhouse Burgers for lunch and then we went to Midtown Bowl for a couple of games. It was a full afternoon!


Frog, Kam, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Frog, Kam, Atlanta Botanical Garden
The guys really liked the statue frogs and LOVED the frogs in the Fuqua Conservatory. We'd originally planned on visiting the day before, Saturday, but I had to work longer than expected, but it work out because the weather was so much better when we did go. 

We'll have to go back so they can see the Saturday, 11:00 a.m. Frog Feeding...when ALL the frogs come out!

They enjoyed the other animals...the turtles, including the Dragon Snapping Turtle in the Conservatory, the salamanders, the quail, and of course all the real and mythical Imaginary Worlds and scarecrow animals and creatures.


MJ and Kam, Atlanta Botanical Garden
MJ and Kam, Atlanta Botanical Garden
About half of the scarecrows are in the Children's Garden, so I was concerned that boys of their ages wouldn't want to go to the "Children's" Garden, but troopers they are! And we had a blast. Kam was climbing dinosaurs and Zach was taking it all in. 


Zach, MJ, Cobra, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Zach, MJ, Cobra, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Of course, I've seen both exhibitions multiple times, but this was a whole new experience. 

Yes, I'll occasionally have kids and teenagers along when I'm giving a tour in my role as a Garden docent--and I try to engage them as much as possible--but this was a new experience for me. Or at least one I've not had in many years...since my niece and nephew were in middle school! It was a totally AWESOME day! 


Travis, MJ, Kam, Zach, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Travis, MJ, Kam, Zach, Atlanta Botanical Garden
I didn't want the day to end, but alas, all good things...


Zach, Kam, MJ, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Zach, Kam, MJ, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Fortunately, the Atlanta Botanical Garden is never short on programming or new things to see. We talked about all returning this holiday season for Garden Lights, Holiday Nights, which starts in under a month!

See the rest of our photos here...

Friday, October 25, 2013

Sloppy Floyd

Out for a little exercise earlier this week, we took a stroll downtown, by the Georgia State Capitol Building. On the way, we spied the Capitol Building's shadow on the Sloppy Floyd.

James H. "Sloppy" Floyd State Building
James H. "Sloppy" Floyd State Building
Searching my usual architecture sources, I couldn't find the official name of this building, one of a pair of towers. One source called them the "Twin Towers" and another said that they're commonly known as the "Sloppy Floyd" by Atlantans.

I'm guessing that the official name is something more along the lines of the James H. "Sloppy" Floyd State Building or the James "Sloppy" Floyd Veteran Memorial Building—names from another two sources.

Well, with a name like "Sloppy" Floyd, of course I was curious who the guy was—a guy who has a 561 acre State Park named for him! The Park is in Northwest Georgia and is now on my list of places to visit.

James "Sloppy" Floyd Veteran Memorial Building
James "Sloppy" Floyd Veteran Memorial Building
Sloppy is not an easy man to find. I did discover that he was a Democrat who served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1953 to 1974, and that he's from Georgia.

A 2011 article in Atlanta Magazine says of Sloppy, "When Sloppy died, the New York Times described him as 'one of the most powerful and colorful members of the Georgia Legislature.' Reading extensive news accounts of that era, I've learned that 'colorful' is newspaper shorthand for eccentric..." 

Colorful or not, the building that bears his name wears a Capitol shadow quite gorgeously.

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Fright Night is Coming!

The Martinis & IMAX Fright Night event at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History promises to be a hauntingly frightful event...in a good way.


Giganotosaurus, Fernbank Museum of Natural History

Giganotosaurus, Fernbank Museum of Natural History

You thought Night at the Museum was an experience? With the largest meat-eating dinosaur to ever exist in attendance—GigantosaurusFright Night promises to be an experience you won't soon forget. Not to mention there are cocktails, music, food, and the other highly entertaining guests...who knows what'll happen!

And of course there are always great IMAX films playing! I can hardly wait to see Hidden Universe.


Martinis & IMAX Fright Night, Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Martinis & IMAX Fright Night, Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Of course Fernbank wouldn't forget the kiddies...that'd never happen! The kiddies have their own event the very next morning, Saturday, October 26...Fernbank BOO-seum Trick-or-Treat, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

They'll enjoy games and treats and a visit from one of my favorite Atlanta celebrities—Giggy A. Dinosaur!

Fernbank BOO-seum Trick-or-Treat, Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Fernbank BOO-seum Trick-or-Treat, Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Whatever you do this spooky season—and I do recommend you include Fernbank—have a fun and safe Halloween! 

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Atlanta & Georgia in Song

A friend of mine earlier this morning, only minutes ago actually, posted a song titled Oh Atlanta to his Facebook timeline. It got me to thinking...and researching. Turns out, there are a LOT of songs about Atlanta and Georgia out there!

The song posted by John B. (a musician with Front Porch Session Players), Oh Atlanta, was performed by Alison Krauss & Union Station. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I didn't know there was a song titled Oh Atlanta, an—truth be told—when I read it, I could think of nothing but the Canadian national anthem. 

But then I listened...




Well, listening to Alison sing Oh Atlanta got me to thinking...then taking a stroll down Memory Lane, which brought me to Ray Charles.

I had the distinct pleasure of hearing Ray Charles perform Georgia On My Mind in Piedmont Park quite a number of years ago. He was giving a concert in the Park and when Georgia On My Mind started, a friend and I made our way to the front of the stage...Ray was such a brilliant performer! 

Watch the 2004 film Ray if you'd like to learn more about his life, and see a brilliant Oscar-winning film!

Here's a rendition of Georgia On My Mind, which also happens to be our official State Song...



Just for fun, I'm going to share with you another rendition of Georgia On My Mind performed by a brilliant remix artist that I follow on YouTube...Cee-Roo.



Well, it's early and I'm totally awake—and totally enthralled at this point—so I kept on going. A quick search on songs about Georgia returned the 1972 hit The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia, a song that I totally remember and enjoyed as a kid.

What I didn't know was that the song was originally performed by Vicki Lawrence—who I totally loved in The Carol Burnett Show, as well as in the spin-off Mama's Family. And then there's Julia's "dialogue" in Designing Women when she was defending her sister..."so you will know, and your children will some day know...is the night...the lights...went out in Geor-gia!"



Looking for more songs about Georgia, I came across The Devil Went Down to Georgia by The Charlie Daniels Band. Well...although my music tastes have changed over the years, I was raised on country and I still enjoy that music I grew up with, including this song. And truthfully, listening to it just then, I found myself tapping my foot...!



You may know that Gladys Knight, a Georgia native, recently performed at the Fox Theatre, here in Atlanta. Well, way back in the early 1970s, Gladys Knight & the Pips performed Midnight Train to Georgia, another one I remember from childhood.

I'm all of a sudden beyond surprised that I know so many songs about Georgia from my childhood. I have to wonder if that had any influence on my eventually moving here.



Another one that I remember from childhood is Rainy Night in Georgia by Brooks Benton, but the version I recall was by Conway Twitty, and the song was covered by Ray Charles, as well. 

This song was one of the first ones I remember that took me to a place inside myself...if always made me reflect. 



And of course I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the The B-52s, out of Athens, Georgia, who in their song Love Shack sing the line "Heading down the Atlanta highway..."

I had the great pleasure of seeing The B-52s perform in Atlanta a number of years ago here in Atlanta, as they still do, and you should have seen the crowd during this song!



Another Atlanta band that I absolutely love is the Indigo Girls. They started performing together as "Indigo Girls" in high school in Decatur and later attended Emory University and performed at an Emory Village bar, not far from where I live now. 

I got to meet them at a party more than 20 years ago...very cool people. They still perform in Atlanta today, which also is super cool. 

I'll finish up this post with one of my all time favorite Indigo Girls songs, Galileo.



There are dozens more songs out there about Atlanta and Georgia. I encourage you to explore...and listen.

Monday, October 14, 2013

Scarecrows, Goblins, Ales...and a Unicorn!

Atlantans have enjoyed scarecrow invasions for more than a decade, and this year they're joined by a host of other creatures including a unicorn, mammoth butterflies, and gigantic dancing fish. 

Once again, the Atlanta Botanical Garden is giving our citizens a spectacular Scarecrows in the Garden exhibition, this year coupled with Imaginary Worlds: Plants Larger Than Life.


Scarecrows in the Garden, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Scarecrows in the Garden, Atlanta Botanical Garden
And Scarecrows in the Garden comes with ample programming, including Thursday nights Fest-of-Ale


Scarecrows in the Garden, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Scarecrows in the Garden, Atlanta Botanical Garden
The scarecrows are scattered throughout the Southern Seasons Garden, near the Visitor Center, and in the Children's Garden.


Scarecrows in the Garden, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Scarecrows in the Garden, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Some of the scarecrows are clever, some are artistic, some are replicas of scouts, some are only a little bit scary—it's a family show, after all—and some will outright make you giggle like the little kid you'll revert to while enjoying the festivity of the 131 scarecrows!


Scarecrows in the Garden, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Scarecrows in the Garden, Atlanta Botanical Garden
And there's definitely a LOT of color...the scarecrow creators—companies, organizations, clubs, and individuals—were quite generous with color!


Scarecrows in the Garden, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Scarecrows in the Garden, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Did I mention that some of them are quite clever? The "Royal Hay-by" scarecrows are brilliant! You'll find them in the Children's Garden.


Scarecrows in the Garden, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Scarecrows in the Garden, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Pony rides, train rides, and storytelling will be on the agenda at the Garden on Sunday, October 27, during Goblins in the Garden...fun, fun, fun!


Scarecrows in the Garden, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Scarecrows in the Garden, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Visitors attending this year's Scarecrows in the Garden get the extra treat of seeing Imaginary Worlds: Plants Larger Than Life, which concludes at the end of the month.

And on October 24, the Great Chefs of Atlanta Pumpkin Carving Contest starts at 7:00 p.m....and the line-up is consistently impressive, as is the carving!


Scarecrows in the Garden, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Scarecrows in the Garden, Atlanta Botanical Garden
During the month of October, for those who can't get away during the day and find themselves super busy on the weekends, Thursday nights Fest-of-Ale just might be the ticket you're looking for. 


Scarecrows in the Garden, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Scarecrows in the Garden, Atlanta Botanical Garden
And this coming Thursday is the monthly Science Cafe. This month's program is Mapping Place: Enhancement and Modification Techniques being presented by Gregor Turk of SCAD Atlanta.


Scarecrows in the Garden, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Scarecrows in the Garden, Atlanta Botanical Garden
When you arrive at the Garden, you'll be greeted by this beauty...whose incredible "hair" is telling of the fun you'll have inside enjoying Scarecrows in the Garden.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

GIVEAWAY! Tickets to Martinis & IMAX Fright Night

GIVEAWAY

I'm thrilled to announce the first "official" wanderlust ATLANTA random drawing giveaway!

Courtesy of Fernbank Museum of Natural History, I have THREE PAIRS OF TICKETS to the Museum’s annual adult Halloween party, "Martinis & IMAX Fright Night" being held on Friday, October 25, 2013!

Martinis & IMAX Fright Night at Fernbank Museum of Natural History


How do you win? It's easy!

To enter, "Like" wanderlust Atlanta on Facebook during one of the three giveaway time periods:

  • Thursday, October 10, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. ET through Friday, October 11, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. ET
  • Friday, October 11, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. ET through Saturday, October 12, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. ET
  • Saturday, October 12, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. ET through Sunday, October 13, 2013 at 1:00 p.m.


If you're already a fan, simply message wanderlust ATLANTA on Facebook during the giveaway period(s) to be entered (and thank you for already being a fan!).

A random drawing will be conducted at the conclusion of each entry period and the winner announced on the wanderlust ATLANTA Facebook page!

You may win only one pair of tickets (allowing others to share in the wanderlusting fun!).

The prize is for general admission to the "Martinis& IMAX Fright Night" event and does not include a film (which can be purchased separately). It DOES include live music by Bogey and the Viceroy, a festive drink menu, and a super-fun costume contest!

Good luck!


Note: This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Marco Polo: Man & Myth

I learned a LOT about the life and adventures of Marco Polo at the current Marco Polo: Man & Myth exhibition at Fernbank Museum of Natural History. I loved history in school, but my greatest focus was on Ancient Greece and Ancient Egypt. 

Although...I've long been fascinated with Italy. I was almost stationed in Italy instead of Greece when I was in the Navy; that was my first choice, anyway. I'll make it there one day!

Fortunately, we have museums—learning centers for grownups as much as they are for kids—to reacquaint or enhance what we know about an incredibly wide range of subjects. If you haven't quite figured it out, I love museums!


Marco Polo: Man & Myth, Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Marco Polo: Man & Myth, Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Imagine my surprise...when exiting the exhibition, I ran into Marco Polo himself! In the spirit of childhood memories—having played many, many games of Marco Polo with my siblings and friends—I cartoon-ized our photo! 


Marco Polo: Man & Myth, Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Marco Polo: Man & Myth, Fernbank Museum of Natural History
The exhibition is filled with artifacts, placards, ceramics, maps, photographs, videos, and much more, and most importantly the stories that chronicle the life of one of the world's most famous adventurers.


Marco Polo: Man & Myth, Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Marco Polo: Man & Myth, Fernbank Museum of Natural History
One of the more surprising facts of Marco Polo's life that I learned was just how young he was when he left Venice for Asia. He was a teenager when he left Venice and of the many, many years he traveled, he lived in China for 17 years!


Marco Polo: Man & Myth, Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Marco Polo: Man & Myth, Fernbank Museum of Natural History
There will be some who are tempted to not read while exploring this exhibition—the artifacts are that fascinating, more than 80 of them! 

The artifacts indeed tell a story themselves, but not reading the placards in this exhibition would be like sleeping through half a movie and never having read the book—there's no way you'd get the full experience. Read!


Marco Polo: Man & Myth, Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Marco Polo: Man & Myth, Fernbank Museum of Natural History
It took four years for Marco Polo and fellow travelers to reach China. While their plans were to be in China for only a few years, they were away from home for more than 23 years, and many of those years Marco worked for famous leader Kublai Khan.


Marco Polo: Man & Myth, Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Marco Polo: Man & Myth, Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Marco impressed Kublai Khan so much that he was appointed to some fairly high positions, including tax inspector and even governor! From his time in Asia, Marco learned four languages.


Marco Polo: Man & Myth, Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Marco Polo: Man & Myth, Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Polo is credited with bringing quite a few spices back to Italy from along along the Silk Road. Unfortunately, on the four-year journey home, which started with hundreds and finished with less than two dozen people, three-fourths of the family's fortunate was stolen. They still had enough left over that they were fairly wealthy.


Marco Polo: Man & Myth, Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Marco Polo: Man & Myth, Fernbank Museum of Natural History
So, why is Marco Polo so famous? He's no the only one who ever traveled to Asia in that time period—he had family travel companions along, after all. What are their names? Most couldn't say without looking it up. Myself included.

Well, a short while after returning to Italy (side note: they'd been in Asia so long, they had to re-acclimate to their native tongue!), Marco Polo commanded a ship in a battle against the Italian city of Genoa. He was captured and spent years in a Genoese prison where he befriended a writer who eventually put the stories of Polo's travels to paper. 

The stories were later, after released from prison, published in a book titled The Description of the World, which was later renamed to the more familiar The Travels of Marco Polo.

One quick side note. Marco saw things that no one from Venice had ever seen...wondrous things! In his stories, he describes seeing a remarkable unicorn. Yes...a unicorn! There were skeptics, many who didn't believe Polo had ever traveled to Asia, but given his detailed accounts of the culture, many skeptics later changed their minds.

And the mythical unicorn that Polo saw was a...rhino! Oh, the things he saw...he must have been in a constant state of awe and wonderment!


Marco Polo: Man & Myth, Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Marco Polo: Man & Myth, Fernbank Museum of Natural History
This is one of my favorite vessels (pictured above) from the exhibition...the detail is remarkable! And we're only seeing a few inches here. I was rather impressed with the range of artifacts presented...from leather 'armor', to exquisite ceramics, to intricate silks...there's a lot to take in, so be sure to make ample time to explore.


Marco Polo: Man & Myth, Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Marco Polo: Man & Myth, Fernbank Museum of Natural History
I wonder what you'll remember most from Marco Polo: Man & Myth. I hope you'll share what that is. Just be sure to get to Fernbank Museum of Natural History before Sunday, January 5, 2014, when the exhibition comes to a close.

Oh, and yes, it's true, the above photo of Marco Polo and I...well, even with modern science being what it is, he'd look more like Dorian Gray's portrait than a 17 year old Italian merchant. That's me with a life-size cutout of Marco...a fun photo-op!

Now, head over to the wanderlust ATLANTA Facebook Page for a few more photos from the exhibition, but remember, there are more than 80 artifacts and LOTS to learn in this fascinating presentation of a man who transcends not only myth, but time as well.

Monday, October 7, 2013

A Closer Look at Rhodes Hall

I wrote about Rhodes Hall shortly after I returned to Atlanta, back in September 2010, so I won't go into great detail about the available tours or event rental space, but I would like to go into some of the finer architectural and decor details of the mansion...


Rhodes Hall
Rhodes Hall

When you visit—and definitely splurge for a behind-the-scenes tour—observe everything...look up and down and sideways. There's so much detail to take in here!


Rhodes Hall
Rhodes Hall
The stained glass windows, which depict the story of the U.S. Civil War, have a considerable amount of detail...you could spend the entire day just gazing at the windows!


Rhodes Hall
Rhodes Hall
Those stained glass windows frame one of the most beautiful stairwells I've ever seen. It's no wonder so many Atlanta brides choose Rhodes Hall as the perfect location for their wedding ceremony.


Rhodes Hall
Rhodes Hall
Already possessing a rich history, Rhodes Hall continues to make memories that Atlantans will recall for centuries...what's your memory here going to be, I wonder?


Rhodes Hall
Rhodes Hall
There are numerous fireplaces throughout the mansion...be sure to study each in great detail, because that's exactly what they offer—an immense amount of detail!


Rhodes Hall
Rhodes Hall
And keep an eye out for the more subtle details. Looking at this photo, you wouldn't think this radiator is at all subtle, but there's so much going on in this house that any of the hundreds, if not thousands, of details could be easily overlooked...so keep your eyes peeled.


Rhodes Hall
Rhodes Hall
Not everything in the house reeks of masculinity...there are some gorgeous feminine appointments as well.


Rhodes Hall
Rhodes Hall
Remember, I said to look up. If you don't, you'll likely miss this kind of detail...actually all of the ceilings have very intricate details, details you definitely want to see!


Rhodes Hall
Rhodes Hall
Even knowing that Rhodes was the man behind Rhodes Furniture, I think you'll still be blown away at the detail he put into his home. I probably shouldn't be surprised, but still...


Rhodes Hall
Rhodes Hall
And of course the total package is something right out of Hollywood. You would never dream that while standing on Peachtree Street looking in this kind of beauty awaits you. And I guarantee everyone who ventures in for a tour of Rhodes Hall is destined to be pleasantly surprised.