360 Degree Downtown Atlanta Birthday

I was going round and round and round about how to celebrate my birthday this year. And then decided to do exactly that! The evening of the celebration—at least the first day of celebrating—started with a ride on SkyView Atlanta, followed by dinner at The Sun Dial, and then dessert and bubbly at Polaris. It was a spectacular evening, with best friends.

Travis's 360 Degree Birthday

Probably my favorite birthday gift this year was my best friends offering a Vulcan salute! Anyone who has known me for any length of time knows that I love Star Trek as much as I love being a tourist...which is a LOT! How fun of my friends to indulge me.

Left to right, that's Scott, Barry and Perry, and in this photo we were mid-celebration at The Sun Dial Restaurant, Bar & View, in one of the View's overlook pods.

Travis's 360 Degree Birthday

The evening started with a ride on SkyView Atlanta, in the VIP Gondola! My first ride on SkyView had been just a month before, on Christmas Day, with Perry and Scott. This birthday ride was with Barry, and it was his first ride, making it extra fun!

The above photo I made after our vertical 360 degree tour of downtown Atlanta. Be sure to listen to the audio tour in your gondola, which we didn't hear Christmas Day, until the very end of our ride. On this particular ride, we listened to it for several revolutions and then turned down the volume and just took in the spectacular view.

Travis's 360 Degree Birthday

Since I was a small child, I've loved skylines, especially architecturally interesting ones. It's been quite exciting watching Atlanta's skyline change over the years and I think SkyView Atlanta is a magnificent addition, especially to our nighttime skyline.

I didn't realize when I booked the ride that we'd be riding as the sun was setting. When we got on, it was still daylight. By time our 30-minute VIP ride was finished, the sun had set, and SkyView was illuminated with quite the glowing rainbow of colors!

Travis's 360 Degree Birthday

I've now done both the standard ride and the VIP Gondola ride on SkyView Atlanta. Both are super fun. But, I have to admit that the extra money for the VIP Gondola ride is totally worth it. 

We were greeted by our new SkyView Atlanta friend, Wisdom. He treated us like real VIPs.

When we arrived, we were immediately escorted to the comfy VIP Lounge where a photographer met us and made photos of us. Wisdom took a drink order and promptly brought that to us to enjoy on the ride. Soda and bottled water are complimentary with the VIP Gondola ticket and beer and wine are available at a reasonable cost. We enjoyed some wine on our ride.

Thank you, Wisdom, for the awesome treatment!

Travis's 360 Degree Birthday

As much as I love to write and talk, it's challenging to express how amazing a 360 Atlanta sunset can be. And it was fantastic to see our next destination from SkyView—The Sun Dial Restaurant atop of the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel.

Before heading to The Sun Dial, Barry and I met Perry and Scott at their penthouse in Museum Tower, overlooking Centennial Olympic Park, for a celebratory libation and another fantastic view of the Atlanta skyline! "Versailles in the Sky" is what we've started calling their beautiful home. And not only are they dear friends, they're wonderfully gracious hosts!

Travis's 360 Degree Birthday

Dinner and drinks at The Sun Dial Restaurant, a revolving restaurant, was great! We all had steak. When I saw that a blackberry reduction accompanied the dish, I was all-in. Blackberries are my favorite food, so that selection was an obvious choice for me. That it came with Blue Cheese Mac & Cheese was a total bonus!

I've been going to The Sun Dial since the late 80s. A lot of locals see it as a tourist attraction, and that it is, but it's so much more to me. It was one of my earliest experiences when I first moved to Atlanta, so it's special to me. And it has an awesome 360 view of a beautiful city!

Travis's 360 Degree Birthday

We enjoyed a pre-dinner cocktail and had a nice bottle of Mendoza Malbec with dinner. Having vacationed in Argentina, the Malbec too brought back great memories. 

I love this photo...dear friends, great dinner, and One Ninety One Peachtree Tower in the background—how could you not have a great time!

Travis's 360 Degree Birthday

I'd admired Polaris for the first 15 years I lived in Atlanta, but unbelievably never visited. It closed when I lived in DC and reopened last year, in 2014. Being something of a sci-fi fan(atic), I love that Polaris looks like a flying saucer (I hope that doesn't offend the establishment. It's meant with great fondness).

Visiting Polaris for my birthday dessert and bubbly was my first visit, but it will not be my last! 

Polaris has its own elevator and the elevator hostess was delightful. And she had amazing shoes! There was an event going on so she wasn't sure she would be able to get us up right away...but she did. I'm grateful for her kindness and for accommodating our excitement to experience Polaris.

Travis's 360 Degree Birthday

Polaris, at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, was once a restaurant, one that also revolves 360 degrees. And it was the tallest building in Atlanta when it was built in 1967. Today it's a sophisticated, tourist beacon, must-experience lounge, with brilliant libation offerings, seasonal small plates and marvelous sweet treats! And the decor is stunning.

Its resurrection last year was met with great fanfare and it's already on numerous Top 10 lists. All for good reason...the place is magnificent! 

Travis's 360 Degree Birthday

I enjoyed the Warm Roasted Banana Cake with toasted pecans and creme fraiche—it was amazing, and my friends all enjoyed the Graham Cracker Cheese Cake with marshmallow meringue—I had a bite and OMG, it enraptures the taste buds!

All of this fantastic round-and-round totally fun Downtown Atlanta experience was last Saturday, January 24. My actual birthday is January 27, but I had to work that day. Our Annual Meeting was that evening and went until 9:00 p.m., not leaving a lot of time for a day-of celebration. BUT, I won one of the company's highest awards (for innovation), so it was an evening of another kind of celebration...I'm also grateful for that.

Here it is nearly a week later and I'm still celebrating. Yes, I'm one of those. I love celebrating life and will continue to do so—most enjoyably as a tourist—for all of my days, and nights.

Please feel free to borrow from my "360 Degree Birthday" theme and visit SkyView Atlanta, The Sun Dial Restaurant & View, and Polaris.

I'd like to offer a special "Thank you" to my friends, Barry, Perry and Scott, for making my birthday celebration a special experience. I had the most wonderful wanderlusting Atlanta birthday!

Sally Smith is "Margaret Mitchell"

It's my honor and with gratitude that I have the great pleasure of introducing Sally Smith, the personality behind "Margaret Mitchell" of Atlanta Movie Tours. Sally will grace the stage of The Fox Theatre this coming weekend to introduce two showings of Gone With the Wind, part of the 2014 Coca-Cola Summer Film Festival. 

A few days ago, Sally and I dined and talked for 3.5 hours at Livingston Restaurant + Bar in the Georgian Terrace, which of course has a significant role in Margaret Mitchell's and Gone With the Wind's histories.

I'd like to frame this writing around a recent "Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind Tour", through Atlanta Movie Tours. Sally was of course Margaret, it was my second time enjoying the tour, but my best friend Barry's first time—I was sure he would like Sally AND the tour. And that he did! It was great to see him fascinated and laughing so much.

Sally Smith, AKA Margaret Mitchell, Atlanta Movie Tours

Photo: Sally Smith as "Margaret Mitchell" at Oakland Cemetery, where Sally works and volunteers, when she's not giving tours for Atlanta Movie Tours.

Many "Windies"—uber fans of Gone With the Wind—know that Margaret Mitchell wrote the final chapter of her novel first. Ironically, I decided that I want to do the same in introducing you to Sally. The most important thing I learned about her was in her answer to the final question I posed, and it's the one thing that will likely define her for all of her days. 

Sally arrived at the Georgian Terrace as Sally Smith. I'd only seen her as "Margaret Mitchell", but there was no mistaking that smile. 

And I quickly noticed she was wearing the button that she wears on her tours, one that reads, "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn." That totally speaks to Sally's wonderful sense of humor, but mind you, she's incredibly sensitive to her audience and wholly respectful.

[Author's Note: Sally's quotes are my recollections from our interview. I brought my laptop to the meeting to capture her exact words, but quickly decided that enjoying her company would be considerably more indelible. And indeed it was.]

Starting with the question I asked Sally last...

wanderlust ATLANTA: What message or sentiment, that you share with Margaret Mitchell, would you like to share with your fans?

Sally: "I'd love to share one of Peggy's mottoes—Peggy was the name Margaret adopted when she went off to college—one that I share with her... 'Never give up'. 'Never give up on yourself or life'. There are certain things one should give up, of course, like toxic relationships, but stay the course. The storms don't last forever."

Sally went on to say, "Life has too much to offer to give up. Of course you have to take the bad with the good, but you have to make the best of the bad." As soon as Sally mentioned Auntie Mame, we quoted in unison, "Live, live, live! Life's a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!" [Laughter...smiles...mutual understanding.] "Life is out there, you just have to get up off the sofa and be a part of it!"

Sally is full of life...she's living life! That's one of the things I adore and admire about her.

Sally Smith, AKA Margaret Mitchell, Atlanta Movie Tours

Photo: One of the desks on display at the Margaret Mitchell House, the one pictured above, is the actual desk that Margaret worked on while employed with the Atlanta Journal. She went by the pen name "Peggy Mitchell" while working there. The cool thing about the desk is that at a mere 4' 11" tall, the standard desk was considerably too high for Margaret, so they had to cut the legs down on this one to accommodate her stature. You can see in the photo above the desk just how diminutive she was in height, however she made up for it in personality.

wanderlust ATLANTA: You are fascinating! Please share with us some of your background. Where are you from? Where have you worked? What do you do for fun?

Sally: "I was born in the same hospital as Margaret Mitchell, St. Joseph's Infirmary. Today it's St. Joseph's Hospital, part of Emory Healthcare, and I was raised right here in Atlanta."

"I went to school at Woodward Academy and then went on to earn a Bachelors Degree in Agricultural Economics at the University of Georgia. I retired from Fulton County government after 30 years. Like Margaret, I didn't work for the sake of making a career, I just wanted to be independent."

"Chasing that independence was difficult for Margaret. She was born into a world where a woman stayed home and cared for her family. That she went to college and took a job at the Atlanta Journal as a reporter was unheard of at the time. She struggled with her 'role' as a woman. Margaret lived in a very different Atlanta."

"Today I manage the Visitors Center at Oakland Cemetery, where I still give tours. I'm the president of Fulton County Retirees Association and of course I'm "Margaret Mitchell" for Atlanta Movie Tours. Yes, I'm a busy woman!"

"You asked me about hobbies. I go to yoga practically every day...I miss it when I don't. I love reading and gardening. Oh, and I'm going to see Aretha Franklin at The Fox Theatre! And I remember seeing Tina Turner in Atlanta when it was 'Ike & Tina'!"

Sally wouldn't admit it, but it was shared with me by another source that at Sally's retirement party, Fulton County made an official Proclamation—"Sally Smith Appreciation Day"—well deserved after 30 years of dedicated service.

Noted in the Proclamation:

"Sally Smith is an exemplary public servant who is known among her colleagues for her dedication, knowledge, kindness, sense of humor, and willingness to help."

The Proclamation goes on and on, and for the short time I've known Sally, I see all of those things to be wonderfully true.

Sally Smith, AKA Margaret Mitchell, Atlanta Movie Tours

Photo: There are several areas within the Margaret Mitchell House complex where visitors can view exhibits that include original artifacts, photography and video, as well as the apartment where she and husband John Marsh lived when she wrote Gone With the Wind. The above photo includes the portrait of Scarlett O'Hara used in the movie.

wanderlust ATLANTA: Margaret Mitchell was a deeply private person, yet did so much for the community at large, volunteering in the public eye. But much of her most impactful philanthropy was anonymous. You're a volunteer, too. Why is volunteering important to you?

Sally: "When I retired I knew that I wanted to keep busy. My love of gardening drew me to Oakland Cemetery—it's a garden cemetery. Volunteering was so much more than I expected; I didn't realize how rewarding it would be."

"It opened me up to the world of Hospitality in Atlanta, I met a whole new group of Atlantans, and I was all of a sudden meeting people from all over the world! I recommend it for anyone. You know, if you want to make a difference in the world, volunteering is a great way to do it."

Sally Smith, AKA Margaret Mitchell, Atlanta Movie Tours

Photo: "In her personification of Margaret Mitchell, Sally captivates and immerses her audience in 'Peggy' Mitchell's Atlanta with the mellifluous ooze of charm expected of a Southern debutante, and the hilarious tongue-in-cheek humor of a rebel. You will either be on the edge of your seat hanging on every word or rolling in laughter," said Barry Holland, pictured above with Sally having fun at the Margaret Mitchell House. 

wanderlust ATLANTA: I've had the honor and privilege of meeting and talking with you several times now. I, personally, see distinct Margaret Mitchell qualities in you. What qualities do you feel you most personify in Ms. Mitchell?

Sally: "When you look at life, on a global scale, we're on top. We have life pretty good. But, as we know in looking at Margaret's life, 'Life can change in an instant'." That sentiment was a common thread in our discussion throughout the evening. 

"My life has changed, more than once, and I've kept on going. Margaret never let anything stop her...not being blackballed by the Junior League, not being roadblocked by the male-dominated journalism industry, and not sustaining a debilitating injury...she kept on going! You have to admire her for that!"

"I love to read and of course Margaret was an avid reader. It's said that she devoured the local library. Well, everything except for the reference section, as the story goes. My son reads a lot, too."

"Margaret wanted to be a travel reporter before she landed at the Atlanta Journal. Me? I'm still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up."

Sally Smith, AKA Margaret Mitchell, Atlanta Movie Tours

Photo: Central Library in Downtown Atlanta, across from Margaret Mitchell Square and the Georgia Pacific Tower, which stands where the Loew's Grand Theatre once stood—the theatre where Gone With the Wind premiered in 1939. The Library has a fascinating collection of Margaret Mitchell and Gone With the Wind memorabilia, including the one millionth copy of the novel and Margaret's library card.

wanderlust ATLANTA: What about Atlanta Movie Tours have you enjoyed most so far?

Sally: "That they like me so much." [Laughter] "Like Margaret's mother told her, 'Life can change in an instant.' That's pretty much what happened with Atlanta Movie Tours. I'd been working at Oakland Cemetery and every Halloween they host tours led by different personalities whose final resting place is there. One year I portrayed "Margaret Mitchell". 

"When Patti and Carrie—the owners of Atlanta Movie Tours—approached Oakland about it being a stop on their new "Gone With the Wind Tour", my colleague asked who was leading the tour. They named a few personalities, but not Margaret. She suggested to them that she knew someone they might consider. I later found myself at lunch with Patti and Carrie, which turned out to be sort of an interview."

"When they asked, I said to myself, 'I'd be crazy not to try it.' And the rest is history, so to speak."

Sally Smith, AKA Margaret Mitchell, Atlanta Movie Tours

Photo: There were many Gone With the Wind premier events hosted at the Georgian Terrace, where the main actors stayed during the premier activities. The menu in the photo above—on display at Central Library—is from The Main Dining Room at The Georgian Terrace. The most expensive entree offered was "Filet Mignon with Green Peas and Asparagus Tips" for $2.25. For dessert, an "Ice Cream Mold 'Gone With the Wind' Open Book" was an offering.

The Georgian Terrace | Livingston Restaurant + Bar

Our 3.5 hour dinner and discussion took place at Livingston Restaurant + Bar, in The Georgian Terrace Hotel—the restaurant was originally the hotel lobby! We had a Peachtree Street window seat with a splendid view of The Fox Theatre, where Sally will introduce the film Gone With the Wind this coming weekend.

The staff and management treated Sally and I like VIPs...they were wonderful!

The hostess was pleasant and kindly accommodating. I wanted a window seat, that also had access to electricity—for the laptop, which I ended up not using. Sally is so captivating, writing notes made it much easier to enjoy the process of getting to know her better.

Justin was our server and provided superb service. We never wanted for anything! We both enjoyed a cold beverage and began with an assortment of appetizers. The Fried Green Tomatoes—delish, the Cauliflower Popcorn—a brilliant interpretation, and the Crispy Smoked Chicken Thighs with fresh sliced apple and red cabbage slaw in a blue cheese vinaigrette—amazing...I could eat those all day!

Ashley Dulgarian, Business Development Manager at Livingston, stopped by our table and bid us a delightfully charming welcome! She shared some Georgian Terrace history with us, and us with her, and she bestowed upon Sally good wishes for her Fox debut. She later brought us both a souvenir book of Georgian Terrace history—I can hardly wait to get into that one!

Later we were surprised again when Justin stopped by with two glasses of champagne and a virtual dessert buffet! Ashley had arranged for us to be treated. We enjoyed Carrot Cake "Twinkies" and a flight of ice cream that included the flavors of white peach, blood orange, and pomegranate—the latter being my favorite. Wow! 

What a wonderful treat. The Livingston staff and the deliciousness and presentation of the food that evening just reinforced all the more that it's my favorite Atlanta restaurant. And I've been saying that since long before they ever heard of me. Our experience at Livingston was the epitome of Southern Hospitality and I'm thrilled that they were so kind to Sally.

Sally Smith, AKA Margaret Mitchell, Atlanta Movie Tours

Photo: Part of the Central Library collection includes a wide array of foreign language editions of Gone With the Wind, as well as part of Margaret's reference library that she used when writing Gone With the Wind.

wanderlust ATLANTA: You will soon be on the stage of The Fabulous Fox Theatre! You give such a mesmerizing performance as "Margaret Mitchell" on the Gone With the Wind tours, I have to ask...do you have acting experience?

Sally: "No, not really. Of course we had to take Public Speaking in college, but it wasn't until years later that I spoke in public. When I was the Greenhouse Manger for Fulton County—I worked in several departments over the 30 years—various garden clubs would invite me to speak at their meetings."

"Well, the first one included a potluck dinner. Later when I got up to the podium, and I'd brought my husband, I started with, 'That's the best dinner my husband has had in ages!' The ladies laughed and laughed and I've been hooked on public speaking ever since."

"I later adopted the philosophy that if you can't do anything about your situation, then laugh. We all have rough times, and laughter can be quite a powerful thing." 

Sally and I laughed a lot that evening. She has a wicked sense of humor, but with a generous dose of discretion. 

Sally Smith, AKA Margaret Mitchell, Atlanta Movie Tours

Photo: Sally, as "Margaret Mitchell" sharing with the tour group the symbolism of some of the grave stones and plot designs.

On a personal note, Sally is one of those people that you can't help but to immediately admire—you've met those people in your own life—and I knew I wanted to get to know her from the onset. If I forget to thank her later for the amazing interview and for being so much fun, let me say it here. "Thank you, Sally! You're a wonderfully brilliant and inspiring human being. I'm so grateful and fortunate to know you."

Sally Smith, AKA Margaret Mitchell, Atlanta Movie Tours

Photo: Sally as "Margaret Mitchell" sharing more about Margaret's family life with our tour group. Oakland Cemetery is also where we had our souvenir group photo made!

wanderlust ATLANTA: I suspect you're a fan of Georgia tourism. In addition to Atlanta Movie Tours, Oakland Cemetery and the Margaret Mitchell House, are there other destinations on the "Sally's Must-See List"?

Sally: "One of my retirement plans was one international trip and one domestic trip every year. I also love a fun day trip. I'll claim memory lapse for the ones I should have mentioned [shared laughter], but here are a few:

• Black Rock Mountain,
• Milledgeville, Georgia,
• Panola Mountain,
• Social Circle, Georgia, which was not burned by Sherman, and
• Monastery of the Holy Spirit, to name a few.

In Atlanta, I love to visit the Atlanta Botanical Garden [where I, Travis, am a docent, so I was thrilled it made the list!]. And although it's been a few years, I have fond memories of rafting on the Chattahoochee. If you didn't notice, I enjoy being outdoors and in gardens."

Sally Smith, AKA Margaret Mitchell, Atlanta Movie Tours

Photo: This is part of our tour group. I made the photo back at Atlanta Movie Tours' offices. To the left is a Brazilian family—the two on the far left live in Sau Paulo and the other two currently live in Philadelphia. That's "Margaret Mitchell" (Sally Smith) in the hat and dress with Barry on the right. The other tourees had departed when I made this photo. It was a fun group!

If you'd like to learn more about the Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind Tour, please see my post, "Through the Eyes of Margaret Mitchell".

Remember, Sally, as "Margaret Mitchell", will be introducing Gone With the Wind at The Fox Theatre this weekend—a celebration of the 75th anniversary of the movie. If you miss her then, you can experience Sally at Atlanta Movie Tours.

One more question...

wanderlust ATLANTA: In your experience, how vast is the Margaret Mitchell and Gone With the Wind fandom? Why do you feel it’s so widespread?

Sally: "The fandom is global, without a doubt! Margaret Mitchell was a student of the human condition. She observed people and had a keen sense for who they were. She understood that 'We're all human'. I think that's what people connect with in her writing. And I admire her for not changing after she became famous. She didn't change her lifestyle and being a celebrity wasn't all-important to her, but helping others was, as were her friends and 'living' life."

Spring is Around the Corner...Gardens Included!

The State Botanical Garden of Georgia is an absolute must for your spring touring agenda. It's approximately 100 acres more than our local Botanical Garden (they're about 130 acres) and although not as developed, it's totally worth a visit!

State Botanical Garden of Georgia

This photo, sized for use as a Facebook Cover Photo, was on a visit last summer made by my friend Barry Holland. It was a perfect time to visit...there was soooooo much in bloom!

There's a LOT to this Garden and I can hardly wait to go back.It's an expanding Garden, so every visit promises something new...which is a great reason to visit often,right?!

Before you head to Athens, check out other things to do, just be sure to devote plenty of time to exploring the Garden...that'll be at least half a day.

Have fun!