Archive for February, 2013
» posted on Sunday, February 3rd, 2013 by Linda Lou Burton
Pass And Go
Linda Burton posting from Atlanta, Georgia – Buy a pass that’s good for nine days. Go to five of Atlanta’s top seven favorite spots. You can do that with Atlanta CityPass, a “bundle” of things to do; the same thing is offered in the capital city of Boston, and in other large cities around the country such as Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle. It’s nice to get the seriously discounted ticket prices, and it’s nice, if you’re a quick-stop tourist, to have suggestions that lead you to places unique to a city, like the Statue of Liberty, or the Space Needle. In Atlanta, CityPass choices include Atlanta History Center, Fernbank Museum of Natural History, Georgia Aquarium, High Museum of Art, Inside CNN Tours, World of Coca-Cola, and Zoo Atlanta. I’ve been to these fabulous places on previous visits to Atlanta, and I whole-heartedly vouch for their high-interest factor, but seeing them “bundled” got me thinking about why they are so popular, how they impact the everyday lives of Atlanta residents, and who was responsible for their creation. Behind every great thing is somebody’s gem of an idea. And behind every thriving community lies the support of the people who live there, and love it. » read more
» posted on Friday, February 1st, 2013 by Linda Lou Burton
Roswell Roots
Linda Burton posting from Atlanta, Georgia – February is Black History Month. A check of city calendars across the country reveals concerts, lectures, and special events scheduled from Annapolis, Maryland to Salem, Oregon, and all points between. I’m in Atlanta now, so I decided to head for Roswell, a community 20 miles to the north, to learn about Roswell Roots, the largest and most comprehensive celebration of African American history and culture in the state of Georgia. Roswell is known for its focus on history; it is an outstanding example of what a city can do for preservation, with the now-city-owned “Trilogy” of Barrington Hall, Bulloch Hall, and Smith Plantation open to the public year-round. Barrington Hall (1842) sits on 7 acres in downtown Historic Roswell; known as one of metro Atlanta’s “Most Beautiful Homes” it offers visitors a glimpse of the only antebellum garden in the area, and numerous original outbuildings. At Smith Plantation (1845) visitors can see the original 
farmhouse and ten original outbuildings, once part of a 300-acre cotton farm. Bulloch Hall (1839) has a unique claim to fame – it was the childhood home of Martha “Mittie” Bulloch, whose wedding to Theodore Roosevelt Sr took place in the front parlor in 1853; Mittie became mother to Teddy Roosevelt (26th President, 1901-1909) and grandmother to Eleanor Roosevelt (First Lady 1933-1945). This month, however, the emphasis at Bulloch (photo right), and elsewhere in Roswell, is Roswell Roots. » read more