Road Scholar : Home
Signature City Atlanta

Program Number: 2816RJ
Start and End Dates:
3/31/2013 - 4/5/2013; 10/6/2013 - 10/11/2013;
Duration: 5 nights
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Price starting at: $1,098.00 - Price may vary based on date, departure city
Program Type: Signature Cities Activity Level: t (see description)
Meals: 13; 5 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches, 4 Dinners    
Meal Options: Vegetarian    

Join us for a special learning adventure to experience the fascinating history, culture, food and entertainment of Georgia’s progressive capital city. Background sessions set the stage for field trips showcasing the finest Atlanta has to offer. This exciting program is designed especially for first-timers to discover the cultural and entertainment capital of the New South.




Highlights

• Explore the Atlanta History Center, Carter Presidential Museum and Gardens, High Museum of Art, Swan House Mansion, and antebellum Bulloch Hall (childhood home of Theodore Roosevelt’s mother).
• Go behind the scenes at CNN and see news in the making — live!
• Attend a play at one of our popular theaters, enjoy jazz at a favorite club, and sample the amazing diversity of cuisine at selected restaurants.



Activity Particulars

Walking up to one city block.



Coordinated by Center for Educational Adventure.




Atlanta

Atlanta is rich in culture, history and diversity. Museums and cultural attractions abound, from an excellent botanical garden to the plaza dedicated to the 1996 Olympic Games held here.
Accommodations
Innovative new hotel in Buckhead section, two queen-size beds, living room, kitchenette, heated outdoor pool.

Road Scholar Instructors
These instructors are participating on at least one date of this program. Please note that changes may occur.
Bill Rutan
Bill began his career playing the jazz banjo at various clubs in the San Francisco area, including the famous Red Garter. He has performed in locations spanning from Florence, Italy to the 1964 New York World's Fair and Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Bill has enjoyed playing with noted artists including Joe Darensburg, George Probert, "Smokey" Stover, Nick Fatool, Bob Haggart, Eddie Miller, Johnny Mince and many more.
 
Don Erdman
Don Erdman has been active in the Atlanta musical community since 1982. He has toured internationally with Brenda Lee and done regional tours with Johnny Mathis, Lou Rawls, and Steve Lawrence and Edie Gorme. In the late '80s, Don was the featured soloist at a Hamburg, Germany club, opening the door for European and Asian tours with his own band, Hotlanta Dixieland Jazz. Don has studied with jazz greats James Moody and Eddie Daniels.
 
Guy Davis
Dr. Steven Davis is passionate about the history he presents and is a favorite speaker for Road Scholar on the history of Atlanta and the Civil War. He taught American history and government at Oglethorpe University, served as the director of education at the Medical Association of Georgia, and is currently director of Medical Relations for Mutual Insurance Company. Steve enjoys speaking at conferences, symposiums, and round tables, and is the author of numerous publications on the Civil War.
 
Gail Bell
A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Gail Bell has been involved in the city’s business, civic and cultural community for many years, and has seen Atlanta grow to its present importance on the international stage. Gail loves connecting with visitors from around the world and has enjoyed her own travels from Egypt to Europe, Australia to China, and almost all 50 states. In addition to her 20 year career as an educational excursion leader, Gail has an interior decorating business and is an author escort.
 
Meals and Lodgings
   Hyatt Place Buckhead Atlanta
  Atlanta, Georgia 5 nights
 Hyatt Place Buckhead Atlanta
Type: Hotel
  Description: The Hyatt Place is an exciting and innovative new select service hotel offering more of what is important to today's travelers. Our guests enjoy a spacious guestroom with a 42" high-definition flat panel television, our signature Hyatt Grand Bed, a plush Cozy Corner oversized sofa sleeper that is separated from the sleeping area, and complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi internet access throughout the hotel. The innovation extends beyond the guestroom. The Gallery is a warm and open area that features a self-registration kiosk, an intimate coffee and wine café, a TV den and an e-room with free access to a public computer and printer. Guests at Hyatt Place will also enjoy a continental breakfast each morning and can purchase freshly prepared menu items 24 hours a day. Premium espresso drinks, beer and wine are also available at the Gallery Café. Hyatt Place does not accept pets. Service animals are always welcome.
  Contact info: 3242 Peachtree Road, N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30305 USA
phone: 404-869-6161
web: www.hyattplace.com
  Room amenities: Air Conditioning (In Room) Newspaper (Free) Refrigerator Iron Telephone Television (Cable/Satellite) Microwave Oven Non-Smoking Rooms Television DVD/VCR Daily Maid Service Coffee Maker
  Facility amenities: About Hyatt Place Gallery The Gallery blends contemporary décor with distinctive architecture, stylish furnishings and unexpected touches to create an atmosphere of casual hospitality. About Hyatt Place spacious guestrooms Our spacious guestroom features contemporary décor with stylish furnishings including plush Hyatt Grand Beds™, state-of-the-art media and work center with a 42" high-definition flat panel television that easily integrates with laptops and other electronic devices, a comfortable Cozy Corner oversized sofa-sleeper, wet bar and bathroom vanity upgraded with granite countertops. About Hyatt Place food & beverage Hyatt Place offers an innovative approach to food service. Complimentary continental breakfast buffet is inclusive every morning. Additionally, signature menu items are available for purchase day and night, including hot breakfast entrees and specialty espresso coffee drinks. Our unprecedented approach to food services includes a cashless food center with a kiosk for touch-screen ordering along with card swipe technology. This allows guests to use their room key to charge orders to their room folio. About Hyatt Place technology Guests will enjoy complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi Internet access available throughout the hotel and registration kiosks for easy check-in/check-out service. The updated guestroom media centre is equipped with a high-definition 42" flat panel high-definition television that easily integrates with laptops and other electronic devices such as portable DVD or mp3 players
  Smoking allowed: No
  Elevators available: Yes
  Additional nights prior: Call for hotel rate. For early arrivals or late stayovers, please contact the Hyatt Place Sales Coordinator at 404-869-6161 ext. 5154, and tell her you are with Road Scholar for the special rate.
  Check in time: 4:00 PM
  Additional nights after: Call for hotel rate. For early arrivals or late stayovers, please contact the Hyatt Place Sales Coordinator at 404-869-6161 ext. 5154, and tell her you are with Road Scholar for the special rate.
  Check out time: 11:00 AM


Travel Details
  Start of Program:
Program begins with check-in at 4:00 PM in the hotel lobby. You will be staying at Hyatt Place Buckhead Atlanta that night.
  End of Program:
Program ends at 11:00 AM. You will be staying at Hyatt Place Buckhead Atlanta the night before.
  Required documents:
The Road Scholar Health & Safety Form is required. If you have a Senior Pass, Golden Age Passport or National Parks Pass, please bring it with you.
  Parking availability:
Covered parking is available at the hotel. There is no charge for parking.
Transportation
To Start of Program
  Location:  Atlanta, Georgia
  Nearest city or town:  Atlanta
  Nearest highway: I-85
  Nearest airport:  Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport
  From End of Program
  Location: Atlanta, Georgia
    (Additional transportation information same as above)
Travel Details
 

Atlanta, GA

 

From Airport

 
 

Service:

 

Public Transportation
Marta-Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
phone: 404-848-5000

 

Per Person/One Way:

 

$2 - $5 approximately
Prices are subject to change.
 

Travel Time:

 

30 minutes 
 

Distance:

 

20 miles
   

Arriving air travelers should follow the Ground Transportation signs to MARTA. The entrance to MARTA's Airport Station is located inside the western end of the airport's main terminal. Faregates are just a few feet from the baggage claim areas. Take the Red Line from airport to Buckhead Station. When you arrive, call the hotel to pick you up. 404 869 6161 or walk three blocks. Marta website is: www.itsmarta.com
 

Atlanta, GA

 

From Airport

 
 

Service:

 

Commercial Van/Shuttle
A-National Limousine Service
phone: 800-533-4859
Advanced Reservations Required

 

Per Person/One Way:

 

$20.50 per person one way or $37 per person round trip
Prices are subject to change.
 

Travel Time:

 

30 minutes from airport to hotel depending on traffic 
 

Distance:

 

20 miles
   

1) You can always make a reservation on line at www.anationallimo.com 2) Cash, and most major credit cards are accepted 3) The Atlanta Airport Shuttle Service is open from 6:00 AM to 12:00 midnight 7 days a week. 4) They request you make your reservation as soon as you book your flight and have your flight details, however we will accept walk ups at our airport booth. 5) You should depart to the airport 2 hours prior to domestic flights.
 
Driving Directions
  I-75/I-85 Northbound Take I-75/I-85 Northbound through Downtown Atlanta. Take I-85 North (It exits on the left hand side). From I-85 North, take exit 87 - GA 400 North. On GA 400 North, take Exit 2 - Lenox Road/Buckhead. Take a LEFT off the ramp, following signs to Piedmont Road. Take a LEFT at the 2nd light onto Piedmont. Go less than a mile and make a RIGHT onto Peachtree. Hotel is on your right, immediately past the Piedmont/Peachtree intersection. There is a "Rooms To Go" store on your right at the intersection. Your hotel is next to it.
  Southbound I-85 Take Exit 88 toward Cheshire Bridge Road/Lenox Road/GA 400. Take a right off exit ramp heading North. Continue on Lenox Road approx. 2 miles. Proceed to Peachtree Road, turn left heading south past Lenox Mall on your left and continue to intersection of Peachtree and Peidmont. Your hotel will be on your right after the Peachtree and Piedmont intersection. It is right beside the huge Rooms To Go store that sits on the corner of Peachtree and Piedmont.
The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.


Daily Schedule

Day 1: Check-in/Orientation/Dinner/All That Jazz
(Sunday, March 31)
   
 Afternoon: REGISTRATION: Please register with the Road Scholar program staff at our desk in the lobby beginning at 4:00 pm. You’ll receive your arrival packet containing the most up-to-date schedule and program information that we’ll review during our orientation session at 5:15 pm. Dinner is at 6:15 pm in the conference room.
 Dinner: Dinner will be in the conference room of the hotel at 6:15 pm.
 Evening: A jazz musician will entertain as well as educate you on the history of jazz.
   
Accommodations: Hyatt Place Buckhead Atlanta
Meals Included: Dinner

Day 2: Atlanta History Center/Lunch at Swan Coach House/Swan House Mansion/Gone With the Wind
(Monday, April 1)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast Buffet at hotel.
 Morning: You will visit the Atlanta History Center and the historic Swan House and the Tullie Smith Farm. Swan House, an elegant classically styled mansion named for the swan motif found throughout its interior, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has become an Atlanta landmark. Built in 1928 for Edward and Emily Inman, heirs to a cotton brokerage fortune, the house was designed by well-known and influential Atlanta architect Philip Trammell Shutze. In Swan House and its gardens, together considered Shutze's finest residential work, he adapted Italian and English classical styles to accommodate twentieth-century living. A plantation-plain house built in the 1840s by the Robert Smith family, Tullie Smith Farm is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Originally located east of Atlanta, outside the city limits, the house survived the near-total destruction of Atlanta in 1864. Robert Smith was a yeoman farmer who owned eleven slaves and about 800 acres of land in present-day DeKalb County, Georgia. The Smith family cultivated approximately 200 acres of their land, while their cattle and hogs ranged freely nearby. Contrary to popular belief, yeoman farms were more common in Georgia than the large plantations many people associate with the "deep south."The farm complex was moved to the Atlanta History Center's campus in 1969 and serves as a tangible reminder of the rural past in a metropolitan area where agriculture has essentially disappeared. Tullie Smith House is surrounded by a separate open-hearth kitchen, blacksmith shop, smokehouse, double corncrib, pioneer log cabin, and barn, as well as traditional vegetable, herb, and flower gardens.
 Lunch: LUNCH AT SWAN COACH HOUSE: Prior to relocating to its current location, the Foundation members had to remodel and enlarge the building that once served as the carriage house of the handsome Philip Schutze designed Swan House to create the charming Restaurant and Gift Shop. In 1985, Mr. and Mrs. O. Ray Moore built the Art Gallery, an integral part of the Swan Coach House. The Swan Coach House continues to be a labor of love for the Forward Arts Foundation members. They continue to strive to create a Southern, hospitable atmosphere.
 Afternoon: Field trips of the Swan House allow visitors to explore the many rooms of this beautifully restored historic home including the entrance, Breakfast Room and Hall, Library, Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen, Butler's Pantry, Mrs. Inman's Bedroom and Bathroom, Grandchildren's Bedroom, Guest Bedroom, and Mr. Inman's Bedroom. Additionally, a stroll around the grounds of the Swan House provides many breathe taking views complete with gardens and fountains.
 Dinner: Dinner is at Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant directly across from your hotel.
 Evening: Gone With The Wind will always be associated with Atlanta and with plantations of the south. Hear the real story about Tara, the plantation, and facts about the author of Gone With the Wind.
   
Accommodations: Hyatt Place Buckhead Atlanta
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3: Atlanta Field Trip/Jimmy Carter Museum and Japanese Gardens/Dante's Down the Hatch
(Tuesday, April 2)
   
 Breakfast: Full Breakfast Buffet at hotel.
 Morning: Motor coach tour of Atlanta, The Super City including a tour of the Atlanta’s Governor’s Mansion, home of Governor and Mrs. Nathan Deal; Martin Luther King’s Memorial and Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church.
 Lunch: Lunch will be at a local restaurant.
 Afternoon: On a hill overlooking the city of Atlanta, the Carter Library and Museum houses a vast collection of memorabilia from Jimmy Carter's early life in Plains, GA, his term as governor of Georgia, his term as President of the United States, and the years following government service. It was completely renovated in 2009 and is breathtaking. One notable recent addition to the museum is Carter's recently awarded Noble Peace Prize. The Jimmy Carter Library and Museum is part of the Presidential Library system administered by the National Archives and Records Administration, a Federal government agency. The Museum of the Jimmy Carter Library includes photographs and historical memorabilia from the Carter presidency (1976 - 1981). An exact replica of the Oval Office and gifts received by the Carters are also featured. A permanent exhibit of significant events occurring during Jimmy Carter's life and political career includes photographs with interpretative text. Explore the grounds including formal gardens, a cherry orchard, and waterfalls tucked between two small lakes. Visitors can stroll through the Rose Garden, which is home to 40 varieties or view the serene Japanese garden, designed by Master Gardener Kinsaku Nakane.
 Dinner: Dinner will be at the hotel.
 Evening: Enjoy dessert at Dante's Down the Hatch, the most popular jazz club in Atlanta. Follow this landmark's plank walkway into a richly detailed wharf scene centered on a full-scale cutaway of a sailing ship. Below it sits a 1906 Steinway grand piano. Lanterns glow along narrow passageways and crocodiles glide through a lurid pool. You will visit Dante's and experience the lively jazz scene of Atlanta.
   
Accommodations: Hyatt Place Buckhead Atlanta
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4: Field Trip to Bulloch Hall/Roswell, GA/Field Trip to CNN/Atlanta Theater
(Wednesday, April 3)
   
 Breakfast: Full Breakfast Buffet at hotel.
 Morning: You will visit Bulloch Hall and cross back in time to antebellum Georgia. A time when wealthy coastal slaveholders controlled both the economy and politics of Georgia, and a time when the last expanse of the Cherokee Nation finally fell to the settlers because the state of Georgia forced the Cherokee west on the "Trail of Tears." Starting in 1839, James Bulloch built a Classic Greek Revival mansion west of the Chattahoochee just off the town square. Unlike most of the homes in north Georgia, Bulloch Hall was built by slave labor. Early in 1851 a 19-year-old Theodore Roosevelt (father of the future president) visited Bulloch Hall, where he met young Mittie Bulloch. Bulloch Hall has seen its share of captains and kings come to visit, and not just Theodore Roosevelt and the Union Army. Eleanor Roosevelt visited from time to time, and Margaret Mitchell may have visited the home and used it to inspire Tara, Scarlett O'Hara's plantation in Gone With The Wind.
 Lunch: Lunch in Roswell at a popular spot.
 Afternoon: Immerse yourself in CNN on a guided field trip offering a dramatic look at the history of the CNN News Group networks, their coverage of the events that shape our world, and the state-of-the-art studios responsible for bringing the news to over one billion people around the globe. The CNN field trip takes approximately one hour to go through the entire studio. You will see news in the making as it is actually happening. The walking tour descends 8 flights of stairs. Elevator assistance is available. CNN Tours offers visitors a unique opportunity to go behind the scenes of CNN's international networks … tracing the growth of CNN as it parallels world events over the past 20 years. Visitors are able to actually 'see' news travel though the newsrooms of CNN and Headline News on its way to the anchor's desk where it is delivered live right before their eyes.
 Dinner: Dinner will be at the hotel.
 Evening: Enjoy a performance of Zorro at the Alliance Theatre. Synopsis: From the old American West comes the legend of Zorro, a fighter of corruption and lover of beautiful women. When Don Diego comes home from Spain, he finds his father dead and his brother running Los Angeles...badly. Don Diego's foppish exterior hides the soul of a desert fox—Zorro! A deliciously fun extravaganza that conquered audiences throughout Europe and London's West End, this wonderful musical features songs by the Gipsy Kings in a new American adaptation.
   
Accommodations: Hyatt Place Buckhead Atlanta
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5: Presentation/Field Trip High Museum/Free Afternoon and Evening/Dinner on your Own
(Thursday, April 4)
   
 Breakfast: Continental Breakfast Buffet held at hotel.
 Morning: LECTURE: Atlanta: Past, Present and Future. FIELD TRIP: The High Museum of Art, founded in 1905 as the Atlanta Art Association, is the leading art museum in the Southeastern United States . Located in Atlanta 's Midtown arts and business district, the High has over 11,000 works of art in its permanent collection. The Museum has an extensive anthology of 19th- and 20th-century American art; significant holdings of European paintings and decorative art; a growing collection of African American art; and burgeoning collections of modern and contemporary art, photography and African art. The leading museum in the Southeastern United States, the High is dedicated to supporting and collecting works by Southern artists and is distinguished as the only major general museum in North America to have a curatorial department specifically devoted to the field of folk and self-taught art.
 Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant.
 Afternoon: Free afternoon to explore on your own. The hotel shuttle will take you anywhere within a two mile radius of the hotel free of charge. The coordinator will give suggestions for activities and places to go.
 Dinner: Dinner on your own. Restaurant list provided.
 Evening: Free evening to enjoy on your own.
   
Accommodations: Hyatt Place Buckhead Atlanta
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 6: Breakfast/Speaker/Check-Out
(Friday, April 5)
   
 Breakfast: Continental breakfast buffet will be served daily.
 Morning: Classroom speaker. Program ends at 10:30 am.
   
Meals Included: Breakfast
Important information about your itinerary: Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information featured on this website. Itineraries are based on our best information at this time. Circumstances beyond our control may require us to adjust itineraries or other details. We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding. Information will be sent to you from your Program Provider approximately three weeks prior to the program start date. The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.

Suggested Reading List


Atlanta: Then and Now


Author: Michael Rose


Description: Atlanta Then and Now is a captivating chronicle of history and change since the dawn of the camera age. It pairs historic photographs, many over a century old, with specially commissioned views of the same scene as it exists today showing the evolution of Atlanta.



Images of America - Buckhead


Author: Susan Kesslers Barnard


Remembering Atlanta


Author: Michael Rose


Description: The City in the Forest, Atlanta was a spot found in the wilderness of north Georgia for the end of a railroad line. It was thought few people would stay here, because most would be passing through to somewhere else. Instead, the people remained and the town grew, growing from Terminus to Marthasville to Atlanta. The city was defined by the rail lines, and for that reason, General William T. Sherman came with the Civil War. After he left the city in ruins, Atlanta rebuilt, rising from the ashes, raising a brave and beautiful city. With a selection of fine historic images from his best-selling book, Historic Photos of Atlanta, Michael Rose provides a valuable and revealing historical retrospective on the growth and development of Atlanta. For a century and a half, Atlanta has been the southern city on the move, a town of railroads, business and trade—putting up and pulling down—airplanes and highways, America’s team and international Olympics. Along the way, professional and amateur photographers have documented Atlanta’s rich visual history. This volume, Remembering Atlanta, presents over 100 images of the city’s past, including views of its streets, the people who called it home, and the life, look, and feel of Atlanta.





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