Spouse Tours

Tuesday, October 2, 2012
8:30 am - 1:00 pm Departs Omni at CNN North Tower (main lobby)

A Taste of the Peach (half day tour)

Prepare yourself for an exciting taste of Atlanta. This city tour will introduce you to the sprawling metropolis locals fondly call "The Big Peach".

Relax as your experienced guide acquaints you with the city's history--from its fiery past to its exciting future. You will learn how Atlanta grew from the destruction of the Civil War era to the dramatic destination chosen to host the 1996 Olympic Games.

Drive through downtown to witness the blend of past and present that makes the city so strikingly handsome. Catch a glimpse of Peachtree Center, Georgia's gold-domed State Capitol, the Georgia World Congress Center, the Georgia Dome, Philips Arena, Centennial Olympic Park, CNN Center and much, much more. You will also drive through the Martin Luther King, Jr. Historic District on "Sweet Auburn Avenue" and pass by the MLK Center, Dr. King's birth home and tomb. Then it's off toward revitalized Midtwon, home of the world headquarters of the Coca-Cola Company.

Continue your trail of history down world famous Peachtree Street, past the Fabulous Fox Theater, the Woodruff Arts Center, Colony Square and the High Museum of Art. You will drive through the exclusive Buckhead neighborhood, one of Atlanta's prime residential districts, passing by the Georgia Governor's Mansion and the Atlanta History Center.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012
8:30 am - 1:00 pm Departs Omni at CNN North Tower (main lobby) 

Award Winning Atlantans (half day tour)

Nobel laureates and Pulitzer Prize Winners alike call Atlanta home. Atlanta is very proud of her distinguished citizens and the global impact they have had in questions of peace, justice and literature. Spend today with three of the most prominent Atlantans: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., President Jimmy Carter, and Margaret Mitchell.  

Enjoy a spectacular visit to one of Atlanta’s most beloved attractions, Margaret Mitchell's "Dump". This is the home she lived in with her husband while writing the world famous book Gone With the Wind in 1926. It was an old apartment house located in the Midtown area of Atlanta and in need of many repairs. Lovingly, Ms. Mitchell referred to the residence as the “Dump” and now seventy years later, it stands in the shadows of Atlanta’s contemporary structures.  

You will also have the unique opportunity to visit a new museum at the Margaret Mitchell House. The museum exhibits Herb Bridges collection of Gone With The Wind movie memorabilia and opened on December 15, 1999, the 60th anniversary of Gone With The Wind’s premiere. Bridges is considered the world’s foremost authority on Gone With The Wind and this is the largest memorabilia collection.  

The museum consists of three main sections: Making The Movie, The Premiere, and the Movie’s Legacy. Artifacts on display include movie set design sketches and props, movie scripts, movie posters from a variety of foreign countries, premiere event programs, seats from the Loew’s Grand Theater and film footage of the premiere. The portrait of Scarlett in her blue dress that appeared in the movie is also displayed. 

Then you will drive through the Martin Luther King, Jr. Historic District on "Sweet Auburn Avenue" and pass by the MLK Center, Dr. King's birth home and tomb. You will see the moving eternal flame that lights his grave, as well as the Ebenezer Baptist Church where he came into his own as a preacher and orator.  

Guests will continue with a tour of the Carter Presidential Library. Be a part of history and discover the everlasting peace-keeping efforts of Nobel laureate President Jimmy Carter. See firsthand the inspirations and motivations of this monumental man. The Carter Presidential Library and Museum re-opened on October 1, 2009 after undergoing a $10 million renovation. The Carter Center has been transformed into one of the top museums in the country. The $10 million building project chronicles the life of the 39th president from his birth in 1924 through the post presidency. The museum has a brand-new look, which includes history-making scenes from around the world. It allows the public to discover the multi-faceted work of The Carter Center, the nonprofit organization which the former president and his wife, founded in 1982 after leaving the White House. New exhibits allow visitors to take a virtual trip around the world with the Carters to work on health and democracy programs and to experience a day in the life of the President.  

Thursday, October 4, 2012
9:00 am - 3:30 pm Departs Omni at CNN North Tower (main lobby) 

Historic Roswell (full day tour)

Around every corner in Roswell you will find a bit of history. Churches, plantation homes and cemeteries tell the stories of a community that has stood the test of time. From its Cherokee Indian heritage, to the gold rush and later the beginnings of a mill town ravaged by the Civil War, Roswell is now home to an array of fine shops, museums and restaurants— many of which are housed in the very buildings that formed Roswell’s history.

Today, you will begin your Roswell explorations by visiting one of the area’s most historic homes. Bulloch Hall was built in 1840 by Major James Stephens Bulloch, one of Roswell’s first settlers and the grandson of Governor Archibald Bulloch. This impressive Greek Revival structure, built of heart pine, has been described as one of the most significant houses in Georgia, and one of the South’s few examples of true temple-form architecture with full pedimented portico. The floor plan, typical to the period, is called a 4-square and features a lofty center entrance hall with an equal number of rooms on each side. There are eleven fireplaces and a kitchen complete with a beehive oven.  

Major Bulloch took great care with the grounds. Along with an arbor, thirty-seven shade and fruit trees were planted. Today the grounds of Bulloch Hall boast 142 trees on the Historic Tree Register.  

Bulloch Hall has been the setting for many impressive events, chief among them was the wedding of Major Bulloch’s daughter, Mittie, on December 22, 1853 to Theodore Roosevelt. Little did those in attendance realize they were witnessing a union that would produce a U.S. President, Teddy Roosevelt. In 1905, President Roosevelt came to see his mother’s childhood home and spoke to a crowd from the bandstand in the town square.  

Next enjoy a wonderful lunch at the Fickle Pickle Restaurant, set in a Victorian cottage built circa late 1800’s. The Fickle Pickle offers a down home atmosphere which provides the perfect setting to enjoy old-fashioned Southern classics and comfort food with a modern twist.  

After lunch, continue down Canton Street for an enjoyable afternoon of shopping. Canton Street is known for it’s quaint art galleries, antique shops and specialty gift stores. For the perfect Southern souvenir, Fiddle-dee-dee, has hard to find collectibles and gifts, plus affordable gift baskets packed full of down-home Southern goodies. Just a few shops down, The Chandlery has a sophisticated selection of gifts, linens and home accessories. This store also offers a relaxed atmosphere and a good dose of Southern hospitality. 

Then pass through Roswell’s quaint square to visit the Smith House Plantation. Reminiscent of a time when the white of the cotton blossoms could be seen for miles, swaying in the cool Southern breezes, Smith Plantation exemplifies the life of an affluent farm family in early Georgia. Archibald Smith came here to escape the Southern heat and insects of coastal Georgia, bringing his wife, children and thirty-six servants to run the plantation. Fully furnished in period pieces belonging originally to the family, Smith Plantation is one of Roswell’s historic treasures. The plantation stands today as majestically as it did in 1845. Costumed guides bring the Smith Plantation to life with stories of the family and the Civil War era.  

This will be a memorable day experiencing Roswell’s historic treasures and present-day charm.

Spouse's tours are included in the spouse registration, as well as registration for hosted events. To register as a spouse please click here to complete the registration form.