Friday, 4/8/2011 - Arrive Atlanta, Georgia
Optional transfers from home or our departure points this morning will have us at Los Angeles International Airport for our nonstop flight arriving at Atlanta’s International Airport this afternoon. Upon arrival we will board our deluxe motorcoach and travel the short distance to our Atlanta hotel with an included dinner this evening.

Saturday, 4/9/2011 - Atlanta
Joined by a local guide this morning, we’ll travel to the Atlanta History Center located in the lush area of the city known as Buckhead. Explore the history of the South through award winning exhibitions, including one of the country’s largest exhibitions on the Civil War. Tour the 1928 Swan House, an elegant, classically styled mansion built in 1928 by heirs to a cotton brokerage fortune. Stroll through 33 acres of beautiful gardens and see the new Centennial Olympic Games Museum celebrating the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. An included lunch at the Swan Coach Inn – a structure that once served as the garage and servants’ quarters for the Swan House but is now an Atlanta tradition. Return to downtown Atlanta and visit the Margaret Mitchell House to see where Margaret Mitchell wrote the Putlizer winning book, Gone With the Wind. See the Gone With the Wind movie exhibition and an exhibition showcasing the life and times of one of America’s most famous authors. Included are original objects from the movie, correspondence, and artifacts such as the legendary doorway to Tara. Later, visit the South’s premier State Park, Stone Mountain Park. The mountain is not only the largest exposed mass of granite in the world and home to the largest bas relief sculpture in the world. This evening, time at your leisure for shopping and dining at Atlanta’s Lenox Square or Phipps Plaza.

Sunday, 4/10/2011 - Atlanta
Today, with our local guide we start the morning with the CNN Studio Tour. On a docent-guided tour get a behind-the-scenes look at all the action of delivering the news to the world. View the Main Newsroom, the Control Room Theater, and the workings of the Special Effects Studios. Later, we’ll cross Centennial Olympic Park for the Georgia Aquarium. This is not just another aquarium – this is the world’s largest aquarium with over 8 million gallons of water and the largest collection of aquatic animals from all over the globe. Hear you can find 100,000 animals and 500 different species, including Beluga whales, electric fish, piranhas, sea turtles, African blackfooted penguins, Japanese spider crabs, eels, otters, and sharks. This afternoon we’ll visit the National Museum of Patriotism, offering a unique experience complete with more than twenty educational displays and interactive exhibits that celebrate the American Spirit. By experiencing the museum, you will leave with a greater love for our nation and decide for yourself what patriotism means to you. Lastly, we’ll visit the World of Coca-Cola and learn about the history of the soft drink that was created in Atlanta over 100 years ago. In the museum is a 4-D movie, a fully operational bottling line, and the opportunity to sample more than 70 Coca-Cola products from around the world. An included dinner tonight at Pittypat’s Porch, downtown Atlanta’s oldest restaurant offering southern hospitality, and home-made southern cuisine.

Monday, 4/11/2011 - Atlanta
This morning we visit the Cyclorama where the true drama of the Civil War comes alive with the world’s largest oil painting, the 360 degree Battle of Atlanta. Later, a visit to the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum. This all new museum features interactive displays and fascinating exhibits where you can experience “A Day in the Life of the President” and step into the Oval Office. Lunch today on your own at the iconic Varsity – the world’s largest drive-in restaurant. Hungry people have been coming to The Varsity from all over the world since 1928 because there is nothing like it anywhere! This afternoon, we visit and pay homage at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site. Tour Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birth home and historic Ebenezer Church. View films and exhibits, and reflect at King’s gravesite. After time to freshen up at the hotel, an included dinner this evening.

Tuesday, 4/12/2011 - Jonesboro, Macon
An included breakfast this morning before we head to Jonesboro featuring more than 100 years of history and heritage and Scarlett O’Hara’s hometown. Tour the Road to Tara Museum, containing an impressive inventory of Gone with the Wind book and movie memorabilia. There are original props, costume reproductions, plate and doll collections, and a photo gallery. Then visit Stately Oaks Plantation, believed to be one of the inspirations for Margaret Mitchell’s Tara. Tour the plantation and outbuildings including the original log kitchen, the school house and Juddy’s Country Store. This afternoon we continue to Macon, Georgia – a city of beautifully preserved landmarks, and a rich cultural heritage. See what makes the Old South so grand as we tour Macon with a local guide and visit the Hay House. This beautifully preserved antebellum home features indoor hot and cold plumbing, room-to-room intercom, elevator, and intricate ventilation systems – advanced features that were way ahead of their time when built just prior to the Civil War. After checking into our Macon hotel we’ll enjoy an included dinner at the Sidney Lanier Cottage. Sidney Lanier, one of the South’s greatest poets and musicians, was born in this historic Cottage in 1842. Overnight in Macon.

Wednesday, 4/13/2011 - Warm Springs
Following an included breakfast we travel for Warm Springs, Georgia. Roosevelt was so enchanted with Warm Springs that he built the only home he ever owned here – a modest, six room cottage called the Little White House which served as a relaxing, comfortable haven for him during his regular visits to Warm Springs. It was here he is believed to have developed his New Deal policies, here where he relaxed and socialized and here where he died on April 12, 1945. Visit the Little White House and glimpse into the life of our late president. This afternoon, enjoy lunch on your own at the Bulloch House, known for fried green tomatoes, pulleybones, butter rolls, and the best caramel cake in the South! This evening we check into the Callaway Gardens Lodge and Spa, an award-winning, 13,000-acre resort and preserve nestled in the southernmost foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.

Thursday, 4/14/2011 - Callaway Gardens
An included breakfast this morning before beginning an extensive guided tour of the Callaway Gardens. You’d never know you were standing on a former worn-out cotton field when tiptoeing among the astonishing azaleas and rhododendrons among the sprawling woodland gardens here. Visit at the time of year when more than 20,000 azaleas are normally in bloom. Besides the spectacular gardens there is also a butterfly center, where more than 1,000 varieties of the winged creatures float freely in a special conservatory. Time at your leisure to relax or enjoy many optional activities available at the resort this afternoon. An included farewell dinner this evening at the resort.

Friday, 4/15/2011 - Lagrange, Farewell
An included breakfast before we head to the hills…the Hills and Dales Estate in LaGrange, Georgia. This historic estate was the home of textile magnate Fuller E. Callaway and his family. Stroll through the historic Ferrell Gardens which are one of the best preserved 19th-century gardens in America featuring extensive boxwood plantings, fountains, and herb garden, and a greenhouse. Tour the centerpiece of the 35-acre estate, the beautiful Italian villa designed by the noted architects Neel Reid and Hal Hentz completed in 1916. In the late afternoon we head for the Atlanta Airport and our non-stop flight to Los Angeles. Those with pre-arranged transfers will be returned to their respective destination. Our journey through Georgia providing for spectacular experiences and memories.