Well I am back home now. My tour of Atlanta has concluded.
Today we visited the Margaret Mitchell house, which was the home of Margaret Mitchell when she wrote the very famous story, Gone With the Wind. The book was translated into 27 languages when it was originally published and was the second most popular book, with the Bible being the first.
Margaret Mitchell actually did not occupy the entire house that is named after her. Her and her second husband occupied apartment number 1, a small one bedroom apartment on the bottom floor. We we able to visit the apartment today as well as the museum dedicated to her that is located on the upper floors of the house.
We also got a sneak peak of the new exhibit, "The Making of a Film Legend" which houses the story boards and custom designs and the many various stories behind the making and premiere of the movie Gone With the Wind.
Margaret Mitchell's life and her famous book are known for truly capturing the spirit and culture of southern charm and grace. A tour through the house and hearing about her story can take you back into a another time where things were not simpler, but were definitely full of drama and adventures.
From the Margaret Mitchell house we drove to the Atlanta History Center, which was actually founded by Margaret Mitchell's father. Our tour guide took us through the Tullie Smith Farm Gardens where we got to experience what southern life was like before the Civil War. Do you know the saying "sleep tight?" Well it might have originated from the fact the people used to sleep on beds with rope holding up the mattresses. Weekly they would have to tighten up the rope, which gives way to the saying "sleep tight."
We concluded our tour with an absolutely lovely lunch at Swan Coach House where we were treated to wonderful chicken and shrimp salads served in their hand made timbales and complimented very nicely with their Champagne punch. However, the southern hospitality that we were given was just as wonderful as the food.
As I departed I explained to one of my companion's that I am going to make my mom proud this weekend. You see, my mom is a southern girl, born and raised in Kentucky. I was born and raised in Miami, which although it is in the South, it is not southern. I never truly allowed myself to truly appreciate the southern culture, but the past few days I have come to more than appreciate it, but to actually fall in love with many aspects of the culture and of Atlanta's heritage.