The Week I Took a Staycation

Have you ever taken a Staycation? This past week I took my first and it was truly a lot of fun! From time to time I get e-mails from friends who are headed to the Atlanta area and are looking for ideas on what to do and where to go during their visit. I’ll definitely be referring them to this post in the future.

staycation-definition

 

FRIDAY

My friend, Linda, flew in on Friday, September 30th, and we wasted no time getting our week of fun underway. After leaving the airport, we stopped by The Barbecue Kitchen that’s just a few exits down on Virginia Avenue for some good southern food.

I had their baked chicken with collard greens, stewed squash and cornbread, followed by their home-made banana pudding for dessert. Actually, I think everything is homemade. Linda had their barbecue, two veggies (forgotten which) and peach cobbler for dessert.

Afterwards, we waddled out and headed for home. Once Linda was settled into her room, we headed off to A Classy Flea, arriving about an hour before they closed.

classy-flea

 

I’m kind of regretting not getting this Butler’s Coffee table. It was only $39! It would work well in my future “library” in front of the red camel-back sofa, if I ever finish that room as I’d like to. That room is way down the list of to-do’s, somewhere after “Renovate all 3 bathrooms.”

coffee-table_wm

 

We were fascinated with this vintage double-stroller. I bet it’s from around the 1940’s because I’ve seen a photo of my sister in a similar stroller from back around that time.

antique-twin-stroller

 

Loved these old glass door knobs!

antique-glass-door-knobs

 

Pretty dishes!

princess-china-sweet-briar

 

They were only $68 for the whole set!

dishes

 

I can’t remember where we ate that night. During the week Linda was here, we usually had a large mid-morning breakfast, then stopped for a late lunch or early dinner somewhere during the day.

Lunch was usually a large meal, often accompanied by dessert. Despite all the walking we did, I know I gained a couple of pounds this past week. Usually at night we’d snack on our many left-overs or something I already had here at home. There may have been a few Peach Belleni nights out on the porch. 😉

Screened Porch Freshly Painted

 

SATURDAY

On Saturday we spent the day antiquing at Queen of Hearts in Alpharetta, Georgia.

Love this hall tree! It was priced at $649.

hall-tree

 

Saw a beautiful antique needlepoint fire screen for only $245.

needlepoint-firescreen

 

Afterwards we lunched at Greenwood’s on Green Street.

greenwoods-on-green-street-restaurant

Photo from Greenwood’s on Green Street Website

 

I’ve shared photos from Greenwood’s before HERE and HERE. My favorite spot to eat at Greenwood’s is out on the porch overlooking their garden.

Dining on the Porch at Greenwood's on Green Street

 

The garden is on the wane now that fall is here, but it was still beautiful.

greenwoods-on-green-street-garden

 

I ordered their Fried Green Tomatoes as an appetizer and they were outstanding! If you follow BNOTP on Instagram HERE, you saw these in real time when I posted them during our visit. They were truly the best I’ve ever had. I will definitely be ordering them again on my next visit.

fried-green-tomatoes

 

I had their delicious pot roast, black-eyed peas, collard greens and cornbread for lunch. Linda had a vegetable plate which included sweet potatoes, broccoli casserole, carrots and cabbage. We split a humongous slice of coconut cream pie. Greenwood’s is known for their homemade pies so it’s pretty much a requirement to have some on every visit.

coconut-cream-pie

 

After lunch we went antiquing at Dupre’s Antique Market on the Marietta Square where I picked up a lamp that was being repaired at Flourish Art and Antiques, a shop that’s located inside of Dupre’s. The dresser and dollhouse in my guest room and the oval table on the screened porch came from Dupre’s many years ago.

I also took Linda on a little driving tour through some of the historic districts in Marietta. Of course, we had to drive by my friend, Marie’s, home that’s currently all lit up for Halloween. This photo below is from a previous year, but I’ll be sharing photos of this year’s decorations later this month. You won’t want to miss it!

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Victorian Home Decorated for Halloween

 

We made a quick run by HomeGoods and Trader Joe’s before the day was done. That was the HomeGoods trip where I found the black and white plates used in this past week’s Tablescape Thursday.

 

SUNDAY

On Sunday, we drove into Atlanta for the Candler Park Tour of Homes. This tour also included three chicken coops. Surprisingly, there were no restrictions on taking photos inside some of the homes, but I didn’t take any to share on the blog since these were private homes and I wasn’t sure the owners would like having their homes shared online.

candler-park-tour-of-homes

 

I did take this photo of a home that wasn’t on the tour. It was amazing! The front of the home is symmetrical. The same porches that you see below are repeated on the right side. Wish it had been on the tour! I love houses like this!

victorian-home-in-candler-park

 

After a day touring the homes in Candler Park, we stopped by Pappasitos Restaurant for frozen margaritas and some good Mexican food.

restaurant

Photo from Yelp.com

 

MONDAY

On Monday we headed to Roswell and toured Bulloch Hall…

bulloch-hall

 

…and Barrington Hall.

barrington-hall

 

Bulloch and Barrington are two of the homes that are part of Roswell’s Southern Trilogy tour. Both homes have a rich history. Bulloch Hall has direct ties to President Theodore Roosevelt who visited the home in 1905. It’s where his mother, Martha Bulloch Roosevelt lived as a child. His parents were married there in December 1853.

Afterwards we shopped in Ballard Designs Outlet and Grandinroad, also in Roswell, Georgia. Neither of us bought anything but it was fun shopping and seeing the fun Halloween stuff in Grandinroad.

That evening we drove over to Smyrna, Georgia to have dinner at Muss and Turner’s with a relative of Linda’s who lives in the area.

roswell-house-museums-georgia

 

TUESDAY

On Tuesday we toured the World of Coca-Cola. You can read more about that in this previous post: Back to the Future Meets Harry Potter.

world-of-coca-cola-georgia

 

After the WOC tour we had dinner at a restaurant near the Atlanta Botanical Garden, then entered the garden about 1-1/2 to 2 hours before nightfall. We toured all of the garden by day, then toured the whole garden again after dark so we could see all the Chihuly Glass Art illuminated at night.

I was really glad I had visited the garden a couple of weeks before with a friend and had seen the Earth Goddess during that visit. (View that post here: Chihuly in the Garden)

atlanta-botanical-garden-chihuly-in-the-garden-31

 

By the night of our visit, all the flowers had been removed and the Earth Goddess form was completely bare with no color at all. I shared photos from my blog (via my phone) with a few folks who were standing around asking why she looked this way. If you had never seen her covered in flowers, it was really confusing to see her in this state.

The Chihuly art pieces were really beautiful all throughout the garden, although one end of the boat (in the water below) didn’t appear to be illuminated.

earth-goddess-and-chihuly-art-at-night-atlanta-botanical-garden

 

If I were doing it again, I would not see the World of Coca-Cola and the Botanical Gardens in the same day, at least not when I’m planning on walking the entire garden twice: once by day and again after dark. That was a bit too much walking for one day since we had already done a lot of walking/standing in World of Coca-Cola earlier in the day.

At one point, I sat down while Linda was doing something else. When it came time to stand back up, I felt like I couldn’t move. lol Have you ever had that happen? As long as you keep moving, you’re okay, but you sit down and it’s all over!

I was sooo tired! I did drag myself up out of the chair and amazingly, after we sat down again an hour or so later and I had some water to drink, I felt much, much better. Looking back, I think I may have been getting a bit dehydrated and just hadn’t realized it.

 

WEDNESDAY

On Wednesday, I arose and completed and photographed the Halloween table I shared in this post: Halloween Table with MacKenzie-Childs Inspired Dishware

halloween-table-setting-in-black-and-white

 

Afterwards we headed back to Roswell, Georgia to tour the Smith Plantation, the final house we had not previously seen in the Roswell trilogy.

smith-plantation

Photo from Wikipedia

After the tour, we had dinner at The Swallow at the Hollow, a barbecue restaurant owned by the same folks who own Greenwood’s on Green Street. The Swallow is just across the street from Greenwood’s. You can see the smoke billowing up from it in this photo taken from the porch at Greenwood’s.

smoke-from-swallow-at-the-hollow

 

THURSDAY

On Thursday we toured the Gone With The Wind Museum in Marietta, Georgia. It was so interesting! I’ll do a separate post sharing some photos I took during our visit. The Marietta Museum of History is right next door, too.

Update: You’ll find a tour of the Gone With The Wind Museum here: Gone With The Wind Museum: The Beautiful Dresses, Furniture and Collectible Memorabilia

gone-with-the-wind-museum

 

After we finished touring the Gone With The Wind Museum, we toured the historic William Root House & Garden that’s just a stone’s throw away. The Root House is believed to be the oldest home in Marietta, Georgia.

william-root-house

Photo from Marietta Visitors Bureau

Of course, I could do a whole post on the Root House but I’ll just share something special our guide shared with us during our tour. In the garden, she showed us a vine called Love in a Puff. Such a cute name!

Love in a Puff gets its name from its seeds. Down inside the little balloon-shaped, puffy pods that adorn the plant, there are three little seeds and each has a tiny little heart on it. Is that not the cutest?!

love-in-a-puff-heart-seed

 

Afterward, we had lunch at Douceur De France, a French bakery & cafe. I had their Beef Bourguignon (which was excellent) along with the most delicious lentil salad and French bread. I could have made a meal out of just the salad and the bread! For dessert, I had a big slice of Rum Pecan Pie. Everything on the menu is made by their chefs and the food is just beyond words!

Linda had their fabulous Tomato Basil soup, a favorite of mine. When I used to work near their original location, I would often stop by and pick up a to-go jar of their tomato basil soup to have for supper. Along with the soup, Linda had broccoli cheese quiche and proclaimed it to be the best she had ever eaten. I think she had a lemon bar for dessert.

douceur-de-france-marietta

 

We each bought a box of their macarons to take home and enjoy later. The flavors below (starting from the bottom) are: Vanilla, Pistachio, Lemon, Cappuccino, Pumpkin, Salted Caramel, Raspberry and Lavender White Chocolate.

macarons

 

That evening we went on the Ghosts of Marietta Tour. I’ve been on it several times before. It’s basically a history tour of Marietta with some spooky tales thrown in for fun.

ghosts-of-marietta

 

FRIDAY

On Friday I said good-bye to Linda as I sadly dropped her off at the Atlanta airport for her return home. And thus ended my Staycation, one of the most fun weeks I’ve had in a long time.

Have you ever taken a Staycation before? I definitely recommend it!

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Comments

  1. Marty@A Stroll Thru Life says

    This sounds like you two were super busy and took in all the sights, but what fun. It’s fun to visit all the best spots with a friend.

  2. Holly Rigby says

    I am exhausted just reading about your staycation. Relatives took a mini vacation to Atlanta, Marietta on their way home to Florida, from summering on Cape Cod, avoiding the hurricane. They loved it! You have incredible energy…and yours is my favorite blog! Your friend Linda is one lucky woman!

  3. Carol Bolash says

    Wow! Thank you so much for sharing your staycation. Always good to have ideas when someone comes to visit. My sister and I will definitely visit the places we haven’t been before.

  4. Angelina Tigera says

    Sitting at home in Miami, thankful that Hurricane Mathew treated us with kindness and watching Uof Miami against Florida state, You took me on a tour of Georgia! What a nice trip to spend with a friend. Thank you for sharing!

  5. Linda Page says

    First I must say “Thanks” to Susan for being such a wonderful hostess and tour guide. We had a wonderful week in Atlanta and the surrounding areas. I should say that I loved everywhere Susan took me. I loved all of the tours, all of the restaurants and all of the antique shops. I wish that I had driven to Georgia so I could have brought back all of the stuff that I wanted to buy and didn’t have room for on an airplane!!! At Douceur de France I had the tomato basil soup and the broccoli cheese quiche. The quiche was the best I have ever eaten. All of the tours we did were great. Each docent was wonderful and full of great historical information. There are so many antique shops near Susan’s home and we didn’t get to go in all of them. They all have such cute names. I loved The Classy Flea and Queen of Hearts. Dupre’s was also great. I got a table runner in there. Next time I hope to see Classy Clutter. Don’t you just love that name!! Marietta is a beautiful area. Lots of trees and beautiful landscapes. It makes me want to move!!! I am very lucky to be friends with Susan and so appreciate all of her efforts in making my visit absolutely fabulous!!

  6. Oh my goodness, there are so many wonderful places to see in your town! All of the meals you described sound incredible as well. I always enjoy your blog. -Jenn

    • Thanks, Jenn! So glad you enjoyed that part. Since we visited some really great restaurants, I wanted to include those for others who may one day travel or pass through. 🙂

  7. I have never been on one, but yours sounds like it was wonderful.

  8. Sounds like you had a marvelous time. I love my friends, but there is a limit. When my dear friend comes to visit with her husband, we let the boys be boys and we do our thing. Some shopping, yes, some lunch for sure, dinner always with the boys, and then jammies, hot chocolate, curled up in my big bed to catch up. We talk till we drop!

  9. I gained five pounds reading about what you ate! Sounded incredible. So many fun places.

  10. Always a very interesting posting, but this one is wonderful.
    Smiles

  11. When/if I return to Atlanta, I’ll definitely revisit this post. You covered a lot of ground Susan!

  12. Susan,
    I will be referring to this post for a trip to the Atlanta area. Your STAYcation looks like a great VAcation for me.

    Judith

  13. Cynthia Lambert says

    In 1981 I lived within walking distance of Barrington Hall, so I walked over there and Katharine Simpson, the owner, gave me a tour. Since no one else was on the tour, she spent the next two hours alone with me, telling me about the house, and her family’s life there, the Union army occupation during the Civil War, and other stories. It was a fascinating way to spend the day.

    • Wow, Cynthia…that is so cool! What a wonderful memory! The home is owned by Sarah Winner now. She purchased it and restored it over the space of two years. She doesn’t live there now, although she still owns it. We really are lucky to be able to visit these wonderful old homes.

  14. Wow, Susan, you can add the title of “Tour Guide” to the MANY hats that you wear!! What a wonderful Staycation you arranged. I’m sure your friend had a ball! It’s so much fun to share like interests with a dear friend…….especially when antique stores and yummy food are involved. Sounds like many special memories were made: a great way to spend a week. Thanks for sharing all there is to see in your area. A fun post!
    Rosie

  15. It sounds like you live in a wonderful area. So many lovely places to visit and eat at. I do think you should go back to the Classy Flea and get that Butler’s table. There must be somewhere for it in your lovely home.

    • I thought about it, but I’m sure it’s gone now. Not sure when I’ll get that room finished, so I guess I’d better wait…but it was so tempting! Thanks, Barbara!

  16. I love your post! I will refer to it when visiting Atlanta! I should do a staycation. I live in Memphis and have never visited Graceland, Sun Records or the Civil Rights Museum that includes the hotel were Martin Luther King was shot. Memphis also has a Victorian Village that has several Victorian homes. Elmwood cemetary would be a stop too…. lots of fun shops too! Gee there is lots to do here! You should come to visit Memphis and I will escort you! Lol

  17. Wow, Susan, what an incredible week! I would have loved to have done exactly all that you did (and yes, I know the feeling of walking too much or being on my feet too much. It causes me restless leg syndrome when I try to sleep). Your restaurant choices and foods, your shopping, your museum & house tours (wished I’d known about the GWTW and Wm Root House!)….fabulous. As the saying goes, great minds…..I almost bought those doorknobs at Classy Flea, they were all in such good shape! I loved your tablescape, btw (don’t think I commented that day, but did enjoy reading it then). I also penned an upcoming post on the Botanical Gardens, it was so wonderful.
    I’ve never done a week-long staycation, but yours really was awesome. There’s so much to do in your area. I bet Linda loved it, too. Glad you enjoyed your week.

    • ps…is that little love in a pod seed resting on your book spine in the photo? Did it just happen to jump into your purse you were carrying??? And will we see it growing in your garden next year, hmmm? 😉

    • Ugh, I’ve had something similar after sitting on an airplane too long and it was no fun! Thanks, Rita! I always have trouble thinking of places to recommend when folks ask, you kinda forget what’s here when you live here all the time. Hopefully this post will help. There were a few other places we didn’t get to…may have to take a Staycation 2 one day. lol

      That little seed was from a plant our docent called, “Love in a Puff.” You can see a photo of it here: http://bit.ly/2e7Vno3
      The little pods are kinda balloon shaped and really cute! I read that it can be a bit invasive, so that kinda scared me off from planting one in my yard.

  18. I want to come visit you!! Love this post! I’ve always driven thru Georgia never stopping, now I want to come and see its beauty. Antiquing, touring old homes, gardens and eating, all with a good friend. Doesn’t get any better!

    • Carol, definitely do! I didn’t mention this in the article but every single person we came in contact with during the week was soooo nice! Maybe it was the perfect weather we were having but everyone we encountered was in a great mood. They made me proud to be living here.

  19. Cyndi Raines says

    Thank you Susan for taking us on your staycation. Loved it and now when I come to Georgia, I’ll already have an idea of where to go and what to do!! My husband loves anything to do with the Civil War, so maybe we’ll actually get to come to your beautiful state. All the food you ate is making me really hungry!! ha.

    • Cyndi, be sure and check out the Atlanta Cyclorama and Civil War Museum. You can read more about it here: http://bit.ly/2dOlRaP
      Also, they have re-enactments at Kennesaw Mountain once a year, or at least they used to…so you may want to call them to ask if they still do that. You definitely hear about the Civil War a lot during the historic home tours.

  20. What a great week! I went to a wedding in Roswell last year and fell in love with the area. I would love to go back and see more.

  21. Susan, what a wonderful week you and Linda shared. Great food, fun, fellowship and all with a friend. You couldn’t ask for anything more!

  22. OH MY…I would love this whole thing. The fried green tomato dish looked spectacular, as did the pie. I have not been to your area, please call me when you want a bed and breakfast guest! 🙂 Inspired by the halloween porch, think we will light ours up this year. I enjoy hearing what people ate, is that odd?

    • No, definitely not odd! The food is so good here in the Atlanta area, I figured it was worth sharing. Food is always one of the best parts of traveling for me, I love trying the local fare. 🙂

  23. Linda Louise S. says

    Susan, It sounds like you and Linda had a great girlfriend week. Such fun. All the things you did sounded like things I would love to do with my friend. Thanks for describing everything in such detail. Wish I were there.

    • It was a fun week, for sure! I really felt like I’d been on a vacation. I had forgotten how much there is to see and do here so this was a good reminder for me, as well. I finally got to see some places I’ve only heard about or driven by, like the Gone with the Wind Museum. Been meaning to go there forever! Thanks, Linda!

  24. This was JUST RIGHT!! I have long wanted a trip to Atlanta, etc. and wondered..”where to start??…” Well, you certainly answered that!! I’m copying this for my travel folder. Hmmm…guess I’d better hitch up the trailer to the car with all those antiques… franki

    • Thanks, Franki! I think we only scratched the surface. I should make a full list of places to go and things to see and add it to the end of this post. Yes! Antiquing is awesome here! 🙂

  25. Judy Hubbard says

    Hi Susan: What a great post! I loved all the food descriptions! And so many wonderful shops to visit. It makes me want to visit Atlanta sometime. Would you consider running a tour?!!

    • lol You really don’t need a tour guide since all the old houses and places you visit (like the Gone with the Wind Museum) have guides or information. I used my car’s GPS or the Google’s verbal directions on my phone throughout the trip, so it was pretty easy finding all the places we wanted to go.

  26. Fabulous fun post with great details and photos; thanks for taking us along. I’m with the others–now I’m hungry AND feel like I’ve gained weight.

  27. I loved traveling with you two on your adventures throughout Atlanta and beyond. My friend and I could not make it to Charleston one year for our annual getaway, and so we created a “day in Charleston” right here in Greenville, SC. We don’t have the “market”, but we do have an old building with individual vendor stalls and so we started there. For lunch, we stuck with southern favorites, and then headed to our museum, where they had a exhibit themed “life in Charleston.” We topped the day off by catching dinner (shrimp and grits of course) and a show (all in the same venue). It was really fun to think outside the box and come up with a way to enjoy one of our favorite cities without leaving our own. Atlanta would be full of possibilities (I can just see a “day in Paris”…. ). Many happy adventures to you and your dear friends!

    • That’s just how I felt, Roxane…and I know you guys have a blast! I couldn’t wait to get going each day because we were doing so many fun things all week. I’ve always wanted to go on one of Charleston’s old home tours, I should look into that!

  28. Penny Henderson says

    Hi Susan, I want to thank you for a perfectly wonderful trip down memory lane. We moved from Dallas, GA 3 years ago and your little adventure was just the pick me up my heart needed. Thank you so much. Kindly, Penny

  29. Oh my goodness Susan, what a wonderful week you had. I felt like I was right there with the two of you and enjoyed all the beautiful homes and the delicious food. You should plan a week or weekend to have a few friends from your blogs come up for a tour with you. We could stay in a hotel and meet you to travel around and see all the great things to visit in your area. I want to be first on the list. 🙂 I love your blog and look forward to reading and enjoying it everyday. Have a wonderful week and keep sharing. Love Ya

  30. Wow, what a week! I would need a vacation to recover from that staycation! I’ve been to many of the places you mentioned and know where several of the others are. I tried to buy macarons at Douceur De France one Saturday as I was passing that way, but the lines were so long that I gave up. I’ll be in Marietta in a couple of weeks for a funeral, I’m going to try to time it so I can visit A Classy Flea while I’m there. I’d LOVE a set of those doorknobs. So glad you and Linda had fun touring in your own backyard!

  31. May I recommend -www.frenchmarkettavern.com
    A couple of weeks ago while over at my daughter’s in Georgia she and I had a day out for her 50th birthday and after following up on her friend’s recommendation we spent some totally delightful time in Locust Grove, Georgia at the French Market Tavern…restaurant, and wonderful Décor` that makes one drool (well actually 2-both of us) Admittedly there weren’t endless options in this small town but ohmygoodness…enough to make another trip…perhaps two or three times a year! We were restrained …didn’t buy lots but we knew we would be back. I think she already has a day trip planned with a few friends…caution re the food. My observation: Appetizers and desserts can easily be “shared”. …the hot (spinach,etc) dip we shared would have easily fed one or two more and the dessert…CARROT CAKE…like none I have ever had…
    As we ventured down the street we found a great little shop filled to the seams with wonderful old and older treasurers.
    My one regret…I think we should have gotten an early (er) start on the day’s
    plan.

  32. bobbi duncan says

    I love staycations, and yours sounds perfect. Know Linda really appreciated your hospitality–what fun! Because we live where four states are close together, and each being very different, there is always an event going on not far from home. You simply can not do them all in any one season, so we alternate from year to year. My calendar , especially for Oct., Nov., and Dec. stays pretty full, but it’s such fun, and makes for great memories. Hugs!

  33. maureen orford says

    What a wonderful week you had. My kind of girl….shopping, eating and laughing. Cheers from Australia….

  34. What a wonderful “staycation” that you had with your friend!

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