Mountain View in North Georgia

Let us plan your fall getaway to see Atlanta and the North Georgia Mountains. You can immerse yourself in the beautiful red, bronze and orange colors. One of your rewards for staying at a Select Registry Inn is their Golden Quill Loyalty Program. It is EASY, stay 12 nights, register on-line and receive a $100 Gift Card to use on your next trip!

One of our most popular Atlanta attractions is the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Don’t miss the Canopy Walk and the Art in the Garden, including sculptures and water features. After a morning at the gardens its time to head over to the High Museum of Arts newest exhibit, Picasso to Warhol – Fourteen Modern Masters. One of the best kept secrets for lunch is Table 1280 at the Woodruff Arts Center, next door to the High Museum of Art. After an afternoon of seeing how these fourteen artists changed our ideas about what art is, stroll back to our Atlanta Bed and Breakfast for some late afternoon treats.

Start the day with one of our scrumptious breakfasts before you tour the Georgia Aquarium and visit with all the fish. After an early lunch at the DeKalb International Farmers Market, it is a short drive to Stone Mountain. On a clear day you can get a great view of the city and even see the North Georgia Mountains. Have an early dinner at Swift & 4th before returning to Shellmont Inn.

Tomorrow drive north towards Chattanooga, and check- in to one of my favorite Georgia Bed and Breakfast, the Chanticleer Inn in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. Spend the afternoon 1,800 feet above sea level with wonderful vistas of three states, Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia. Rock City Gardens is located just across the street with views of seven states. Wonderful restaurants are located just 10 minutes away in downtown Chattanooga.

After a delightful breakfast of Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes it is off to see Ruby Falls and Point Park. Finish up the day with a ride on the steepest passenger railway in the world, The Incline. Climb up Lookout Mountain with spectacular views of the mountains and the valleys. Your own Chocolate Fondue awaits you back at the Chanticleer Inn. Tomorrow we are off to Georgia’s Wine Country and and another Inn.

After arriving at the Beechwood Inn located in Clayton, Georgia it is time to explore Black Rock Mountain State Park. Black Rock Mountain State Park is the highest state park and offers wonderful hiking trails with scenic waterfalls. Spend the afternoon amazed at the wonderful colors and vistas of the  North Georgia Mountains before returning to the Inn.  Be sure and be back in time for the Daily Wine-Thirty at 5:30 for a complimentary wine tasting of Beechwood Inn Wines made from local grapes.

After a late breakfast, it is off to tour Tiger Mountain Vineyards  located on our way to  Glen-Ella Springs Inn in Clarksville, Georgia. Don’t miss all the wonderful art and antique galleries in Clarksville before checking-in. Be sure stroll over the inns 17 acres with meadows, perennial herb and flower gardens. Make sure to make your reservation for dinner when you book your room. Let Glen-Ella Springs Inn tempt your palate with a wonderful selection of entrees from Rainbow Trout to Beef Tenderloin.

After breakfast it is time to go back to home and dream about your next trip. Be sure and register your Golden Quill Loyalty Points. It is easy, stay 12 nights and get $100.00 Certificate for your next trip.

Hope to see you this fall!

Picasso Girl Before Mirrow , High Museum of Art

The High Museum of Art continues to WOW our guests with each new exhibit, Picasso to Warhol – 14 Modern Masters opens October 15, 2011 to April 29, 2012. Don’t miss your opportunity to enjoy over 100 Modern Masterpieces; this is the  largest collection of modern art masterpieces ever exhibited in the the southeast. This exhibit is in collaboration with The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York.

The Picasso to Warhol exhibit takes an in-depth look at each artists and their stylistic developments and highlights their role in the 20th century.  They were the Modern Masters of the invention of Cubism, the development of Surrealism and brought us Abstract art. A few of my favorites are Henri Matisse Dance (I), 1909, Pableo Picasso, Girl Before a Mirror, 1932, Andy Warhol’s Self-Portrait, 1966 and Jackson Pollock’s, Number 1A, 1948.

Purchase your tickets on-line from The High Museum of Art before October 14, 2011 and be eligible to Win a Warhol Weekend Getaway to New York City.  It includes round-trip airfare for two people, two nights accommodations, two tickets to the Museum of Modern Art, a private Warhol walking tour of the city and $200 for meals.

After a morning at the High Museum of Art head over to Table 1280 in the Woodruff Arts Center for lunch.  Be sure and save room for desert, as the tiramisu is divine. Then take a  leisurely stroll south on Peachtree Street back to our Atlanta Bed and Breakfast.

Rubber Ducks invade MODA

Atlanta was invaded by thousands of rubber ducks on their way to see Water Dream: The Art of Bathroom Design. The Museum of Design Atlanta, MODA, is presenting Water Dream: The Art of Bathroom Design on exhibit until September 24, 2011. See the timeline of how bathrooms evolved from being necessary for hygienic purposes to the luxurious bathrooms of today. Each of the designers used their own approach to designing today’s bathroom. Patricia Uriquola encourages her products to be touched, using handles on sinks that double as towel bars. Jean-Marie Massaud brings nature indoors by using stone, wood and grass as inspiration. Brothers, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec have a minimalist approach creating a serene landscape. Minimalist Designer, Phillipe Starck uses form and function to create a spa like experience with no distractions from our busy world.

After a morning at the Museum of Design Atlanta, head over to the High Museum of Art and lunch at one of my favorite restaurants, Table 1280 Restaurant. The regional inspired American menu will tempt your taste buds. As you stroll back to our Atlanta Bed and Breakfast dreaming about using your own suite with waterfall faucet, whirlpool for two and steam shower.

Italian motorcycle compliments of Barber Vintage Sports Museum

We would like to welcome the Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA) to Midtown.  They are located across the street from the High Museum of Art and just a short walk from the Atlanta Botanical Garden and our Atlanta Bed and Breakfast. 

Be inspired by all things designed from architecture, interiors and furniture, graphics, fashion and much more. You will become aware of how design plays an important role in our everyday lives.  The Museum of Design Atlanta’s first exhibit in their new home is Passione Italiana:  Design of the Italian Motorcycle. View eleven Italian motorcycles that span five decades, from vintage to contemporary.  You will learn how the intricate design of the world’s most sought after motorcycles relate to fashion, industry and furniture of the time.  Some of the masters of their craft are MV Aguste, Decati, Bimota and Moto-Morin. This exhibit is in cooperation with the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum.

Each Thursday evening the museum is open late, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. for Design & Drinks.  Indulge in a spirit and be entertained while  learning about the museums current exhibit. Hope to see you this Thursday!

The Clowness at the Moulin Rouge by Toulouse-Lautrec

If you love Paris as much as I do, don’t miss the High Museum of Art, Toulouse-Lautrec and Friends Exhibit at the Woodruff Arts Center, through  May 1st, 2011. There are more than 80 prints, drawings and sculptures by some of my favorite French artists, including 47 prized Toulouse-Lautrec prints, posters and paintings. You will also see artists Edgar Degas (1834-1917), Paul Gauguin (1848-1902) and sculpture by Charles Cordier (1827-1905).

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec work is the centerpiece of this exhibit.  He used his  friends that frequented the cafes, bars and brothels in the working class neighborhood of Montmarte as his subjects.  My favorite is his lithograph entitled, The Clowness at the Moulin Rouge.  The Clowness illustrates the famed contortionists Cha-u-kao.  It is one of only 20 impressions created by the artist.  This exhibit was made possible by prominent Atlanta collectors, Irene and Howard Stein.

After a morning at the High Museum of Art, be sure and have lunch at the High Museums Restaurant Table 1280.  They serve American cuisine with Regional flavors.  If the weather is nice, head over to the Atlanta Botanical Garden to see the new orchid exhibit,  Liquid Landscapes or visit Fernbank Museum, home of Atlanta’s dinosaurs.  See you back at our Atlanta Bed and Breakfast for some Afternoon Sweets.

If you love the Renaissance age, you will not want to miss this. There are twenty-five Renaissance masterpieces, including 12 paintings and 13 drawings by Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese and Lotto. My favorite of the exhibit is Titians, two Diana paintings. Diana and Callisto (1556-1559) by Titian (Tiziano Vercellio, Italian ca 1485-1576). This painting tells the story of Diana as she learns her hand maiden is pregnant by Juniper. Diana and Actaeon depicts Diana and her nymphs caught bathing by Actaeon, the hunter. These paintings were commissioned by King Phillip II of Spain between 1556 -1559. This is the first time these masterpieces have ever been seen in the United States. Titian’s work included portraits, mythological scenes and alter pieces. They are now some of the highly prized of all Renaissance artwork.

After you finish being mesmerized by Titian and the Golden Age of Venetian Painting painters head over to have lunch at Table 1280 in the High Museum of Art.   They serve American cuisine with a regional twist.  Be sure and try the White Truffle Chicken Salad, it is my favorite.

The next time you visit our Atlanta bed and breakfast you may want to save an afternoon to visit Fernbank Museum or the Carlos Museum at Emory University.

I always enjoy Atlanta in mid August when there is a buzz around our Atlanta Bed and Breakfast. Parents are excited and nervous for their young adults to begin their new college life. Atlanta is honored to be home to ten institutes of higher learning.

The U.S. News and World Report just released their edition of America’s Best Colleges and Georgia Institute of Technology ranking was #7. They have been in the top ten for the past decade. Georgia Tech was founded in 1885 and officially opened in 1888 with 84 students. Now they have 20,000 students with a campus of over 400 acres in the heart of Midtown.  Their focus is on preparing students to solve world problems and improve life around the world.

One of the highlights of Georgia Tech’s vibrant campus life is the Ferst Center for the Arts. This state of the art facility serves to enhance the students educational experience and as a bridge to Georgia Tech’s neighboring communities. This years season opens on September 11th with Debbie Reynolds. I am excited about the upcoming performances of the  David Sanborn Trio on October 1st, Paula Poundstone on October 22nd and  Michael Bolton on October 28th, 2010.

The Georgia Tech Conference Center is located in the heart of Technology Square, a vibrant place with an array of activities, restaurants and shops.   It provides the perfect location for continuing education courses. If you are looking for that perfect Georgia Tech souvenir be sure and stroll over to the Barnes and Noble campus bookstore.

For all you Yellow Jacket Fans, I am hoping for a Great Football Season. The Jackets have been ranked 17th by the Coaches Pre-season poll this year. Be sure and save October 9th on your calendar for Homecoming, Georgia Tech will play Virginia. It should be a good game. As you know the most important game of the season is the Georgia Tech vs Georgia game on November 27th , 2010 in Athens.  When the coin is tossed on the field, Ed and I will be cheering for his almamater and just happy we are here to see another game and visit with friends.

On September 24th and 25th, Georgia Tech will host the annual Family Weekend. This is a great time to visit and marvel to yourself what a great job you did preparing your daughter or son for campus life.  Take an afternoon for yourself and head over to the High Museum of Art to view the Salvador Dali:  “The Late Work” exhibit.   See you in September!

I cannot believe I am writing about the High Museum of Art at the Woodruff Arts Center so soon after “The Allure of the Automobile” exhibit. The High Museum of Art has once again amazed me with the opening of “Dali: The Late Work”. The High Museum will be the sole venue for this exhibit. You have plenty of time to plan your trip to Atlanta, as this exhibit is open until January 9th, 2011. “Salvador Dali: The Late Work” showcases his works from 1940 thru 1983.

There are over 100 pieces of work, including films, sculptures, photographs and 40 Salvador Dali paintings divided among six galleries. Some of my favorite pieces are “Christ of St. John of the Cross”, “Santiago El Grande” and lastly “Assumpta Corpuscularia Lapislazulina”.

As you stroll thru the first gallery you will view a selection of vintage photographs that were done in collaboration with photographer Phillippe Halsman. Salvador Dali reinvented himself in the 1940′s exploring art through science, psychology and religion. His art and personality were larger than life. As you continue thru the other galleries you will have a better understanding of Salvador Dali’s development beyond surrealism.

The final gallery traces his work in illustration, fashion and theatre with artists of the 1960′s and 1970′s such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and William de Kooning.

In conjunction with this exhibit the High Museum of Art is featuring a selection of Surrealist classic films such as Un Chien Andalou, Destino and Spellbound.

On your next visit to Atlanta be sure and treat yourself to an afternoon at the High Museum of Art to explore this once in a lifetime exhibit.

Shellmont Inn is featured in the June,2010 issue of North Georgia Living Magazine

We are thrilled that our Atlanta Bed and Breakfast was featured in North Georgia Living Magazine’s June Issue, titled “Just for Two” article.You can click on this link to view the article Just For Two As many of our previous wedding and honeymoon couples know, June is the favored month for weddings and anniversary celebrations. Garden Weddings with all of our fragrantly scented flowers and trees abound and signal the start of a new beginning and making wonderful memories.

Many of our guests are surprised to learn that Shellmont was built by Dr. Perrin Nicholson as a wedding present for his bride. It was described in the Atlanta Journal Constitution as ” the wedding of the south”, with the most eligible bachelor marrying the popular and beautiful socialite, Elizabeth Crane. One of the inns highlights is the ornately carved staircase, framed by a two story set of five panels of Tiffany Stained Glass and the foliated wedding bell at the bottom of the staircase.

So when planning your next romantic getaway visit to Atlanta remember Midtown has wonderful restaurants with-in walking distance of our inn. Unique attractions to get lost in such as the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, The High Museum of Art, Piedmont Park and the Georgia Aquarium. Or, if you are like Ed and I, just sit back on one of our verandas and listen to softly playing music with water cascading in the ponds as hummingbirds cruise the gardens and watch the world go by.

Imagine yourself here on Shellmont's Rear Veranda

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

One of our favorite date nights out away from our bed and breakfast in Atlanta is to walk up Peachtree Street from the Fox Theatre to the Woodruff Arts Center.  Along bustling Peachtree Street you will pass some of our favorite restaurants, Baraonda Caffe Italiano, the Bakeshop, Oceanaire Seafood Room and TAP.  TAP is a great place to sit outside and people watch.

At the Woodruff Arts Center you will find the Alliance Theatre, the High Museum of Art and the Atlanta Symphony.  The Atlanta Symphony  is celebrating 65 years of dazzling music making.  It is the foundation of artistic excellence in Midtown.  They have produced 6 recordings with Grammy awards.  This cultural and artistic fabric is the face of Atlanta.

For the last 9 years Robert Spano, the Music Director, has invigorated and expanded the Orchestra’s repertoire and is recognized internationally as one of the most imaginative conductors.  A few of the effects he may use are film and images synchronized with music, art installation, lighting effects and staged performances.

During his tenure Mr. Spano and the Atlanta Symphony have performed over 100 contemporary works, 13 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra commissioned world premieres and 3 additional world premiers.

Parterning with Mr. Robert Spano in leading the Atlanta Symphony is Principal Guest Conductor,  Mr. Donald Runnicles.  Conductor Donald Runnicles is well-known for his opera and symphonic repertoire.  Together they have created a bond with the musicians and the community.

A few of our favorite upcoming Atlanta Events are:

• March 27th, 2010 – Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchesta
• April 8th-10th, 2010 – All Tchaikovsky, All Powerful
• April 30th-May 1st, 2010 – On Broadway with Marvin Hamlisch
• May 13th-May 16th, 2010-Love Blooms: Tchaikovsky, Piano Concerto No. 2
• May 20th-May 22nd, 201-Beethoven’s 5th Symphony

The much anticipated 40th Annual Decorators Show House opens on April 17th. til May 19th, 2010.  This Atlanta Symphony fundraiser features a house in the prestige area of Buckhead that  interior designers decorate and open to the public.  They also have a gift store and cafe.

On your next visit to Atlanta between an Atlanta Braves game and a visit to the Atlanta Botanical Garden, don’t forget to immerse yourself in music with an evening at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.