Tour of Homes
Madison in May
Just 60 miles east of Atlanta, Madison is a convenient place for city folk to get their antebellum white columns fix. An 1845 guide to Georgia called it “the most cultured and aristocratic town on the stagecoach route from Charleston to New Orleans.” Today Madison boasts one of the oldest and largest designated National Register Historic Districts in Georgia, with nearly 100 antebellum houses and dozens of Victorian beauties. This year’s annual self-guided tour of private homes and gardens (4/30–5/2) includes the Greek Revival mansion “Honeymoon,” pictured above right. It was recently restored by prominent Atlanta interior designer Jimmy Stanton, owner of the Westside’s Stanton Home Furnishings. The tour is operated by the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center.
Where to stay
Make it a weekend and stay overnight at the upscale James Madison Inn.
Photograph by AP Photo
State Park
Georgia’s FDR Legacy
In honor of the 70th anniversary of FDR’s death on April 12, visit the Little White House in Warm Springs. Roosevelt built the cottage in 1932 because the area’s 88-degree natural spring water helped relieve his polio. FDR formulated many New Deal reforms here—and ultimately suffered a fatal stroke in the living room while posing for a portrait, which is on display. gastateparks.org
Airline news
Around the World
Seattle-based private jet company TCS World Travel is offering new globe-spanning itineraries of just over three weeks aboard a luxury 52-passenger Boeing 757-200ER with 180-degree flat-bed seats. Trips include chartered jet, ground transportation, dining and alcohol, and excursions. Among 2015’s dream getaways: Eastern Europe, golf (from Hawaii to Dubai), and “lost” cities (Samarkand, anyone?)—from a mere $59,950.
Festival of the month
National Cherry Blossom Festival
If you haven’t yet been to D.C. to see the MLK memorial, the spring cherry blossom festival (3/20–4/12) is a good excuse. Highlights include a kite festival (3/28), waterfront fireworks (4/4), and the annual parade (4/11).
20:1
Bubba Watson’s odds of winning his second green jacket at the 2014 Masters tournament, according to Golfweek magazine. Your odds of winning the lottery for the limited number of available daily tickets ($100) in 2016? Decidedly worse. Visit masters.com for an application.
Aloft South Beach
You’ve seen Starwood’s Aloft Hotels transform downtown Atlanta’s tired Days Inn with its cheeky, modernist style. Check out the brand’s swanky new digs on Collins Avenue in Miami Beach.
This article originally appeared in our April 2015 issue.
