What an exhilarating pre-celebration of my 60th birthday, which is December 10th! On Saturday, December 7th, a cold, blustery day, I was blessed to experience a Tea Around Town tour in Atlanta, Georgia. The bus loading area for participants was on Centennial Olympic Park Dr, which is in the heart of Atlanta, and shares space with other attractions such as the State Farm Arena and the Football Hall of Fame. I was happy to see other guests that wore their assorted feather hats, gloves, rings and dresses that emulated the 1920s era. I wore a pink dress, light pink gloves and a feathered hat, an embellished pearl necklace and a statement pearl ring, with a white folding fan as an added touch.

We eagerly awaited for the bus, the design of the outside of the pink and white bus had an adorable art of flowers, French doors, and curtains that gave the aura of old age glamour and glitz. The inside decor continued the theme with beautifully striped pink and white leather booths, individual tables with charming china, gold silverware and pink cloth napkins. A gold three tiered tray which was on each table, held delectable food selections such as quartered rye steak sandwiches with tomatoes and cheese, chicken salad on rye bread, salmon quarters, lemon méringue and strawberry tarts, assorted baked scones and other delicacies. There was a keepsake pink cup that had the design of the bus décor that was simply lovely, and we used it to sample a variety of gourmet high teas such as chai with honey, earl grey, hibiscus and mint. The staff was very nicely dressed and very gracious in serving the guests. The host serenaded us with songs from a past era, and would alternate between singing and pointing out areas of interest such as Ebenezer Baptist Church, the historic church where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. preached, World of Coca-Cola, Georgia Aquarium, and universities, that were of great interest. Although I have visited Atlanta many times, I was able to savor seeing it with a newfound appreciation of this beautiful city without being distracted with driving or other drivers. In addition to me, there were 4 other guests who were celebrating birthdays, and the group sang happy birthday to us!

The complete tour lasted around one hour and 15 minutes, but it was one that I will value for many years to come! An added bonus was that it was in the same area for the SEC Championship game at the State Farm Arena, which is where the Georgia Bulldogs, my hometown, won the game! I would rate this tour as an A+, and I would love to experience it again.