ATHENS, GA // A SIMPLE TRAVEL GUIDE FOR THE 30-SOMETHING
Not in college anymore? Yeah, me neither. I can’t believe I’m saying this but, honestly, there’s so much more to Athens, Georgia than football. This little town… it will always hold a special place in my heart. I really kind of found myself here, so to speak. It took me awhile and several colleges, but once I landed in Athens I magically found my people and a college major I was passionate about (film and tv production).
My senior year of college, I met and fell in love with my husband. Needless to say = we LIVED IT UP our last semester. We graduated together which is such a special memory to me as well. But the biggest and best memory of all was our wedding! We got married at the Foundry right in the heart of downtown Athens.
Athens is about an hour outside of Atlanta, so if you’re looking for a close weekend getaway… this is it! Now that I’m almost 10 years out of college, I still LOVE to go back to that little college town because there is truly something for everyone. I don’t hang at ALL the same spots I did when I was 23, obviously. But I still love visiting because there is so much more to this town than the college! (That being said, yes, I am a die hard UGA bulldogs fan so don’t @ me).
THINGS TO DO AS A 30-SOMETHING IN ATHENS, GA
STAY SOMEWHERE AWESOME AND CONVENIENT:
I’m a grown woman with 2 kids now, so no I’m not crashing on anyone’s couch. And no, I’m not sharing a hotel room with 15 people. And lastly, I want to stay somewhere convenient to all of the activities we plan on doing. We absolutely love staying at The Graduate in downtown Athens. This is actually the hotel we got married at 6 years ago, but back then it was called the Foundry. It is beautiful, the rooms are large (we stay in the suite if possible) and the customer service is amazing. They have an adorable coffee and breakfast spot next to the lobby, don’t get me started. IT IS GOALS. I basically died when I saw the interiors of it.
Another major perk is the shuttle. They have a driver who will take you where ever you need to go within a 5 mile radius (which, if you’re just there to eat and drink and explore… most things are under that distance!)
It has a bit of a bed and breakfast feel, but you are right there in the midst of all of the action. One thing I love about Athens is that it’s a funky little town but it also feels like an escape. Staying at this hotel is all part of the experience. Thank you, Graduate for hosting us on a much needed kid-free getaway.
GO TO A BREWERY:
So when we were in college, the only brewery in Athens was Terrapin. It is still such a good beer and a cool experience and you should check them out, but NOW there is a place called Creature Comforts right in the middle of downtown and we LOVE it! You might already be familiar with this beer because I’m pretty sure it’s sold in most stores now. Not only is the beer amazing, but the atmosphere is awesome. It’s beautiful inside, and the staff is so helpful. We like to start off with a beer flight, then choose our beers from there. They do brewery tours in the afternoons which I also highly recommend going to!
TREAT YOURSELF:
Ok, let’s talk couples massages (or a solo massage if you’re traveling alone!) Another perk of staying at the Graduate is that they have a Spa (still owned by the Foundry) right on the grounds! If you’ve been following me for awhile, you know I’m pretty picky about my massages and I also get them as much as possible. Wes and I got a hot stone couples massage and we both LOVED IT. Highly recommend going there during your stay!
EAT GOOD FOOD:
The restaurant Five & Ten has been in around for a very long time, and is known for it’s amazing food and fine dining experience. It isn’t in the downtown area, but in the Five Points area of Athens which is only a few miles down the road from where we were staying. I love this neighborhood because it’s quaint! Wes and I had never been there before because, well, budget and taste buds in college were different… ha! That being said, compared to Atlanta, the prices are really reasonable and the quality of food is amazing. We loved our experience there and the service was fantastic! They had fantastic cocktails and they even had FANCY boiled peanuts!!
