A weekend in Athens

The University of Georgia is a beautiful and prestigious school (I'm a little biased, though - I earned two degrees there). Walking through the quad directly across the street from downtown Athens will give you a good feel for the school. There are several unique shops, cafes, restaurants, and clubs throughout the very walkable downtown. The Clarke County Courthouse holds a commanding position from the highest hill in the city; the building itself is well preserved and a beautiful sight at night. And yes, Michael Stipe and Mike Mills of REM still live there and they spend a great deal of time in the city, but the locals respect their privacy and leave them be.

Quick Tips:

If you can get to Athens on a football weekend, and you've never been to an SEC football game, do yourself a favor and go. It's an amazing sight, a flood of students (and adults acting like students) in bright red and black. Tailgating before the game is part of the experience - basically you come to Athens several hours before the game to eat, drink, and be merry (no to mention to listen to the other college games on the radio). The game itself, played at the center of campus in Sanford Stadium, is great fun. If you hear a reference to playing "between the hedges," it's a reference to the famous hedges that ring the field inside the stadium. Sanford Stadium was also the site of the 1996 Olympics soccer finals (including the U.S. women's gold medal win).

Best Way To Get Around:

To get there from Atlanta, you'll need to drive. There are plans for high-speed rail service between the cities, but it won't be in place for years. Once you're there, try to stay as close to downtown as possible so that you won't have to drive. There's very little to see in the suburbs of the city.

Nice? Not exactly, but it's passable. Unique? No way. Convenient? Absolutely. This is one of only a few hotels that are within walking distance of downtown, and it's definitely the closest. You'll be just across the street from downtown and the university, a few blocks from the stadium, restaurants, and nightlife. Rooms are the basic generic style, parking is adequate, and the staff is friendly enough.

Athens has several excellent restaurants at much cheaper prices than Atlanta. For cajun, go to Harry Bisset's on Broad Street downtown. The Oysters Rockefeller and Bienville are phenomenal; the crawfish etouffe has so many crawfish that you can barely see the rice. The wine list is not very good, though.

For more creative dining, try East-West Bistro a few doors down on Broad. The Asian pasta dishes and beef filets are very good - the chef is also a published poet. You should also try the Last Resort, one of the most popular places in town (try the Struggleville Shrimp and the excellent, locally-made desserts). Both of these restaurants have excellent wine lists; East-West Bistro has won consecutive Wine Spectator Awards of Excellence. For Mexican, try the cavernous Compadre's on Clayton Street. Their salsa is wonderful. If you're a vegetarian, you'll find good veggie dishes at East-West Bistro and the Last Resort, but the veggie mainstay in town is The Grit, a little bit of a walk down towards Normaltown. The Golden Bowl and the gazpacho are incredible. Unfortunately I can't recommend a previous poster's favorite place in town, Charlie William's Pinecrest Lodge. If you like overpriced, Morrison's cafeteria-style eating, it's the place for you. If not, stay downtown.

It depends on what you're looking for. If you're looking for a cheap drink, though, you'll be happy anywhere you go. The City Bar on College Avenue is a step above most. Set in an old bank lobby, it has soaring high ceilings and a beautiful wooden bar, as well as some of the best bartenders in town. They also offer occasional live music.

Pretty much everyone's favorite nice place is The Globe on the corner of Clayton and Lumpkin, where you can have a glass of wine, excellent Scotch, or some of the world's best beer (no Bud or Miller here) while relaxing at a table or in a sofa by the window. The atmosphere is much more sophisticated (for lack of a better word) than most places in Athens. A good dive bar on College Ave. is Lunch Paper, where you'll have cheap drinks and listen to everything from Tony Bennett to Motorhead. My favorite dive in town is Manhattan - it's not easy to find. From the front of the Morton Theater (a great place to visit in its own right) on Washington Street, look left across the street. You'll notice a Schlitz sign with tiny type at the bottom that says 'Manhattan.' Locals frequent the place - very few visitors ever show up, and it's well off the beaten path of the bigger bars. You can buy cans of cheap beer for about a buck. For a mixed gay-straight crowd, try Boneshaker's on Hancock Street. Probably the best dancing in town, too.

You can find virtually anything you want to hear in Athens. When you get into town, pick up a Flagpole weekly newspaper to find out who's playing where. The famous 40-Watt Club is the mainstay in town. Here you'll see local bands and travelling groups ranging from Bob Mould to Vic Chestnutt to Squirrel Nut Zippers. It might be famous, but it's still a dank and dirty club (fine for those who love live music, but possibly a letdown to others). Tasty World is a relatively new place in town on Broad Street that hosts alternative live music. The Georgia Theater hosts big local bands and medium-size touring acts, such as Merle Saunders. Once in a while a big act such as Bob Dylan or Elton John will play at the new Athens Civic Center. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and other classical touring artists play at the beautiful Performing Arts Center on the University of Georgia's South Campus. I was lucky enough to see Wynton Marsalis there on a Live at Lincoln Center tour, one of the best concerts I've ever seen.

To get out of town for the day, drive up to Danielsville and take a kayak down the beautiful Broad River. The Broad River Outpost (http://www.gariver.com/index.html) has great information on the river and rents kayaks for $15 for the trip and will pick you up at the end of the route. The river is a Class II at best - if you're new to the sport or an amateur, you'll be happy, but experts may get bored with the rapids. The real reason to kayak the river, however, is the quiet and the natural beauty. You'll rarely see anyone else on the river at all, and there are stretches where you won't see any sign of civilization. You will see turtles, egrets, possibly deer, and other kinds of wildlife. Be sure to call the Broad River Outpost ((706)795-3242) before you go for directions and to check on the water levels.