We Let the Dawgs Out

Athens Georgia is home to the University of Georgia whose mascot is a bulldog. Three dozen bulldogs have been decorated by local artists and are on permanent display around the entire town. This artistic event has been named "We let the Dawgs out" and a map for a self-guided tour is available from the welcome center.

Two local sites that take mere minutes to view are the "Tree that owns itself" at the intersection of Dearing street and cobble stoned Finley street and the double-barreled cannon outside Athens City Hall. Both displays have markers documenting the purpose and historical value to the community. I believe we spent 10-15 minutes at each location reading the information and admiring the view.

Visit the University of Georgia campus. After stopping by the UGA visitors center to get some maps, start with the arch, the campus icon, located just off Broad Street. Wander through the gardens and shaded walkways. Follow the "Walking Tour of Old North Campus" beginning with Holmes/Hunter building. The brochure provides concise descriptions of the buildings and a clear set of directions to move from one building to the next. Another excellent walking tour is "Campus Arboretum Walking Tour of Trees". This brochure is divided into three sections: North, Central and South. Each campus section includes a map with the walking distance noted. The key lists the name of each tree variety with more detailed description of the tree in the following pages. The North Campus Tree tour is a half mile, highlighting 45 different trees.

Athens enforces rigid rules pertaining to containers. Alcoholic beverages cannot be open in public (designated and roped off restaurant patios are the exception.) No open glass containers are permitted. Open food or drinks are not allowed on busses. A strict smoking ordnance was recently implemented. Smoking in designated and separate areas begins at 11pm, not before, so most places are smoke free through mealtimes. Smoking outdoors is always permitted.

Wafflehouses line the intersections as the most common yellow decoration. From previous visits, my daughters have nicknamed this restaurant as Awfulhouse, yet each parking lot was full no matter what time of day. The true southern grits must be great.

Quick Tips:

Welcome Center is at 280 E. Dougherty St (706-353-1820) in the southwest edge of downtown Athens. Guides, maps and brochures are available here.

Continued from "Best Way to Get Around"

Athens offers easy bus service around town, with frequent bus stops along major routes and destinations. The cost is per ride with exact change required or less with the advance purchase of a ticket. UGA students, staff and faculty ride free. Three taxi companies service the Athens community of over 100,000 residents. We saw several vehicles while driving around, but cabs did not appear to be the most popular form of transportation.

Once in Athens, highway 10 circles the city in a loop, allowing easy access to any part of the city. Highway 10 Business leads directly into downtown Athens and UGA campus. Maps are readily available from the several visitors’ centers and hotels. Four parking lots and metered street parking is available downtown. We did not have any issues parking during our visit, finding open slots nearby to all our destinations. We parked and walked along the tree-shaded streets of downtown.

Best Way To Get Around:

Athens is a short hour and half drive from Atlanta airport. Follow I-85 north to 316 east. Once on 316, pay attention to the intersections. The traffic lights change from green to red without any rhyme or reason, catching drivers off guard as noted by the number of skid marks leading to white line. Also notice the street names: Drowning Creed Road, Killcrease Road, Jimmy Daniel Road. We laughed at the series of morbid street names, followed by a set of street names only found in the south. If you do not want to rent a car, AAA Shuttle Service (aaaairportexpress@aol.com) runs between Atlanta airport and Athens seven times a day for one way. Advance reservations are recommended at 404.767.2000.

US Air flies directly in and out of Athens twice a day. This nineteen seat plane hops back and forth between Charlotte. My wife found roundtrip flights into Athens for less than flying into Atlanta, but she was not keen on the small plane trip. Plus, car rental in Athens was more than getting the same car from Atlanta, making an easy choice for us to use Atlanta airport.

Continued above...

Just several blocks west of downtown Athens, the Holiday Inn Express provided plenty of parking, surprising unusual for downtown hotel locations. At the corner of Broad Street and Newton Street, we easily found the hotel’s lobby entrance. Interestingly enough, the Holiday Inn is a mere two blocks closer to downtown, so pay attention to the slight difference between "Holiday Inn" and "Holiday Inn Express". Two blocks makes all the difference in your reservation and room price!

The lobby is actually on the second floor with a single elevator at the far end. Before getting to the elevator, we walked down a small set of steps and I did not see a ramp for our wheeled luggage. The small workout facility and ballroom extended off the back of the lobby along with a set of restrooms.

Two exits to the side parking lots were off the first floor. The keyed entrance to the outdoor swimming pool was at the south end of the building. A small laundry room with washers and driers "for guests only" was found by the west door also on the first floor.

Our room on the fifth floor fit typically in the Holiday Inn Express model. Carpets, bedding and towels were clean with small sets of usual toiletry items in the bathroom. Much to my satisfaction, actual ceramic mugs for hot drinks sat next to the coffee pot. The standard Styrofoam cups were also available and they had lids.

High speed internet by any media was not available with a promise of implementation by the end of calendar year 2004. Dial-up service was an option if I wanted to pay for the local call, so I did not connect the laptop during our stay. After all, the entire section of downtown Athens offers free wireless internet connection and I could easily check email the next morning at no cost.

The sign for complimentary breakfast stated that guests should be properly attired. On a Saturday morning, with my wife in her Capri pants and my wearing khaki shorts, we looked underdressed. Most other guests wore business suits or full business attire. We decided they must be attending a conference or formal event. Certainly appropriate dress in the south does not require something as formal.

Hot coffee was readily available along with the advertised cinnamon roll. Not much on sweet items for breakfast, I skipped the rolls and went for adult cereals. Toasters for bagels, English muffins, French toast and other pastries served as the "hot" portion of breakfast. I chuckled when I saw the containers of grits available by the instant cereal. We knew we were in the South. What breakfast would be complete without grits?

Attracted by the full parking lot, which included a set of fire trucks, we pulled into The Varsity. We maneuvered around the parked fire trucks and lengthy drive-through line to find an open spot in the back. If firefighters ate here along with multitudes of local residents, we anticipated a good meal.

Lines of people extended from the counter as the employees shouted the restaurant’s trademark of "Whadda ya have? Whadda ya have? Whadda ya have?" Known for their efficiency, they kept people moving and orders flying. We elected to try the feature items: chili cheese dog and slaw dog along with an order of onion rings and the highly recommended Frosted Orange drink. Fried pies for dessert were highly recommended, but we skipped trying the delicacy this time. With arms waving and folks shouting, our lunch was quickly plopped on a plastic tray and we were off to find seating.

Small sectioned areas contained plastic modeled booths, each with a television showing local channels. We noticed people getting ready to leave so hovered by that booth. Before we could sit down, an employee politely came over and asked if he could clean the table for us. We appreciated the good service and attention. Additionally, the television in this section of the restaurant blared the news and we preferred this over the cartoon station in the next eating area.

The ordinary hot dog sat on a white, plain, generic bun, covered with a spoonful of toppings. The coleslaw appeared to be the same brand sold by gallon containers at Sam’s Wholesale Club and the chili / cheese topping was equally bland. The large onion rings were greasy and a bit cold. I could not finish my order of rings as they lost their appeal after eating the first two.

However, the Frosted Orange surprised me. The smooth drink easily slurped through a straw with a fantastic burst of orange cream. I drank a large gulp and immediately had a "cold headache", the feeling when you swallow too much ice cream too quickly. This treat had a drinkable texture with the flavor and feel of ice cream. It was great! (Even better would have been a splash of orange or pineapple rum in this drink.) Hands down, this frozen concoction would beat out Wendy’s frosty drink any time.

After eating our dogs, we discarded the paper plates and returned our tray to the designated section. A group of people quickly jumped on our booth as soon as we stepped away. The restaurant was packed with people waiting for open booths the entire time while we ate our lunch. I’m not certain I understand the attraction and appeal of this restaurant for the hot dogs, but I would certainly return for the Frosted Orange!

We pulled into the parking lot with an easy exit from Highway 10 / 78. After a full day, a simple dinner of Mexican food sounded appealing. The outdoor seating faced the highway and did not offer any shading form the hot sun. We chose to eat inside.

We sat at a clean booth under the windows adjoining the outside patio. Clusters of tables sat in the middle of the restaurant filled with large families or groups of college students. Signs hung at every booth outlining the check splitting policy (basically "no"). Groups of five people or larger automatically pay 15% gratuity. Although this forces some medium size families to pay an expected tip, the policy does ensure that groups of poor college students provide an appropriate monetary acknowledgement of service.

Surprised, I was asked for my ID when ordering a beer. My wife giggled as it’s been many years since anyone has questioned my legal age for drinking. Embarrassed, the server stated that it’s a restaurant policy to check everyone’s ID. Good policy for a college hangout.

Our server brought a basket of chips and small dish of salsa. Dipped deeply in the hot sauce, the nearly stale chips were edible. Hungry, we ate anyway. We ordered the cheese and spinach dip and even eating slowly, the basket of chips disappeared before the dip arrived. Soon the server plopped a small blow of cheese sauce with a blob of cooked spinach sitting on top, not even stirred into the cheese sauce. Realizing we needed more chips, the server offered to bring another basket. I earlier read on the menu that only one basket of chips per dinner was offered and subsequent baskets cost extra. We ordered two dinners, so the two baskets of chips should be included (and they were without extra charge).

The dinner arrived shortly. The young server had placed one plate directly on top of the other plate so that the bottom of one dinner plate was covered with the toppings and cheese from the other dinner. Additionally, the server wore a pair of oven mitts to protect himself from the hot plates, and his thumb was sitting in the middle of my wife’s dinner. The oven mitt was well stained and we wondered what other dinner and/or bacteria crept into our food. She ate from the opposite side of the thumb print, avoiding that section of food.

The quality of food was fair, resembling American seasonings and spices more than Mexican food. The quantity of food was more than adequate, certainly appealing to a hungry college student. Personally, I will leave this restaurant to them.

Just east of the UGA campus on Broad Street sat DePalma’s Café, a small Italian restaurant with an inviting menu, beckoning us inside. Towards the end of the usual lunch hour, the restaurant was nearly empty and the hostess immediately led us to a roomy booth across from the grandiose wine racks and bar.

The sides of the wooden booth nearly met the ceiling providing a high degree of privacy for our dining – perfect for an intimate date! My wife even felt comfortable taking an emergency cell phone call from home without leaving the table as the booth contained our conversation without impacting other restaurant patrons.

Another dining room opened off the far side of the bar. Based on the group of people exiting from this room, I speculated that it could be reserved for private parties and gatherings. I did not wander around the restaurant, but believe there is also an adjoining section behind the bar. Each dining area is designed for comfort and privacy.

When I asked about the beer selection, the young server replied that a plethora of bottled beer was available and would I like a list. "Absolutely," I replied, wanting to find a good brew to accompany the Italian cuisine. My wife ordered a Pinot Noir from the extensive wine list and her glass was nearly full when served. The young lady apologized for the excessive wine as the bartender accidentally overfilled the glass. My wife carefully sipped the delicious white wine.

The lunch menu offered a variety of pastas and different sauces for $5.50. My wife debated between several choices and finally our server made a suggestion of her favorite. "Do you like tomatoes?" she asked. When my wife affirmatively replied, she suggested having the pasta topped with a fresh diced tomato. I ordered a sandwich, which came with a fresh salad. My wife also ordered a salad, although hers was extra and not included with the pasta lunch special.

The bread basket arrived with our salads and I opened the napkin to find soft square rolls, warmed all the way through. Individual pats of real butter sat in the basket, softening perfectly for spreading. The large, fresh salads began to fill us up and my wife only ate half of hers so she could eat her pasta.

Our server made excellent recommendations. The large tomato topping enhanced the pasta and tomato vodka sauce with superb flavor. My sandwich was perfectly prepared and extremely filling. My wife maybe ate half of the pasta in the bowl and I only ate half of the sandwich. We walked out with sufficient leftovers for that night’s dinner.

Two different brochures recommended Cooper Creed – Athens’ only local brewery. We easily found free parking just across the street from the restaurant as the time was 7:20pm. Parking in selected bus stop areas open up at 7:15pm after buses stop running. We accidentally timed this perfectly.

Cooper Creek offers four home brews at any one time, changing with the seasons. Debating which one to try, the server suggested the sampler: four 4 oz. glasses of each type. Perfect. She brought a small wooden trivet to the table, holding the four small glasses. They ordered from the lightest pilsner to the darker stout. The light pilsner could be sipped on all day; however, my favorite was the third beer – nut brown. The slightly richer texture was not bitter or overpowering. The dark beer was not sufficiently cold for my taste otherwise I would have truly enjoyed the Oatmeal Stout.

The scotch bonnet and artichoke dip came recommended so we started our meal with this appetizer. The large bowl of locally made dip was surrounded by warm pie-shaped pieces of pita bread. We spread the cold dip on the bread and gobbled it down.

My wife ordered the vegetable pita pizza and the small size was perfect. Diced vegetables (zucchini, squash, tomatoes) topped the pita bread, which had been covered with a thin pizza sauce. The vegetables were fresh and the pizza lacked all signs of grease. She placed her arm protectively across the table blocking my efforts to take a slice from her.

I didn’t need to mooch off my wife’s meal as my dinner was fantastic. Initially, I could not decide between a salad or ribs for dinner. Our server asked if she could be of assistance with my decision and she enthusiastically suggested the honey vodka barbeque ribs with rice and beans. The meat literally fell from the ribs. The sauce was superb with the touch of sweetness from honey and a bite from vodka. I told my wife that the beans and rice were rather bland and she vehemently disagreed with me after taking a bite. She convinced me to take a drink of water and then try this side dish. They were spicy and flavorful, only losing taste when eating them after a mouthful of ribs. How could anything complete with the taste of the ribs and sauce?

We ate a leisurely meal, with excellent attention from our server. She stopped by with water refills on a frequent basis and once to visit. She wondered what brought us to Athens. She shared some information on the restaurant, stating that almost all the sauces are homemade in the restaurant, not purchased as ready-made. She suggested the bison burger with bleu cheese for our next visit and genuinely asked us to return again soon. The unhurried dinner and service was very satisfying. If the opportunity presents itself, we will return.

Driving out of town, south on highway 129, we stopped at a roadside building touting a sign for fresh peaches. Now, who can resist Georgia peaches freshly picked from the trees, setting in a bucket, just ripe for eating? We had to stop.

The large covered front porch was surrounded with annual and perennial plants, all marked down 25% during this month of August. People sat on the hanging porch swing and rocking chairs, eating dishes of ice cream. I then saw the sign, "Fresh peach ice cream, homemade daily". Oh, I made a good decision about stopping here!

Buckets of peaches sat on the middle table. I asked the young man monitoring the table for his recommendation on buying peaches. Another person overheard my inquiry as he leaned over the table and pointed to a bucket. "If I were buying, that’s the one I’d get." I had that bucket of peaches bagged and also selected a container of vine ripened tomatoes.

The far wall was lined with jars filled with goodies. I presume most of these food items were made locally as I’m not certain I had seen peach salsa before. Intrigued, I bought a jar and yes, it was very good – not overly spicy with a touch of sweetness from the peach chunks, absolutely great with salty tortilla chips.

The remaining section of the building was filled with knick knacks of all kinds, planters, plates, decorations of every color and size. Fortunately my wife’s hands were full with the sack of peaches so she could only view the various items on display. No handling and no purchasing!

We stood in the unhurried line, waiting to order ice cream and pay for our purchases. Everything was calm and slow paced in the store as each customer received full and dedicated attention with their check out. I bought homemade ice cream – 8oz in a Styrofoam cup for $2.00. Larger containers of ice cream or other flavors were available, but we wanted peach. I knew it was popular when every customer in front of us in line also ordered the peach ice cream.

This frozen treat was some of the best ice cream I’ve eaten. Peach flavor permutated each creamy bite. No wonder people lingered on the front porch to savor each bite. I wanted to close my eyes and let each spoonful melt in my mouth.

Thomas Orchards is open daily from 8am to 6pm on a seasonal basis. They close from mid-November through mid-March. On my next trip to Atlanta, during the "in season" months, I’d be willing to detour to Athens just for fresh, homemade daily, peach ice cream from Thomas Orchards.