Augusta, GA Road Trips

There are some areas of town that the tourist might avoid, but they should be obvious upon inspection. There is a significant presence of military personnel who visit the city on personal business from nearby Fort Gordon.

1 Augusta Canal Authority, 1450 Greene Street (Interpretive Center), ☏ +1 706-823-044, [email protected]. Tours, seasonal events, hiking, biking, canoeing, and kayaking are available. There are several locations to access the canal area. $6 adult admission. 2 The Boyhood Home of President Woodrow Wilson, 419 7th St (at Telfair St), ☏ +1 706 722-9828. Tu-Sa 10AM - 4PM. Georgia's oldest Presidential home where Woodrow Wilson and his family lived during the Civil War. See fourteen rooms furnished to the 1860s Victorian period, service building with kitchen, and carriage house. The house museum contains thirteen original pieces of furniture used by Woodrow Wilson and his family, as well as other period pieces. Adults $5, seniors $4, students (K-12) $3. (updated Sep 2016) Lake Olmstead Park, Milledge Road. Park designed by Frederick Law Olmstead includes a lake for fishing and sports, a disc golf course, and facilities for events. Beautiful place for a picnic or afternoon stroll. Directly across the street from Lake Olmstead Stadium, the former home of the Augusta Greenjackets. Area east of the park can be dangerous. (updated Oct 2020) 3 Sacred Heart Cultural Center, 1301 Greene Street. Former Catholic Church which was converted to a cultural center after the community banded together to save it. One of the most architecturally beautiful buildings in Augusta. Open to visitors, unless closed for a private event. 4 Springfield Baptist Church, 114 12th Street. Oldest African American Southern Baptist Church in the world.

The famed Augusta National Golf Club is a private club and not open to the public, and membership is strictly by invitation only with no application process, meaning that you are unlikely to get in unless you are in the top echelons of Western society. However, the club designates one day in May every year as "Appreciation Day", where select members of the public are invited to play a round of golf on the famed course. One way to get invited for Appreciation Day is to become a volunteer at the Masters Tournament, but the waiting list for that is very, very long. In addition, employees and caddies of the club are also invited to play a round on Appreciation Day. Historic Downtown (Broad St (GA-28/US-25 Bus.) anywhere between E. Boundary and 13th St.). Lots of old buildings, shops, and monuments. 1 Augusta GreenJackets, SRP Park, 187 Railroad Ave., North Augusta, ☏ +1 803 349-9467, [email protected]. Augusta's minor league baseball team in the South Atlantic League and a Class A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. The GreenJackets moved to a new ballpark on the South Carolina riverfront in 2018. 2 Augusta Riverwalk (just north of Reynolds street). A paved path along the riverfront. Garden City Candlelight Jazz, 8th Street & Riverwalk, Downtown Augusta. Mar–May: Su 7PM; Jun–Aug: Su 8PM. Rain or shine, Jazz on Riverwalk. Series lasts from March–August. $6. 3 Augusta Symphony Orchestra, 1301 Greene Street. Local symphony orchestra puts on a traditional Symphony Series (September–April) along with a pops series known as Pops!

If you have a ticket for the Masters, the food sold at the event is generally affordable and of good quality. Augusta has many of the national chain restaurants found in other cities; however, the city has many excellent local eateries including: 1 Tako Sushi, Surrey Center, 437 Highland Ave, ☏ +1 706-736-9191. M-Sa 2-11PM. A fusion restaurant offering a mix of Sushi and Mexican-inspired dishes. This combination is actually very successful and keeps the small restaurant constantly busy. Mid-range or higher. (updated Sep 2016) 2 Manuel's Bread Cafe, 505 Railroad Ave (take 13th street bridge into SC take left on buena vista, then take 3rd left on Crystal Lake dr.; follow into Hammond's Ferry), ☏ +1 803-308-1323. Tu-F 9AM-10PM, Sa 8AM-10PM, Su brunch 11:30AM-3PM. The menu features breads and pastries, sandwiches, French Mediterranean dishes, vegetables and grilled meats. Chef Verney-Carron uses vegetables grown at Hammond's Ferry's organic Blue Clay Farm which is steps from the restaurant. (updated Sep 2016) 3 Luigi's, 590 Broad Street, ☏ +1 706-722-4056. M-Sa 5-10PM, F 11:30AM-2PM. Italian restaurant and locally-owned landmark, opened in 1949. Located across from the Augusta Museum of History on the far end of Downtown's restaurant district. Also has Greek cuisine, including the best baklava in town. Mid-range. (updated Sep 2016) 4 Sconyers Bar-B-Que, 2250 Sconyers Way (in South Augusta), ☏ +1 706-790-5411. Th F Sa 10AM-10PM. A great BBQ joint, it has been listed by People magazine as one of the best BBQ restaurants in the United States.

1 Metro Coffee House, 1054 Broad St, ☏ +1 706-722-6468. A coffee shop by day, but it becomes a bar at night. Live jazz on Saturday nights. $5-10. (updated Sep 2016) Still Water Tap Room, 974 Broad St, ☏ +1 706 826-9857. $5-10. Nacho Mama's, 976 Broad Street, ☏ +1 706-724-0501. Great Mexicali style burritos (and nachos, obviously) budget. 2 Joe's Underground Cafe, 144 8th Street, ☏ +1 706-724-9457. M 1-8PM, Tu-F 11:30AM-2:30AM, Sa 5PM-1:30AM. Great local dive bar, located in a basement on 8th Street. Often has live music. Budget. (updated Sep 2016)

1 Augusta Marriott Hotel and Suites, 2 10th St, ☏ +1 706-722-8900. In the downtown business district, on the banks of the Savannah River. (updated Sep 2016) Best Western Plus Augusta Hotel, 1062 Claussen Road, ☏ +1 706-733-4656. Ramada Hotel and Convention Center Augusta, 640 Broad Street, ☏ +1 706-722-5541, toll-free: +1-866-790-8512. Fairfield Inn & Suites - Augusta, 2175 Gordon Highway, ☏ +1 706-733-2121. Free breakfast daily, an indoor pool, high-speed Internet and free on-site parking. Quality Inn & Suites Augusta I-20, 2562 Center W Pkwy, ☏ +1 706-736-9292. Nice patio and free breakfast. 2 Courtyard Augusta, 1045 Stevens Creek, ☏ +1 706-737-3737. (updated Sep 2016) 3 Partridge Inn, 2110 Walton Way, ☏ +1 706-737-8888. Traditional Southern accommodations. The Partridge Inn is a large hotel remaining from Augusta's historic days as a springtime playground of the elite. It is perched on the Hill, overlooking Downtown Augusta in the distance and lies across the street from the former Bon Air hotel. (updated Sep 2016) 4 Sheraton Augusta Hotel, 1069 Stevens Creek Road, ☏ +1 706-396-1000. (updated Sep 2016)

Augusta is on I-20, between Atlanta and Columbia, South Carolina. I-520 circles the city. Car is usually the best way to get around town, given the sprawl in the city's organization. Traffic is heavy on major arteries and intersections during weekday rush hour. Traveling around the Augusta National Golf Club, especially Washington Road, during Masters Week is not advised. 1 Augusta Regional Airport (AGS IATA). Served by Delta Connections from Atlanta (ATL IATA), and by American Airlines from Charlotte (CLT IATA) and Washington, DC (DCA IATA). Augusta is served by Greyhound Bus Lines. The bus station is at 1128 Greene St in Downtown. Taxis are not often used and are fairly expensive because of the large distances between destinations in town. There is an often updated official list of taxi services on the Augusta Regional Airport website.

Augusta Public Transit, a public bus system, is available and serves many popular destinations. However, it may be easier to rent a car to access areas not served by the bus system.