It's Saturday in Athens

I may be a little biased, but every time I get back from an away football game, I can't help but be reminded of how ideal Athens is for game days. Not that I have anything against our favorite SEC rivals that I've visited, I just think there are a lot of aspects which make Athens nice to visit - especially on Saturdays in the fall.

• Tailgating on North Campus. The wide open fields offer tons of space to set up tents, chairs and coolers, not to mention plenty of shade to relax under. There are other places to tailgate scattered all over town and campus, but North Campus is the most scenic and popular.
• Proximity of hotels, restaurants, and bars to campus. Athens is a very pedestrian-friendly town, especially if you stay in one of the many hotels downtown - you won't need a car all weekend!
• Variety of places to watch. There are hundreds of bars and restaurants downtown which will all have the game on if you aren't lucky enough to get a ticket in to Sanford Stadium. The Georgia Theatre also plays the game on a big screen, providing a fun (air conditioned!) spot to watch the game with your fellow fans.
• Unique restaurants, bars, and music venues. There is plenty of entertainment downtown after the game is over, from unique restaurants like Last Resort Grill and East West Bistro, to bars like the 40 Watt and The Globe.

For a complete listing of Athens restaurants, bars, attractions, and events, click here.

GO DAWGS!

Teaching Old Dawgs New Tricks

Being at the homecoming game and seeing all the alumni come back to Athens to support the Bulldogs got me thinking about the traditions we have at the University. Some of the football traditions go all the way back to 1892 when the Bulldogs played their first game (and won, 50-0!) against Mercer on what is now known as Herty Field. Some traditions are just getting started today, and may continue to live on long after current students have graduated and left Athens.

Here are a few of my favorite old football traditions in Athens:

• Uga (see my last post) 
• Silver Britches.  An innovation of Coach Wally Butts (head coach in 1939), the pants make a great combination with the bright red jerseys the Bulldogs wear at home.  The Bulldogs' silver britches have been referred to over the years in chants an banners, but the phrase really caught on in the 1950's.  Coach Vince Dooley re-designed the uniform to have white pants, but the silver britches were re-instituted in 1980, the year the Bulldogs last won the National Championship.
• "Glory, Glory".  The school fight song is one of the oldest and most lasting traditions in school history.  It is sung to the tune of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," and has been sung at the games since the 1890's.  
• Georgia Bulldogs Cheer.  At some point during each game, the cheerleaders hold up signs on each half of the stadium to get everyone to change "Georgia" and "Bulldogs".  It's simple but everyone gets really into it! 
• Redcoat Band.  The University's 375-member marching band which dates back to 1905 and has won numerous awards over the years.
• The Chapel Bell.  In the 1890's, when the playing field was located only yards away, freshmen were ordered to ring the bell until midnight in celebration of a Bulldog victory.  Fans, students, and alumni still rush to ring the "victory bell" after a win to this day.  After last year's win against the rival Florida Gators, Georgia fans rang the bell with so much excitement that it actually broke.  
• "How 'Bout Them Dawgs".  This slogan become a popular battle cry of the Bulldogs in the 1970's, especially during the 1978 season when UGA had several remarkable, come-from-behind victories 
• "Between the Hedges".  This reference to UGA's Sanford Stadium dates back to the early 1930's when the now-famous hedges were only a foot high and had to be protected by a wooden fence.

Since I've been a student, I've witnessed the birth of a few new traditions.  While they may not be as long-lived as the above traditions, they have been fun to get into over the last few years.

Blackout. Starting at last year's Auburn game, Mark Richt requested that Bulldog fans unite to all wear black and transform Sanford Stadium's typical sea of red into a blackout.  In addition, the team came out in original black jersey's for the occasion.  The excitement of it all was enough to bring a 45-20 win against one of the University's biggest SEC rivals.  The jersey's were worn again at the Sugar Bowl, which resulted in a 41-10 victory against the previously undefeated Hawaii.  However, after the loss to Alabama a few weeks ago the Blackout tradition may not live on as long as intended.

"Soldier Boy".  This popular rap song and the ensuing dance craze were all over Athens last year.  When the Bulldogs needed a pick-me-up in the Auburn game, the song was blasted over the loudspeakers and students and athletes alike spontaneously broke into the dance both on the field and in the stands.  At several other games throughout the season, this song was played to pump up the crowd and the team.

"I Put On For My City".  Another popular rap song, this seems to be the Soldier Boy of 2008.  It has been played at all of the home games this season, and the stadium goes wild every time.

Who knows, maybe in 100 years students will talk about those oldies songs "Soldier Boy" and "I Put On For My City" that Bulldogs used to cheer to way back in 2008.  

A Pleasant Surprise on Gameday

Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of meeting one of Athens’ most famous local celebrities. I know what you’re thinking… Matthew Stafford, Knowshon Moreno, Corey Smith… no, I got to meet Uga VII.

I was tailgating on North Campus with friends and family when a woman came over to us and asked if we had met Uga yet – I’m pretty sure our response was more enthusiastic than it would have been if she had walked over and said Britney Spears was tailgating at the next tent.

We’ve all watched the new Uga strutting around on the field and relaxing in his air-conditioned dog house during the games, but Saturday he was driven around on a golf cart to the popular tailgating sites to meet the fans before the game. It might have been the highlight of my college career.

In the past 100 years of college football, Georgia’s Uga has become the nation’s most well-known mascot. The Frank W. “Sonny” Seiler family of Savannah, Ga., has owned the famous line of pure white English bulldogs that dates back to Uga I being first introduced to campus in 1956. Perhaps the most famous of the mascots was Uga V, who made appearances in the movie “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” and was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Sadly, Uga VI (the winningest mascot in school history) passed away over the summer, ending his career with a record of 87-27. He was the biggest of the Ugas at over 60 pounds – 15 pounds heavier than his father was.

The current Uga, the seventh in the line of Georgia mascots, was introduced to Georgia fans on August 30, 2008, during pre-game ceremonies of the season opener against Georgia Southern.

Searching For the Perfect Place to Study

I love my apartment. But sadly, I can't study in a place with so many distractions: watching tv, making food, or taking a nap in my room. So like many other students, I have been searching for the perfect place to study. A safe haven to write papers, study review guides, or meet with group members to finish a project.

Like many other students, the SLC is foremost on my list of a great place to study. I have a special place in my heart for the SLC. I spent a good couple of weeks there last semester for finals and loved studying there late at night. After spending countless hours studying there, I have come to find that there are a few problems that makes it hard to study at the SLC. First, it is really hard trying to find a study room. Unless you and your group members are meeting up at 11:00 at night, you will be wondering the 4 floors of the SLC trying to find a room that is empty, or at least one where you don't see a trail of jackets, backpacks, and computers, all signs that people are saving the room. Parking can also be annoying when studying at the SLC. I hate having to fight the traffic to get on campus and then walk from my parking space that always seems to be on the other side of campus. Since I already don't want to study, the fact that I am making a lot of effort to get to one place makes it that much harder to motivate myself to study. The Library and the Law Library have the same parking problems as the SLC. Both libraries have amazing views if you find the right place, but both places seem to lack privacy and comfortable seating.

So where might you ask have I found the perfect place to study? The State Botanical Garden is a secret gem that many students are unaware of. Parking is not a problem and you don't have to pay $2.00 for the first hour you are there (parking is free). Plus, the State Botanical Garden is less than a 5 minute drive off of Exit 6 (this may be closer to your apartment than campus is). Next, the cafe at the State Botanical Garden has a cloud of wireless internet. So as you are researching a topic, writing a paper, or meeting with a group, you can sit on the porch and look at the beautiful gardens (maybe grab a little lunch). This is a peaceful place to study. There is a serenity about the gardens that makes it an enjoyable experience. Especially with the weather cooling down, there is no better time to study outdoors.

For students looking to find a great place to study, there are dozens of places outside of campus that have wireless internet and a comfortable atmosphere that makes studying tolerable. Studying at UGA is inevitable. So why don't you make it enjoyable. Next time you have a group meeting or need a quiet place to study, I suggest that you make a trip to the State Botanical Garden or venture off of campus. Athens has so much to offer!

Terrapin Brewery

Every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 5:30 - 7:30 pm, Athens' own Terrapin Brewery gives tours and tastings. For $8, you get a pint glass (which you can keep), you can take a guided tour to see how Terrapin is made, you get 8 drink tickets to taste the different beers they have on tap, and there's live music. They usually have 6 beers on tap at once and they change seasonally.

I went last night, and took this short video just so yall could see what the atmosphere is like.

Overall, it's a really cool experience. It's neat to learn a little bit about one of Athens' most famous local products, and it's a fun social gathering - I ran into so many people I knew!

It's also a great price for everything you get - the tour, glass, beer, AND music! Doing all that downtown could easily run you $50, and Terrapin offers it all for $8. Next time you have a few hours to kill on a weekend afternoon, or if you're visiting and are looking for an alternative to the typical bar scene, definitely check out the brewery! Click here for directions.

I am... McLovin

For those of you who missed it, Christopher Mintz-Plasse (better known as "McLovin" from Superbad) was in Athens

Tuesday night for a publicity tour for his new movie, Role Models (costarring Paul Rudd and Sean William Scott).  The tour started with free food for the first 100 guests at the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity house, followed by a free advanced screening of Role Models at Beechwood Cinemas.  After the screening, he headed to Sideways downtown.

I happened to be working at Village Idiot downtown Tuesday night and "McLovin" ended up in my bar after his appearance at Sideways.  He's a really cool kid, and exactly as goofy and lovable as his character in Superbad.  Yes, I was completely starstruck and took a million pictures with him - as soon as I get them (they weren't on my camera) I'll post a few!

I got to spent a lot of time talking to him and his publicists about how they were enjoying Athens and they asked me for recommendations of what to do the next day before they had to jet off to Omaha for the next leg of their tour.  They kept saying how much they loved Athens and wished they could have spent more time here to see everything the town has to offer.  They also said the people were great, they had fun at the bar scene, and it's just a generally friendly town.  

It's nothing new to hear how much students and Athens natives love our town, but it was cool to hear it from a Hollywood movie crew, not to mention one that's in the middle of a nationwide college town tour! How's that for a celebrity endorsement...

Athens Farmers Market

I went to the Athens Farmers Market before we started officially blogging so I thought I would share some of the beautifully colorful photos I took while I was there.  The Athens Farmers Market is located at Bishop Park on Saturday mornings between May and November.  If you haven't had a chance to check it out you should try to go before it ends in November.  I had a wonderful time meeting new people, hearing their stories, and purchasing their amazing local and sustainable products.  Check out our Athens Flickr Site for more photos! . 

Off the Beaten Path in Athens

Since today was such a beautiful day I went out and shot a few videos of a few of my favorite landmarks in Athens - the Double Barreled Cannon and The Tree That Owns Itself.

Hopefully next time you're in Athens you'll make it over to these two quirky attractions to see them in person!

Restaurant Spotlight: 237 Prince

Like most people in Athens, I'm drawn to the downtown scene when I go out to eat. However, last week I ventured outside my comfort zone over to 237 Prince Woodfire Grille (on Prince Avenue) - and it was well worth it.

First I just have to say how amazing it is to go somewhere and not have to worry about parking! There's a parking lot in The Bottleworks so you don't have to worry about cruising up and down Broad and Clayton fighting for a spot.

Walking into the restaurant, you enter a lounge and bar area which is separate from the restaurant. There is also outside seating on the patio so you have several places to enjoy your meal or a drink. The ambiance is great, the restaurant isn't too big and the big woodfire oven next to the bar is really cool.

They had a great selection of salads, entrees, and pasta dishes in addition to the unique pizza creations cooked in the woodfire oven.  The menu isn't too pricey, and there are great drink specials every night of the week.

I went back over the weekend to talk with the owner and find out a little more about what sets this restaurant apart from everything else Athens has to offer.

There are tons of great unique restaurants in Athens, and I'm definitely going to add 237 to my list of favorites.

Athens: Life Unleashed

I'm really excited about this new Athens blog! The Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau and our interns want to help others stay in-the-know about what's going on in our eclectic college town. From the coolest new restaurants to roadside wonders to the hottest annual events and live music spots, our staff and interns are out and about town a lot and want to share what we love about Athens. Stay tuned!