Yesterday may have been one of my saddest days as a student at the University of Georgia. I was already depressed because it was my last Georgia football game and the forecast said 100% chance of rain all day (when does that ever even happen?). Then to top that off, we actually lost to Georgia Tech, something that hasn't happened in 8 years and that Mark Richt has never experienced as the Bulldogs' coach.
But instead of moping around and whining about the loss, I've been reflecting on my memories over the years at UGA. From the blowout wins to heartbreaking losses, the last four years have turned me into a Bulldog for life.
Hopefully everyone else has been able to deal with the loss as well. If not, maybe these videos of UGA's best game day traditions will cheer you up a little bit.
Rain or shine, win or lose, I'll still be screaming... GO DAWGS!
Growing up in South Georgia, I missed out on the changing of leaves with the seasons. Since I have been living in Athens, fall has become my favorite season. I think the colors of fall are so incredibly beautiful! The State Botanical Garden of Georgia, located here in Athens, is a great place to explore nature and see the beautiful fall colors. During a recent visit to the Botanical Gardens I captured some of these images.....
Last weekend I attended the Junior League of Athens Marketplace Shopping Extravaganza and it really got me in the holiday spirit! The local area vendors featured holiday merchandise and others displayed their beautiful, handcrafted creations. It was a great opportunity to discover many local retailers, get a chance to talk with the vendors, and get great ideas for gift giving. I hope some of these pictures help to get you in the holiday spirit!!
For the past week, I've been resisting the urge to put up my holiday decorations. One of the most exciting things about moving into my own house three years ago was buying my first wreath, Christmas lights, and even a little tree.
I've been trying to hold out until after Thanksgiving, but now that downtown Athens has set up their annual decorations, it's all over. I don't know about everyone else, but I can't help but get excited as I drive through downtown and notice the familiar bows and garlands on the street lights.
If you've never been to Athens, now is definitely a good time to come visit. The craziness of football season is winding down, it hasn't gotten too cold, and everyone is getting in the holiday spirit. Click here for more information on the holidays in Athens from the Convention & Visitors Bureau.
One of my biggest guilty pleasures is going out to eat. Even though I'm completely capable of fixing my own meal and usually have a refrigerator full of food at home, there's something about going out to a restaurant and having someone else do it all for me that is always so enticing. Usually I feel bad about it later, because I could have saved money by staying in and making a sandwich.
A way to get around this is to go to your favorite restaurants for lunch. I was just at Basil Press on Friday, and had an amazing lunch for $6.95, complete with leftovers. There are a lot of places like this downtown that have the same or similar menus for lunch and dinner, but everything at lunch is half the price as it is for dinner. Besides Basil Press, some of my favorite lunch places in Athens are Last Resort, East West Bistro, and DePalma's. When I go to any of these places, I still feel like I'm treating myself to a nice lunch, but I don't break the bank.
If you are visiting Athens, don't be turned away by the expensive-looking restaurants downtown. Check out the menus, peek in to see what the atmosphere is like. Pretty much anywhere you go, you will have a great experience and an affordable meal.
Check out Terrapin Beer Co., profiled by CNN as a small business success story. John and Spike talk about the keys to their success. If you haven't been out to Terrapin Brewery for their tours and tastings, don't wait any longer-- every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
When you visit Athens, one of the first stops you should make is at the Athens Welcome Center for information, tours, and brochures. One of the tours offered by Classic City Tours is called the Museum Mile Tour of Historic Interiors. This tour takes you to each of the four unique house museums in Athens. In each house, you will see a different era of Athens History, from the 1820s Church-Waddel-Brumby House, to the 1840s Taylor-Grady House, and the 1850s Ware-Lyndon and T.R.R. Cobb Houses.
Throughout the week I will be posting videos from each of the houses (just the exterior - you have to take the tours to see the insides!).
Let's start at the beginning with the Church-Waddel-Brumby House, which now houses the Athens Welcome Center.
The Athens Welcome Center is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Sunday noon - 5 p.m. During daylight savings months (April - October), it stays open util 6 p.m.
Last Thursday, I went back to Terrapin to get some videos of the brewery tour. If you haven't been yet, I would highly recommend heading over there one afternoon - they're open to the public Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 5:30 - 7:30. In the meantime though, you can check out the videos I took to find out a little more about how Terrapin Beer is made.
