Road trip... Royston, Augusta, Macon, Albany, Columbus, Rome? (Atlanta, Savannah: sales, home)

[spark240]

Hi folks.

I'm planning a road trip for May. I haven't worked out the exact itinerary yet (except I know that I will definitely be going through Birmingham) but the towns listed below are possible stops. I'd be interested in hearing from natives or current residents of these towns about things to see, places to stay, and places to eat, in the towns mentioned or along the roads between. I like happening downtowns and I like country back roads. I might decide to tent-camp some nights. I appreciate history and local flavor. I'm not interested in anything with a national chain name on it, or anything real expensive.

Thanks for your help.

Tennessee: Sevierville, Chattanooga (I've already done the Tennessee Aquarium)
North Carolina: Kannapolis, Hickory, Black Mountain, Asheville
South Carolina: Greenville, Anderson, Aiken
Georgia: Royston, Augusta, Macon, Albany, Columbus, Rome
Alabama: Huntsville, Birmingham, Montgomery
Mississippi: Jackson

[ATLCOL1]

If you go to Columbus I would stay at least a day or so. Here is where I would stop at:

1) Downtown Columbus - check out the shops, restaurants, Springer Opera House,
Riverwalk, Historic District, and the Coca-Cola Space Science
Center Coca-Cola Space Science Center

2) Columbus Museum - one of the largest art and history museum in Georgia and one of
the largest museums in the Southeast.
Columbus Georgia Museum Home Page, Modern Art and American Art, Chattahoochee Legacy, Southeast

3) Port Columbus Naval Museum Welcome Aboard! Port Columbus. Civil War Naval Museum in Columbus, Georgia. Civil War History.

4) National Infantry Museum Infantry Museum (broken link)

5) Callaway Gardens - this would take several days to see
Callaway Gardens | Georgia Vacation Resort, Family Vacations, Golf & Weekend Getaways

Columbus also is home to a lot of cool local restaurants and shopping areas. Let me know if you need other information.

[DisgustaTruth]

I can understand Columbus.. since you will be in Birmingham.. but Augusta? Royston? Macon? Albany? How did you come up with that list of cities to visit? Let me suggest Athens, Milledgeville,Madison, Helen, Clayton, Dahlonega (you take take US 441 and hit all of these cities.. with a short detour to get to Helen and Dahlonega. If you do this route, Macon may be a good starting point, but I wouldn't spend too much time there. Augusta is sort of isolated on the eastside.. and not much to see or do, unless you like stripa malls and fast food restaurants. Albany? Why? Oh Why?
YOur road trip list is peculiar.. you included some of the least deirable cities in Georgia and left out the best.

[johndoeboy]

You will have a lovely time when you visit Augusta, GA. When you ride down I-20 you can see all the construction going on. Tell us how your trip was when its completed.

Augusta, Georgia Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau

Riverwalk - Augusta - Reviews of Riverwalk - TripAdvisor

Welcome to the Augusta Canal

National Science Center

Adventure Crossing

Morris Museum of Art

Things to do in Augusta, GA

Goshen Plantation Golf Club - Augusta - Reviews of Goshen Plantation Golf Club - TripAdvisor

The Augusta Canal Interpretive Center at Enterprise Mill

Ezekiel Harris House

Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art

Columbia County : Savannah Rapids Pavilion

[spark240]

Thanks to all for the suggestions.

I reckoned the destination list would strike some as strange! This trip is being partially built around one of my passions, baseball. I do a trip like this--in different areas--every year. Most of the towns listed have some form of professional minor league baseball team (in Georgia, it's either the MLB-affiliated South Atlantic League or the independent South Coast League)... I enjoy the game itself, I enjoy the more stylish or unique ballparks (both old and new), and I enjoy getting a feel for the small cities and towns.

So attending games in different ballparks every year gives me an excuse to travel around, and a rough sort of framework for doing it, but I plan other things to see and do between the games. I'm also into natural scenery, historical sites, various kinds of museums, local music scenes, and authentic regional foods.

Albany GA has been dropped off the list for this trip, since it no longer falls along any of the routes I'm thinking about taking.

[DisgustaTruth]

Ok now your list makes a bit more sense.. don't forget Savannah.. it has a minor league baseball team and is a real jewel.. there is a reason it is the only other Georgia city after Atlanta with a subforum here.. Augusta actually has a rather nice small ballpark..but don't expect to much more out of that city.

[spark240]

I've been to Savannah before, although not as part of an extended baseball trip... in fact I was with a group that arrived by sailboat, which is a really great way to visit a city, especially for the first time. You get an entirely different perspective.

I think I'm going to save a return to Savannah for some time when I can combine it with the Vidalia Onion Festival, which I'll be missing by a few weeks on this trip. I'm committed to being in Birmingham on May 28, so everything else has to be structured backward and forward from that date.

[johndoeboy]

Yeah the augusta greenjackets have a stadium that has been recently rennovated. Also their building a new stadium in downtown augusta this year. It will be a multi-use facility like a smaller turner field in atlanta.

[ATLCOL1]

Originally Posted by johndoeboy

Yeah the augusta greenjackets have a stadium that has been recently rennovated. Also their building a new stadium in downtown augusta this year. It will be a multi-use facility like a smaller turner field in atlanta.

Smaller by like 40,000 seats.....

[DisgustaTruth]

I was reading where the mayor of Augusta and Cal Ripken were promoting the idea of building a bew ballpark in downtown on the riverfront.. This would be a great idea..if it can happen.. it would surely involve a bond or sales tax referendum.. it would be an uphill battle to get Augusta voters to approve of more taxes for a ballpark..