8 fun and easy outings to make up for no Spring Break

By Abby Wagner 

Spring is here!

Spring has finally arrived, and with spring comes students’ favorite holiday – Spring Break, notorious for beach trips, music festivals, and the first taste of summer. However, students’ around campus are feeling blue because this year the University of Georgia will not be having a Spring Break.

Not to worry though, Athens is in a great area, full of summertime adventures for you and your friends to enjoy. Below is a list of recommendations for activities in, right out of, and a reasonable distance from Athens. Enjoy the sun!

In Athens:

  • The State Botanical Garden of Georgia – this 313-acre preserve is used as the University of Georgia horticulture laboratory, and it is open, free, to the public. For young children, this garden offers a 2.5-acre wonderland complete with a magic tree house, edible plants, and a fossil wall. For older guests, there is a heritage garden where visitors can learn about the history of our state through native plants, antique roses, row crops, fruit crops, and more.
  • Bear Hollow Zoo – located inside memorial park, this slightly bizarre, free zoo contains an array of non-releasable animals, either due to behavioral or physical characteristics. On Saturdays and some Sundays, check out their reptile house!
  • Sandy Creek Park – this park is located around Lake Chapman, and it offers a variety of summertime recreational activities such as hiking, swimming, fishing, grilling, and boating. This park is complete with a disc golf course, horse trails, a private dog park, and boat ramps.

Right out of Athens (roughly 30 minutes away):

  • Fort Yargo State Park – located in Winder, Ga, Fort Yargo is named after a log cabin built by settlers to protect them against Creek and Cherokee Indians. At this park, there is hiking, swimming, boating, fishing, geocaching, biking, and more. Plus, guests can enjoy an overnight experience with their choice of a cabin, a yurt, or tent camping! If you are looking to get on the water, this is the park for you because they offer Jon Boat, kayak, paddle board, canoe, and pedal boat rentals!
  • Thrifting in Monroe – If you love thrifting, you will love Monroe! Check out Ian Henderson’s Antique Mall and Vintage Revival Antiques for unique and timeless articles of clothing, pieces of furniture, and lots and lots of books!

A reasonable distance away from Athens (up to four hours):

  • Tallulah Gorge State Park – located an hour a half away, this park is home to one of the most spectacular canyons in the South East. The gorge is two miles long and over 1,000 feet deep. For a more extreme trip, guests can attain a permit to hike all the way to the gorge floor. Otherwise, guests can enjoy the beautiful scenery from the rim down to the suspension bridge, located 80 ft in the air!
  • Atlanta – Georgia’s capital is located an hour and a half away from Athens and is truly a wonderful city. Check out the World of Coke, the GA aquarium, Centennial Olympic Park, and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights for the complete experience. For a bite to eat, eat at Ruben’s, seriously the owner is hilarious!
  • Sugar Mountain – for those who have not gotten enough winter, this one’s for you. Snow Mountain, located in North Carolina, has cheap skiing, and it makes the perfect weekend trip! If you can stay past sundown, you should. This ski resort quickly turns into a party complete with live music and drinks!