Slow down and travel through a quieter time. Georgia’s Antebellum Trail from Athens to Macon is a trip through the era before the Civil War. Plan a couple of days… or more.
1. Br’er it! Eatonton is the home of Uncle Remus and Br’er Rabbit. The Uncle Remus Museum is located on the home land of Joseph Sydney Turner, the little boy depicted in the “Uncle Remus Tales” and is housed in original slave cabins. Eatonton is also the home of Alice Walker, who penned the Pulitzer Prize wining, “The Color Purple.”
2. Tour it! Start in Athens at the Church-Wadel-Brumby House, the city’s oldest surviving house. Pick up some brochures and sign up for the daily Classic City Tour to learn about the history and appreciate the great classic Southern architecture. Check out the one-of-a-kind double barrel cannon.
3. Dawg gone it! You might say Athens has “gone to the dawgs!” The bulldog is the mascot of the University of Georgia and they have “put the dawgs out.” Go dawg sighting with a map from the Visitor Center. Don’t miss Van Godawg or Carmen Miranda Dawg. Free
4. Walk it! The State Botanical Garden of Georgia in Athens is a delight in every season. The 313-acre preserve has a tropical conservatory, five miles of nature trails, and many gardens. A great place for lunch. Free
5. Buy it! Heading south stop in Watkinsville. Take a walk of the historic district starting at the Eagle Tavern Museum that was once a stagecoach stop. Pick up a walking tour and take a relaxing stroll through history while enjoying the craft shops and art galleries. Free
6. Eat it! Georgia is known for its 5 Ps – peaches, peanuts, pines, poultry, and pecans. Stop at Bishop’s stand to taste some of the “P’s” – depending on the season, of course. If peaches are not in season there are always peanuts. Did you know peanuts come raw, roasted, boiled, Cajun, sugared, shelled, and unshelled?
7. Bike it! At the Madison Welcome Center, housed in an historic 1887 firehouse, pickup a bike trail map through cotton fields and plantations. Not into biking? They also have a walking/driving map through downtown and the historic district with a list of Madison antique dealers. Madison is part of Georgia’s Antique Trail with over 100 shops.
8. Ponder it! Near Eastonton climb the viewing tower in a quiet woodland park for a view of the 8-foot-high mound of quartz nuggets shaped like a great eagle. The effigy, with a wingspan of 120 feet, is only one of two in the United States. Archaeologists estimate it is at least 5,000 years old. Free
9. Trolley it! Riding the Milledgeville Trolley is a “capital” idea; Milledgeville was the capital of Georgia at the beginning of the 19th Century. The two-hour tour takes visitors into the past through the historic districts that include African-American and white cultures. The Old State Capital is a do not miss.
10. Ride it! For $ .25 ride the bus from the Welcome Center in Terminal Station as it circles the past the most historical part of Macon. Don’t miss the historic 1850s Hay House. Within walking distance of Terminal Station are Music Hall of Fame, the Sports Hall of Fame and Museum of Arts and Science.
From Athens with artsy bull dawgs statues to Macon with more cherry trees than Washington, DC, driving the Antebellum Travel offers a wonderful respite from the modern day world.
1. Br’er it! Eatonton is the home of Uncle Remus and Br’er Rabbit. The Uncle Remus Museum is located on the home land of Joseph Sydney Turner, the little boy depicted in the “Uncle Remus Tales” and is housed in original slave cabins. Eatonton is also the home of Alice Walker, who penned the Pulitzer Prize wining, “The Color Purple.” 2. Tour it! Start in Athens at the Church-Wadel-Brumby House, the city’s oldest surviving house. Pick up some brochures and sign up for the daily Classic City Tour to learn about the history and appreciate the great classic Southern architecture. Check out the one-of-a-kind double barrel cannon. 3. Dawg gone it! You might say Athens has “gone to the dawgs!” The bulldog is the mascot of the University of Georgia and they have “put the dawgs out.” Go dawg sighting with a map from the Visitor Center. Don’t miss Van Godawg or Carmen Miranda Dawg. Free4. Walk it! The State Botanical Garden of Georgia in Athens is a delight in every season. The 313-acre preserve has a tropical conservatory, five miles of nature trails, and many gardens. A great place for lunch. Free5. Buy it! Heading south stop in Watkinsville. Take a walk of the historic district starting at the Eagle Tavern Museum that was once a stagecoach stop. Pick up a walking tour and take a relaxing stroll through history while enjoying the craft shops and art galleries. Free
7. Bike it! At the Madison Welcome Center, housed in an historic 1887 firehouse, pickup a bike trail map through cotton fields and plantations. Not into biking? They also have a walking/driving map through downtown and the historic district with a list of Madison antique dealers. Madison is part of Georgia’s Antique Trail with over 100 shops.
8. Ponder it! Near Eastonton climb the viewing tower in a quiet woodland park for a view of the 8-foot-high mound of quartz nuggets shaped like a great eagle. The effigy, with a wingspan of 120 feet, is only one of two in the United States. Archaeologists estimate it is at least 5,000 years old. Free
9. Trolley it! Riding the Milledgeville Trolley is a “capital” idea; Milledgeville was the capital of Georgia at the beginning of the 19th Century. The two-hour tour takes visitors into the past through the historic districts that include African-American and white cultures. The Old State Capital is a do not miss.
10. Ride it! For $ .25 ride the bus from the Welcome Center in Terminal Station as it circles the past the most historical part of Macon. Don’t miss the historic 1850s Hay House. Within walking distance of Terminal Station are Music Hall of Fame, the Sports Hall of Fame and Museum of Arts and Science.
From Athens with artsy bull dawgs statues to Macon with more cherry trees than Washington, DC, driving the Antebellum Travel offers a wonderful respite from the modern day world.
