Augusta to Athens: An East Georgia Sampler

"I look out my window as the light comes streaming in/It's quiet here this morning as the world begins to spin…" Those are the first two lines of the song "Traveling East Georgia," a chestnut written and performed by Crosstie Walkers, one of the most successful working bands to come out of the part of eastern Georgia known as "The Classic South." Should you take a road trip from the golfer's paradise of Augusta to the college town of Athens you'll see a good chunk of east Georgia and come to understand exactly why Crosstie Walkers had to write a song about the place where life is as refreshing as a tall cool glass of sweet tea. 

Augusta is very famous for its green, particularly for the Green Jacket that comes along with winning the Masters Golf Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club. But while sportsmen like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson come to Augusta to duel it out on links of green many arrive in the city for Brown; James Brown that is! The legendary soul man was born in neighboring South Carolina but he grew up in Augusta and the city is currently honoring him with a special exhibit at the Augusta Museum of History entitled The Godfather of Soul, Mr. James Brown. 

It's the first major exhibit celebrating Brown's life and legacy and fans can delight to rooms full of memorabilia including vintage posters, records, tickets, backstage passes and personal items once owned by the late "hardest working man in show business." Many of Brown's stage outfits are on display including the funky "crown" he wore in the 1950s when he was first proclaimed the King of Soul. Interactive multi-media kiosks trace Brown's musical evolution with performance snippets and interview excerpts from Blues Brother Dan Akroyd, Red Hot Chili Pepper Anthony Keidis, singer Smokey Robinson and many others. There's a ton of stuff packed into the special exhibit, on display until May 2011, and yes you'll leave with one of Brown's favored catch-phrases on your mind; "I feel good!" Mere blocks away from the museum, Broad Street is lined with hip galleries, boutiques, taverns, cafes and gift shops and you can probably guess who's rightfully in the middle of all the action. A great photo opportunity waits on Broad between 8th and 9th Streets where Augusta pays permanent homage to Brown with a life-size bronze statue that's often surrounded by mementos left by fans. And of course you can purchase Brown's music in the local gift shops so you can listen to "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" as you finish up your tour of Augusta. 

A couple of interesting places to see include the boyhood home of Woodrow Wilson where the future president naughtily scratched his name into one of the window panes and the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History where a wax figure of "Mr. Moses" greets you at the door, his banjo at the ready. Augusta also has a tree-lined river walk along the Savannah River where you can take a leisurely stroll as squirrels scamper in the foliage.

It's not very far from Augusta to Athens and you can cover the approximately 90 miles in a couple hours if you so choose. But take the advice of Crosstie Walkers and take your time with the drive and maybe even stop in for a visit at Thomson, their hometown. Thomson is where the late great bluesman Blind Willie McTell was from and if you happen to visit on the first Saturday in May you won't want to miss the Blind Willie McTell Blues Festival. Otherwise at anytime you can grab a picture of the roadside historical marker dedicated to McTell and if you're a hardcore fan and want to pay your respects you can ask around about how to get to Willie's gravesite. Thomson is small but there are several good places there to have lunch (try Ivery's or Poppa's Finest Bar-B-Que) and you can walk the calories off afterwards with a tour of the historic mansion known as Hickory Hill. 

The Greek Revival-style house was the one-time home of Senator Thomas E. Watson and it sits on a large, lush and green piece of land that overall makes for a stunning presentation. Basically you can pull over in any of the small towns along the highway to Athens and find great local color in the form of creative people. At Happy Valley Pottery in Watkinsville you'll find an entire enclave of artisans demonstrating their craft and selling their wares while at Loretta Eby's Hot Glass studio (also Watkinsville) you can buy hand-blown glass ornaments and unique items like perfume bottles and if you visit at the right time you can watch Loretta while see works.

Athens is the home of the University of Georgia and the music-loving students that attend the school have never had to look beyond their backyard for quality music. Bands like the B-52's and R.E.M. came out of Athens as did less successful but still influential groups like Pylon and Guadalcanal Diary. You can take a self-guided walking tour through "Athens' music history;" pick up a free brochure at the Athens Welcome Center (and many other places) and follow the map to a church where R.E.M. used to rehearse, the restaurant space where Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson of the B-52's worked pre-stardom and previous locations of the still-rocking and legendary 40-Watt Club. The tour has twenty-eight stops in all, enough for you to work up a good thirst, and that's something they can help you with at the Terrapin Beer Company. Sure you can sip on an ice cold locally-brewed Terrapin Rye Pale Ale throughout Athens but it somehow tastes even better when you go to the source. Terrapin's tasting room is a good place to try all of their beers and the gift shop there has plenty of cool T-shirts and gear too. 

You'll definitely want to hear some live music while you're in Athens and there's always something for all tastes going on. Local favorites include sensitive singer/songwriter/ keyboardist Kate Morrissey and rowdy Rasta-rockers DubConscious but if you're lucky enough to visit Athens in June you can hear dozens of talented local acts during the weeklong music party called Athfest. But really music and fun are easy to find in Athens and east Georgia; if your ears and eyes are open your sampler platter will be overflowing.

To plan your trip to Augusta, Athens and east Georgia visit: www.exploregeorgia.org 

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