Zach and I had the pleasure of being invited to Augusta, GAby the Augusta Convention & Visitors Bureau team for a weekend trip a few weeks ago and I Insta-storied the whole thing. Incase you missed it, or are planning a trip there yourself, I figured a blog would be a good choice to reference so you can see what we got in to. If you don’t know, Augusta is a small city about 2.5hrs away from where we live in the suburbs of Atlanta so it was an easy drive to get there, and we brought the dogs along to make it a nice family getaway. I’m going to break up what we did in sections: lodging, activities, and food, but feel free to visit the official Augusta, GA website to see a lot more options!

LODGING:

We stayed at the Augusta Marriott at the Convention Center. This hotel is right in the middle of Downtown on the Savannah River. The staff was nice, the room was very modern and clean - plus, we had a killer view. In addition, the hotel lobby is really nice, it features a coffee shop and restaurant, they have a pool, and they are pet-friendly!

ACTIVITIES:

We did various activities, and changed up our itinerary, because it was raining the day we got there. I’ll categorize everything by indoor and outdoor in case this happens to you as well.

OUTDOOR:

• Stroll along the Riverwalk : we did this at sunrise and took the dogs for a walk since it was literally right outside of our hotel. Plus, it was a gorgeous view.

• Kayaking and Stand Up Paddle Boarding at Betty’s Branch with Outdoor Augusta : this was on our list of things to do but because of the weather we didn’t make it.

• Phinizy Swamp Nature Park : this was about a 15min drive from the hotel and we took the dogs there for a nice walk. You get to see the swamp waters, they have a kids playground, and really easy walking trails.

• The Carolina Georgia Fair : this one is a bit more seasonal since I believe it is only there in October, but we went on a whim and had a good time. Plus, who doesn’t love a good ole funnel cake?

INDOOR:

• Augusta Candle Co - This place was awesome. You smell A TON of scents, write down your favorites, pick out a candle container, and go to the bar area where someone helps you create your own custom scented candle. It takes about 2 hours for the candle to harden so we ate lunch and killed time before we picked them up.

• Fitness classes - again, we didn’t get to go, but it was recommended that I check out Oxygen Fitness Studio. They offer: yoga, pilates, spin, barre, cross-training, and HIIT classes.

• Shopping (sort-of) - to be honest we didn’t really shop, but I got several messages on Instagram saying that I should check out Final Cut. It’s an “Anthropology/Free People Outlet” from what I understand. The place is huge and smells kind of funny, but if you’re into funky furniture and sifting through boxes of clothes - it might be your jam.

FOOD:

• Humanitree House: we got really, really delicious cold-pressed juice and smoothie bowls. It’s all vegan, organic, and local. The place is super eclectic with art everywhere, and they even have a few vendors set up selling items and more food.

• The Southern Salad: another really tasty spot with plenty of healthy options. Zach ordered the Grain Burrito Bowl and I had Toast + Lox. The also have salads, smoothies, more grain bowls, more toast options, snacks, and desserts.

• Sole: This was our dinner spot and I highly recommend sitting outside. They have strings lights, heaters, and you can hear the extremely varied, yet awesome, music choices. This place isn’t very vegan friendly so Zach managed with a veggie roll and edamame, but if you’re into sushi and tapas they have you covered! I ordered a few of the speciality rolls and one of their signature cocktails. The service was also really great!

• New Moon Cafe: This place was an awesome breakfast spot, but they serve lunch as well. They offer vegan, gluten free, and Keto options! They were quite busy when we got there, but the food came out quick. Zach got the avocado toast and espresso, and I got cheese grits, a lox bagel (again, I know), and a vanilla latte.

We only went for a weekend, so if you’ve been to Augusta before and have even more recommendations please leave them in the comments below!