Ben signed up for a Half Ironman triathlon race in Augusta, GA. This was a rescheduled race from last year and the closest location with spots open. Because he needed his bike, we drove to Augusta for a quick and busy weekend trip.
Nashville, TN to Augusta, GA (6.5 hours)
The drive to Augusta, GA can be done in 6 hours if there are no traffic or stops. Both unlikely. Plan on 7 hours, and aim to drive during non rush-hour times through Atlanta, if possible. We left on Friday after school to head to Augusta.
We made a few stops every 2 hours at Love’s Travel and other gas stations. Chattanooga, TN and Atlanta, GA are both along this drive if you have flexibility to do a few activities in those cities. At Exit 310 in Georgia, off of I75 near the border, there is a Buc-ees that we enjoyed. They are a large travel stop chain that has some southern shopping and a wide selection of food and snack options.
Our favorite car activities are sheets of stickers and blank paper, sticker puzzles, and movies on the tablet. Read more about our tips for long road trips here.
Hyatt House Augusta
I originally booked a hotel that was 10 miles away, and 2 weeks before the trip, we decided that because of Ben’s race on Sunday, we needed a room walking distance to the start line. Of course 2 weeks out made it very difficult to get a hotel for cheap. I was able to search daily, and we found availability and paid an exorbitant amount of money to stay at the Hyatt House Downtown Augusta. Usually this hotel costs $120 a night, but not on event weekends. I was able to use 15,000 Hyatt points for one night and we paid $380 for the second night. Ouch.
I used my Hyatt credit card to earn points for our next stay. You can earn Hyatt points from Hyatt stays, the Hyatt credit card, and Chase points which can be transferred to Hyatt. Learn more about points here. The hotel location was key, and it was walking distance to the race festivities, the downtown Riverwalk, and some excellent restaurants. We were upgraded with my hotel status to a 1-bedroom suite which allowed the kids to sleep in a separate room, a key to sleeping with kids on vacations. The hotel had a standard free breakfast with fruit, cereal, and hot options.
Favorite Activities
Canal Discovery Center and Boat Tour
On Saturday morning, after breakfast at the hotel, we headed out for adventures. We originally wanted to go to the Augusta Farmers Market, but we slept in and chose to eat some hotel breakfast and take our time. At 11, we headed to the Augusta Canal National Heritage Area, about a 5-minute drive from downtown.
The Augusta Canal Boat Tour and Discovery Center were both highlights of our trip. We took a 1-hour wildlife and history tour on a large Petersburg boat. We saw otters, herons, egrets, turtles, and really cool architecture along the way. There are several old mills by the canal that are currently being repurposed. Another favorite spot on the boat tour was a bridge named after an Augusta military officer, Archibald Butt. Really, my kids just liked saying butt. There are also tours that have a more civil war focus and music tours as well. Nobody fell in and everyone enjoyed the tour.
The Discovery center was really well done. There were a lot of interactive exhibits for the kids and us to learn more about textile factories and how water makes power for the mills.
Riverfront Walk
The downtown Riverwalk area is a must-do. The whole length is about a mile and an easy walk with scenic views of boats passing by and huge houses across the way. Near 6th Street, there is a small playground and a cute gift shop that sells snacks, souvenirs and ice cream. There was also a kayak company renting kayaks on the dock. We didn’t do this on this trip but it looked like a fun way to explore the river.
Museum of History
Ben had some pre-race tasks to complete Saturday afternoon so the kids and I walked from the Riverfront area a block to the Augusta Museum of History. There were several areas where you could press buttons to hear stories from previous generations in different eras. The kids’ favorite area was the transportation area. They enjoyed exploring and playing in a steam locomotive train, a 1920s trolley car (ding ding!) and more. There were also several exhibits on famous people from Augusta (There’s not a lot beyond James Brown) and, of course, several exhibits on golf.
Race Day Activities
The primary reason we visited Augusta was to support Ben in his race. I have to give a shout-out to this crazy human who does amazing things! On Sunday morning, the kids and I cheered him and the other racers on, and we had a blast!
Other Activities
Favorite Restaurants
Farmhaus burger: We enjoyed some excellent burgers and milkshakes from this restaurant. Tons of options and a few patio seats outside.
The Pizza joint was right across the hotel and had some great pizza and beer. They have an outside patio, but we ordered to-go and watched some TV so Ben could go to bed early.
