Summer fun is going strong in Madison County, Georgia! There's plenty of great family things to do!

Madison County, Georgia is full of equine lovers! If horses are your thing, check out the new horse riding club organized by Linda Henderson. Ms. Henderson was new to Madison County, Georgia and wanted to reach out to her new neighbors so she went door to door, posted flyers all over Madison County and now has 95+ new horse loving friends! The Madison County Trail Riders meet monthly at various locations. For more information visit the Madison County Trail Riders website.

Just down the road from Athens, GA in the town of Comer, in Madison County, Georgia you'll find a great farmers market. Comer Farmers' Market is open on Saturdays from 8 a.m. until noon, and features fresh food, art, antiques, boiled peanuts, artisan breads and more. Local growers are invited to participate with table rentals only $5 each for more information call (706) 783-4665. They expect to be open every Saturday through October. Located at 1926 Madison Street, Comer, GA 30628: From Athens, take Highway 29, North to a right Highway 72 East, which goes straight into Comer, then watch for the signs. Recently Comer, GA had it's First Annual Faery Fest at and around the Farmer Market - take a look at 35 Faery Fest 2008 photos.

Do you love Classic Cars? Then the Madison County Cruisers is the club for you! Established in 1993, this cruiser clubs has donated over $17,000 to charity. They are dedicated to "turning clunkers into cruiser" and are particpants at the Colbert, GA 4th of July parade.

Hit a few balls..Sunrise Golf Club is open seven days a week and is a gorgeous and affordable golf couse with driving range and excellent grill and snack bar.

Visit the covered bridge and park at Watson Mill Bridge State Park near Comer & Carlton, Georgia! With 1,018 acres there is room for everyone.

The park has 21 campsites with electric and water hookups in the regular camping area and 11 sites with water and electrical hookups at the equestrian area, three areas for pioneer campers. There are nature trails, picnic areas with pavilions, fishing, volleyball court, horse trails, canoeing and more.

(Photograph by David DeRepentigny)

Search for Homes in Madison County Georgia and surrounding Athens, GA area

Approximately 33 homes are scheduled to be displaced in the next section of the ongoing State Route Highway 72 widening project. This leg of the project involves a 10+- mile stretch by-passing the towns of Colbert, Georgia and extending to the next portion to be affected which will be the by-pass of Comer, Georgia. Many other homes will be affected by the Georgia Department of Transportation acquiring additional easements or portions of highway frontage from current owners.

The final number of homes to be affected is unknown at this time but is estimated to be 50, due to characteristics of individual lots including the existence of septic tanks, family cemeteries, and more. Negotiations are scheduled to begin soon, with road construction scheduled to begin in 2010.

In The Main Street News, Teri Pope, Northeast Georgia District communications officer for the Georgia Department of Transportation is quoted as stating "Because of things that continue to change during negotiations, that number is fluid...There's always things that can happen, but as of right now, those numbers are projections".

The initial leg of this widening project, from the intersection of Highway 29, North in Athens, Georgia to the city of Colbert, Georgia, left many homeowners angry and disgruntled. The impact on real estate is still felt when attempting to re-sell homes that were not bought or moved by the Georgia Department of Transportation. Many of these homes were left with extremely minimal front yards and small lots, which negatively impact marketing attempts. The Georgia Department of Transportation has published a State Route 72 fact sheet with more information on this project.

Wooded beauty, babbling shoals, and covered picnic areas all work together to bring peace to your heart when you visit Harris Shoals Park. Harris Shoals Park is located off Experiment Station Road, near downtown Watkinsville. Other fun things to do in the park:

• Horshoe Pits
• Childrens Playground
• Baseball Field
• Walking Trail - dog friendly (leash laws apply)
• Play in the Shoals - dog friendly (leash laws apply)

Take a short drive down Georgia Highway 15, towards Greensboro and watch for the Elder Mill Covered Bridge signs on the left. This bridge was constructed in 1897 and is one of the few remaining covered bridges that allows traffic to cross in Georgia that has not been reinforced with steel beams underneath. The bridge, 100 feet long, originally covered Calls Creek and was moved to its current location in 1924. Restoration was last done to the bridge in 1997.

Other Oconee County, Georgia Parks to Check Out:

• Oconee Veterans Park
• Herman C. Michael Park
• Heritage Park

Watkinsville, Georgia is becoming a shopping mecca!  Out the stretch of Highway 316, which runs along the south edge of Oconee County, Georgia, you'll find the big name shops like Kohls, WalMart, Kroger Grocery Store, Lowes & Home Depot, and more.  But hidden away in the heart of the downtown district are some really cool shops like: 

• Georgia Originals - featuring products made only in Georgia - how cool is that?  A fabulous place to find gifts for family and friends.
• Southern Belles and Beaus- premium children's clothes with custom embroidery available.
• Circa Antiques & Art- always has the most gorgeous glass Christmas ornaments and something special for your home or gift.
• Books Galore is my favorite place to get my reading fix!  I buy new books there and then get to trade them back in for other used books.  I visit several times a month and Gail and her staff are super friendly and knowledgeable!  Be prepared for them to ask you which books were your favorites!

Join me below on a quick tour of some shopping areas in and around Watkinsville- where there really is something for everyone! And of course there are plenty of places to grab a delightful bite to eat so you can refuel during your shopping frenzy!

 

Downtown Watkinsville is home to many diner's delights!

Almost every special occasion my family has celebrated by dining out is spent at Gautreau's Cajun Cafe in Watkinsville, GA. When they first opened they started out just up the road, then moved over to a location in Athens, GA for a few years and returned home to downtown - we've loyally followed them all over!

The best kept secret around is probably their "Blacked Filet Mignon", tender enough to cut with a fork and melt in your mouth delicious. It's a hard decision to make though - the ettoufee is awesome and often David and I go home with bowls of it for the next day :)

Save some room for dessert a couple of doors down at "Sweet Retreat"

Both of these fabulous eateries are located in Town Center on Main Street along with Maison Bleu which serves incredible everything, and is a Winner in the Best Food Taste of Athens in 2007 & 2008. They were also featured in Southern Living MagazineJuly 2008. Not to be be missed at Maison Blue - the creme brulee!

Early Saturday mornings in the summer, you'll often find me at the Oconee County Farmer Market located at 26 North Main St, Watkinsville, GA 30677 in front of the Eagle Tavern Museum. Open: Saturday mornings from May 13 until October.

The vendors offer fresh certified naturally grown and locally grown produce and flowers, free range eggs, herbal body products and more.

Eat fresh...Have Fun!

The Colbert, Georgia 4th of July 2008 in Madison County rocked!  The parade started at 9am and running for almost an hour it was a great place to see neighbors, friends and a whole lot of politicians :) it is obviously an election year! My husband David and I got a great, shady spot near the start of the route this year.  

As always the classic antique cars were fabulous, above mentioned Hubby drooled over some of the Corvettes - next year his Corvette wil qualify as "classic" and he really wants to be in the parade - but who will take the pictures then?

My personal favorites are always the horses, who were decked out and stenciled with stars this year!

The craft festival was awesome as always and I went home stuffed with funnel cake & bbq!

Other "Seens" Not To Be Missed:

• Harold Allen & his septic tank trucks & floats
• The Huge Elephant Float - Barry Fleming for Congress
• Little "Special Miss Madison County"
• Stanley Thomas - REALTOR & Madison County Commissioner
• Retiring Judge "Hoppy Royston"

It was great to see everyone! 

 

 

Five Points, Athens, Georgia has historically been one of the most desired neighborhoods where charm & convenience meet. Five Points is know to be a "walking community" convenient to shopping, restaurants, entertainment and historically appealing homes.

The community of Five Points borders the south & southwest sides of The University of Georgia and is home to many student rentals and many single family residences. The Friends of Five Points is a association of homeowners from the area whose mission is "... to further the safety and quality of life in the Five Points area".

If you are looking for a fabulous dining experience, check out the Five and Ten in Five Points! Hugh Acheson is Athens Georgia's celebrity chef and designated as one of America's Best New Chefs 2002. My personal, favorite dinner is the "Redneck Rissotto" and I've been known to cry over the specialty desserts like "White Chocolate Raspberry Brulee" that was featured for Valentines Day, make your reservations now!

Whether you prefer biscuits, bagels or croissants for your breakfast, Five Points Deli is sure to please. For those of us with a sweet tooth, try the Chocolate Croissant for an occasional early morning blast of sugar or an "Ooey Gooey Bar" for an afternoon pick-me-up! Their desserts aren't listed on-line, but their cakes, cookies & bar treats are worth the visit and there is free street side parking!

Earth Fare Athens is situated in the heart of Athens, Georgia in Five Points. They are "...committed to bringing delicious specialty, gourmet and health foods to the University of Georgia (UGA) Campus and the Athens community in a friendly environment". Earth Fare has a huge selection of everything! The deli, cafe and bakery all feature excellent & delicious choices for dining.

One of my personal favorites in Five Points is Jittery Joe's Coffee where "Each little brown bean is a labor of love". They also win my "Success Star Award" for "Best Adaptive Use of Real Estate". The Five Points location is housed in a former gas station that was (in my humble opinion) an eyesore. The building is now attractive, funky, fitting and a delight to my eyes!

The Five Points community is also home to one of Athens Georgia's premier shopping districts. Visit Five Points to view an interactive map and learn more about some of the fanciful boutiques, exclusive interior appointments, great outdoor merchandise and more that abound in Five Points!

Now - please tell me what you love about Five Points in Athens, Georgia!

There's plenty of room for your pooch to play in Athens, GA! 

Although I have an acre of fenced yard for my 5 canine family members to play in, they often want a change of scenery and someone new to play with and well...I love talking to other humans about their darling dogs too. 

Those days we head to one of the many pooch party fields in and around Athens.

Samson, the white Boxer is especially social and really enjoys playing with his friends at off dog leash, fenced areas at Wiggly Field, located off Whit Davis Road in East Athens.  Wiggly Field has a small dog field, a large dog field and an agility course.

   

Take a look at the rest of Samson the White Boxer's adventure below:

 

The Univeristy of Georgia Intramural Fields off College Station Road in Athens, GA also has a several off leash areas, plus plenty of trails.

Ben Burton Park on Mitchell Bridge Road does not have off leash areas, put leashed dogs are welcome in the fields, paths, and to play in the river!

Sandy Creek Park on Holman Road (off Highway 441, North) has several open, public fields and has private fenced areas that can be rented for $1.00 per dog per hour - Sammy had his 1st birthday party there last year and really enjoyed hanging out with his friends.  Leashed dogs are welcome on trails.

Rules and More Information for Athens-Clarke County Dog Parks

A special treat for any of our dogs is breakfast or lunch at Big City Bread on Finley Street in Athens, which features dog friendly patio dining - Clarke County leash laws are enforced but you're sure to make new friends, eat great food and enjoy the local artisian and farmers market on summer Saturdays!