Keeping it Local: Part 2

Last week, I talked about how I love having visitors in town because I get to eat out and show off Athens. This past weekend, my mom was in town so I got to do the whole visitor thing all over again.

As usual, one of my favorite things about the parents coming to town is going to the nice restaurants that I can't afford on my own (East-West, Porterhouse, Farm 255, etc.). However, this time I decided to take Mom out to some of the fun local attractions Athens has to offer. 

We went to one of my old favorites, the Terrapin Brewery, to meet some friends and enjoy the local beer.  I hadn't been to Terrapin in awhile, but I've never seen it so busy!  The parking lot was absolutely packed and the line at the taps was a mile long the whole night.  But as usual, it was a fun outing and I love the laid back attitude everyone has there.  Not to mention, where else can you go for live music, good beer, and even leave with a souvenir glass for $8? If you have yet to go to Terrapin, go soon - they're open for tours and tastings Thursday, Friday, Saturday from 5:30 - 7:30.  They seemed to be in between seasonal beers right now, but I would imagine soon they'll have their spring beers available for tastings.  

*If you want to see what you've been missing, there are videos on the Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau's blog from my internship last semester

We also went to Urban Sanctuary for facials (what kind of *girls weekend* would be complete without facials?).  My roommate recommended the spa after getting a massage there a few weeks ago, so we decided to check it out.  Urban Sanctuary is one of those cute, homey places in Athens that is located in an actual house - which I love! The facials were awesome, and the whole atmosphere of the spa made you feel right at home.  

And finally, we went to Cine - which I've been meaning to do for years.  They have some great movies playing right now (Milk, Revolutionary Road, & The Reader - we saw Milk) and if you check out their website you can see all the cool events they have each week.  Aside from the cool indie feel of the theater, it has cheaper tickets than traditional theaters in town AND a full bar - not to mention, it is connected to The National (which I have yet to go to but I hear is amazing).

This weekend made me realize there's more to "keeping it local" than just eating in local restaurants.  I'm definitely planning to spend my last two months in Athens experiencing as much of the local culture as possible.  

Keeping it Local

One of my favorite things about Athens is the wide variety of local restaurants.  I love all of the unique places that you will only find in Athens, and am especially reminded of this whenever I have friends come to town.  It's easy to take for granted our vibrant downtown scene (and lets not forget all the amazing places on Prince Avenue), which is why I love taking visitors out around town and hearing them rave about how amazing our town is.  

This weekend, I had some friends in town and was so excited to take them to two of my old favorites, Last Resort and Casa Mia, and then we also branched out and went to Big City Bread for breakfast (which I've been wanting to go to for ages).  There's just something so much more enjoyable about going to the quaint, local places than eating at chain restaurants (since I moved to Athens I've avoided Chili's at all costs).  

Now more than ever, it's important to support these local businesses.  During an economic downtown, chances are the corporate giants can sustain themselves much longer than the small "mom and pop" stores that we know and love.  Branch out from your regular Tall Latte at Starbucks and try something from Walker's.  Or if you're really wanting to keep it local, do your shopping at the Athens Farmers Market or eat at restaurants like Farm 255 that use all locally-grown food.

Of all the things I'll miss about Athens, the unique restaurant and bar scene will definitely be one of the hardest to leave.