This local attraction is a curiosity in that some professor deeded the land surrounding to the tree…read moreitself as a sort of thought experiment. This is kind of silly, but it hearkens back to the purpose of having colleges and college towns in the first place, which is doing thought experiments. It's on a residential street in a cramped, historic neighborhood. All the surrounding houses are private properties, so there's not much to see here. You can just walk by and ponder whether trees can actually have property rights.

It's a tree that was planted with love and desire. A must…read moresee if you are in Athens. The Tree That Owns Itself is a white oak tree that, according to legend, has legal ownership of itself and of all land within eight feet of its base. Also known as the Jackson Oak, the tree is at the corner of South Finley and Dearing Streets in Athens, Georgia, US. The earliest-known telling of the tree's story comes from "Deeded to Itself", a front-page article in the Athens Weekly Banner on August 12, 1890. The article explains that the tree had been located on the property of Colonel William Henry Jackson.[1] William Jackson was the son of James Jackson, a soldier in the American Revolution as well as a Congressman, US Senator, and Governor of Georgia, and the father of another James Jackson, a Congressman and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia. He was the brother of Jabez Young Jackson, also a Congressman. William Jackson was reportedly a professor at the University of Georgia and is sometimes mentioned with the title of Doctor. The nature of his military service and the source of the title Colonel are unknown.] Jackson supposedly cherished childhood memories of the tree, and, desiring to protect it, deeded to it the ownership of itself and its surrounding land. By various accounts, this transaction took place between 1820 and 1832. **THE TREE IS NEXT TO A PRIVATE HOME AND PRIVATE DRIVE PLEASE DO NOT PARK**

Echoing the previous review, the food wasn't stellar, but the ambience is bold and a refreshing…read moretake on fine dining. In fact, some have begun to call it "crime dining". These chefs are breaking all the rules and redefining the convict-ional dining experience. I expect this place to break-out and become a well-known institution in the Athens food scene.

There is a dress code in order to eat here (orange or blue jumpsuit) however a white jumpsuit is…read morepreffered. The food was awful (especially the breakfast shank), the staff were a**holes and the people at our table kept trying to steal my wife's food. Also the waiter serving our trays kept staring at me while licking his lips and a guy seated next to our table was stabbed to death. I left a honeybun as a tip, but all in all it was a bad experience.

Beautiful historic building, lots of friendly ladies working the counters, and nary a line in…read moresight, the downtown post office is my shipping location of choice. Today, I needed to send a birthday present to my friend in California and a box of Halloween goodies to a friend serving in the military overseas. The smiling clerk helped me decide on two day shipping for my friend's birthday present (so my gift won't be *too* belated), and she also helped me pack a flat rate box so everything will still be in ship-shape when unpacked in the Middle East. Okay, so you will have to scrounge for a quarter to feed the meter at this location, but the amazingly helpful and efficient staff certainly make up for it! And isn't anything better than that horrid parking lot at Beechwood where the next nearest post office is?

This post office is a joy to visit. I'm serious--the staff is helpful, courteous, knowledgeable,…read moreand friendly. The old building is beautiful, and the line is usually pretty short. Do not risk heartache by going to the Alps location -- go downtown!

Clarke County is named for Elijah Clarke, who was the victorious commander over the British at the…read moreBattle of Kettle Creek in Wilkes County, Georgia. The courthouse was completed in 1915 after the county seat moved from Watkinsville to Athens in 1871. It is designed in an Italian Renaissance style with its buff-yellow brick façade, symmetrical five-story form, and a prominent south-facing portico supported by four monumental columns. A wide cornice runs beneath the fourth story, and the flat roofline gives the structure a dignified, institutional silhouette. There are a number of monuments and memorials on the courthouse grounds including the Athens Confederate Monument, a Carrara marble obelisk originally erected in 1872. There is also a marker honoring Abraham Baldwin, founder of the University of Georgia and James Camak, who helped establish the Georgia Railroad. While there is plenty of street parking, the building is completely locked on the weekends. I've read that the interior is impressive and includes some beautiful artwork. Perhaps I can return and tour on a future visit to Athens. [Review 1377 of 2025 - 861 in Georgia - 24929 overall]

I love that this bridge is open to traffic! It is rated for enough weight that my Sprinter van…read morecould cross and the bridge has enough clearance that I could fit in. The Elder Mill Covered Bridge was built in 1897 by Nathaniel Richardson. It is a Town lattice design with the planks connected with wooden pegs. It is one of the few covered bridges in Georgia continuing to carry traffic without underlying steel beams. It is possible to get to the side of the bridge and get some great pictures. I love this bridge! (Note that some of the approach road is only hard packed dirt. I was okay with it but your vehicle may have issues.) [Review 18057 overall - 532 in Georgia - 1578 of 2022.]

I happened to be dining at a restaurant in Watkinsville and noticed they were selling a magnet with…read morea picture of a covered bridge. When I inquired about it, I was surprised to learn that the Elder Mill Covered Bridge was nearby and still functioning as a working bridge. I was delighted to find more information about it on Yelp and decided to take a spontaneous outing to see this historic structure. The bridge is on a back country road. The road narrows as you approach the one-lane bridge. There is no where to pull off the road on this side of the bridge. Slow down to read the signs. There is a five ton weight limit. Your vehicle needs to be able to clear the metal structure before you drive through. It will prevent you from damaging the bridge (and your vehicle). You are supposedly on video surveillance, so don't block the private driveway and don't trespass the private land surrounding the bridge. Once you drive through to the other side, you can pull off on the paved strip on the side of the road. Feel free to get out of your vehicle to read the historic marker and take a few pictures. You can even walk across the bridge if you want to see the internal support beam structure. It is remarkable that this bridge is still in working order considering it was built in 1897. The wooden beams have obviously been updated and maintained to keep the bridge in working order, but there are no steel support beams and it is fastened with wooden pegs also called trunnels (or treenails). It is a work of art and definitely worth the 10 minute visit if you happen to be in the area.

I had a thoroughly enjoyable visit to the historic city of Athens, beginning with a walk through…read moreits charming downtown and continuing onto the quiet, tree-lined University of Georgia campus. Since it was a weekend with no classes in session or Bulldogs game underway, parking was easy and the coffee shops and restaurants were pleasantly uncrowded. Athens was founded in the early 1800s at Cedar Shoals, where an old Cherokee trail crossed the Oconee River. Incorporated in 1806 just five years after the University of Georgia opened nearby, the city was named after the classical Greek center of learning. It quickly grew into Georgia's cultural and intellectual heart, with a thriving antebellum economy built on cotton, brickmaking, and textiles. Though the Civil War brought hardship, Athens was spared destruction during Sherman's march and rebounded quickly during Reconstruction. The City Hall building was completed in 1904 and is a blend of Second Empire and Neoclassical styles. Built from Lexington granite and buff brick, it originally housed an auditorium, armory, and offices for city leaders and the Chamber of Commerce. The building has seen several renovations, including a major restoration of its clock tower in 2006-2007. Today, it remains a working seat of government, home to the mayor's office and a second-floor chamber for public meetings. [Review 1444 of 2025 - 866 in Georgia - 24996 overall]

I would feel like I had done a disservice to Yelp if I didn't tell people how much this USPS…read morelocation resembles a dumpster fire. I received a note in my mailbox that they were holding a package at that location because it was a signature confirmation and they tried to deliver it while I was at work. Something along those lines. I called USPS and told them I'd like to just pick it up at the post office. I showed up at the post office at 4PM (It closed at 5PM at the time, but you never know with this location). I waited in a line for over 30 minutes before I got to the counter with my ticket. Now the real insanity begins. I stood at the counter for an additional 30 minutes while they searched for my package. After 30 minutes, it was closing time, so they told me to wait in a side room with a few other customers who had been waiting while they try to find their packages. They closed all the shutters and turned the lights out, so it's just me and 2 strangers in a tiny side room now. Think roughly the size of a cubicle. After an ADDITIONAL 20 minutes (Now 5:20PM), the other 2 people left. They just walked out. As I'm sitting there, I heard the employees in the back yelling and laughing. At 5:45, I knocked on the door to the back because at this point, I had assumed they forgot about me. A guy just burst into the doorway. He seriously would have leveled me if I'd been standing in the path of the opening door. He asked me, "What do you want?" Not, "Can I help you?" or anything. I calmly - I'm serious, I was still calm - said they were supposed to be finding my package. He slammed the door and started yelling at people that, "Some guy is waiting for a package." After ANOTHER 15 minutes of yelling and laughing from the back, someone finally came out with the package. They handed it to me without a word and slammed the door in my face. I walked out at 6:05PM. That was the worst customer service experience I've ever had in my life. I was treated like an annoyance and an idiot. They showed me zero respect despite my continued patience. I never got an attitude with anyone or appeared unruly. The employees acted lazy and uncaring. Of the 4 employees I had direct contact with that day, not a single one smiled, showed me any respect, apologized, or remotely acted like they cared whether I was helped or not. I would give negative stars if I could.

I don't understand the bad reviews either. My experience today was great. I had two packages to…read moremail to cousins for birthdays and I hadn't addressed them yet - I'm not the best planner;/ The gentleman at the counter answered my questions about rates and helped me to find a pen AND a sharpie to address my packages. I didn't expect him to be so accommodating but he was. There was, what appeared to be, a homeless man talking to himself in the front of the store for a bit which was a little upsetting but he wasn't there long and he wasn't bothering anyone...

Three hours here this afternoon! The library is quiet, spacious, comfortable and the wifi worked…read moregreat! I was able to find a study carrel where I could power up laptops and get some work done (and Yelp reviews written) instead of trying to work from the van when it's just too darned hot. Plenty of space, lots of different areas to sit and study including some rooms that could be reserved. You do not need to be a local resident to use the library, only to borrow materials. [Review 18060 overall - 535 in Georgia - 1581 of 2022.]

I am specifically writing about the Watkinsville branch. They shelve items incorrectly and try to…read moresay you didn't return them. probably because they beg for volunteers to shelve who haven't any clue how to do this. also, I had a book that accidentally got damaged and wanted to replace it. there was an identical copy on Amazon for $4.99. They would not accept this because they wanted to charge me $37.00. If you do venture there hold onto your wallet. i have lived in many states and this is the worst library ever. I will never patronize them again.