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**

I loved visiting Athens and all the experiences that came with it. I am a Georgia Bulldogs fan so I…read moreloved seeing the college town and all it had to offer. I really enjoyed how they had little bulldogs all over the place and different designs on the bulldogs. This is a fun nice college town. I will be very excited to return.

THE GOOD AND THE BAD!…read more The first time I visited Athens, (UGA and surrounding area only), I was shocked because I had expected something different. What I had imagined would be closer to Ithaca, NY and Cornell University, (cute, quaint, clean). I have since learned that UGA it is the oldest state chartered university in the country and now I understand. Let's just say, there is not a lot of modernization and growth in this area. We decided to return to explore the downtown area (during the Christmas holiday), as I had heard about great restaurants and architecture. Parking downtown was very easy and it was interesting to see so many people downtown on such a dreary Sunday. This appears to be a popular destination for eating but the Irish restaurant we most wanted to visit was actually closed today. Booo! We were disappointed but understood that many businesses were still observing the holiday break. Be mindful of this: There are a number of homeless people hanging out in the area, but they are harmless. They will not approach you and usually are sitting quietly holding signs. Unfortunately, when walking through some areas the unmistakable smell of urine permeates the air. Downtown is truly a tale of two cities, you have wonderful stores that are beautifully designed, adequately staffed and masters at customer service and you have stores that make you want to scrub and shower once you leave. There is literally something for every personality and that is what makes this a really cool destination. The coolest aspect of being downtown is just visiting the old buildings that have been lovingly restored but still retain much of their character. People are very nice and you get a real sense of southern hospitality. We are actually planning on returning to Athens because we are interested in seeing a live performance at the local theater, visiting shops that were closed during this visit and finally having that Irish meal. We are also interested in exploring the outlying areas that are now starting to expand and offer some unique shopping opportunities. Interested to see what we might encounter during our next visit.

Athens is where the famous University of Georgia is located (Go Dawgs!) and the city has a long…read morehistory of education. This marker points out one of those earlier educators whose work led to the origin of the university. It reads, "Dr. Moses Waddel, educator and minister, was born in 1770 in North Carolina. At fourteen he began teaching pupils near his home. Moving to Georgia in 1786, he taught in the Greensboro area until 1787, opening another school at Bethany, Greene County, in 1788. While at Bethany Waddel decided to enter the ministry. He studied at Hampden-Sydney College and graduated in less than nine months in 1791, thereafter combining the careers of teacher and minister. "Establishing his most famous academy at Willington, South Carolina, in 1804, Waddel continued his work there until 1819 when he became President of Franklin College, now the University of Georgia. One of the most prominent ante-bellum leaders of that institution, he served until 1829. Unwilling to divorce education from religion, Waddel stimulated the religious life of the campus. In 1820 he organized and was pastor of the First Presbyterian congregation in Athens, which became the First Presbyterian Church. The present church building was erected in 1855. Waddel died in 1840 at his son's home in Athens. His pupils during a lifetime of teaching included John C. Calhoun, William H. Crawford, George R. Gilmer, Augustus B. Longstreet, and George McDuffie." In 1819, Waddel published Memoirs of the Life of Miss Caroline Elizabeth Smelt, a sentimental religious biography that became a transatlantic bestseller, reprinted in both the U.S. and Britain. Less widely acknowledged is that the 1820 census recorded sixteen enslaved individuals in his household, including nine children under fourteen, reflecting the complex and often contradictory legacy of Southern educators in the antebellum period. It is marker number 029-11 and it was erected in 1963 by the Georgia Historical Commission. [Review 1376 of 2025 - 860 in Georgia - 24928 overall]

While walking the campus of the University of Georgia, I spotted this marker in front of a rather…read moreimpressive looking building. It provides some modern history - remember, this is still the South - and a pleasant ending to the story. The marker reads, "On Jan. 6, 1961, Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter became the first two African American students to enroll at the University of Georgia when they walked past the historic Arch and into this building to register for classes. On this day, January 9, 2001, as part of the 40th Anniversary celebration of the desegregation of the University, we salute the courage and fortitude displayed by these students and their families in paving the way for others to follow." The building itself is hard to miss, a fusion of two antebellum structures built in 1831 and 1860 that are in a Beaux-Arts design with a grand Corinthian portico that was added in 1905. They were originally the Ivy Building and a separate library that was once a Presbyterian church. The new united structure contains the Office of the Registrar, Student Financial Aid, and the Institute for African American Studies. The marker was erected in 2001 by the University of Georgia. If you're here, know that you're following the footsteps of thousands before you. [Review 1382 of 2025 - 864 in Georgia - 24934 overall]

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!

This marker is along US-29 (Business) that parallels the railroad between Athens and Atlanta. The…read moremarker is on the south side of the road and while there isn't parking, there is room to pull over and leave your car for a moment to read the marker and admire the home. The home is private property so please respect that. The marker has the same text on both sides. It reads, "The Russell House was built in 1912 by Richard Brevard Russell, Sr., (B. 1861 - D. 1938), and his wife, Ina Dillard, (B. 1868 - D. 1953), who were married June 24, 1891. Fifteen children were born of this marriage. Judge Russell was elected Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Georgia in 1922, and served in this capacity until his death. Mrs. Russell was Georgia's Mother of the year in 1950. In 1954, the late Senator Richard B. Russell, Jr., the oldest son, became the owner of the house and made it his home until his death in 1971. Russell Memorial Park and Cemetery is located to the South of the house." The marker was erected in 1977 by the Winder Lions Club & Auxiliary. [Review 230 of 2025 - 799 in Georgia - 23794 overall]

We went to sign up for Medicare. I had heard so many horror stories about what an ordeal it was to…read morego to any social security office. It opened at 9:00 am and we were in a line of maybe 8 people and other folks trickled in as we waited. When you go into the office there is a kiosk for you to sign in and to indicate why you are there. You can make an appt prior to your visit for many things but not enrolling in Medicare. You are issued a number that pops out of the kiosk and you wait to be called. Apparently your number correlates with the type of service you require. We probably waited 15-18 minutes and then were called up to a booth. The young man assisting us was very professional and polite. It all went very smoothly . I would recommend this location.

I am applying of SS benefit's this year and I could not find the answer to two important questions…read morethat I had anywhere on the website. I called the Winder SS office and after a short wait I was connected with fantastic agent named Alexa who was able to provide me with the answers that I needed. What a great experience!!

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]