Even with football season over, there is still a reason to visit Athens. Only three miles south of downtown, the State Botanical Garden of Georgia is a splash of color even in winter.

The grounds are a mix of landscaped gardens filled with native and exotic plants and rugged woodlands. More than five miles of trails wind through the gardens, skirting the Middle Oconee River, climbing into the surrounding hills, passing carefully tended gardens and connecting with the conservatory and Day Chapel.

The garden is on South Milledge Avenue, just south of University Parkway. 706-542-1244.

Food: Light lunch is served in the conservatory's Garden Room Cafe, or head to downtown Athens for a wide variety of dining choices.

* Degree of Difficulty as rated by "Hiking Trails of North Georgia" by Tim Homan


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