Welcome to Visit Augusta GA blog

This summer William attended art camp at the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art in Augusta, Georgia. I know this is something not everyone who visits Augusta has time to enjoy, but it you are visiting friends and family over the summer, it is definitely doable. It was so much fun, it is worth checking their summer schedule before you plan you visit Augusta.

The week long class had William building a habitat for his critter. The class was in the afternoon and I enjoyed each day getting the update about his critter’s new home. You might not be able to tell from the photo – but this highly advanced habitat has a satellite antenna, fire alarm, security system and coffee table.

Not to worry, this non-profit visual art school offers more than just critter classes. Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art offers opportunities for students of all ages and interests. Quarterly studio classes and workshops are available from drawing and painting to photography, weaving, clay, and sculpture.

The institute was founded in 1937 and housed in a fantastic historic building dating back to 1818. The classes are held in the Walker-Mackenzie Studio dating back to 1907.

In addition, the Gertrude Herbert serves as a showcase for local and regional artists, hosting at least six major exhibits of contemporary art in its Main Gallery each year. Rotating student exhibits feature works by school children from all over the Augusta area.

Gallery hours are 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Tuesday – Friday and Saturday by appointment only (24 hours advance notice requested). Admission is free; donations are encouraged.

Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art
506 Telfair Street, Augusta, Georgia.
www.ghia.org
(706) 722-5495

Have you been to the Kroc Center yet? If not, what the heck are you waiting for? It’s amazing! Tours are offered daily on the hour.

The Kroc Center has a very interesting story, for more information on how the Kroc Center operates please click on the link below and check out their informational video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4r2hTeb_pQ

When you first walk in you are greeted by the friendly staff at the reception desk. Tell them you’d like a tour. Whether you are interested in meeting space, aquatics, aerobics, arts and education, group fitness, performing arts or practically anything, the Kroc has something for you! Want to actually experience what the Kroc has to offer and not just tour it? No problem! The Kroc Center offers day passes for only $5 and children three and under are free! And of course, memberships are available.

If you’re looking for a gym that’s great for the entire family, you’ve found it here! Check out this fly through video of the facility! WARNING – prepare to be awed!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXp59d4J0Ok&feature=player_embedded

The Kroc Center has a fitness area that has state of the art aerobic and strength/weight training equipment.

They also offer a remarkable aquatics center which has lap lanes, a water slide, a lazy river, outdoor sun decks and more!

There are several options for meeting space in the Kroc Center, there’s a gymnasium, board/meeting rooms, a performing arts theatre, banquet hall, six acre green space that backs up to the Augusta Canal (for outdoor functions) and party rooms for the little ones’ birthday celebrations. The possibilities are endless. They also offer an in-house catering service, experiences technicians who can help manage all of your audio, video and lighting needs and business and marketing services are all offered.

Want more information about the Kroc Center? Give them a call at (706) 364-KROC or visit the facility for a tour at 1833 Broad Street  Augusta, GA 30904

The Kroc Center
Hours of Operation:
MON-FRI 5:00 am-10:00 pm
SAT 7:00 am-6:00 pm

SUN 1:00 pm-6:00 pm

If you’re like me you probably get tired of the same routine of exercising at the gym. Cardio, strength training, cardio, strength training, again and again. It gets old, fast.

Well, you’re in luck because I am here to introduce you to a new way to both exercise and have fun at the same time! It’s called Disc Golf. You may have heard of it, or seen a group of people playing at your local park. If you haven’t, listen up…

Disc Golf is played much like the traditional game of “ball golf,” but instead of clubs, players use a flying disc and instead of a hole, there’s an elevated metal basket, or more formally called “the Pole Hole.” The sport was formalized in the 1970′s, according to the Professional Disc Golf Association and shares with ball golf the object of completing each hole in the fewest number of strokes, or in this case, throws and make Par.

The player tees off from the “Tee Pad.” As a player progresses down the fairway, he or she must make each consecutive shot from the spot where the previous throw landed. But, unlike ball golf, the terrain various. Often, a player must maneuver their disc around trees, shrubs and terrain changes located in and around the fairway. This provides challenging obstacles for the golfer.

Also like ball golf, which has various clubs, disc golf has various discs players use depending on the distance being played. There are drivers, mid-range/fairway drivers and putters. And a disc is far less expensive than a golf club.

And unlike ball golf, this game is often free! Rarely are there any green fees associated with the game. As a matter of fact, there are several courses in the Augusta area you can try free of charge, and what’s even better? You can play anytime you’d like, so you’re never stuck with a bad “tee time.”

Free Courses:

Lake Olmstead Park - 2200 Broad Street, Augusta, GA 30904 – (706)736-7889
Patriots Park - 5445 Columbia Road, Grovetown, GA 30813 – (706) 863-7523
Pendleton King Park - 1738 Pine Tree Road, Augusta, GA 30904-5068 – (706) 733-4176
Riverview Park - 100 Riverview Park Drive, North Augusta, SC 29841 - (803) 441-4300

Green Fee Courses:

Wildwood Park, located in Appling, GA is home to the IDGC (International Disc Golf Center and Hall of Fame) and also home to one of the most challenging disc golf courses in the area. This course is a paid course and monies are used for donation purposes.
3828 Dogwood Lane, Appling, GA 30802 – (706) 309-9017

For more information on disc golf, I recommend visiting the sites below…Hope to see you on the course!

Professional Disc Golf Association

Augusta Disc Golf Association

Click here to see the video!   ———–>  Westobou Ticket Launch Flash Mob in Augusta, GA

First Friday, August 5th was the kickoff for the 2011 Westobou Festival ticket sales.  The Westobou Performance Project made their presence known at the corner of Broad and Tenth Street.  Have you heard the term Flash Mob? Well, at 6:30 pm all these people wearing colourful tee shirts broke out into dance. There were probably a hundred or more. 

I’m not sure if all those that were downtown for First Friday knew whether or not this was going to take place but it was nice to see so many people out downtown. The street looked like a parade had passed through after all the confetti. 

The Westobou Festival is an annual 10-day festival that celebrates art and culture.

The 2011 Westobou Festival will be from September 29th through October 8th.

Everything from the creation of public art like Sarah Hobbs’ installation and viewing on Friday, Oct. 7^th, to huge concerts like Roseanne Cash on Thursday, Sept. 29^th, Langhorne Slim on Saturday, Oct. 1^st, and Lizz Wright on Saturday, Oct. 8^th, to internationally acclaimed ballets like Botanica by Momix on October 6^th and 7th and much more flood the Augusta area for locals and visitors to enjoy.

For a full list of events and ticketing information, visit the Westobou Festival website .

All week long the kids knew we were going to see some Monster Truck Action on Friday Night in Augusta, Georgia. They could hardly wait. It was an excellent bribe for good behavior.

We loaded up the car and headed just down from Gate Five at Fort Gordon to the Gordon Speedway. We arrived early before the show to check out the trucks. These trucks were huge. I guess that’s why they call them Monster Trucks. The show involved crushing small cars – always exciting. A few jumps and driving just on the back two wheels. Woo-wee.

It was a bit loud. Folks that had been to the speedway before came prepared with headsets. We did not. But we were able to sit a little away from the action and miss the big noise. Other action included a great motocross race.

The food was very affordable. We got some fries and Gatorade. No alcohol at the track—very family friendly. There is even a section of the stands just for families.

William loved Black Knight – it was the truck driven by the only female racer. Jacob liked the green truck. I personally liked seeing Big Foot – the very first monster truck ever.

But the other big hit was the racing flag. When having to make the choice between the flag and funnel cake – the boys choose the flag. I do feel that I missed out on that one. The funnel cake looked really good.

You can catch a race this Friday, July 22^nd at the nearby Modoc Speedway, which is just a short drive over to McCormick, South Carolina.

For other races and speedy action check out the website:

http://www.modocspeedway.com/