Georgia Football weekend: The perfect Athens itinerary
Some of this is kickoff time dependent, right? If the game is later, I may squeeze some of the postgame activities in the pregame period, and vice-versa.
Regardless of when they occur, there are certain things I try to do every single time I’m in Athens to see the Dawgs. My non-negotiables so to speak.
Jittery Joe’s
My gameday does not start until I’ve been to Jittery Joe’s to get a cup of Attack The Day coffee, black. The location that I visit is somewhat dependent on where we are staying that weekend.
When we stay downtown, it’s tough not to just walk on over to the location on East Broad, but boy do I love the Five Points location on a gameday. It’s always poppin’ and gets the juices flowing for the day ahead.
Mama’s Boy
If you told me I could only eat one place in Athens for the rest of my natural life, I might have to pick Mama’s Boy. It’s just so durn good.
Here’s the problem though, it is nearly impossible for me to narrow my meal choice down to a singular item. That means that generally, my order ends up looking something like this:
Pulled Pork Hash
Bacon, Egg and Cheddar Biscuit
Chicken, Egg and Cheddar Biscuits
Do I ever eat it all? Absolutely not. Do I have some of all of it? Yes. Yes, I do. Gotta put down that base layer!!
Onward Reserve: Downtown Athens
After my coffee gets me ready to Attack The Day and I lay down my Mama’s Boy base layer, it’s high time for some adult libation and some gameday gear shopping.
Luckily, at the flagship Onward Reserve store on Clayton Street, I can do both. Started by Georgia-grad and DGD TJ Callaway, the store’s atmosphere on gameday Saturdays In Athens always feel like you went clothes shopping and a tailgate broke out.
While you shop, you can enjoy a complimentary mimosa, Bloody Mary, or beer. And make sure and snag one of the free Onward koozies to keep your drink temperature in the refreshing zone.
Mosey to the back of the store and catch College GameDay on the tv, or if it’s a later kick, the early slate of games that day.
Before you head out, be sure to grab a polo with the Jacksonville Bulldog Club’s iconic logo of a bulldog with a gator in its mouth.
Horton’s Drug Store
If you grew up in a small town like I did, you gotta have a soft spot in your heart for local pharmacies. And Horton’s Drug Store embodies that in so many ways.
We always pop in after we finish up at Onward, peruse their selection of Bulldogs-themed spirit wear, grab a pair of $10 sunglasses, and a bag of candy for the kids.
It just doesn’t feel like Saturday in Athens if we haven’t made a stop at Horton’s.
Herty Field
This is a stop that was added once we had kids, and now I can’t go to Sanford until I’ve spent some time at Herty.
This is our favorite place to throw the football around and have the kids run some routes trying to be like their favorite Dawgs players. Maybe get our picture taken in front of the fountain.
Georgia football’s history isn’t complete without Herty Field so it seems like the appropriate place to spend some family time pregame on a Saturday in Athens.