Augusta, Georgia, is the oldest city in Georgia. Situated on the Savannah River, the city's average temperature of 62.7 degrees allows for year-round outdoor activities, but this second-largest city in Georgia also offers plenty to do indoors. During your stay in a hotel on Washington Road, venture out to see the city's antebellum mansions and drive down to the Riverwalk to take a guided boat tour of the Augusta canal to learn more about the city's storied history.
With an average daily room rate of just over $50 (as of 2010), the West Bank Inn is an economical place to stay on Washington Road in Augusta. When making reservations, be sure to mention if you are an AAA member to receive a discount. Drive straight down Washington Road to see the Augusta National Golf Course, home of the Masters Tournament. Just a few miles further is the Riverwalk, which offers eight blocks of shopping, outdoor festivals and restaurants. During the drive back to your hotel, stop in at a restaurant near the hotel for dinner. Choices include steakhouses, seafood and Italian dining. Take advantage of the free wireless Internet and expanded cable with HBO and Showtime on the television in your room while resting for the next day's activities. This is a nonsmoking accommodation.
Offering both standard rooms and suites, you can expect to pay about $55 to $75 nightly (as of 2010) at the Days Inn Suites, depending on your choice of accommodations. For an even better rate, mention if you are a senior citizen, AAA member, AARP member or are traveling on government business. Visit the nearby Ezekiel Harris house, built in 1797 when Mr. Harris came to the area as a tobacco merchant. The house is open Tuesday through Friday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. You can then drive about 2 miles to the Augusta Museum of History to see "The Godfather of Soul, Mr. James Brown" exhibit, running through December 2011. When you return to the Days Inn on Washington Road, continue the fun in the outdoor pool and then relax in the Jacuzzi in your King room.
Rooms at the Hampton Inn on Washington Road range between about $75 to just over $100 per night (as of 2010), depending on the number of guests and room choice. Discounted rates are available for AAA members, AARP members and members of the military. After enjoying your complimentary breakfast at the hotel, drive to the nearby Fort Discovery National Science Center and see such things as the Imaging and Perception Gallery, which will challenge your ideas of reality, and the Robotics Gallery, where you can interact with machines as they accomplish unusual tasks. The center is open Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you are in Augusta during a holiday, please note the center is closed on Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. After you've enjoyed your dinner at an area restaurant, return to the hotel and work off your meal in the hotel's fitness center, and then cool down with a relaxing swim in the pool.
