Getting to know Tucker Plantation's horses.Spring is in the air and what better way to celebrate than by joining us on Earth Day (April 22nd) for our Bicycle Farm Tour! We will kick off the journey at Tucker Plantation and then travel to seven farms and artist work places-- all in all covering 35 miles! For all of you biking enthusiasts out there, this should be a breeze; however, if you’re like me and haven’t ridden a bike since your middle school days, rest easy because you can also participate by car.

For just $45, you not only get to spend the whole day with Mother Nature, but you also get to explore farms and enjoy a farm sourced lunch! These locally owned and sustainable farms are located in the Comer and Carlton areas (right outside of Athens), with specialties ranging from veggies, to goats, to handmade glass art and pottery. For a complete list of the participating farms, click here.

Watson Mill Bridge ParkSo come enjoy some fresh air with us while connecting with local farmers and artists. This innovative approach to learning about where local food comes from is fun, as well as educational. Tour Registration is easy, so what’s stopping you? Ladies and gentlemen: grease up those bike joints because we’re going for a ride!

Lace Up! @ Athens Skate Inn

Sharing non-food related "things-to-do" in Athens because we love this town:

As many of you know, Athens, Georgia is truly a gem of a city – day or night. This southern town is deeply rooted in a long history of traditions, cuisines, and entertainment venues. It is a place where there is always something to do; whether it be shopping at a specialty boutique or grabbing a cold one and catching a local band. You will rarely find yourself bored in Athens. If you do, there is a lot to be said about spontaneously gathering friends and going out for a night. This post is not meant to discourage anyone from doing so. Rather, I’m asking you to think twice, before strapping on those stilettos, and tune in for a unique way to entertain your entourage, while wearing a different kind of footwear.

Believe it or not, there is more than one cool way to spend a Saturday night, around here. It may seem like a great deal of the local chatter revolves around the bars and music clubs of Downtown, but there is good news for those who desire a somewhat calmer atmosphere. Again, I’m going to ask you to suspend those thoughts for a minute, go out a limb, and consider treating your pals to skating this weekend. Think about it. No matter the circumstances, you are never too young or too old for a roller rink. There is no parking fee, plenty of good music, and it’s all reasonably priced. Plus, and lucky for me, it is possible to fall down and still have a great time. What is there to lose?

The crew at Athens Skate Inn will certainly take care of your group, and make sure everyone has the best experience possible. They remember what it felt like to have a special place to go on a Friday or Saturday night. Tim and Pam Brock, co-owners of the rink, fondly recall working at the old Athens Skate Inn, which was previously located within the current facility. “We worked here as teenagers in the 80s and 90s. We met here, married shortly after, and now, our entire family helps to run the business.” It is heartwarming to hear them talk of the memories and the friends they made. I can only imagine how they must have felt, when the rink closed in the mid-nineties. They told me how much they missed it, and how badly they wished to restore it. However, the couple admitted that accomplishing this feat was shy of a magic carpet ride. “We had to jump through a lot of hoops. There were times, when all of us doubted that we were going to make it.”

Thankfully, Athens Skate Inn re-opened its double doors, in November of 2010. To the Brock family’s surprise, many of their old friends and patrons returned to the Skate Inn, along with a fresh crowd of young faces every night of the week. For Tim and Pam, it’s a lot like looking into a mirror. “We wanted to give this generation what we had, and give back, to our own, what was missing.” These people understand the value of clean, honest fun. They assure that every night of the week is appropriate for all ages and all levels of performance; though, a list of various “theme nights” is provided at the bottom of the article, in order to heighten your personal experience.

On a typical night, there may be close to one-hundred people on the rink, in the game room, hosting a party, or eating Papa John’s Pizza. The only requirement for entry is having fun! So, I strongly suggest that you call your best friends, bribe them with candy, and get a pair of skates on those feet. Before you head out, don’t forget to log on to www.athensskateinn.com to check hours, prices, events, etc. Anyone can bring their own skates, but be aware that Athens Skate Inn will rent regular skates, in lines and speed skates, on a first-serve basis. You come to skate; Athens Skate Inn will take care of the rest.
Theme Nights!

Monday/Tuesday – Birthdays and Private Events
Athens Skate Inn is closed to the public for birthday parties and events. Visit their website to book your next social gathering. www.athensskateinn.com.
Wednesday – Throw Back/Old School Night
Enjoy a fabulous mix of music from the 70s and 80s. Great for experienced and bounce skaters. Hours from 6:30 – 9:30pm. $4 entry fee. FREE skate rental. $3 speed skates.
Thursday – Family Night
Skaters of all ages and skill levels encouraged.  Great night for inexperienced skaters.  Hours from 6:30 – 9:30pm. $3 entry fee. FREE skate rental. $3 speed skates.
Friday – TGIF Teen Night
Skaters between the ages of 13-19 are encouraged. Not recommended for inexperienced skaters. Hours from 7:00 – 11:00pm. $7 entry fee. $1.50 skate rental. $3 speed skates.
Saturday Morning – Kiddie Session
A learning experience for young children. Hours from 10:00 – 12:00pm. $3 entry fee. $1.50 skate rental. Birthdays/Events welcome.
Saturday Afternoon – Regular Session
Hours from 1:00 – 5:00pm. $5 entry fee. $1.50 skate rental. $3 speed skates. Birthdays/Events welcome.
Saturday Night – Regular Session
Hours from 7:00 – 11:00pm. $7 entry fee. $1.50 skate rental. $3 speed skates.
Sunday Afternoon – Regular Session
Hours from 2:00 – 5:00pm. $5 entry fee. $1.50 skate rental. $3 speed skates.
Athens Skate Inn
295 Commerce Blvd.
Bogart, GA 30622

written by Food Tour Intern, Audrey Veal

A beautiful daffodil field warms up any winter picnic.This weekend I was surprised with the best Valentine’s gift that my boyfriend, Matt, has ever given me and it was all thanks to Athens Food Tours.
Let me start off with saying that Matt was unusually secretive the days leading up to our romantic outing. However, it was a Sunday and Valentine’s Day was Tuesday, so I didn’t think much of it when he asked me to run to the grocery store with him that afternoon.
Confused that my boyfriend willingly wanted to go the grocery store, I told him that I would run in with him because I needed to “grab a few things” (read: I needed to buy all my groceries for the week). Forty-five minutes passed, and I’m officially annoyed that he’s rushing me through each aisle. I kept asking, “Where do we have to be?” Little did I know…
I’d say when I first started to become most suspicious was when we started driving the complete opposite direction from my house. Matt acted as if he was taking some new shortcut, however I knew something was going on; and that’s when we arrived at the State Botanical Gardens of Georgia.
Kelsea & Matt at their February 12th Romance Picnic, State Botanical Gardens of GeorgiaI have a very type A personality, so an overwhelming sense of nervousness took over my body when I realized that I didn’t know what our next plans were. However, all of this faded away when we drove up to a perfectly set up picnic display lying in the middle of a field of daffodils. “Surprise,” he said. Then came the tears.
As we walked up, I felt like I was entering a scene from The Notebook. A blue and green handmade quilt with matching pillows awaited us; accompanied with a wooden picnic basket, dark blue pottery place settings, a bottle of chilled wine, a plate filled with assorted cupcakes and most importantly, a bouquet of gorgeous flowers.
Inside the picnic basket, we found an incredible lunch from Dondero's Kitchen. We started the meal off with hummus and crudites; and for the main entrée, I had the Goat in the Garden wrap, a wheat wrap encasing goat cheese, beets and spinach. Yum. Matt had the chicken salad on a croissant, which was also fantastic.
All in all, the day will go down as a memory that I’ll never forget. If you’re interested in going on an Athens Food Tour romance picnic, let me tell you from first hand experience that you won’t regret it. One of the best things about the date was that we didn’t even have to pick up when we were done! No cooking or cleaning- how much better does it get than that?

Article by Kelsea Olson, Photos by Kaitlin Smith.

Up to 6 free cupcakes!

Grab a 6-pack of Terrapin Beer to wash them down. Yum.

Community photo shoot left to right: Katherine Anne Dunlap, Anna Harms, Sanni Baumgartner, Ian Mcfarlane, Megan Swanson, Lindsay Davis.

Laurel Hill products sold here!

Beat It Pillow by interior designer Emily Newdow. Emily also works at Community.

Sanni: We sell Little Cuckoo Chocolates here! Amanda Jane Crouse makes them. Athens Food Tours likes to stop here for a little treat. I think Mary Charles likes it because it’s another place for out-of towners to explore. It doesn’t exist anywhere else!Little Cuckoo Chocolates, the reason Athens Food Tour groups frequent Community.

Thanks Sanni! 

Interview conducted & written by Food Tour Intern, Sarah Proctor.