Adventure in Augusta: Explore city by plane, boat or on foot

For starters, I highly recommend a plane ride over Augusta. Augusta Aviation at Daniel Field Airport offers a wide variety of services. We took a 30-minute day time tour and it was amazing! We soared above the city where we received a first-hand look at the course at Augusta National Golf Club, the canal and many other memorial landmarks. While this was a spectacular ride, I believe the best part was the price. This tour is available for only $69. This is the total price of the plane ride; it is not the price per person. This is a great deal and it offered something truly unique and something to brag about when I arrived home. Two to three people can go on a flight.

If you are looking for a unique gift for that special someone, I have a great idea. What about a romantic sunset plane ride over Augusta? Augusta Aviation offers a romantic 30-minute tour over the lake right at sunset as the hues of red, orange, yellow and blue paint the sky as the sun reflects into the water. To add to the ambiance, the tour comes complete with a bottle of wine or sparkling grape juice, fruit and cheese, as part of your package. All of this can be yours for $89 total.

For more information on the plane rides, log onto www.augustaaviation.com

Later we decided to take a Petersburg Boat Tour on the Augusta Canal. This gave us a chance to see things from a different point of view as we toured the canal on a 40-passenger open-air boat. The Augusta Canal is still a working canal and electricity is generated, making it the oldest continuously running canal.

Our well-informed guide narrated the trip where we saw 19th Century textile mills, the Confederate Powder Works site and two of Georgia’s only remaining 18th Century houses. We also watched the birds and other wildlife as we floated down the river.

On the canal boat tour, you will get a flavor of the outdoors as well as a flavor of the history of Augusta as you escape from the city. As you float along the river, you enjoy the peaceful, scenic beauty of the countryside. As you travel along, you see fisherman, people walking their dogs and joggers. It’s a wonderful recreation resource located in the heart of a major city.

We took the Canal Heritage one-hour tour, but other tours are available. The three-hour sunset cruise provides a leisure trip down the canal with a half hour stop at Savannah Rapids Park followed by a twilight return. You’ll hear tales of Augusta’s past and present as you scout for turtles and river otter. Moonlight Music Cruises are also available. You’ll enjoy anything from blues to bluegrass on these live music cruises.

For more information on the canal river tours visit http://www.augustacanal.com/

Visitors can access the canal from the towpath as well. This was a path once used by mules to pull canal boats to the headgates. Today it is a popular recreational trail for hikers, cyclists and runners. Canoers and kayakers can put in at several points and enjoy both the natural and urban scenery. No gas-powered motor craft are allowed on the canal.

There are many opportunities to enjoy the adventure side of Augusta including:

•The Augusta Riverwalk: This is a great place for families to stroll along the Savannah River on the two tiered paved trails that extend three blocks. Along the walk you’ll find museums, restaurants, a children’s playground, and various gardens.

•North Augusta Greeneway: Built along an abandoned railroad track, it offers a wonderful “green tunnel” experience for walking, hiking, bicycling, and roller skating.

•Phinizy Swamp Nature Park: See blue herons, egrets, otters, and alligators as you “walk across the swamp” on the boardwalk or visit the trails, observation decks, outdoor classrooms, and picnic pavilions.

•FATS Trails: Just across the Savannah River in South Carolina the Fork Area Trail System (FATS) trails are well-marked and perfect for the enthusiastic mountain bike riders.
Lake Olmstead/Julian Smith Park: Located two miles from downtown, this lake front park welcomes picnics, boating, waterskiing, and fishing.

•Savannah River: Personal watercraft vehicles are available to rent on the Savannah River from the Riverwalk Marina. In you’d rather leave the driving to someone else, Patriot Boat Tours also leave from the 10th Street Bulkhead seasonally.

•J. Strom Thurmond Lake: With more than 1,000 miles of shore front, this man-made lake has endless opportunities for outdoor water sports. It is a great place for camping and hiking.

To start planning your visit to Augusta log onto www. Augustaga.org or call 800-726-0243.