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Nestled along the Savannah River, the city of Augusta, Georgia exhibits both a charming sense of history and a look forward into the future. Augusta has many things going for it that makes it a wonderful addition to the Upland world, and I'd love to share those reasons with you.
Before we get into Augusta proper, let's talk about its location. The Savannah River makes up the vast majority of the border between the states of Georgia and South Carolina, and one could pilot a boat- or kayak even!- the 200-plus miles to the city of Savannah and the Atlantic Ocean. You also have Atlanta a mere two-hour drive to the west and we all know that if Upland is going to put a smaller city like Augusta in the game, having a major city nearby (with airports and all) is a MUST.
Now if you've heard of Augusta before, chances are it's because of The Masters. One of the PGA's four major tournaments, The Masters draws thousands of die-hard fans from all over the world (in a non-COVID era, anyway). And you can't blame the PGA and its fans for always coming back here - look at these pictures of Augusta National Golf Club:
I'm not a golfing fan, but that's just gorgeous. Have your Explorer walk those greens or the famous Amen Corner. They'll have a better chance of doing it than I will!
(Seriously. Augusta National is pretty fanatical about their security, and you have to win a lottery just to even have the right to buy a ticket!)
There's other sports besides golf here too! The Augusta GreenJackets are a minor league affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, who play at SRP Park just across the river in North Augusta. It's a lovely place, barely four years old! Have your Explorer run the bases!
But there's more to Augusta that isn't sports related. Augusta's official motto is "We Feel Good!" Take a guess why. No, seriously, guess.
Born in nearby Barnwell, James Brown called Augusta home for many years and one of the more common tourist things to do is take selfies with his life-sized statue downtown.
(courtesy of Fine Art America)
He's not the only famous figure to have structures of significance here: former US President Woodrow Wilson's boyhood home is a museum here, opera singer Jessye Norman was born here and has a School of the Arts named after her, and golfer Bobby Jones co-founded The Masters.
And they're just some of the famous people from Augusta. We haven't even talked about the likes of Lawrence Fishburne, Hulk Hogan, and Amy Grant.
If it seems like we have quite the collection of people from Augusta, we do! One of the main reasons for this is nearby Fort Gordon, where plenty of US military personnel and their families arrive, live, and work. And it's Fort Gordon that helps push Augusta towards the future. The Army's Cyber School of Excellence is headquartered here, and the city has wholeheartedly embraced the focus on cybersecurity and partnered with many different agencies public and private to drive innovation.
But Augusta isn't a brooding dystopia like you might envision from its cyber focus; it maintains its Southern charms. It's a popular place for movies to be shot - Augusta played a prominent role in the Clint Eastwood movie "The Mule," and Mel Gibson was roaming around town earlier this year for an upcoming spy thriller called "Agent Game."
Imagine if you will strolling along the Riverwalk, grabbing a bite to eat in one of the many restaurants downtown (perhaps a farm-to-table burger, perhaps some tapas?), and watching a Hollywood star make a film in front of your very eyes. Augusta, everyone!
But we started this journey by talking about the Savannah River, let's end there too. This is the South Carolina side of the Savannah River, in North Augusta:
Wouldn't you love to own a waterfront property directly on the Savannah River? Maybe two?
I hope you enjoyed this quick trip around the city of Augusta, thanks for reading!
P.S. Obligatory "I'm playing Upland" screenshots:
