Besides the fact that Augusta, Georgia, lies on the Savannah River directly across from North Augusta, South Carolina, Wikipedia tells me that it has a population of just over 202,000, which makes it the 3rd largest city in Georgia after Atlanta and Columbus. I only know about it from the Master’s, but it has a great trail system, an art museum that we hope to visit, and some famous former residents, including Woodrow Wilson and James Brown.
Today, since no rain was in the forecast we hit the trails and then a bit of the James Brown Trail downtown. We started where we ended yesterday— on the pretty paved Riverwalk along the Savannah River directly behind our hotel. We headed west.
which is right next door to the Marriott
this is an old weather observation station.
The average annual temperature for Augusta
is 63 degrees F with 72% humidity.
and academic medical center.
It has a current enrollment of about 9,000 students.
After we reached 13th Street (our hotel lies in between 9th and 10th Streets), we crossed onto the Augusta Canal River Levee Trail. The Savannah River is dammed to create a 13 mile canal through Augusta to supply the city with drinking water and power several small hydroelectric plants. The look of the trail changed, but it was still paved the entire way.
We crossed a number of bridges on our walk.
near one of the trailheads along the walk
which still grows along the Savannah River and canal,
but is considered imperiled in Georgia.
The above sculpture was at the end of our canal walk near 13th Street and Walton Way (named for George Walton, one of the three men from Georgia to sign the Declaration of Independence). At this point, we switched to a basic map that we had picked up yesterday to see some of the highlights from James Brown’s history in Augusta.
While the “Hardest Working Man in Show Business” was born in Barnwell, South Carolina, his family moved to Augusta when he was a young child, and he considered Augusta his home. 9th Street in Augusta has been renamed James Brown Boulevard.
Based on where we had ended our canal walk, we decided to head to 7th Street to see his childhood home. On the way, we passed the Mother Trinity CME Church. He swept the floors in this church in exchange for being able to practice on their piano.
We were ultimately unsuccessful in finding his boyhood home. We were at the address indicated, but apparently they just wanted us to know where the home was, as the address provided is now a business in a not so great part of town. A local man asked what we were looking for and had no idea…
So back up 7th Street where we were to pass the James Brown Arena and Bell Auditorium. We got Bell Auditorium, as the arena has apparently been torn down to create a new auditorium. The pictures of the planned building were impressive and included building onto Bell Auditorium, where James Brown played a number of shows.
kept us from getting a front view
to rehearse with his band prior to touring.
It is also where he would host his annual Christmas Toy Giveaway.
After all that I feel good, but you knew that I would right? 🎵🎶
Peckish Travels 