Explore These Five Wonderful Small Towns A Short Drive Away

Written and Photographed By Scott Berson

I absolutely love road trips. It’s the feeling of discovery that draws me in, especially because I plan my road trips in a very specific way; I demand Google route me through as many small towns as possible.

I love small towns. I love cities too, don’t get me wrong, but I really love small towns. The designer in me likes to look at the little parks and statues and architecture, the southerner in me likes to talk to the shopkeepers, the hipster in me likes to visit every damn coffee shop I can. It’s about exploring and looking at how people do things and experiencing the patchwork geography of America, one pub or diner or antique store at a time.

You don’t have to go far to start exploring on your own. For months, I made it a goal to drive to a new town or city every weekend. I’ve now been pretty much everywhere within an hour or so of Columbus in every direction, and have come away with some great experiences. If you’re jumpy and itching to get out and do things again, I understand -- so here are five destinations, all within about an hour of Columbus, to get you started exploring (safely).

Downtown Opelika

1. Opelika, Alabama

Opelika sometimes gets lost in the noise because of its proximity to another, more tigerish town. This is a bit of a shame, because Opelika is a fantastic place to visit, and probably one of the biggest towns on the list.

Go ahead and find your way to the downtown, where you’ll find all kinds of neat places to eat and drink around the beautiful courthouse square.

Walk down to Railroad Avenue and you’ll find even more: two breweries, a distillery, a vinyl store with exceptional curation, and two coffee shops which, genuinely, are both worth checking out. One is entirely outside, which is a cool experience, and the other is a super sleek shop where they actually let you choose what to pay for your drink.

Lastly, consider checking out Monkey (or Municipal) Park, especially if you’re bringing some kids along. It’s a beautiful park with a great playground and a historic covered bridge -- but its main claim to fame is a fully functional miniature train system, which picks up kids (or adults!) and shuttles them around the park and playground.

Monkeypark Opelika

2. Americus, Georgia

Americus is a beautiful city in the Georgia heartland, anchored by its lovely downtown and nearby Georgia Southwestern State University. The Windsor Hotel is the largest attraction in the city, a stunning brick hotel with a balcony bar and decades of fascinating history. Surrounding the hotel are some excellent restaurants and one of Georgia’s original fair-trade coffee shops and roasters, Cafe Campesino. Boutique, antique and curio stores also line the streets, making for some fun shopping.

Windsor Hotel Americus

The beautiful Rylander Theatre lights up the streets every few weeks, with touring shows and original productions. They may not be running during the pandemic, but keep this Georgia gem in mind as productions start up again: the Rylander is really special. Shows and performances from the students at Georgia Southwestern are also top-notch.

Rylander Americus

Finally, I’ve got to plug my favorite place in Americus: Pat’s Place. This restaurant is the definition of a dive, and it’s got some of my favorite memories. Pool tables in the back, pizza and drinks, friends with you -- what more can you ask?

A view of Downtown Americus

Americus Cafe Campsesion

Warm Springs 3. Warm Springs/Pine Mountain, Georgia

These are two separate towns a few minutes apart, but I’m including them both because they are so tightly related. Warm Springs is famous for being the favorite resting place for Franklin Roosevelt, who took medicinal soaks in its famous mineral springs. You can visit the Little White House where he stayed in Warm Springs and learn some history about Roosevelt as well as about how the town came to be a center for treatment of polio.

Downtown Pine Mountain

Warm Springs

The downtown of Warm Springs is charming and includes some fun crafts and antique shops, as well as the famous Bullock House restaurant. Pine Mountain is right around the corner, and features a cozy downtown square surrounded by shops, cafes and restaurants, as well as some lovely murals painted on the brick sides of the buildings. When you’re done there, take a walk into Pine Mountain State Park and enjoy the lake, streams and mountain trees.

4. Eufaula, Alabama

The first thing I do when I get to Eufaula is go visit the giant fish statue they put at the end of the downtown. I know, when I am doing this, that I am doing exactly what the tourism managers want me to do. What can I say? I love the giant colorful fish statue, in the city known as the “Big Bass Capital.”

Eufaula’s downtown is one of the prettiest small downtowns I’ve seen. The buildings are colorful, shaded by lovely old-growth trees that make walking through the city a treat. There are great cafes and restaurants, interesting shops, and there are always people ready to chat. One of my favorite things about Eufaula, however, is the wonderful Creek Indian Trail, which meanders from the downtown into the woods. Walk down the trail and you’ll find little paths and cutaways through the trees. It’s a nice way to spend an afternoon strolling through the greenery.

Eufaula Downtown

You may also come across a Eufaula curiosity: the “tree that owns itself.” An oak tree in the town was gifted the deed to its own land in 1935 by the mayor of Eufaula, E. H. Graves, who declared that it shall “have and to hold itself, its branches, limbs, trunk and roots so long as it shall live.” The tree is surrounded by a small gate, protecting its property for all time. It doesn’t mind pictures, though.

Eufaula Trail

5. Hogansville, Georgia

Hogansville is a small railroad town north of Columbus that packs a lot of charm into its size, and is well worth the visit either on its own or as a stop on the way north. It was one of dozens of small towns that sprouted along the railroad lines crossing Georgia. The railroad station is now a cafe serving delicious drinks with a view of the tracks, and the downtown is covered in vibrant sculptures of hummingbirds -- a tribute to the town’s yearly Hummingbird Festival.

Hogansville City Hall

A Small Trail in Downtown Hogansville

The downtown has some fascinating old buildings, including an old theatre which was retrofitted into the new town hall. It also includes one of my favorite bookstores I’ve stumbled across, tucked next to an antique store on the main drag. Make sure you don’t pass this one town by.