The ultimate college road trip: An affordable summer adventure from Florida to Georgia

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By Brianna Brinker, Arts & Culture Editor

If you love the mountains, exploring waterfalls, spotting deer, small town shops, beautiful lakes to swim in, and ziplines, then take a long weekend to head on over to the state north of Florida…Georgia! This is the ultimate summer road trip for you and your friends!

For college students who either stay on campus for the summer, or students who live in thesurrounding Florida area can take the opportunity of being off from class to take a long weekend to drive and enjoy the state of Georgia.

This is one of the most affordable summer adventures, one for the memories and even the beginning of a possible new tradition!

There are many beautiful areas in the state of Georgia and so much to see. From Saint Leo University, the Georgia state line is only three hours away. Further North, Savannah is five hours away, Atlanta is seven hours away, and finally, at the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains, eight hours away, you have reached Blairsville, Georgia.

Depending on how far you want to drive, there are fun activities and beautiful sights in each of these places in Georgia, but Blairsville is definitely a sight to see. Making this a college road trip is key to making those eight hours fly by! Bring your best friends and split the driving time. If you bring three others, each of you would only be driving for two hours, and once you get up there, it will be worth it!

You might even spot a deer right at your window in the morning; they are everywhere! (Photo was taken by Brianna Brinker)

This is at Meeks Park. Feel free to climb down in the ice-cold water stream and explore! (Photo was taken by Brianna Brinker)

Don’t forget to add an excursion to your trip to the mountains. Take a tube down the river in Helen or go ziplining! Both excursions are fairly cheap. (Photo courtesy of Richard Judd)

Road trips save so much more money than choosing the airplane route. Blairsville is 520 miles away from campus, which is about two tanks of gas for the average economy car. If you split that evenly between all the passengers, it would be only about $40 a person to get there.

A tip to keep your trip remaining on a budget is to stay with friends or family who are willing to host you. If this is not a possibility, an average hotel in this area is $140 per night, but splitting this between four friends would be only $35 each per night you are staying there.

Blairsville and Blue Ridge offer cozy inns that are perfect for college students. If you are seeking more of a mountain-themed trip and want to stay at a cabin, this would be more like $50 a night per person. On a long weekend consisting of three to four days, pricing is very doable for students.

In the mountains, it might seem like the only thing to do is relax and look at the scenic views, but there is so much adventure and fun that any college student would love!

Blairsville and Blue Ridge are cities 20 minutes away from one another. Both offer exciting places to add to your to-do list while you are visiting.

Must-visit Blairsville/Blue Ridge locations:

Downtown Blairsville: Coffee shops, boutiques, small businesses, ice cream, and restaurants. There is something so special about downtown Blairsville; it is cozy, warm, and wholesome. Mornings spent there feel magical.
Alexander’s: The biggest store in Blairsville, where you could spend hours looking at trending brands such as E Newton, Roller Rabbit, and Elevated Faith. They have a men’s and a women’s department.
Mercer’s Apple Farm: Find delicious treats and fresh fruit inside! From apple cider, hot pies, caramel apples, jams, and honey! You can even book a tractor ride through the farm!
Blue Ridge Mountain Mall: Find endless shops, restaurants, fudge, antiques, and photo spots, and spend the day here! You can even take a train ride!
Lake Blue Ridge & Lake Notely: A must is swimming in the beautiful, calming lakes with mountain views. It is so peaceful, warm, and a blast.

Blairsville has stores from boutiques to bookstores to antiques. (Photo was taken by Brianna Brinker)

Blairsville Georgia has great coffee spots that are always packed because of how delicious they are! (Photo was taken by Brianna Brinker)

Have you ever tried Apple Peach Cider? At Mercer’s, they have so many fun flavors of drinks and treats to try! (Photo was taken by Brianna Brinker)

Blue Ridge is an old-fashioned town filled with treasures. (Photo was taken by Brianna Brinker)

The stores in Blueridge have the coolest sections. This was inside one of the stores featuring “Gilmore Girls” themed merchandise. (Photo was taken by Brianna Brinker)

This is the view from Brasstown Bald; it is truly breathtaking and a sight to visit in real life. (Photo was taken by Brianna Brinker)

Karilyn Judd, resident of Blairsville for over twenty years, says, “Blairsville, Georgia has such nice people, and you can always find new things to see.”

These are just a few of the places North Georgia has to offer. If you are feeling up to driving 30 minutes to an hour from Blairsville, you can hike up and down Brasstown Bald, which is the highest point in Georgia. There are also buses that take you to the top! Another great recommendation is Helen, Georgia, which is a German town filled with little shops, German eats, and excursions such as tubing down the river or ziplining!

There is something for everyone in North Georgia. It is the perfect road trip to explore new towns and go on a weekend-long adventure! Take advantage of your time off, and being so young, this is the time to travel and have fun with your college friends on a budget!