Take A Weekend Trip Away From Augusta And Visit These Zoos

Take a weekend trip away from Augusta and visit these zoos!  Growing up in Greenville, SC I went to the Greenville Zoo at least once a year from age 4 and all the way up to my mid-20s.  We took a field trip to the zoo when I was in Kindergarten and at that time, the big attraction was Joy the elephant.  The flamingos were also a bright spot as you walked around the zoo and on that same trip, I remember a goat sneezing on me.  The zoo was always a fun place to go as a kid and even as a teenager and on dates as I got older.  When I worked in radio in Greenville we even held a couple of shows out there.  Putting on a concert in the middle of the zoo next to the monkeys was pretty bananas.

Shortly after I met my wife in Greenville, my radio career took us to Knoxville, TN.  We only lived there for two years before moving to Augusta, and one of the things I regret never doing in those two years was going to Zoo Knoxville.  That's a fun zoo because they have more red pandas there than any zoo in the entire world.  Zoos don't only have to be for kids, however.  They can offer a little something for everyone, including a cold beer or glass of wine.

The zoo I grew up with offered "Boo In The Zoo" every Halloween which was always a lot of fun as a kid.  As an adult, I've noticed that some zoos host a "Brew In The Zoo."  You purchase tickets to enjoy craft beer, wine, food, and usually, there's live music.  While that's one fun activity for adults at the zoo, apparently some zoos will host weddings.  One of my co-workers in Greenville married her husband at the Greenville Zoo and the pictures were beautiful.  With the weather being very pleasant during the day, it's a great time to stroll through a zoo with the family.  Take a weekend trip away from Augusta and visit these zoos!

With Columbia only being an hour away, you can make this a day trip.  The Riverbanks Zoo was the other zoo I took field trips to when I was a kid.

The Greenville Zoo has so much to offer and can also be a fun day trip.  It's two hours away, but there's also a lot to do in Greenville so this would also be a fun weekend trip with the family.  You're just two minutes from Downtown Greenville which offers so many delicious restaurants.

Zoo Knoxville has more red pandas than any other zoo in the entire world!  It's nestled away in the Smoky Mountains so you're sure to see a bear or two as well.  Knoxville, TN is about a four or five hour drive but like Greenville, there's plenty to do there so it would be an amazing weekend trip.  You're also about 45 minutes or so from Dollywood.

I didn't even know Atlanta had a zoo, but they do and people seem to really like it.  If you can take the drive up and down I-20 in a day then it'll be super easy for you.  It's only a two-hour drive but there's always plenty to do in Atlanta.  This would also be a fun weekend trip.

The North Carolina Zoo is a little further than Charlotte.  I would turn this into a weekend trip and explore what that area has to offer.  There's a lot to do in Charlotte and while it is a little further than Atlanta, it's actually not as stressful of a drive once you get into the city.

SOURCES | Zoo Knoxville