Augusta sits on the Georgia-South Carolina border, which opens up easy day trips in several directions. Aiken, just across the state line, is an elegant horse-country town with a distinct character from anything in Georgia — broad sandy streets, polo fields, and a preserved downtown of Victorian architecture. It's 30 minutes from Augusta and worth an afternoon.
Savannah is about two and a half hours south on I-16, Georgia's most atmospheric city, with its grid of live-oak-shaded squares and antebellum architecture intact. A long day is enough for the squares, River Street, and a meal; a night there is better.
Columbia, the South Carolina capital, is about 90 minutes northeast on I-20. It has a decent food and arts scene and the South Carolina State Museum if you want something more substantive.
Closer to home, Hitchcock Woods in Aiken is one of the largest urban forests in the United States — over 2,000 acres of sand hills and longleaf pine, threaded with riding and hiking trails. It's open to the public and completely free. The combination of Hitchcock Woods and Aiken's downtown makes for an easy half-day from Augusta.
