📋 Quick Reference
✈️ Flights — American Airlines
Record Locator: EDQLEE
🚗 Rental Car
Confirmation: 1395284218
Pick-up: ATL — Tue, Apr 7 @ 4:00 PM
Return: CLT — Fri, Apr 10 @ 8:00 PM
Midsize (Toyota Corolla or similar)
🏨 Hotels at a Glance
Night 1 (Apr 7): Fairfield Inn, Athens GA
Night 2 (Apr 8): Inn at Patrick Square, Clemson SC
Night 3 (Apr 9): SpringHill Suites, Columbia SC
New York LaGuardia → Atlanta
Conf: 1395284218 · Follow signs to rental car center
~1.5–2 hours via US-78 E / GA-10
📍 Navigate to Hotel175 Old Epps Bridge Rd, Athens, GA 30606
📞 706-549-5900 · Hotel Website
Check-in: 3:00 PM · Check-out: 11:00 AM
Optional: drive-by of UGA campus/downtown to get oriented
📍 Points of Interest — Athens, GA
🍽️ Restaurants
- The Last Resort Grill — Upscale Southern, local favorite
- Mama's Boy — Beloved breakfast & brunch spot
- Clocked! — Burgers & milkshakes, casual
- Weaver D's — Iconic soul food ("Automatic for the People")
- Five & Ten — Chef-driven Southern cuisine
🏛️ Attractions
- The UGA Arch — Iconic campus landmark
- Sanford Stadium — "Between the Hedges"
- State Botanical Garden of Georgia
- Downtown Athens — Live music, shops, college town vibe
Arrive / park / visitors center check-in
~2-hour experience: admissions presentation + bus + walking tour
Walk around, grab coffee, soak it in
~2–2.5 hours via I-85 S
📍 Navigate to HotelLunch in Clemson / explore Patrick Square
115 Market Street, Clemson, SC 29631
📞 864-643-0600 · Hotel Website
Check-in: 4:00 PM · Check-out: 11:00 AM
Walkable options around Patrick Square + downtown
📍 Points of Interest — Clemson, SC
🍽️ Restaurants
- Tiger Town Tavern — Classic college pub, live music
- Pot Belly Deli — Beloved local sandwich shop
- Brioso Fresh Pasta — Handmade pasta, Italian
- 1826 on the Green — Upscale dining at Patrick Square
🏛️ Attractions
- Memorial Stadium (Death Valley) — Iconic football stadium
- South Carolina Botanical Garden — 295 acres, free admission
- Fort Hill (Calhoun Mansion) — Historic house on campus
Admissions presentation + brief bus ride + student-led walking tour
Preregistration required
~2–2.5 hours via I-85 S → I-385 S → I-26 E
📍 Navigate to HotelLunch / explore area
170 E Exchange Blvd, Columbia, SC 29209
📞 803-704-1600 · Hotel Website
Check-in: 3:00 PM · Check-out: 12:00 PM
Quick rest / refresh / review USC tour logistics
📍 Points of Interest — Columbia, SC
🍽️ Restaurants
- Motor Supply Co. Bistro — Farm-to-table in the Vista
- Lizard's Thicket — Classic Southern comfort food
- Mr. Friendly's New Southern Cafe — Local gem, Southern cuisine
🏛️ Attractions
- USC Horseshoe — Historic heart of campus
- South Carolina State House
- Riverbanks Zoo & Garden — Top-rated zoo
- Congaree National Park — ~30 min south, old-growth forest
~2 hours: admissions overview + guided campus tour
See restaurant suggestions below
~1.5–2 hours via I-77 N
📍 Navigate to CLT AirportBuffer for traffic + gas + airport return process
Follow signs to Hourly Deck → pass first entrance → next left for Rental Car Returns
Charlotte → New York LaGuardia
Welcome home!
📍 Points of Interest — Columbia (pre-departure)
🍽️ Quick Lunch Options
- Motor Supply Co. Bistro — Farm-to-table in the Vista
- Lizard's Thicket — Quick, classic Southern
- Mr. Friendly's — Southern cuisine near USC
🔗 Handy Links
🎓 Campus Tour Registration
💡 Trip Tips
- Comfortable shoes + water bottle — Each campus tour is ~2 hours with lots of walking.
- Check tour pages day-of — Spring is high-volume; each school's visit page has the latest parking & check-in info.
- CLT return timing — Target arriving airport area by 7:15–7:30 PM to absorb traffic. The rental facility is near the Hourly Deck, walkable to the terminal.
- Manage AA booking — Use the AA app or aa.com with record locator EDQLEE for gates, delays, and boarding passes.