The weather might not be that warm, but that should never stop anyone from exploring the beautiful sights of Valdosta while visiting the Rainwater Conference Center.  At least the area isn’t buried under a ton of snow like other regions of the country like Erie, Pennsylvania, or parts of New York State!  Everyone who visits Valdosta can still get outside as long as they bundle up and add another layer or two to stay warm.

Here are the top 5 things to do in Valdosta right now:

1) Visit Grand Bay Wildlife Management Area

The Grand Bay Wildlife Management Area has 8,700 acres that is open year-round for recreational use.  Visitors can spend time there hiking, fishing, canoeing, and even camping.  All these activities can be done at any time of the year except during hunting season.  At that time, certain activities are either discontinued or people are encouraged to wear orange vests so that the hunters can see them.  Throughout hunting season, hunters can hunt deer, turkey, small game, alligators, and waterfowl.  When hunting season is not in progress, this is the best area to go and watch wildlife.  People can simply go and hike the trails and see tons of wildlife in their natural habitats. 

2) Discover Valdosta’s Historic Districts

Anyone that doesn’t love the cooler weather will love the idea of riding in their car as they drive along on Valdosta’s Historic Driving Tour.  This driving tour will take people past more than fifty historic buildings in Valdosta’s National Registered Historic Districts.  This driving tour is self-guided, and the maps are available at the Valdosta/Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau.  Some of the places that people will see include the Barber-Pittman House, the Carnegie Library of Valdosta, The Crescent, Dasher High School, Lowndes County Courthouse, Sunset Hill Cemetery, and the Valdosta Commercial Historic District.  

3) Visit the Sites Where Famous Movies Were Filmed

Valdosta may be known for railroads, pecans, plantations, and college students, but it is also where numerous famous movies have been filmed.  People can still go to these locations and take a selfie in the spot where famous actors once stood.  A few of the more popular ones include:

• Zombieland was filmed at Wild Adventures Theme Park
• As Summers Die (starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Scott Glenn, and Bette Davis) was filmed at the Converse-Dalton House
• The aforementioned movie was also filmed at The Crescent and the Brooks County Courthouse
• Grandma’s Blessings was filmed at the Mathis Municipal Auditorium
• Okefenokee Swamp was used in numerous movies including Swamp Water, Lure of the Wilderness, and Gator.   

4) Historic Walking Tour of Downtown Valdosta

One of the best ways for anyone to see and experience the downtown Valdosta area is to take a walking tour.  These tours are free, as long as a person does them as self-guided and prints a map off from online.  People will pass by three different types of architectural style buildings including Victorian, Eclectic, and Modernistic.  There are fifteen buildings included on the walking tour, and people will be able to read a description of each one, as it is included on the map.  

As people are completing their walking tour, they will be able to go shopping in the numerous shops in the downtown Valdosta area or they can choose to dine in one of the many restaurants.  There are so many options available downtown and people will find that they can spend hours in this one area.

5) Lowndes County Historical Society and Museum

To learn even more about Valdosta, people will want to visit the Lowndes County Historical Society and Museum.  The museum has approximately ten thousand square feet of space and it is full of photos, documents, books, and genealogy records.  This museum was founded in 1967 and visitors can explore outdoor exhibits in addition to the indoor ones.  Behind the museum, people will find a train caboose, the old Valdosta Institute school bell, an old-fashioned log transport cart, an original ecosystem and historical garden plants, and Gypsy the Elephant.  

Cooler weather should not stop anyone from visiting the Valdosta area or enjoying themselves.  There is still plenty of fun and exciting things to do and see while in Valdosta, even if it is a little chillier than normal.  And, what is even better is that the sun will still be shining, so that will make everything better than ever.