Southern on the Map
Southern is close enough to Chattanooga that many of our students refer the campus as “in Chattanooga.” Although the reality is that Chattanooga is roughly 20 miles away, this vibrant city is hard to miss if you go to Southern.
Chattanooga’s population peaked at 177,571 as of last year and continues to grow, according to the United States Census Bureau. This boom is in part due to big businesses like Amazon and FedEx opening branches in the area and providing jobs for the locals. In turn, this opens the door for restaurants, boutiques, and coffee shops to flourish as more people relocate to Chattanooga and the surrounding areas.
To the south of Southern, only two hours away, is the major city of Atlanta that houses some 5.7 million people. Atlanta is a cultural hub composed of fusion eateries, international farmers’ markets, and performance art theaters. It is the Coca-Cola capital of the world and the headquarters of CNN, in addition to hosting the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta Braves.
Moving northwest of Southern lies Nashville or, as tourists call it, Music City, U.S.A. Although Nashville only has 1.6 million residents, this metropolitan area is perpetually filled with visitors dropping by for a concert or two. Nashville is two and a half hours away from Southern, making it an excellent idea for a day trip to pay homage to the city that produced Pat Boone, Amy Grant, Blake Shelton, and Brandon Heath, among others.
Zooming out in the map, you will come across other famous cities like Memphis (think Elvis), Asheville (think hipster city of the South), Charlotte (think Carolina Panthers), and Savannah (think Gone with the Wind), which are all in a four to six hours' drive radius from Southern. These places make for a great weekend trip for you and your squad.
On extended breaks such as Spring Break, popular destinations for Southern students include Florida and the East Coast. Airplane tickets can go as low as $200 round trip (if you book it a couple of months beforehand, of course). If that is still too expensive, get your gang together and split the gas and Airbnb costs while you adventure together.
In summary, Southern Adventist University is a focal point to many city destinations and activities on your bucket list. Take advantage of this while you are a student here. Explore and have fun!