Vidalia (Georgia)

Vidalia is in the Plantation Midlands region and could make for a decent detour on a trip between Atlanta and Savannah. This middle-sized country town is known as "the sweet onion city" and has a sweet cultivar of onion that has even become proprietary as the Vidalia onion. So proud are the town and state of this product that they have established an annual Vidalia Onion Festival and designated it the state vegetable, respectively. One other peculiarity about Vidalia is the way in which crime is sometimes handled whereby an offender may end up sentenced to so many hours of standing and holding a sign stating their crime.

Get in

Your best bet is to have your own vehicle, and the town is about 20–25 mi (32–40 km) south of I-75, along US Route 280.

See

• Vidalia Onion Museum, 100 Vidalia Sweet Onion Dr, ☏ +1 912-538-8687. M-F 9AM-5PM. A museum where you can learn all about agriculture and the Vidalia onion that was introduced by Mose Coleman in 1931. Free. (updated Nov 2021)
• Altama Museum of Art & History, 611 Jackson St, ☏ +1 912 537-1911. Th-Sa, M 10AM-2PM. A local history museum. (updated Nov 2021)

Vidalia Onions

Do

Attend the Vidalia Onion Festival in the spring!

• Sweet Onion Cinemas, 2907 E 1st St, ☏ +1 912 537-0789. Has inexpensive matinees. (updated Nov 2021)

Eat

• The Red Stag Tavern, 149 Mose Coleman Dr, Lyons, ☏ +1 912 386-4449. Brewpub type eatery next to a pond. (updated Nov 2021)
• Shoney's, 2505 Lyons Center Rd, ☏ +1 912 537-0922. Daily 6AM-10PM. This place is exciting when you're looking for the all-American buffet where you can throw all caution to the wind. (updated Nov 2021)

Sleep

• The Onion Inn, 2507 E 1st St, ☏ +1 912 403-3314. (updated Nov 2021)