My friends like to make fun of me for not pretending like football is my life. They question my allegiance to Auburn and accuse me of being an undercover Bammer -- especially when I tell them I don't particularly like going to home games.
I've tried to explain to them it gets monotonous, but they don't buy it.
If you've been going to all the home games this semester, you might be getting a little tired of the same old tailgate and bar scene. Like me, you might be bored stiff of sitting around with a bunch of super fans who have nothing going on in their lives.
So why not take some time before or after the game and get out of town for a while?
Auburn's sister city, Opelika, is just a short drive down I-85 and has a lot more to offer than a Starbucks and a Target. Since I moved here a few years ago, I've found Opelika to be a great place to escape all the stress that goes with a heavy weekend of football.
The last time I wrote a column about my fondness for Opelika, the community was still growing into its place as a charming Southern town. But now, with the addition of four new restaurants and a boom in downtown businesses, the town could easily fit in with the likes of Savannah, Ga. or Charleston, SC.
It certainly seems a long way away from the hectic fanaticism and game day frivolity, and I like it that way.
For me, all the people that crowd the stadium and downtown Auburn are just too much. I'm definitely an Auburn fan and I love this town, but I can only take so many drunken tailgaters before my head starts to hurt.
So instead of taking Tylenol and lying in bed all day, I make the trip to Opelika and indulge my weakness for fried foods and shopping for strange antiques.
The Irish Bred Pub, of course, is one of the more popular destinations in downtown Opelika. Its whole menu is impeccable, but the fish and chips will have you doubting all the happiness you ever experienced before tasting its beer battered excellence.
Ma Fia's Italian restaurant, just down the street from the Bred Pub, is another wonderful eatery that will fill your stomach and restore your faith in humanity -- at least it did for me. The fact it has one of the hardest dishes to find in Alabama, veal osso bucco, alone puts it in the running for my favorite restaurant in the state. They cook it perfectly, by the way.
Niffer's Place has been an Auburn tradition since 1991, but it recently expanded its corn nugget-fueled kingdom to downtown Opelika, which will help you get your Niffer's fix on game day without waiting forever for a table.
If you find yourself full on burgers and beer and need to take a walk to clear your head, find a designated driver or cab and make your way to Opelika. You can visit some of the coolest antique stores in the area, Angel's and Roland's, and you may even burn off some unwanted calories.
Angel's is right off the interstate and offers a large variety of stuff for your shopping pleasure. It's huge, and you will take at least two hours before your consumerist yearnings calm down enough and you decide to purchase that buggy load of tchotchkes.
Roland's, which is conveniently right next to the Bred Pub, is tiny compared to Angel's, but the prices are always negotiable and you can always find something you didn't know you needed.
So if you are tired of all the typical game day shenanigans, make a trip to our pleasant sister city, where you can eat your fill, spend all your money and leave with a smile on your face.
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