ACTIVITIES and EVENTS

May 12^th, Saturday, 10:00 am, CANOE AND KAYAK OFF RIBAULT GOLF CLUB AT KINGSLEY PLANTATION:  We will put in the water in back of the club and paddle up a few miles to Simpson's creek. This is a very scenic area and there will be lots of birds and the water is brackish but very clean.  Afterwards we will picnic on the grounds of Kingsley Plantation which has one of the prettiest forests around. Contact the leader for what to contribute to the picnic. Bring water, your own boat, sun hat, sun block, coast guard approved life preservers, etc. We will meet in the Parking lot of the Ribault Golf Club. The Ribault Country club and Kingsley Plantation are located on a road that turns north off of A1A about 500 feet east of where the Mayport Ferry hits the North Shore of the St. Johns River. Leader: Bob H. 866-1375.

May 19^th, Saturday, HORSE FARM VISIT:  We will tour the retired horse farm in Alachua where abused horses, old police horse, etc. go to live out their remaining years. The couple that owns and operates the facility do so at no financial benefit to them selves. It is interesting to walk the rolling hills and see and feed the horses. Cost of admission to the horse farm is a bag of carrots. Bring your lunch, comfortable shoes, bug spray and water. We will have lunch in Jeff’s backyard and homemade lemonade and a salad will be provided. Meet location to be announced later. Leader: Jeff P. 386-462-4918 and Sandy P. 955-4550.

May 20^th, Sunday, 8:00 am, OKEFENOKEE SWAMP TRIP:  Come spend the day hiking in the Okefenokee Swamp!  The ride up takes about 1 hour and we will meet at Hardees on Lane Avenue at 8 am SHARP!  Please come early to have breakfast.  Entrance fee is $5 per car.  Pack a lunch, as we will stop during the day for a picnic (no alligators allowed!!!).  Be sure to bring WATER, BUG SPRAY, SUN SCREEN and your camera to take pictures of wildlife. The park has many hiking trails, one of which is 3/4 mile boardwalk deep into the refuge.  “The mysterious Okefenokee Swamp has long been the source of myth, lore and legend. The land of the "trembling earth", as the Indians called it, is a vast 700 square mile wilderness of grasslands, wetlands, lakes and peat bog islands anchored by towering cypress trees growing from still, dark water. The Okefenokee's diverse natural environments and teeming wildlife have dominated the infrequent efforts of humans to tame it."  Leader:  Karen B. (904-226-8364).

May 25^th, 26^th, 27^th and 28^th, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND CAMPING TRIP:  We are going camping at Ochlocknee River State Park located south of Tallahassee, 4 miles south of Sopchoppy, FL. FL. http://www.floridastateparks.org/ochlockoneeriver/ There is a lot of fun stuff to do in the area: paddling on the Sopchoppy River or the Wakulla River or the Ochlocknee River, biking at the Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad Trail and St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge., hiking at Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail, Wakulla Springs State Park, Florida National Scenic Trail. Wildlife viewing is outstanding. Wakulla Springs is one of the largest and deepest freshwater springs in the world. Campsite rent for $15.00 plus tax a night. You can split a site or share a tent. Bring your boat, camping gear, and your bike. Waiting list has been started. Leaders: Diane J. 821-6707 and Yanella P. 366-3520.

June 2^nd, Saturday, 7:00 am, BIKE RIDE ON THE GAINESVILLE/HAWTHORN TRAIL:  This is a beautiful bike ride through Paynes Prairie Preserve. It is 16 miles one way through a picturesque area and does have hills, a unique thing in Florida. You can ride the whole trail or as much as you want. Bring snacks and water and a bike. We will leave from the Hardees on Lane Ave. to drive to the Hawthorn trailhead at 7:00 am. . Leader: Judy M. hm. 398-2750.

June 6^th , Wednesday 6:30 pm, MONTHLY MEETING:  We will meet at the Southeast Regional Public Library at Gate Parkway off of J. Turner Butler Blvd. for a discussion on past events and highlights of upcoming events. There will be door prizes, refreshments and a speaker once a quarter.

June 3^rd, Sunday, 4:00 pm, PLANNING MEETING:  The activities listed in this newsletter are planned and organized by members of Sidetrackers, there is no planning committee. If there is something you want to do and want someone to do it with, check it out, pick a date, fill out the Activity Write up sheet and bring it to the planning meeting. We will be planning for July, August and September. Great months for paddles and swimming. We are going to do a pot luck meal at Karen B.’s house. Call her for directions and sign up for what you are going to bringing, 226-8364. For questions about planning events, call Diane J. 821-6707.

June 9^th, Saturday, 8:00 am, SUWANNEE RIVER PADDLE:  “Way down upon the Suwannee River” Come see what the singing is all about. We will paddle part of the beautiful Suwannee River. Bring your own boat or rent one though the outfitters we will use as a shuttle. Bring water and lunch and a good singing voice. We will meet at the Hardees on Lane Ave. and caravan from there. Distance and the part of the river we paddle will be determined by the water level. Leader: Diane J. 821-6707.

June 10^th, Sunday, 11:00 am, HIKING AT UNF TRAILS:  We hike the trails at UNF and have lunch at Five Guys!  We will meet in Lot 100 on the campus of UNF (use St. Johns Bluff Entrance).  From there we will hike around Lake Oneida.  Following the hike, we will meet for lunch at Five Guys, which is next to the new Publix at St. Johns Town Center - just a short drive.  Leader:  Karen Betteridge (904-226-8364)

June 16^th, Saturday, 11:00 am, SNORKELING /DIVING AT SILVER GLEN:  Silver Glen has very clear water and abundant fish life. We will have identification sheets so we will learn the names of some of the fish we see. It has somewhat deeper water than Salt Springs where we visited the last 2 years. The water temperature of these springs is only 72 degrees Fahrenheit so a wet suit jacket at least makes it more comfortable but is not really necessary. It is fun to have a larger raft to float on while you peer down into the water. There is a $5 per person entrance fee to Park. Bring water to drink, a mask, fins and snorkel or you can just come along and swim. We will meet at the McDonalds across from the dog track on Hwy. 17 in Orange Park. We will probably have a late lunch or dinner picnic, so contact the leader for what to contribute for a picnic. Leader: Bob H. 866-1375.

June 23^rd, Saturday, 7:00 am, HIKING THEODORE ROOSEVELT PRESERVE:  Our hike will start at the trail head along the Willie Brown trail to the bird watching tower in Round Marsh. We will continue along the Timucan trail to Alligator Pond then east on the Spanish Pond trail back to the Willie Brown trail. There is no cost for the hike. Bring water, bug spray and binoculars. Wear comfortable shoes. We will meet at Hardees on north side of Merrill Rd. just east of the 9A overpass. Leader: Sam K. 625-1097.

June 30^th Saturday, OPEN

July 4^th, ANNUAL 4^TH OF JULY COOKOUT:  Information coming soon.

July 11^th, Wednesday 6:30 pm, MONTHLY MEETING:  (Not the first Wednesday of the Month)
We will meet at the Southeast Regional Public Library at Gate Parkway off of J. Turner Butler Blvd. for a discussion on past events and highlights of upcoming events. There will be door prizes, refreshments and a speaker once a quarter.
 

October 5th to October 8th, CAMPING AT VOGEL STATE PARK AND HELEN GEORGIA:  We will camp for 3 nights at Vogel State Park. Georgia's second oldest state park, Vogel is located in the shadow of Blood Mountain and is in the heart of Georgia's Chattahoochee National Forest. The centerpiece of the park is 20-acre Lake Trahlyta. Access to the Appalachian Trail (http://georgiatrails.com/features/apptrail.html) is from Neel's Gap, just a little higher up Blood Mountain and of course the famous Octoberfest in Helen is not to be missed. Three campsites have been reserved and like they say, the early bird gets the worm.  After these are gone please contact the park, telephone1-800-864-7275 and check it out at: http://ngeorgia.com/parks/vogel.html. Leader: Heike M. 998-2312.

Additional information about these activities and events may be
announced at monthly meetings and on our YahooGroups Email list.

2007 Monthly Meeting Schedule
MONTHLY MEETINGS are always on the first Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m.
at the Jacksonville Public Library, Southeast Regional Branch, at the Gate Parkway exit off
J. Turner Butler Boulevard.  Subscribers to our free YahooGroups email list service
receive an automatic reminder message in their email two days before the meeting.

WEDNESDAY, June 6, 2006 – 6:30 PM
WEDNESDAY, July 11, 2006 – 6:30 PM
WEDNESDAY, August 1, 2006 – 6:30 PM
WEDNESDAY, September 5, 2006 – 6:30 PM
WEDNESDAY, October 3, 2006 – 6:30 PM
WEDNESDAY, November 7, 2006 – 6:30 PM
WEDNESDAY, December 5, 2006 – 6:30 PM

The SIDETRACKERS Newsletter
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next monthly newsletter, please send email to newsletter 'at' sidetrackers.com.

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Membership page on the web, or send questions and comments to membership 'at' sidetrackers.com.

The SIDETRACKERS Web Site
Our web site is maintained by Frank who can be reached by email at webmaster 'at' sidetrackers.com.  Please contact Frank if you have any corrections, photos, or other items of interest from any current activities. We will be pleased to consider your suggestions concerning the web site content.

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