ACTIVITIES and EVENTS

September 8th, Saturday, 10:00 a.m.:  NATIVE AMERICAN POW WOW:  Please join us for this unique cultural experience!  We will meet at the McDonald’s on North Main Street near the intersection of Main Street and 9A on Jacksonville’s Northside (Oceanway). The Pow Wow will be at the Assembly Church of God nearby.  There will be arts & crafts, drum and dance competitions. Bring a chair for comfort, and sunblock.  Refreshments will be available at the festival. Leaders: Gene & Heike M.  PH:  998-2312. 

September 15th and 16th, Saturday and Sunday, CAMPING AND SWIMMING AT SALT SPRINGS:
We will spend the day at Salt Springs relaxing in the springs swimming and picnicking. We will camp Saturday night.  That evening, we will eat at the quaint family restaurant on site and explore the areas trails and other area of interest. Sunday morning breakfast will again at the neat eatery and some more relaxation in the springs. Bring any toys you want, bikes, canoes, kayaks etc. Bring picnic basket for lunch on Sat. swimsuits, suntan lotion, drinks, floats and balls to throw for swimming etc. See http://www.floridaparks.com/floridafederalparks/saltsprings.htm  or map on mapquest for directions and camping info:$17.36 a night for 2 tents to a site 4 days advance notice but first come first served Salt Springs Recreation 14151 N Highway 19, Salt Springs, 352-685-2048. We will LEAVE at 8:00 am Saturday from McDonalds in Orange Park on 17 across from Dog Track. Leader: Kathy B. 772-0790.

September 22nd, Saturday, 10:00 am, Guana Environmental Education Center:  Come explore Guana Tolomato Matanzas Education Center and learn about the many functions of the coastal and estuarine ecosystem and the natural history of Northeast Florida. There is an exhibit hall, auditorium and aquariums. This is an active research and monitoring station tracking water quality, weather, and changes to our estuary. There is even a gift shop! Meet in the parking lot of this center. It is right next door to the Gate gas station on A1A in St Johns County, halfway between Ponte Vedra and Vilano Beach. Admission is $2 but bring extra money as we will go to Caps Restaurant for lunch! Leader: Stephanie M. 268-5569 or 502-1005.

September 29th, Saturday, 7:30 AM, MURALS OF PALATKA:  This is a walking tour featuring murals depicting the city’s cultural and historical resources painted on historic buildings throughout the town of Palatka.  One of the attractions featured is City Hall, a 1917 Romanesque Revival building with hand-painted murals depicting the city's history.  Wear comfortable shoes and bring water and sun block.  We will meet on US 17 at the McDonalds across from the Orange Park Dog Track.  For more info visit the website: http://www.conleemurals.org/CMC-NEWTourguide-1.html  Leader Heike M. 998-2312.

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 Oktoberfest in Helen is not to be missed. Presently all early reserved sites are taken. Check with the leader for cancellations/waiting list or contact the park for campsites, telephone 1-800-864-7275 and check it out at: http://ngeorgia.com/parks/vogel.html. Leader: Heike M. 998-2312.

October 21st 9:00 am, Sunday, HIKING AT BROXTON ROCKS:  There will be a 2-hour plus guided hike through the Nature's Conservancy's Broxton Rocks, which is heralded as a very pretty area a great deal of unusual flora. There may or may not be a $10 fee for the tour. There are only 2 tours each year - the first in September will be filmed by Georgia Public Television. We will meet at Panera's on Atlantic near Southside Blvd. to drive to Broxton (Douglas, GA) which is about 2 hours from here. Leader:  Marta 725-9521

October 27, Saturday, SIDETRACKERS HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR CAMPOUT AT OCEAN POND’S GROUP SITE: Show your true fearless Sidetracker Spirit by camping out under a blood red moon next to the creature filled lake.  Don’t stray too far from the fire for there are things lurking in the woods with red beady eyes and sharp ravenous teeth.  Come down anytime after 12 p.m. on Saturday but the games and dinner will start at dusk. We will cook out unknown hunks of meat over the fire, carve ghoulish pumpkins, tell ghost stories, and play some games to get in the true spirit of Halloween.  The Ocean Pond group site has flush toilets, a pavilion; very nice barbeque grills, and is only haunted by a few scary apparitions.

Dress as your favorite Halloween character.  The wilder the better!  There will be a prize for best costume as well as best decorated tent!

Bring your own pumpkin for the pumpkin carving contest!  Big prizes!!!

We will be looking for volunteers to help on committees such as food preparation, decorations, entertainment and cleanup.  Many hands make light work and if everyone just pitches in a little the party will be much more enjoyable for everyone.  The reason for these committees is that we’d like to have all these things (dinner, decorations, and games) included in the camping price.  Depending on the number of people coming, we will charge a flat fee of $10 or so.  I will send out a communication of the exact cost as soon as I tally the RSVP’s.

Contact Diane K. at 904-545-5087 to RSVP and/or to choose your committee.

RSVP by Friday, October 19th to make sure we can accommodate everyone!

November 3rd Saturday, 9:00 am, HIKING AT THEODORE ROOSEVELT AREA:  Come join us and hike this area located in the Fort Caroline area. There are a variety of habitats including maritime hammocks, scrub vegetation, freshwater swamp and salt marsh. Mounds of oyster shells left over from 1000 years of pre-Columbian and Timucuan Indians can be seen. This is also a great birding opportunities. We will meet in the parking lot at the Timucuan Preserve Visitor Center off Fort Caroline Rd. There we will shuttle to the Timucuan Preserve Trailhead Parking as parking is limited. Bring water, sunscreen, insect repellent and any food you may want as we may be on the trail for a couple hours. see web site for directions. Leader: Stephanie M (268-5569 H) (502-1005 C)
http://www.nps.gov/timu/planyourvisit/directions_theodorerooseveltarea.htm

You can view or print a Timucuan Preserve trail map by clicking HERE.

November 11th Sunday, FOLK FESTIVAL: The festival has been rescheduled for this day and is being held at Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park in White Springs. This is the 55th year of the festival which is a barrel of fun. There are about 5 stages with entertainment consecutively on each, a marketplace, a folk life area, the Seminole Camp, a Banjo Contest, Crafts, Workshops, Dance, Food and Environmental Awareness Groups. There is something for everyone. It will be a nice laid back day of listen to music and fun, but you can choose to hike the trails in the area. There is a $20.00 charge in advance and $25 at the door. We will meet at the Hardees’s on Lane Avenue, time TBD. Leader: Marta 725-9521  http://www.floridastateparks.org/folkfest/

November 18th 8:30 AM, Sunday, BLACK CREEK PADDLE IN JENNINGS FOREST, COOK OUT BURGERS, WATCH THE 1:00 PM JAGUAR GAME:  We will  paddle a couple of hours on Black Creek and work up an appetite, barbeque burgers at Diane’s close by and watch some of the Jaguar game. Bring kayak, water, sunscreen, hat.  I will provide the burgers/hot dogs for the cookout but if you want anything to go with it please bring it along with what you want to drink. There is a small park day use fee under $5.00 and the activity is limited to 10 people. We are meeting at 8:30 a.m. at the Hardees’s in Middleburg.  It is on Blanding just past CR 218 by the Winn Dixie. Leader:  Diane K. 904-545-5087

November 24th 6:00 pm, Saturday, LIGHT PARADE DOWNTOWN:  We will gather to watch the area’s largest lighted boat parade. After the parade is a fantastic fireworks display will be presented. We will meet in the raised deck behind River City Brewing Company restaurant on the South bank River walk. Leader: Judy M 398-2750.

December 1st and 2nd Saturday and Sunday, HOLIDAY PARTY AND CAMPING AT OCEAN POND:  This event is for members and member’s guests only. Meet at Ocean Pond’s Reserved Group Camp Site beginning at 10 A.M.  There will be tree decorating (bring a decoration to add to Judy’s Charlie Brown tree), games/challenges (entertainment by the Toy Master, Diane K.), a Chinese gift exchange and music by the Music Man, John G. The Club will provide the meat, bring a dish to share. Mary Jane J. is coordinating food, so please check with her for Fun Food Categories. Santa and Mrs. Santa: Sandy & Jeff @ 955-4550.

December 8th Saturday, NIGHT OF LIGHTS IN ST. AUGUSTINE:  We will meet in St Augustine, (time and place to be determined at a later date,) and walk around and enjoy the beautiful Christmas lights.  More information will be in the November newsletter.  Leader:  Earline V. 998-4244 home 614-8629 cell  e.veltman at comcast.net.

December 9th Sunday, 4:00 pm, PLANNING MEETING:  We’ll do a pot luck dinner at Earline’s house so bring a dish to share, what you want to drink and come help us plan the activities for the next quarter.  This club is run by its members and it is the members that create the calendar of activities. Come and support your club by attending the planning meeting with ideas to put on the calendar for the next few months.  If you’ve never led a trip but have an idea for one, join us. There will be someone there that will be willing to co-lead the trip with you or if you still don’t feel comfortable as a co-leader, you can help someone plan it and they will lead it for you.  Leader: Earline V 998-4244 home 614-8629 cell  e.veltman at comcast.net.

December 15th Saturday, Bike ride on Jekyll Island:  We will meet at the bike rental shop for those that need bikes. Lunch will be at one of the restaurants in the historic district about halfway through the ride. We will also visit the Georgia Sea Turtle Center in the historic district that opened in the summer of 2007. More details to follow in later newsletters. Leader Mary Jane 651-2201. http://www.jekyllisland.com/activities/biking.asp 

December 31st thru January 1st. Monday and Tuesday, ANNUAL NEW YEARS EVE AT HANNA PARK:  Join us for our annual New Year’s Eve camping trip to Hanna Park for a potluck dinner. We will have a campfire, hike along the nature trail by moonlight and be on the beach at midnight, where we will be able to view the fireworks from Jax, beach and Mayport. Camping is free at the group site for those who do not wish to drive home that night. Come out early Monday afternoon, help Diane J. pick up trash which pays for our stay on the site, set up your tent, enjoy hiking, a campfire and have dinner around 6:30 PM. We will be at the primitive group camping site at the north end. You can park at the camping site to unload, and then park in the parking lot. Facilities are within walking distance. Bring a homemade specialty or pick something up at the store. Hanna Park is near the entrance to Mayport Naval Station and at the end of Wonderwood Drive. At the gate tell them you are with Sidetrackers and get directions to the group primitive camping area. This is a members only or member’s guest only event.

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, 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
If you have any comments about the newsletter, or if you have material to submit for inclusion in the
next monthly newsletter, please send email to newsletter 'at' sidetrackers.com.

To Become a SIDETRACKERS Member
Membership applications are being accepted throughout the year.  Please visit our
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.

In Case You Were Wondering...
Email addresses are slightly obscured with 'at' instead of '@' in an attempt to foil automated spam robots.