ACTIVITIES and EVENTS
 

Wed 6/4, 6:30pm, Monthly Members Meeting: Regency Square Library, 9900 Regency Square Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32256

Sat/Sun, 6/7 & 6/8, Santos (Ocala) Mountain Biking and Camping: Meet at 8 am, Sat, June 7th at McDonalds in Bartram Park (Old St. Augustine Rd just west of I-95 Exit 335).  Depart at 8:30 for approximate 2 hour drive to Santos Trailhead next to Santos Campground (3080 SE 80th St, Ocala, FL 34480). http://www.omba.org/santos-campground.html.Intermediate mountain bike ride at 11 am from the parking lot (with bathroom facility) just west of the campground.  Bring sunscreen, bug spray and plenty of water for the ride.  Helmets are required. Ride at own risk. Link:  SANTOS & VORTEX AREA BIKE TRAILS. For those that would like to camp and ride again Sunday morning, campsites are $22 per campsite, with a maximum two tents, two vehicles and 8 people per site.  Post comment if you wish to camp.  We will book sites on May 11.  Food arrangements will be coordinated closer to trip departure. Leader: Steve D 561.602.8613 cell, ste_dor 'at' bellsouth.net.

Sat  6/14 8:00pm, Full Moon Paddle at Fulton Landing Boat Ramp, Jacksonville: We will meet at the boat ramp at 8:00 pm.   The moon is expected to be full on this night.  Fulton Landing Boat Ramp is a small underdeveloped boat ramp at the end of Fulton road in the Arlington area.  Address of ramp is:  5099 Fulton Road, Jacksonville, FL  32225.   Trip is limited to 15, due to parking limitations.  We will be on the St. Johns River and the paddle should be fairly easy.  If you do not have your own kayak or canoe, you will be responsible for getting one.   As this is an evening paddle, if you do not bring your own, you will need to rent something and be required to keep it overnight.   Several of the surf shops such as Aqua East will rent kayaks.  Aqua East surf Shop has 24 hour rentals available for only $35.  You can keep it all weekend, but you must pick it up and return it.  They only have 5 boats available, so you need to call ASAP to reserve your boat: 904 246-2550 (ask for Jim).  Aqua East is close to the Fulton Boat Ramp.  Several Sidetrackers members have extra kayaks/canoes and may be willing to share.  Can’t hurt to ask! Afterwards we will get together at a local establishment for pool and darts!  Leader Julie H., cell 904-424-1548.  As a courtesy, please call Julie if your plans change and you are unable to attend.

Thurs 6/19, 6:30pm, Jax Beach Walk/Run/Bike: Come out to the beach for an evening stroll and enjoy the ocean breeze while we walk, run or bike about five miles along the sand. We will meet at Oceanfront Park on 1st Street South between 5th & 6th Avenues South at 6:30pm. There is plenty of parking at the east end of 5th Ave. Bring water and appropriate shoes. We will leave for the beach at 6:40pm so if you are running late, just head south on the beach. Those people interested can go out for a bite to eat somewhere at the beach afterwards. If you have any questions call the Leader: Kathy P. 904-241-2924

Sun 6/22, 11:00am, Skeet Shooting at Amelia Island Shot Gun Sports:  Here's your opportunity to shoot things and destroy them, old-time Florida style. We'll be assembling at the Amelia Island Shot Gun Sports Club, 86300 Hot Shot Trl, Yulee, FL 32097, for a late morning skeet shoot. A "round" of skeet consists of 50 shots (rounds) at clay pigeons.  The course consists of 5 stations positioned along a ½ mile semi-circle.   Think of it as “skeet golf."  The fine folks at Amelia Island Shot Gun Sports will supply everything we need for a safe and fun event. All you need bring is sunscreen, bug spray and a comfortable pair of sunglasses or safety glasses (eye protection is required). For those of you without eye protection, the club will have a few pair of safety glasses we can borrow. Based on a turnout of 20 Sidetrackers the cost is $45 per person, which includes gun rental and shells. If we have fewer members attend we'll adjust the per person cost upward pro-rata. The event should take about two hours so we should be good and hungry for lunch afterward. There are picnic tables at the club if you wish to pack a lunch.  http://www.ameliashotgunsports.com.  Car pooling is encouraged from your area of town.   Leader: Leader: Jim Nackley (904-382-7734 cell).  ADDENDUM:   We're limiting this to 20 attendees.  However, we encourage you to join a waiting list if you want to go.   We can work with the Amelia Shot Gun Sports club to accommodate more people if we have more interested in attending.  

Sat. 6/28, 10:00am, Paddle Anastasia State Park: Join us for a paddle in beautiful Anastasia State Park in St. Augustine. We will meet in Anastasia State Park near Anastasia Water Sports at 10:00 am to launch by 10:15 am. There is a $4.00 fee to enter the park.  The leader will be coming from St. Augustine. If you wish to carpool, please contact the leader and they’ll coordinate a meeting spot. We will paddle beautiful Salt Run at an easy pace then take a rest stop to swim, fish, or relax along the sandy beach.  Bring your swimsuit and a towel, snacks and plenty of water, sunscreen and camera an/or binoculars. Bring required PFD and whistle if you’re bringing your own kayak.  For those in need of renting a kayak, they are available at Anastasia WaterSports in the park (904) 460-9111. Please reserve them ahead of time. Rates are: Single Kayak (4 hours) $40. Tandem Kayak (4 hours) $50. See http://www.floridastateparks.org/anastasia for more information. Afterwards we will get a bite to eat locally, or if some prefer, can take a swim in the ocean. Leader Kathy D. cell 908-433-5974. As a courtesy, please call Kathy if your plans change and you are unable to attend.

http://www.floridastateparks.org/anastasia/  Details to follow.

Sun 6/29, 1:00pm, Otttis Castle Tour in Vilano Beach: MEMBERS ONLY.   Come join us for a day of fun exploring the Otttis Castle. Castle Otttis is an impression of an Irish castle of 1,000 years ago. The interior was created under guidance of historians from the Catholic Diocese of Northeast Florida.  Enjoy the view of the Atlantic Ocean, Vilano Beach and St Augustine from the roof top of its towers. There is a free tour, however, donations are encouraged.  The Castle is located 103 3rd St, St Augustine, FL 32084 on highway A1A three miles north of St. Augustine, Florida. For those who want to car pool, meet at 12:00 Noon at the Jacksonville Southeast Regional Library at 10599 Deerwood Park Boulevard near JTB and Gate Parkway. Map & Driving Directions.  For additional information:  http://www.castleotttis.com/ 

After the tour some of the members will be going out to eat.  Sidetrackers Members Only – Limit 20 guests. Hosted by Jim Nackley 904-382-7734

Wed 7/2,  6:30pm, Monthly Members Meeting: (CANCELLED Due to Independence Day Holiday)

Fri 7/4, 10:00am, Annual Sidetrackers Picnic at Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park - for MEMBERS ONLY: We encourage all Sidetrackers Club members to come to our annual Fourth of July picnic. This is a member’s only event due to limits on the shelter capacity and the club providing food and drinks. We have reserved shelter # 3 near parking lot #8 again this year.  (The street address is 500 Wonderwood Dr., Atlantic Beach, FL)  There is a $3.00 fee per car to get into Hanna Park. The park ranger will provide you with a map of the park and can explain how to get to shelter # 3 and the nearby parking.  http://www.coj.net/departments/recreation-and-community-services/recreation-and-community-programming/hanna-park.aspx. We will enjoy eating, socializing, taking dips in the ocean, going for walks on the beach, and playing beach games if you desire. You can also bring your bike and ride the trails. The club will provide b-b-q chicken and pork as well as drinks. Please bring a side dish or dessert to share. Bring your bathing suit and appropriate cover and/or hat, towel and sunscreen. Camp or beach chairs are welcome as well as any beach games you desire. You can arrive at any time and we will start eating around 11:30am. You can stay and enjoy the beach as long as you desire. Please sign up as attending on meet up or contact Paula S. @ 904-400-6699 or Vicki A. @ 904-504-9432.  PLEASE CHECK THE MEETUP.COM/SIDETRACKERS SITE FOR ANY LAST MINUTE CHANGES.

Sat 7/12, Hike at (GTM) Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve: http://www.dep.state.fl.us/gtm/   Details to follow.

Thu 7/17, Evening Bike Ride at Jax Beach: Details to follow.

Sat 7/19, Hike at Suwannee River State Park, Live Oak, FL: http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/suwannee1.html. Details to follow.

Fri-Sun 7/25, thru 7/27, Kayaking and Scalloping on the Steinhatchee River:
http://www.steinhatchee.com/  Details to follow.

Wed 8/6, 6:30pm, Monthly Members Meeting: Regency Square Library, 9900 Regency Square Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32256

Sun 8/17  9:00am, Jekyll Island Bike Ride: We will meet at McDonalds on Duval Rd by the airport in the Riverplace Market and leave promptly at 9:15am. Arrive early if you plan on having breakfast. Carpooling is recommended, but you may want to arrange it ahead of time as there is planning involved when transporting bikes. We will be parking in the Historic District on the island nearest the Sea Turtle Center if you want to meet us there. It takes about 65 minutes to get there from our meeting spot.

We will ride the bike path through the center of the island to the ocean and around the north end, stopping at driftwood beach/pier for a stroll and quick snack then finishing the ride and touring the historic district on foot and having lunch at a nearby restaurant. Any type of bike is welcome but beach cruisers are most appropriate. The ride is about 9 miles long with stops to enjoy the sites.

This is a very scenic ride with intracoastal and ocean water views on paved trails and a lot of island history. There is a limit of 25 people, so please sign-up ONLY if you are planning on attending. And update your RSVP if your plans change. Please bring plenty of water, sunscreen, bug spray and a light snack if you desire.  We will get a bite to eat on the island. Location to be announced. There is a toll bridge before crossing over to the island with $6.00 fee per car so bring cash. Leader - Paula S. 904-588-2707. As a courtesy, please call Paula if your plans change and you are unable to attend or you will be marked as a no show.   http://www.jekyllisland.com/resources/visitors-guide/

Wed 9/3,    6:30 PM, Monthly Members Meeting: Regency Square Library, 9900 Regency Square Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32256

Additional information about these activities and events may be announced at monthly meetings and on our Meetup.com/Sidetrackers trip reservation pages.

2014 Monthly Meeting Schedule.  Locations Will Be Announced.
MONTHLY MEETINGS are always on the first non-holiday Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m.
and the location may vary.  Subscribers to our Meetup.com group receive an automatic reminder message in their email two days before the meeting.

The Sidetrackers Newsletter
Our newsletter is maintained by Chris who can be reached by email at newsletter 'at' sidetrackers.com.
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
Members pay a small annual fee to help share the annual cost of maintaining this web site and the small costs of running the club.  Members are not required to submit a Guest Waiver Form at each Sidetrackers trip, activity or event.  Membership applications are accepted throughout the year.  Please visit our Membership page, 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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