St. Pattys Day early-afternoon Hike, Potluck Picnic & Irish Sing-along! - Thu, Mar 17 2022

REGISTRATION REQUIRED: Once you've reviewed the event details, and decided you'd like to join us, you MUST sign up at the bottom of this page.



St. Pattys Day early-afternoon Hike, Potluck Picnic & Irish Sing-along!


The Basics:
Event Type:Hike
Event Location: Frazier-Rowe Park trailhead at 2860 LaVista Rd in NE metro Atlanta   Hike: St. Pattys Day early-afternoon Hike, Potluck Picnic & Irish Sing-along!  National Weather Service Forecast
Date(s) & Time:Thu, Mar 17 2022  1:00 pm >> Thu, Mar 17 2022 3:15 pm
Registration Opens: Tue, Mar 15 2022 4:00 pm
Registration Cut Off: Thu, Mar 17 2022 11:30 pm
Event Duration:2 Hours 15 Minutes
Difficulty Rating:D1: Easy
Distance:3 Miles
Pace:Leisurely
Trip Leader(s):
Charlie Cottingham
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Member Cost:None

Participant Info:
Who's Invited: Members Only, 21 And Older Only
Maximum Group Size:15
Minimum Group Size:4
Number Registered So Far: 8 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)
Are Dogs Permitted: No

Itinerary:

IN A NUTSHELL:  Callin' ye fellow AOC "Irish" who love the emerald isle and its lakes, leprechauns, and friendly pubs!  The weather is expected to be ideal: in the balmy high-60s during the outing with a bright blue sky & no chance of rain!  Wear something green, clip on those shamrock-tipped deely-bobbers and celebrate St. Patty's Day with us "alfresco style!"
  We've had a blast in each of five previous years doing this "festively different" AOC St. Pat's event.   We'll kick things off with an easy leisurely paced ~3-mile hike - then enjoy an informal "potluck picnic."  Each participant is asked to bring a little something to share that you personally enjoy - see suggestions below.  As usual, to conclude the picnic we'll enjoy singing a few old nostalgic Irish songs (When Irish Eyes are Smilin', Danny Boy, the Unicorn Song, etc.)  I'll supply the songsheets, guitar backup and a couple of tambourines.

  We'll gather a few minutes before 1:00 PM at the Frazier-Rowe Park trailhead & bulletin board by "Sprig Restaurant" (after parking in that end of the big "Vista Grove Plaza" parking lot)see Directions & GPS info below.  After introductions we'll explore the park's beautiful woodland trails, stopping often to regroup and to observe and photograph the wildlife and colorful trees & flowers.
  By 2:30 we should be back at the trailhead by our cars, where we should have no problem finding a big picnic table or two for our St. Pats picnic and sing-along.  We'll target being done with everything by "pre-rush-hour" 3:15.  Feel free to split at any earlier time that's convenient - but please let us know when you do so.

POTLUCK PICNIC SUGGESTIONS:   Any of our food & drink items that need refrigeration can be left in iced-down coolers in our vehicles until we begin the picnic.  For keeping any hot items warm I like to wrap them in thick layers of newspaper and bring them in a well-insulated un-iced cooler.
  Please bring a small personal "entree item" for yourself, and another small "potluck side item" of your choice to share that you personally enjoy and might also serve about 4 or 5 others.  (For example, your "side item" might be: a quart of cut-up fresh fruit, quart of potato salad, box of fried chicken, medium-size covered dish of mac & cheese, couple of dozen cookies, cherry pie, half gallon of fruit punch, etc.)  I'll bring some Irish-style home-grown cooked organic greens with ham or corned beef to share—also paper plates & cups, napkins, plastic eatware, etc. for the group.
  Bring your own favorite beverages - nonalcoholic please, since that's the official policy of DeKalb County's Dept. of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Affairs.  They also have a "No Glass Containers" policy for beverages, so please bring them in plastic or metal containers.
  p.s.  Riddle:    What's Irish and comes in handy for backyard St. Pat's Day picnics?
          Answer:  "Paddy O'Furniture"!


Required Items to Bring:

• Wear comfortable well-broken-in Athletic Shoes or Hiking Boots and comfortable Lightweight Clothing layers appropriate for the weather.

Carry in your Daypack or Fanny Pack a filled Water Bottle or other favorite soft beverages—or wear your "Camelbak" or other hydration system.

•  For our post-hike "Potluck Picnic Dinner" please bring and an Item of your Choice to share (see discussion above)
 - also if you like, a small "personal entree item" for yourself.  Also bring your favorite non-alcoholic Beverages perhaps iced down in a cooler, but please avoid glass containers.

Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.


• We should have lots of great photo-ops, so bring your SmartPhone or Camera!

• If you play a Musical Instrument consider bringing it for our post-picnic St. Pat's sing-along! —also if you have a favorite Irish song you'd like to sing with the group, please bring about a dozen copies of the lyrics.


How to Get There:
Event Directions:

TRAILHEAD ADDRESS:  2860 LaVista Rd, Decatur, GA 30033
For a zoomable color MAP and satellite view of this gathering spot (beside the "Sprig Restaurant") entrance click the square blue & green "Event Location" icon near the top of this article.)

DIRECTIONS from the I-85 Clairmont Road Exit (in NE Atlanta)
1. From I-85 Exit #91 (GA-23, "Clairmont Rd") take Clairmont toward Decatur (south & slightly east) about 1.6 miles to the traffic light at LaVista Road.
2. Turn Left onto LaVista and go eastward 0.9 mile (THROUGH the next traffic light at Oak Grove Rd) to the small "Vista Grove Plaza" shopping center on your Left.  Look for Sprig  and Subway restaurants on the end of the shopping center by the woods, and park in that vicinity of the big free lot.
3. We'll gather at the "Frazier-Rowe Park" bulletin board and trailhead on the edge of the woods - just a few yards from the Sprig entrance.  Please be on time, allowing for traffic.

GPS or Maps.Google.com Users:  You may prefer to use the following concise "Lat/Lon" coordinates in lieu of the above "Sprig" street address for our gathering spot. (Be sure to include the comma & minus sign.)  33.8256, -84.2893


Notes:
* We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines while participating in AOC events.

Cost Includes:

Free Event with Free Parking!


Cancellation/Partial Attendance:   Please review the AOC cancellation policy.