St. Patty’s Afternoon Hike, Potluck Picnic & Irish Sing-along!

Weather Update for Sunday afternoon:  Expected to be very nice!  Clear & springlike, with comfortable temperatures near 60 during the event. - Charlie

IN A NUTSHELL:  Callin' ye fellow AOC "Irish" who love the emerald isle and its lakes, leprechauns, and friendly pubs!  Wear something green, clip on those shamrock-tipped deely-bobbers and celebrate St. Patty's Day with us "alfresco style!" 
We had a blast doing this "adventurously different" type of AOC event in four previous years.  Hope you'll join us for this encore Saint Patty's Day celebration!  We'll kick things off with a leisurely paced 3-mile hike - then enjoy a jovial "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 nostalgic old 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 1:30 PM in the free parking lot at Frazier-Rowe Park —see detailed directions 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 about 2:45 we should be back at the trailhead beside our cars, where we expect to be able to claim a couple of the big picnic tables for our group meal and sing-along.  We'll target being done with everything by 4:00 PM.  Feel free to "split" at any earlier time that's convenient - but please let us know when you do so.

POTLUCK PICNIC SUGGESTIONS:  As mentioned above we'll plan to take possession of a couple of the large picnic tables at the Frazier-Rowe trailhead by the parking lot.  Any of our food & drink items that need refrigeration can be left in iced-down coolers in our vehicles until we begin the picnic.
  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"!

FROM I-85 CLAIRMONT RD EXIT (Exit #91) in NE Atlanta to our FRAZIER-ROWE PARK Meetup Spot:   (For a zoomable color MAP and satellite view of this spot and its vicinity click the square blue & green "Event Location" icon near the top of this article.)

1. From I-85 Exit #91 (GA-23, "Clairmont Rd") take Clairmont Road 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 (at 2868 LaVista Rd).  Look for Sprig  and Subway restaurants on the end of the shopping center by the woods and park in that vicinity of the big lot.

3. We'll gather at the "Frazier-Rowe Park" bulletin board and trailhead on the edge of the woods - just a few feet from the Sprig restaurant entrance.  Please be on time, allowing for traffic.

LAT/LON COORDINATES of the Frazier-Rowe Park trailhead where we'll meet: (GPS or Google.com/maps users may wish to enter these map coordinates as your Destination Address, being sure to include the comma & minus sign.)

  33.8256, -84.2893

Free Event with Free Parking!