Midday Hike + Safe Solar Eclipse Viewing! at Frazier-Rowe Park

IN a NUTSHELL:  Delightful dry fall weather is expected here in metro Atlanta this Saturday - warming to about 70 degrees by midday and with rapidly increasing sunshine all afternoon after a more overcast morning.  Hope you can join us for this easy scenic Hike that will include a rarely witnessed astronomical bonus that we can enjoy at unforested clearings along the way!  With a little "cloud cooperation" we should have no problem observing the much-publicized SOLAR ECLIPSE that will be visible here in metro Atlanta between ~11:45 AM and 2:45 PM.  To ensure safe viewing I'll bring each of you a pair of NASA-approved eclipse glasses to use - also I have 4 pairs of solar-filtered binoculars that will give us safe magnified views.
  As the "new moon" orbits the earth on Saturday its dark round disc will pass almost directly across the sun, making the sun gradually appear to have a narrow crescent shape and then gradually become round again.  This "Partial Eclipse" will reach its maximum here in Atlanta at about 1:12 PM when more than 50% of the sun's disc will be darkened by the moon.  Click here for an excellent custom "Atlanta" webpage and preview video for this Eclipse: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/usa/atlanta?iso=20231014
  The eclipse glasses and solar-filtered binocs worked great for our unforgettable "Great American Total Solar Eclipse" experience six years ago at Lake Keowee, SC.  That Aug 2017 eclipse was only Partial here in metro Atlanta and throughout most of North & South America - as this one likewise will be.  This one will be quite close to Total in a narrow swath from Oregon down thru Texas, but since the moon this month is farther from Earth than usual (making it look smaller) a bright "Annular ring" of sunlight will appear around the moon at "max eclipse" (along that swath) as in the above telephoto shot. The next TOTAL Solar Eclipse in the US is coming up next spring on Apr 8th, 2024.  Its narrow path of totality will progress from Mexico northeastward across Texas  - then through Arkansas, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Maine and a few other states that connect them.

THE PARKS and our HIKE PLAN: Frazier-Rowe Park and its interconnecting Coralwood Nature Preserve are heavily forested DeKalb County parks here in my own "Oak Grove" neighborhood in NE metro Atlanta.  I'm proud to be among the dozens of park "friends" who volunteer year-round to improve & maintain their network of trails and help ensure the health & variety of their native trees, shrubs, flowers, birds & wildlife.  On this easy but adventurous ~3-mile hike we'll discuss these fascinating flora & fauna while exploring the gently rolling creekside terrain.  There are a few pretty clearings along the way where we can safely observe the eclipse's phases and their curious effects on tree shadows, etc.

WHERE & WHEN?  We'll gather at 11:30 AM by the shady Frazier-Rowe Park main trailhead & bulletin board (pictured above).  This spot is directly beside the entrance to "Sprig Restaurant at the edge of the woods in the east end of the Vista Grove shopping center parking lot.  See Directions & GPS Info below, and for a zoomable map or satellite view click the above square blue & green "Event Location" icon.  If you haven't yet had lunch consider bringing at least a snack and water or a drink - see Suggested items below. 

CANINE COMPANIONS are OK.  Bring your well-behaved dog if you like, but make sure that he or she is leashed and under your control at all times, and in your registration notes please indicate size, breed, name, etc.

MORE ABOUT the PARKS:    DeKalb County's  Frazier-Rowe Park was founded in 2013 and named for two families of different ethnicity who lived in harmony there in the mid- 20th century. Frazier-Rowe and its directly adjoining Coralwood Nature Preserve boast together about 15 acres of panoramic natural terrain.  The trail network, floral gardens, bridges and other structures have been designed, built and maintained by hard-working local citizens, Boy Scout volunteers, etc.  Our "Friends of Frazier-Rowe" volunteer group has been awarded thousands of dollars in "park prize grants" for our good works, with the funds applied toward construction of a picnic/concert pavilion, sidewalks, a playground and more - affirms that folks of all ages can make a difference in their community while having fun working together in the great outdoors!
- For a Trail Map of the Frazier-Rowe/ Coralwood parklands click: http://frazier- rowepark.weebly.com/uploads/3/1/5/6/31560939/frazierrowepark map2018nov5_kaplan.pdf
- For Joyce Taaffe's colorful photo album of our Jan 2022 Frazier- Rowe hike click: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/? vanity=joyce.taaffe&set=a.1016031374637526
- For More Park Info & Photos click: http://frazier-rowepark.weebly.com and: https://www .facebook.com/FrazierRowePark/

TRAILHEAD ADDRESS:   2860 LaVista Rd, Decatur, GA 30033
For a zoomable color MAP and satellite view of this gathering spot 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 Restaurant"  on the east 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  just a few yards from the Sprig entrance.  Please be on time, allowing for traffic. 

GPS or Maps.Google.com Users:  You may prefer entering 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

Free Event with Free Parking