Posted under: Road Trip; Roadside Botanizing; South Georgia.
July 13 and 14, 2013, Roadside Botanizing: Waycross to the St. Marys River (Saturday) and eastern Okefenokee Swamp (Sunday) 
Saturday Trip: Meet: 10:00 AM, Hampton Inn Waycross
Description: We will travel along Hwy 82 take 301 south to Folkston, then take GA 23 south past the entrance to the Okefenokee all the way to the St. Marys River (the southernmost point in GA). Then take GA 185 north to GA 94, then east on GA 94 back to GA 23 and a return to the hotel We will investigate interesting stuff along the road such as few-flowered milkweed (Asclepias lanceolata), short-stemmed meadow beauty (Rhexia petiolata), Pickering’s dawnflower (Stylisma pickeringi), snowy orchid (Platanthera nivea), yellow meadow beauty (Rhexia lutea), and Bartram’s rose gentian (Sabatia bartramii). We also may re-encounter large-flowered rose gentian (Sabatia grandiflora).
Directions: Take I-75 south to US 82. Take US 82 east to Waycross. Hampton Inn is on US 82 just past intersection with US 1.
Bring: Lunch to eat on the road – purchase along the way will be difficult due to extremely sparse pickings, water, bug spray..
Walking: Short excursions along the roadside, never out of sight of the vehicles – can be muddy or wet. 
Facilities: Possible at stores/stops along route, but unlikely after leaving hotel.
Carpooling is encouraged to make pulling off easier for our roadside botanizing.
Trip Leader: Rich Reaves, rich.reaves@att.net
Posted under: Road Trip; South Georgia.
July 14, 2013, Roadside Botanizing: Eastern Okefenokee Swamp (Sunday) 
Sunday’s Trip:
Meet: 7:30 AM (Note Early Start Time – we go in search of night-flowering wild petunia in the early morning before the flowers drop prior to heading off into the swamp.)
Meet at: Hampton Inn Waycross
Description: We will start the day heading back to 301 south to look for the Ruellia. After that we will head down through Folkston and continue on GA 23 to the Okefenokee NWR (ENTRY FEE REQUIRED). At the Okefenokee, we will Drive to the Chesser Island parking area (stopping along the way to view the plants) and walk the boardwalk, providing current work on the boardwalk is completed – if not, we’ll find other interested walks or sights. On the way back north at the end of the day, we may make an excursion along GA 177 south for some cool roadside stuff there.
We will investigate interesting stuff along the road such as non-blooming pitcher plants (Sarracenia minor and Sarracenia psitticina), more snowy orchids and rose gentians, spoonflower (Peltandra sagittifolia), narrow-leaf barbara’s buttons (Marshallia tenuifolia) loblolly bay (Gordonia lasianthus) and others.
Directions: same as July 13th
Bring: Lunch to eat on the road, water, bug spray.
Walking: Short excursions along the roadside and the prairie boardwalk at Okefenokee NWR. Usually within sight of the vehicles (except boardwalk) but it can be muddy/wet.
Facilities: Possible at stores/stops along route, but unlikely after leaving hotel.
Carpooling is encouraged to make pulling off easier for our roadside botanizing.
Trip Leader: Rich Reaves, rich.reaves@att.net
Posted under: North Georgia.
Meet: 1:00 pm NOTE LATE START TIME! at Durham Herb Walk sign, park along road
Field Trip Leader: Debbie Cosgrove
Description: We will visit the Durham Herb Walk in Greene County, located close to the Historic Scull Shoals Mill Village. This herb walk has been developed by the Friends of Scull Shoals to honor the 19th century physician, Lindsey Durham. Many native plants already existed on this land including Sparkleberry and Wild Ginger. After the Herb Walk was developed, the rare plant Carolina Prairie trefoil (Lotus helleri) was found in 2011. Coralberry is also found on one of the trails. After seeing these less common plants, we will drive to Falling Creek Horse Trail in the Oconee National Forest. Highlights of this trail are Stoneroot or Horsebalm (Collinsonia anisata) and Joe Pye-weed in a Short Leaf pine forest. If we get to the creek, there are other species that grow in rich forests. Several species of Desmodium and Lespedeza may be flowering.
Location & Directions: From Athens, take Ga Highway 15 south through Watkinsvile towards Greensboro, crossing the OconeeRiver. A mile past the river, turn left onto Macedonia Rd. Take Macedonia Rd. for 2.2 miles and turn left onto graveled Forest Service Road 1234. The herb walk is a quarter mile on the left.
From Atlanta, take I-20 east to the Greensboro exit for Ga Highway 44. Go north two miles into downtown Greensboro. At the traffic light downtown, take Ga Highway 15 to the left, and go towards Watkinsville and Athens. Follow Ga 15 about 12 miles to Macedonia Rd. on right.
Facilities: None
Walking Difficulty: first hike is easy, second hike is easy to moderate
Bring: water, snacks, and insect repellant
Contact: Debbie Cosgrove 706-742-7331, cell 706-338-4964 <turtle127@windstream.net>
Posted under: North Georgia.
Field Trip Leader: Ben Cash
Description: We’ll walk about 2½ mi on various trails to the 3,156 ft high summit & visit the top of the cliff face before returning by mostly the same route. This is a popular site for rock climbers & hikers seeking a mountaintop view. Expect to see bush honeysuckle, staghorn sumac, table mountain pine & hop tree near the top.
Location & Directions: Chattahoochee National Forest, White County. From Cleveland, travel north on GA Hwy 75 approximately 2½ mi to Tom Bell Rd on the right. Turn left from Tom Bell Rd onto Chambers Rd & follow it to the gravel road on the left to the trailhead.
Meet 10:00 am at the free parking area for the Mount Yonah Trail.
Bathroom Facilities: Yes! Both at the trailhead & nearer the summit.
Walking Difficulty: This hike is difficult. The summit is 1,400 ft higher than the parking area & some of the trails are very steep.
Bring: Lunch, snacks, & water. Remember to dress for the weather & wear comfortable hiking shoes. Dress in layers so that you can adjust to changes in the temperature & your activity level. You may wish to bring binoculars, hand lens, notebook, & camera.
Contact: Ben Cash (706) 778-5155, bencash@hemc.net, (706) 968-3841 cell, day of hike although service may not be available
