The area is an extensive sand beach on the Lower Cahaba River in Perry County next to the Alabama Aquatic Biodiversity Laboratory (formerly the Marion Fish Hatchery) and Perry Lakes Park near Marion, Alabama.  The scenery is spectacular.  The floodplain broadens and creates areas of bottomland hardwood forests, oxbow lakes and extensive sand and gravel bars.

Please bring swimsuit, towel, picnic lunch and drink with you.  Wading shoes with substantial soles are recommended.  You may bring whatever flotation device you wish or you may purchase floats from Southeastern Outings when we arrive at Perry Lakes Park adjacent to Barton’s Beach.  See float note below for information about acquiring floats.  Dan will bring float air pump.  Restrooms are available at Perry Lakes County Park where we’ll park our cars.  The hike to Barton’s Beach is easy since the terrain is level and the walk is all on trails.

We will also offer an optional opportunity to climb on stairs to the top of the Perry Lakes Park viewing tower, a rebuilt fire tower with gorgeous views high above the tallest treetops in the area.

Well-behaved, carefully supervised children age 7 and older able to swim are welcome, but parents are responsible for all risks to their children.  All participants must be able to swim to come on this outing!

Note-To view photos of what we will see on this trip, please click on this link:

https://goo.gl/photos/GjSSxznfY3U2AWFv8

Please be sure to click on the link and view the photographs.

Optional dinner following our day of sunning and swimming.

Meet 8:45 a.m. at the McDonald’s Galleria.  We plan to depart from there at 9:00 a.m.

Info: Dan Frederick, seoutings@bellsouth.net or 205/631-4680

DIRECTIONS TO MEETING PLACE

McDonald’s Galleria-1731 Montgomery Highway, Hoover, AL 35244. Parking lot behind the McDonald’s Restaurant across U.S. 31 from the main entrance to the Riverchase Galleria Shopping Mall.

DESCRIPTION OF SOUTHEASTERN OUTINGS

Do you wish you had friends who share your active lifestyle and enjoyment of outdoor activities?  Then become active with Southeastern Outings (SEO), a nonprofit organization committed and created to serve people who enjoy being active in the outdoors.  The organization plans, organizes and leads outings such as dayhikes, easy kayak and canoe trips, stream and waterfall walks, bicycle rides, lake events and other fun activities to beautiful sites in our natural environment.  From time to time we also sponsor potluck suppers and other socials.  All events and activities of the group are open to the public.  Participating in SEO activities is a splendid, simple way to make congenial new friends who enjoy the outdoors.

NO DOGS OR SMOKING ALLOWED, PLEASE, ON ANY SOUTHEASTERN OUTINGS EVENTS.

The organization currently has over 250 members.  We scheduled eighty-two events during calendar year 2018 for an average of 7 fun events per month.  We enjoy the outdoors in all seasons throughout the year.  Twenty-two people on average have participated in each hike during the first four months of 2019.

SEO does not charge for participation in any of its outings.  You do not have to be a member to participate in one or two SEO activities.  Dues are only $10.  Please contact Dan Frederick, President, 205-631-4680, or seoutings@bellsouth.net for more information and to obtain three free monthly newsletters with membership application and a complete description of all our outdoor events.

Southeastern Outings now has a website.  Just go to seoutings.org to find announcements of all our upcoming outings scheduled plus some brief, general information about Southeastern Outings, a membership application and 1500 lovely photographs from most of our outings.

Thank you.

Float Note

Substantial, fabric-covered, inflatable, vinyl, rectangular floats like you use to ride the waves at the Gulf work really well on this outing.  Trip leader Dan Frederick has floats 60 inches long for $12 each for sale ONLY at the start of outings Dan attends.  We regret that at this time we have been unable to find a source where we can buy more of the 72-inch canvas-covered floats.  Please pay either with exact change or a check made out to SEO.  First come, first served.