08/26/2026
What a fun bunch of folks we had in our St. James Walking Group this morning—church members, neighbors and new friends! And the weather couldn’t have been better.
We left the church shortly after 9am and headed a few blocks west on Loridans Drive to Path400. Beside the entrance is the historic Lowery-Stevens Cemetery, one of the area’s oldest family burial grounds, dating back to at least 1852. Our leader, Kent Watkins, told us its first documented burial was James Lowery Jr., who was killed in a dispute. Apparently, Buckhead had drama long before traffic!
Across the way, where GA 400 now runs, once stood McClatchey Elementary School—the very place where St. James got its start.
From high above Mountain Way Commons, we had a beautiful view of our lush, tree-filled neighborhood. We certainly don’t have a shortage of greenery!
At one point, Kent plucked a few purplish-red blossoms from a kudzu vine. Did you know that the sweet, fragrant flowers are edible and often used to make jellies, teas, and syrups. Who knew kudzu had a redeeming quality?
Along the way, we spotted a very cool shark mural and a cheerful little touch of Southern hospitality: “Hey, y’all!”
On our return, we left PATH400, followed Wieuca Road then headed up North Ivy, where we discovered a tiny triangular park filled with colorful picnic tables. Tucked behind the bushes was a sweet Pollinator Garden established by Livable Buckhead—another hidden treasure right in our own neighborhood.
As we made our way back to the church, I had to chuckle. The wide trail was practically empty, yet every one of us stayed neatly in the right lane.
What can I say? We’re Methodists. We follow the rules!
Join us! We walk Atlanta, one trail at a time ... and we love new faces!
(Check the church website to find which trail we plan to walk each week. Usually posted by Monday noon: StJamesAtlanta.org/events
