I also hike in the humid east, though somewhat north of you (Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, mostly.) I rarely encounter more than 1 or 2 river crossings on a 3-day trip, so I just carry sandals when the trip involves such crossings.

As far as drying socks, I could never get wool or wool-blend socks to dry after I rinsed them out. They’d still be damp or soggy when I got home a couple of days later. Eventually, after I started wearing trail shoes instead of boots, I switched to 100% synthetic socks (usually a blend.) They usually dry overnight, or by hanging on my pack until about noon the next day.