Just in case the invitation image doesn’t come through in the email, click below: 2024 Annual Dinner Meeting Notice
Category: Food
National Walking Week April 1 – 7, 2023
We’ve got a lot of opportunities to walk and socialize with others during the first week of April. Check it out!
Please note the March 29th deadline to register to attend the Orpheum Theater Guided Tour on Thursday, April 6th. All other events are walk-up events.
New this year: “Bring a Friend Day”! On April 1st, bring someone to the Bockfest walk that hasn’t walked with us before and we’ll waive the walk fee for your friend.
Saturday, April 1st, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Bockfest, starting from Max & Joe’s (Crescent Moon), 3576 Farnam St., Omaha, NE 68131 Parking available behind the Crescent Moon for $5 or use metered parking in the area. $3/person walk fee. 5k and 10k routes available. Register between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Bring a friend or walk on your own, at your own pace. Group walk at 11:30 a.m. Be off the trail by 3 p.m. After you walk, stay for Bockfest – beer and wurst and oompah music! Bockfest $2 cover charge not included in the $3 walk fee. You are responsible for your own food and drink purchases.
Sunday, April 2nd, 2 p.m.: Wabash Trace, Iowa West Foundation Trailhead Park, 13996 Wabash Avenue, Council Bluffs, IA 51503 $3 walk fee + $2 for kiosk/per person, payable separately, no change available. 5k GROUP WALK – Up for a challenge? 10k route available
Monday, April 3rd, 5 p.m.: OPPD Arboretum, 10600 Blondo St
Omaha, NE 68164. FREE EVENT, 5k GROUP WALK
Monday, April 3rd, 6:00 p.m.: Spring Social at DJ’s Dugout, 777 N. 114th Street, Omaha, NE 68154. You are responsible for your own food and drink purchases.
Tuesday, April 4th, 10 a.m.: Walnut Creek Lake Picnic Shelter, S. 96th Street and Hwy 370, Papillion, NE 68046. FREE EVENT, 5k GROUP WALK
Wednesday, April 5th, 5 p.m.: Chalco Hills Recreation Area, Hwy 370 Access, Omaha, NE 68138 $3/person, 5k GROUP WALK – Up for a challenge? 10k route available
Thursday, April 6th, 10 a.m.: Orpheum Theater Guided Tour. Meet at The RiverFront, The Canopies, 13th and Farnam Streets, Omaha, NE 68102. FREE EVENT You must preregister for this event by MARCH 29th at https://forms.gle/3JWjEDkpiyFfxhT86
Friday, April 7th, 2 p.m.: Heron Haven, 11809 Old Maple Rd,
Omaha, NE 68164. FREE EVENT, 1 mile GROUP WALK
The Soup Walk is coming up soon!
Saturday, March 4th: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Divine Shepherd Lutheran Church
15005 Q St, Omaha, NE 68137, Walk Fee $3
What’s a “Soup Walk”? We all bring a can of soup, mix it in a pot and come out with a fantastic mixture with extras going to a local food pantry! Oh, and we walk, too, rain or shine!
You can register anytime between 9 a.m. and noon, finishing the walk by 3 p.m.. Bring $3 per person – exact change or check, or Venmo. And of course, don’t forget the two cans of soup: beef or chicken for the pot plus one can for the local food pantry. After checking in, you can walk at your own pace and enjoy the sights. If you would like to walk with a group, come a few minutes early and plan to start walking at 9:30. Dogs are welcome on the trail but not in the church.
The trail goes through suburban neighborhoods in the Millard area. After the walk, stay to enjoy some of the great soup and get to know your fellow walkers.
Welcome, July!
We had a great time working with The Riverfront on Independence Day to welcome the public back to the great multi-use space that is the Gene Leahy Mall in downtown Omaha. If the stormy clouds kept you home, here’s the official walking tour map for you to download and use the next time you visit downtown Omaha.
On Saturday, July 30th at 10 a.m., we’ll be leading a 5k walk at beautiful Junto Wine, a winery between Seward and Lincoln. The exact address is 1356 182nd, Seward, NE 68434. The cost is $3 (exact cash or use Venmo) for the walk and we do need you to preregister, since we’ll be serving complimentary boxed lunches after the walk. The winery will open their tasting room definitely at noon, and maybe a little before? Register here: Junto Wine Walk registration Leashed dogs are welcome to accompany us on this somewhat hilly walk through the vineyard’s mowed paths. If you’re staying for lunch, you’ll want to bring a picnic blanket or a lawn chair.
2022 Walk Calendar now published!
We have a lot of great walks planned for you in 2022 – take a look at them at the 2022 Walk Calendar page on our website. More walks are in the planning stages, so you’re going to want to bookmark this page and come back to it often. Our Year Round and Seasonal Walk page will be updated on January 1st to add Chadron, NE and drop Ogallala, NE as walk opportunities.
New this year: an option to print a brochure for certain walks so you can stick it to your refrigerator door or have it in another handy place. All brochures are current as of this date (December 17, 2021). If something changes and we have enough lead time, we’ll post an updated edition of the brochure.
Remember that club dues now run on a calendar year basis, so that means you have until December 31, 2021 to get them in. Want to join? See Become a Club Member for details.
Our Annual Dinner Meeting is Saturday, January 15, 2022 at Legends Patio Grill and Bar in Aksarben – 6920 Pacific St, Omaha, NE, starting at 5:30 p.m. The Italian Buffet is available for $15 for members and $20 for non-members. Save yourself a stamp and mail in your club dues and Annual Dinner reservation at the same time! Our mailing address: NWFT, P.O. Box 8147, Omaha, NE 68108
Our regular club meetings resume on Monday, February 7th at 7 p.m. at Morning Star Lutheran Church, 331 S. 85th Ave in Omaha, in the upstairs Chapel.
Late January 2021 updates
- We’re getting out to stretch our legs on Friday, January 29th at Prairie Queen Recreation Area by Werner Park! This is a FREE walk and is not eligible for AVV/IVV Credit, so leave your books and your money at home! Online registration is REQUIRED at https://forms.gle/ekcFfZxMcsaP8fAVA We’ll start walking promptly at 2 p.m. on a 5k group walk around the lake, so arrive a bit earlier to check-in. COVID-19 protocols are in effect: masks must be worn while gathering and whenever within 6′ of someone outside your household. Take Hwy 370 to S. 126th Street, go past Werner Park to the Lincoln Road roundabout and then use the 3rd exit to go west one block to the parking lot from where we’ll be starting. Please dress for the weather. Don’t count on the sidewalk around the lake being shoveled!
- We will NOT have our regular monthly club meeting on February 1st. No in-person club meetings have been scheduled at this time.
- We’ve had to make a change to our March 6th Soup Walk this year – it’s more like a “No Soup for You!” Walk.
We won’t be able to share soup with each other, but that just means more for those people depending on local food banks for a meal, right? We’ve asked for chicken- or beef-based soups in the past, but we’re asking for 2 cans of hearty soups – think of meal substitutes – of any flavor. The local food banks that we’re supporting are the St. Columbkille/Tri-City Food Pantry and the New Visions Men’s Shelter in Council Bluffs. Start Point and times have not changed. See our 2021 Walk Calendar page for details.
Our Volunteers are the Best!
At our Annual Dinner and Meeting this past Saturday, January 18th, our club installed its 2020 Officers and recognized some special volunteers in our club. Volunteers are the heart and soul of our club!
Karen Dix-Johnson was recognized as our 2019 Walker of the Year. Karen is our smiling ambassador when she’s not busy leading walks or helping wherever she’s needed.
Ann has lined up speakers for our club’s monthly meetings for over 20 years! Her AVA Meritorious Service Award is richly deserved.
We say “thank you” to Tricia Abel as our club’s secretary, as she hands over the club minutes to Dave Brown, our secretary for 2020.
News for 2020
Happy New Year of Walking! Get your calendar out – besides a great slate of regular walks this year, our club is involved in two very special events:
- The “20 Iowa Parks in 2020” walking program, which runs from May 1st – October 15th of this year; and
- “Blazin’ Trails and Tellin’ Tales”, the North Central Regional Roundup, to be hosted by our club from October 2 – 4, 2020.
We’ve got LOTS of information about these two events on our website, so be sure to click on the links to learn more.
Our news-packed newsletter for January and February 2020, in stunning color, is available here: Jan/Feb 2020 Newsletter But you won’t see the name of our 2019 “Walker of the Year” in it – you’ll have to attend our Annual Dinner and Meeting to find out!
March – April 2019 Newsletter
Our March-April 2019 newsletter is now available in edited form. (Remember that Club Members get the full version, hot off the presses!) Our thanks to Sandy Spaulding for stepping into Footsteps‘ editor Julie Brown’s shoes for this issue!
Our annual Soup Walk was postponed a week – from March 2nd to March 9th, because of forecasted adverse weather. Well, it looks like the warm-up we were hoping for is going to be delayed. So, how do we cope? With the 3 W’s and plenty of hot soup!
What are the 3 W’s? It’s how to dress for exercise in cold weather!
- Wicking – base layer should move body moisture away from the body. Think a lightweight wool, silk or a synthetic fabric – not cotton, which traps moisture.
- Warmth – next layer should help to retain heat. Think sweaters, fleece, down, heavier wool.
- Weather – the outside layer should repel moisture and stop wind. It should also be breathable, to allow body moisture to evaporate, rather than be trapped inside and chilling you.
A quick Google search “layering clothes for cold weather” gives lots of examples and tips. One good search result is from Mountain Warehouse, which provides text, pictures and a video.
Soup Walk – Date Change to March 9th!
Due to a forecast of adverse walking conditions, our Annual Soup Walk, scheduled for March 2nd, has been CHANGED to MARCH 9TH!
We’ll still be starting at Children’s Square, at N 6th St & Ave. E, Council Bluffs, IA 51502 , from 9 a.m. to noon. We’ll still be asking for 2 cans of soup, plus $3 registration fee ($2 for Fun Walkers). We’ll still be serving a delicious mix of either chicken or beef broth-based soups, made from one of the two cans that you bring. (The other goes to a local food pantry.) And we’ll still have birthday cake to celebrate our 40th birthday as a club!
See on you on March 9th for Fun, Fitness and Friendship – and Soup!