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Category: Group Walks

  • Pop Up Group Walk on Saturday!

    Saturday, August 5, 2023 at 8:00 a.m.  Let’s explore the new trails at Hitchcock Nature Center, just north of Council Bluffs, Iowa! 
    The group walk will start promptly at 8 a.m. from the Loess Hills Lodge. Come 15 minutes early to pay and to sign paperwork. Remember that there is a $5 per car park entry fee in addition to the $3 per person walk fee.
     
    We will hike a couple of new trails, Prairie Pass and Lotus Loop, approximately 3.3 miles of moderate difficulty. There is an option to go to the ski hills, which adds 1.6 slightly more difficult miles. Recommend sturdy shoes, walking sticks, water and insect repellent. This walk has great views, but expect some hilly hiking. Camping available. This walk is not stroller friendly but leashed dogs are allowed.
     
    Hitchcock Nature Center is located at 27792 Ski Hill Loop, Honey Creek, IA.
     

  • Just Announced! – Flanagan Lake 5k Group Walk

    Walk one of the newest lake trails in the area at Flanagan Lake. Walk is on paved trail around this beautiful lake. Enjoy some unique benches to rest on as you walk. Please arrive 15 minutes early to register and start walking promptly at 6. $3 walk fee – exact change is appreciated.

    Easy trail for strollers. Leashed dogs are welcome.

    17401 Ida St. Take Dodge St. or Maple St. to 168th St. North on 168th to Ida St. West on Ida St. to entrance on your left.

  • May-June newsletter, June Walks and looking ahead to September!

    Our May-June newsletter is available here: May-June Newsletter  Remember,  only club members receive the full newsletter shortly after publication. Want to become a club member? Print out this application and mail it in with your payment.

    If you get our “Trail Mail” e-newsletter, all of the following information will sound familiar. “Trail Mail” is open to anyone who wants to receive our irregular e-newsletter with updates on walks and upcoming events. Sign up via the website pop-up or send an email to netrailblazers@gmail.com.

    Saturday, June 3rd, 9:30 a.m. start time for 5k and 11k Group Walk for National Trails Day. Seymour Smith Park, 6802 Harrison Street, Omaha, NE 68127
     $3 fee to walk. Leashed dogs are welcome. Seymour Smith Park at 72nd and Harrison Streets in Omaha will be the starting point of our exploration of the Keystone and Papio Trails. We’ll start walking as a group at 9:30 a.m.  Your choice to walk 5 km or 11 km on flat, paved trails, suitable for strollers and great for leashed dogs. Meet in the southeast corner of the big parking lot (the northern one) a few minutes early to sign the waiver and pay the $3 fee. This qualifies as a Volksmarch for AVA/IVV credit.

    Saturday, June 24th, 10:00 a.m. start time for 5k Group Walk to honor Bonnie Christensen during Chuck Wagon Days. Adair City Park, 401 – 449 4th St, Adair, IA 50002

    Join Iowa’s Walking Club in Adair, Iowa, for a 5K group walk and a chance to remember charter club member Bonnie Christensen. $3 fee for all walkers; this qualifies as a Volksmarch for AVA/IVV credit. Registration will begin at 9:30 a.m. at Adair City Park. The walk is being held in conjunction with Adair’s annual Chuck Wagon Days, and the park will be hosting multiple events.

    The walk will begin promptly at 10:00 to avoid conflict with the Chuck Wagon Days Parade that begins at 10:30 and passes by the park. The walk will pass by an honor roll of Adair veterans who served in WWII, through residential areas, venturing briefly into Guthrie County and through downtown, past City Hall, and past the Methodist Church where Bonnie was a member and sang in the choir.

    The park’s main entrance will be closed. From I-80 Exit 76, head north on 5th Street (White Pole Road) past the main park entrance. Continue north on 5th Street and take the next right (Stuart Street), then turn right at 4th Street to enter the park. Look for the blue and white Iowa’s Walking Club banner. Restrooms and parking are available in the park.

    Monday, September 4, 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Pleasant Valley Rock School House – 150 Year Celebration Walk, 3.7 miles SE of Table Rock, Nebraska on Railroad Drive/628th Ave

    Help celebrate this one-room schoolhouse’s 150th anniversary by walking the route many children walked to and from school on the day before the traditional school year started. Lunch will be available with beer and brats, water, and polka music in beer tent. Walking sticks and bug spray strongly recommended due to the terrain. $3 fee for all walkers; this qualifies as a Volksmarch for AVA/IVV credit.

    Take NE-50 S to Vine St in Table Rock, then take Railroad Drive for 3.7 miles to 628 Avenue. School will be on the right. More complete driving directions at https://my.ava.org/event-view.php?sn=124361

    Regional Roundup September 15 – 17, 2023, hosted by GDMVA: Iowa’s Walking Club. See the flyer posted on our website for all details and walks and to sign up for meals and t-shirts by August 18th. Preregistration for the walks is NOT necessary. The host hotel for this weekend is Grand Stay Hotel & Suites, 2679 Rock Ridge Drive, Rock Valley, IA.

    Friday, September 15, 10 a.m. to noon, Plymouth County Historical Museum
    335 1st Ave SW, Le Mars, IA 51031 (part of the Regional Roundup)

    The Trailblazers will host the walk in Le Mars, Iowa, the Ice Cream Capital of the World! You can walk this walk at any time during the Roundup, by going to the host hotel and registering, but we will be staffing the walk in person on Friday, September 15th from 10 a.m. to noon. Please finish by 3. The museum is open for visitors from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

  • April updates to upcoming walks

    Now that National Walking Week is done (and it was great!), we’re looking ahead to our remaining April and upcoming May walks. We’ve got a few updates to share:

    Saturday, April 22nd at Arrowhead Park in Neola, IA is Earth Day! Pottawattamie County Parks is waiving all entrance fees in celebration. Just bring your $3 walk fee, a hiking stick for the hills and insect repellent for grassy areas. If you’d like to stay after the group walk at 10 a.m., bring a sack lunch and a drink (labeled!) and we’ll store in the fridge for you. Complimentary bottled water is also available.

    Sunday, April 30th is the deadline to register to receive a free t-shirt at the Saturday, May 20th walk in Chadron State Park in Chadron, Nebraska. You’re welcome to register after that date or to just walk-in between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. (MDT) – we’d love to have you, but you won’t get a t-shirt with that $3 walk fee. Register here: https://forms.gle/NfpBHvSHqRUrXjdA9

    Tuesday, May 2nd is a courtesy deadline to register for the Thursday, May 4th Little Italy walking tour setting out at 5:30 p.m. from the Performance Arch at the Gene Leahy Mall (11th & Farnam). Our hosts are providing genuine Italian snacks and you really want them to make enough! Let them know here: https://forms.gle/F5ANvMKfbnNaoDJy8  There’s no fee for the walk.

    Saturday, May 13th is our Mother’s Day Walk at Cunningham Lake, Entrance 3 (N. 96th Street). Show up between 9 a.m. and noon. The walk fee is $3. All mothers will be receiving a small gift. This is a great family walk, with paved trails and great scenery, suitable for strollers and leashed dogs, as well.

  • 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

  • January/February 2023 newsletter

    The latest club newsletter, full of information about future walking dates and events is available here: January – February 2023 newsletter

    Be sure to join us Friday, January 20th at 2 p.m. at the Gene Leahy Mall (13th & Farnam Streets in Omaha) for a group walk of the Mall on National Take a Walk Outdoors Day. The event is free, so save your change for the parking meters and maybe a nice cuppa something hot for after the walk!

     

  • July – August 2022 Newsletter

    Our latest newsletter is available here: July – August 2022 Newsletter 

    Three important things (besides seeing all the gorgeous pictures!):

    1. The deadline for registering for the 10 a.m. Saturday, July 30th Junto Wine Group Walk in Seward, NE is Monday, July 25th. We need to know how many lunches we need to order! Please register here: Junto Wine Walk registration  Be sure to bring a lawn chair with you. Plug this address into your GPS to find us: 1356 182nd Seward, NE 68434 (between Lincoln and Seward).
    2. Our next club activity is a 5k Group Walk of the “Veterans and Libraries” seasonal walk, which starts at the Memorial Park Rose Garden. The walk starts promptly at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, August 30th, so come a bit early to pay your $3 (exact change, please!) and sign the registration form.  This seasonal walk is normally only available via the Online Start Box, so this 5k Group Walk might be the chance you’ve been waiting for to walk this fabulous route.  The Rose Garden is best approached from Robert H. Storz Drive, approximately at N. 57th and Underwood Avenues.
    3. After our September 10th walk at Flanagan Lake (more details at 2022 Walk Calendar), our first club meeting of the season will be on Monday, September 12th at 7 p.m. at a BRAND NEW LOCATION! Maple Ridge Retirement Community has graciously invited us to meet at their facility at 3525 N 167th Cir, Omaha, NE 68116. Be sure to plug that into your GPS, as it’s a bit tricky to get in there. It’s a bit NE of N. 168th and W. Maple Road.

  • Welcome, July, again!

    The updated software on the website didn’t allow this Link to our Gene Leahy Mall Walking Tour map to come through in the email linking to our previous post. So, for those of you who have asked, just click on the nice blue, underlined link above to see it!  (You’re welcome!)

  • Welcome, July!

    Volunteers ready to welcome Gene Leahy Mall Walking Tourists on July 4th

    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.

    Final-Walking-Tour-Map-July-2022

    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.  

    Early season look at the hiking trails

  • January-February 2022 Newsletter

    Our latest newsletter is now available here: Jan – Feb 2022 newsletter  Our club members get the full newsletter, delivered right off the presses directly to their email inboxes. Just a reminder: membership dues for 2022 are due right now.  Mail a check for $10 for a single membership or $15 for a family membership to: NWFT, P.O. Box 8147, Omaha, NE 68108

    Our Annual Dinner meeting will be held on January 15th – reservations were due before the publication of this notice. Our 2022 Officers will be installed and the 2021 Walker of the Year award will be awarded. 

    Our next regular club meeting will be held at Morning Star Lutheran Church, 331 S. 85th Avenue, Omaha, NE in the upstairs chapel area at 7 p.m. on Monday, February 7th. If you read the newsletter, you’d know that our scheduled speaker for February is on “Ollie the Trolley”! Be sure to bring a mask to wear while at the meeting, as requested by our host.

    Our next scheduled group walk will be an indoors walk at the Westroads Mall on Saturday, January 22nd at 9 a.m. Cost is $3 per walker; come 15 minutes early to pay (exact change!) and sign the waiver. We’ll meet on the 2nd floor at the play area by Penney’s and Dick’s Sporting Goods. There’s a entrance door tucked away by Penney’s – you can use that to come inside.

    Everyone who has lived in these parts for a while knows that Nebraska winters are very unpredictable. What do you do if there’s a 40F degree day and you want to walk and we don’t have anything scheduled? Well, we’ve got 11 Year Round Walks just for you – some right close and some a bit further away. Check out all of our Year Round Events and start planning on those 4 Seasonal Walks at this page on our website: Seasonal and Year Round Events  Invite a friend, take the family or walk on your own – they’re all great walks that you can do anytime you feel the urge to walk!