Category: Group Walks

May 2021 newsletter and updates

Here’s the May-June 2021 club newsletter, edited for the web. Club members receive the full newsletter immediately upon publication. Membership for the remainder of 2021 is FREE, so download the application and mail it to the Post Office box or email it to netrailblazers@gmail.com.

Sandy has a lot to say in this newsletter, such as having more spur-of-the-moment walks, like the one she’s leading next week on Thursday, May 13th at 10 a.m. on one of our new Seasonal Walks – the Wabash Trace.  Meet 15 minutes early in the parking lot of the Iowa West Foundation Trailhead just down the street from the Tastee Treet at 13996 Wabash Ave in Council Bluffs. The parking lot is at the intersection of South Omaha Bridge Road and Harry Langdon Avenue. The Wabash Trace does ask for a $2 fee to be deposited into the fee box for each walker using the Trace.

Sandy isn’t collecting any money for this walk – if you’re a Credit Walker, be sure to stop in at the Tastee Treet after the walk to pay your $3 and get your book(s) stamped.

Or, register via the Online Start Box! Directions on how to use the Online Start Box are now on our website.  The Online Start Box is really handy when you want to do the Omaha Downtown and Hanscom Park walks – no more driving down to the physical start box and then driving back to the places where the walks start! And of course, the only way you can register for the Veterans and Libraries Walk is via the Online Start Box. 

Finally, club president Steve wants everyone to know that the Free Park Day Walk at Mahoney State Park on Saturday, May 15th is now offering 5k and 6k loops, an increase of 1 kilometer of walking. Also, the club will be collecting cash donations for the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation’s Walk, Run and Roll event. There will be a donations box at the Start Table. Remember – if you register online, you’ll just check in, deposit your payment and take a map – in and out in 3 minutes or less!

Mid-March 2021 Updates

Our March-April 2021 Newsletter went out to members last week. What’s that, you say? How do I become a member and get all the news as it happens? Well, fear no more: until December 31, 2021, membership in the club is FREE! Fill out and send in this form without attaching a check and you’re all set.

The newsletter talks about “National Walking Week” which takes place from April 1st through April 7th, with April 7th being “National Walking Day”. We’ve got six, count them, 6 free walks for you! Since April 4th falls on Easter Sunday, we won’t be meeting to walk, but be sure to post any pictures of you (and family) walking that day on a special post on our Facebook page.  (It’s not up yet, but you’ll know it when you see it.)

Free walks means no AVA/IVV Credit, so leave your books at home. Two of the walks have fees imposed by the locale, so be aware of those fees before you come. Also, COVID-19 protocols are still in place – that means masks while registering and when within 6′ of someone outside of your household. Arrive 15 minutes early to take care of paperwork.

All of these are 5k walks, except Downtown Omaha, which is a 6k. Families and leashed dogs welcome and all trails are stroller friendly.

  • Thursday, April 1st, 5 p.m.  – Prairie Queen Recreation Area – meet in the SE parking lot closest to Werner Park on Lincoln Avenue.
  • Friday, April 2nd, 1 p.m. – Wabash Trace Trailhead at 4102 Harry Langdon Blvd, Council Bluffs, IA 51503. $2 per walker fee to Southwest Iowa Nature Trails Project, Inc.  Out-and-back walk.
  • Saturday, April 3rd, 10 a.m. – Downtown Omaha – meet at Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge Street, in the Discovery Garden area.
  • Monday, April 5th, 5 p.m. – Walnut Creek Recreation Area – meet in the parking area near the playground.
  • Tuesday, April 6th, 4 p.m. – Lake Manawa Dream Playground – meet in the parking area. $5 vehicle entrance fee for out-of-state plates.
  • Wednesday, April 7th, 1 p.m. – Chalco Hills Recreation Area – meet in the south parking lot (Highway 370 Access).

With all this walking, you’ll be ready for our regular April 10th Bockfest 5k and 10k Walk, right? Details on our 2021 Walk Calendar page.

Late January 2021 updates

  1. 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!
  2. We will NOT have our regular monthly club meeting on February 1st. No in-person club meetings have been scheduled at this time.
  3. 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.

Summer 2020 News

If you’re not a club member, you probably didn’t see our July – August newsletter.  If you did see it, you might not know that our Westroads Year Round Event has reopened!  Good news – all of those year round events will be available next year, with a few surprises.  Bad news – our 20 Iowa Parks in 2020 program is coming to an end October 15, 2020.  Good news – there’s still two more months of great walking weather to get them all done!

More bad news – we won’t be having any Group Walks in Iowa State Parks as planned for August 29th, October 2nd nor October 3rd.  But our partner in these walks, the Greater Des Moines Volkssport Association, is planning a Group Walk of Stephens State Forest on September 26th at 10 a.m.

Bad news/Good news – our friends to the north, the Prairie Wanders Volkssport Club, have had to postpone their multi-event walking weekend from September 11 – 13, 2020 to September 10 – 12, 2021.

Our September 19, 2020 walk at Standing Bear Lake, Entrance 4 (between Fort and Military on 132nd Street) is still on, but the breakfast portion of the walk has been cancelled.  Arrive anytime from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. to register and to walk.  Masks are required for the registration, but are not needed once you start walking.  Please bring $2 exact change in an envelope for each Fun Walker and/or $3 for each Credit Walker (book stamper).  Bring your own pen to sign in.  No need to rush this walk – you have until 2 p.m. to get back – and yes, we do check to make sure that the same number of people that start out are the same number of people that come back.  ?

CALENDAR UPDATE

Please note that the following events have been changed (updated May 21, 2020):

  • June 6th Group Walk at Lewis and Clark State Park, Iowa – CANCELED
  • June 6th Group Walk at Stone State Park, Iowa – CANCELED
  • June 20th Group Walk hosted by Iowa’s Walking Club at Mines of Spain State Park – CANCELED

Any questions, please let us know at netrailblazers@gmail.com.

WALKING SEASON RETURNS!

“Can” we beat 123 donations?

Our Annual Soup Walk takes place on March 7th at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church at 5529 Leavenworth St., Omaha, NE 68106 (but parking is off of Marcy Street, one block south!).  Registration takes place from 9 a.m. to noon, costing $2 for Fun Walkers and $3 for Credit Walkers PLUS 2 cans of soup.  This year, we’ll have our standard mixed beef and mixed chicken soup offerings, plus a pot of tomato basil soup for our vegetarian friends. The raffle features 5 Grand Prizes and a host of smaller prizes, with chances priced at 50 cents each or 3/$1.

We have two 5 km routes for you to choose from or to combine. Both routes feature Little Free Libraries, while the North Route also offers the “Rockin’ Around the Clock” and “Ice Cream Parlors” programs. We’ll have Group Walks at 9:30 and 10:30  – just because the Ice Cream Parlor doesn’t open until 11 a.m.!

Soup Walk Volunteers: The Workers’ Walk will take place Sunday, March 1st at 3 p.m. Come 15 minutes early to do paperwork. No bathrooms available at start.

The Lincoln Volkssport Club is offering their annual Spring Walk on Saturday, March 21st at the Enclosed Shelter in Antelope Park, near the intersection of Normal Blvd and “A” Streets, Lincoln, NE. Registration is from 9 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. Fun Walkers walk FREE and Credit Walkers pay $3. There will be a Group Walk setting out at 9:30 a.m. to walk the 10 km route. Both the 5 km and 10 km routes go through neighborhoods and park areas.  Your Group Walk leader likes to get ice cream at UNL’s Dairy Store after walking in Lincoln. Just sayin’ . . . 

Our club and Iowa’s Walking Club (Greater Des Moines Volkssport Association) are putting the finishing touches on everything you need to start walking on May 1st.  This special set of 20 walks in 20 Iowa State Parks in 20 different counties continues through October 15, 2020. Want more information? Check our website at: https://www.nebraskatrailblazers.com/2020-special-events/iowa-20-in-20-walks/  Want to get regular email newsletters about those special walks? Send an email to walk20in20@gmail.com and we’ll get you on the mailing list.

2020 Walk Booklet – just published!

Our 2020 Walk Booklet is just filled with so many walks and activities that you’re going to need to pull out your calendars NOW and mark them all!

Just check out the new weblink here to see it and the instructions for printing 28 pages bursting with information on just 7 sheets of paper!

Our first regular walking event is Saturday, March 7th – our annual Soup Walk, complete with Raffle.  Our booklet editor, Julie, calls it our “Winter-Be-Gone” Soup Walk.  Hope so! – there’s an Ice Cream Parlor on the route (one of three Special Programs available on this walk).

 

What time? Where? Registration? It’s all in the booklet! But we’ll be posting later this month to remind you.  🙂

 

Club News from October Meeting

We had a very busy club meeting on Monday night!

Upcoming Walks and Meetings:

  • Our December 7th bus trip to Le Mars, Iowa is cancelled – but NOT the walk! Club members are still invited to carpool to Le Mars to walk and enjoy the Winter Wonderland festivities. When carpool details and meeting times are finalized, they will be published here and on Facebook and sent by Trail Mail and email.  The original deposits for the bus trip will be returned by mail shortly.
  • Saturday, November 2nd morning– Lincoln Volkssport Club’s annual Autumn Walk through Wyuka Cemetery and surrounding neighborhoods.  Registration times 8:45 a.m. to 11 a.m., off the trail by 12:45 p.m.  Group 10k walk at 9:30 – email netrailblazers@gmail.com if you’d like to lead a group 5k walk.  $3 for AVA/IVV Credit, Fun Walkers are free.  Registration will take place at the City Impact Building, 1035 N. 33rd Street, Lincoln, NE 68503.
  • Sunday, November 3rd – 2 p.m. – Workers’ Walk for the Pie Walk, at Countryside Community Church, 13130 Faith Plaza, Omaha, NE 68144.  No bathrooms available at start.  Route is two 5k loops.  Event Workers are invited to walk at this time and to help test the map and directions.
  • Monday, November 4th  – 7 p.m.– Club Meeting at Morning Star Lutheran Church (lower level – Preschool Entrance), 331 S. 85th Avenue, Omaha, NE at 7:00 p.m.  
  • Saturday, November 9th morning – Pie Walk.  See address above for Countryside Community Church, a member of the Tri-Faith Initiative at 132nd & Pacific Streets.  Bring a pie to share and another to donate to a local homeless shelter!  Register from 9 a.m. to noon, off the trail by 3 p.m.  $2 Fun Walkers, $3 AVA/IVV Credit.
  • All 2020 One-Day Walks, Year Rounds and Seasonals have been adopted! New volunteers will be paired up with seasoned Trailmasters soon.  Check out our preliminary calendar, here.

Other Business:

  • We welcome Diana Webb to the position of Speakers’ Chairman.  Ann Drebot has served in that position for many, many years and will be helping Diana with the transition. If you know of any interesting speakers, please email the club at netrailblazers@gmail.com for Diana to research.
  • Our club needs to find a Secretary for the 2020 club year.  Time is of the essence to step forward! Our Board meetings are held before the club meetings; meeting time is limited to that first Monday of the month.  Can you help? Email us at netrailblazers@gmail.com.
  • Our newsletter editor, Julie Brown, is coming back for the November-December 2019 edition! Please have articles to her by mid-October.
  • Final call for “Walker of the Year” nominations!  These are sent to Julie Brown and are needed by mid-October.  She has already received nominations for three different people! Our club is blessed with talent and energy – thank you!

Shelby Year Round Event Closing August 3rd

A view of the Start Point from the trail`
A view of the Start Point from the trail

The hosting business for our Year Round Event in Shelby, Iowa is closing its doors in August.  The Corn Crib was a good host and served some great food!

Our club will say farewell to this walk on the morning of Saturday, August 3rd.  At 8 a.m., we’ll hold a Meet and Eat.  Groups of 5k and 10k walkers will head out and return for a late breakfast or early lunch together.  $2 for Fun Walkers, $3 for AVA/IVV credit (book stampers).  Exact change is always appreciated!

After the walk, the Walk Box will be removed from the premises.  So if you’ve been planning to walk this beautiful walk, take advantage of the group walk on August 3rd or during the promised break in hot weather coming up soon.