Traditional Events – Nebraska Wander Freunde Trailblazers

Join Us for Christmas Tree Arrival and Annual Lights Walk

Our latest newsletter is here: November – December 2024 newsletter

On Wednesday, November 13th, the RiverFront will be hosting the nation’s Christmas tree as it travels across the nation to Washington, D.C. The Trailblazers will be part of the fun from 5 – 7 p.m. Come and see us!

On Saturday, December 14th, we will be hosting our annual Lights Walk. Head to the west doors of KANEKO on 12th & Farnam between 4 and 6 p.m. Courtesy of The RiverFront, everyone walks for free! We are collecting hats, mittens, gloves and warm socks for the homeless.

Club members are asked to help with the many volunteer positions available and to bring cookies, treats and items for the dozens of door prizes available to our walking friends.

Mark your calendars for the Saturday, January 18th Annual Dinner meeting, to be held at 1:30 p.m. at Legends Patio and Grill in Aksarben.

October 2024 news

Here’s the September – October 2024 newsletter Sept – Oct 2024 newsletter (yes, it’s a bit late, but there’s still lots you want to read!) Nominations for the 2025 club officers are being taken, as well as for the 2024 Walker of the Year.

Upcoming events:

Saturday, October 12th, 10 a.m. – Group walk at the Bellevue Lions Club’s Spaghetti Feed. $4 for the walk, $12 for the spaghetti dinner. This is taking place at St. James Methodist Church,, 4343 Capehart Road, Bellevue, NE. Meet around 9:45 a.m. to start walking by 10 a.m. Dinner starts at 11 a.m.
Saturday, November 2nd, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. – Our traditional November “Pie Walk” is being replaced with a ‘Giving Walk (as in Thanksgiving), where walkers bring the makings for a pie. Walk fee is $2 if an item is brought; $4 if no item, but the $2 will go either to the food pantry behind the Thanksgiving dinner food drive or to our host church. The location is First Covenant Church, 201 N 90th St, Omaha, NE. Specific items requested are: canned fruit (low or no sugar added), pie fillings, 5# sacks of flour, 4# sacks of sugar. Other nonperishable pantry items are also gratefully accepted. This walk is in an area of town where sidewalks are scarce and there are some hills.
Saturday, December 14th, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. – Our annual Lights Walk! The RiverFront is generously sponsoring this event, so all walkers walk for free. We’re collecting gloves, mittens, hats and socks (especially warm socks) for the homeless. The RiverFront will be hosting a Holiday Market as part of the seasonal festivities, and one 5k loop will pass right by/through it. The other is quieter and heads up to see the Joslyn Art Museum at night and the lights on the Creighton campus.

Send questions to us at netrailblazers@gmail.com. See you on the trail!

Happy New Walking Year – 2024!

We’ve got 16 walks lined up – just in the first half of 2024! Take a look at the calendar, here: 2024 Calendar – first half They include some free walks during National Walking Week and a variety of locales and difficulties that should have you reaching for your calendar. The cost of our regular walks is now $4, up $1 from last year due to a large increase in the cost of insurance.

We’ve had to retire some of our Seasonal and Year-Round Events, but we’ve added a six-county long Seasonal Event – the Cowboy Trail in Nebraska – stretching between Valentine in the west and Norfolk in the east. This is only available via our Online Start Box on myava.org.

We’re looking at some fun summer activities – think wineries, balloons and trail runs for charity. You’ll want to check back often here and on social media to stay updated.

Of course, our club meetings, held on the first Monday of the month between February and June, September (2nd Monday) and December, are still fun, social places to be. You’re always welcome to take part in club business, listen to a speaker and to enjoy refreshments and conversations after the meeting.

Reminder: you don’t have to be a club member to take part in any of these activities. But if you would like to join for only $10 ($15 families), here’s the application with the mailing address printed right on it, so you can send it in while you’re thinking about it.

Lights Walk – coming up soon!

Our annual Lights Walk will be held this Saturday, December 2nd. Thanks to a generous grant from Omaha’s The RiverFront, the normal walk fee will be waived for all participants!

This is a great family event. We’re offering a 5k or 10k marked route through the Holiday Lights Festival, with directions and map. Strollers and leashed dogs are welcome. In the spirit of the season, we are participating in the diaper drive for Lydia House. Diapers, wipes and cash donations will be gratefully accepted.

When: Saturday, December 2nd. Registration between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., event ends at 8 p.m.

Where: KANEKO, 1111 Jones Street, Omaha, NE 68102 (metered parking and pay lots are available nearby)

Includes: Cookies, hot drinks and fun door prizes

September – October 2023 newsletter, plus a month’s worth of events

Our latest newsletter can be found here: September/October 2023 newsletter

And here’s a quick look at upcoming events for the next month:

Friday, September 15 starting from the Plymouth County Historical Museum in LeMars, Iowa, 10 a.m. to noon start times, 5k and 10k routes available, $3 fee. Dogs and strollers welcome on the trail.
Wednesday, September 20 starting from the Leahy Mall, 6 p.m. start of “How Sweet It is!” walking tour. Registrations have closed for this event, but email netrailblazers@gmail.com to be put on the wait list. No fee to attend. Dogs not allowed. Not suitable for strollers.
Thursday, September 28 starting from Tom Hanafan Park in Council Bluffs. 5k Group Walk starting at 10 a.m. $3 fee. Dogs and strollers welcome.
Saturday, September 30 starting from Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City. 5k Group Walk starting at 10 a.m. $3 fee. Dogs and strollers welcome on the trail.
Saturday, October 7 starting from Peak Performance in Omaha, 9 a.m. to noon start times, 5k and 10k routes available, $3 fee. 5k Group Walk starting at 10 a.m. $3 fee. Dogs and strollers welcome on the trail.
Saturday, October 14 starting from St. James Methodist Church in Bellevue, NE, 10 a.m. start time for 5k or 10k group walk. . $3 fee. Dogs and strollers welcome on the trail.

Now, for the fine print:

You must come 15 minutes early for all group walks to fill out paperwork and pay required fees.
Details, such as starting point addresses and walk ratings can be found on our website at: 2023 Walk Calendar

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.