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 TraceIowa 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!

Soup cans headed to a food pantry after one of our walks

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.

2022 isn’t over yet!

Lights along the Gene Leahy Mall, 2022

December 3rd, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. – Lights Walk: Starting at KANEKO at 11th and Jones in the Old Market, with plenty of paid parking available in the area. Courtesy of The RiverFront, this walk is FREE! In the holiday spirit, we’re collecting diapers and cash donations for Lydia House, so drop those off before you walk. A 5k and a 10k route will be available. After the walk, stay for cookies, hot drinks and a raffle with oodles of prizes available.

December 5th, 7 p.m. – Club Meeting: Our last club meeting for 2022 will be festive, so be sure to come! Voting for club officers and the Walker of the Year is currently taking place online – did you get your member’s link by email to vote? Those not voting online can cast a voice vote at the meeting.

December 31st: Annual club dues should be in to our club treasurer. $10 per individual membership and just $15 for a family membership – what a deal! You can pay at the Lights Walk, the December 5th club meeting OR mail them in to: NWFT  PO Box 8147  Omaha, NE 68108.

January 2, 2023, 7 p.m. – Relax, there’s no club meeting! We’ll be holding our annual Dinner Meeting later in the month (January 21st at Legend’s Patio Bar and Grill in Aksarben Village). More details to come about that meeting.

November/December Newsletter

All of the information that you need to plan your next couple of months of walking! Click here to read the current newsletter: November – December 2022 Newsletter    

The Holiday Lights Festival returns! Mark your calendars for Saturday, December 3rd for our annual Lights Walk. KANEKO at 11th & Jones in Omaha is graciously hosting the club, with plenty of room to spread out and offer cookies, hot drinks and over 100 items for a holiday raffle! Thank you to The RiverFront for sponsoring the walk. This year, there’s no fee to walk, so grab your friends, family and leashed pets and come between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to starting walking 5k or 10k with us. Be sure to save some time and check out all the family-friendly activities a few blocks away at the Gene Leahy Mall at 13th & Farnam, also sponsored by The RiverFront.

December 2021

Saturday, December 4th, 4 to 6 p.m. – annual Lights Walk at the Urban Abbey, 1026 Jackson Street in Omaha’s Old Market.  Surface parking lots and parking meters are available in the area. Cost is $3 per walker. The Urban Abbey will have hot drinks for sale, while our club will provide complimentary cookies. Our host has asked us to support their mission with the YES Maternity Group Home by bringing diapers for sizes 3 and up. We’ll be offering “diaper shares” for a $5 donation.  Donations are not required, but as always, are greatly appreciated. Register online using this eRegistration LinkMASKS REQUIRED DURING CHECK-IN.

Monday, December 6th, 7 p.m. – monthly club meeting at Morning Star Lutheran Church, 331 S. 85th Avenue, Omaha, in the chapel.  After our speaker, a short business meeting will be conducted, including in-person voting for 2022 Club Officers and the 2021 Walker of the Year. MASKS REQUIRED.

–>Note about voting: The club tried a new (free) way to conduct on-line voting for 2022 Club Officers and the 2021 Walker of the Year. We’re learning that several club members may not have received the link to vote, due to their internet provider’s spam filters. If you are a club member and wish to vote on-line (rather than in-person at the club meeting on December 6th), first check your Spam Folders for the November 16th invitation to vote. If you can’t find it, contact netrailblazers@gmail.com and you’ll be sent the link to vote.

12/31/2021 – That’s when all club memberships expire. Look for your renewal notice, coming soon.

The 2022 Calendar of Walks and Events will be posted as soon as a couple of details get finalized.  Saturday, January 22, 2022 at 9 a.m. at the Westroads Mall is the first group walk of the year, so mark your calendars now!

 

Pies and Lights and a Newsletter!

Our annual Pie Walk is coming up THIS Saturday, November 6th, starting at 9 a.m. The start location is the APWU at 13th and William Streets in Omaha, but better parking is available just a block north in the church parking lot at 14th & Pine Streets. (Hint: don’t drive Pine between 13th and 14th, even if it is on the map!) Check-in/walk-in registrations end at noon. Cost is $3 per walker. Please consider bringing a pie to share; all leftovers will be donated to the men’s shelter in Council Bluffs.  Register online using this eRegistration Link

Our next staffed walking event is our annual Lights Walk on December 4th, this year starting from the Urban Abbey at 1026 Jackson Street in Omaha’s Old Market.  Check-in/walk-in registrations run from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and the cost is $3 per walker. The Urban Abbey will have hot drinks for sale, while our club will provide complimentary cookies. Our host has asked us to support their mission with the YES Maternity Group Home by bringing diapers for sizes 3 and up. We’ll be offering “diaper shares” for a $5 donation.  Donations are not required, but as always, are greatly appreciated. Register online using this eRegistration Link.

Read more about these walks in our latest newsletter! Be sure to read up on how voting will be handled this year for club officers and Walker of the Year and take a peek at the very full 2022 Walking Calendar (coming soon to a website near you). Newsletter link: November – December 2021 Newsletter

Update to May 15th walk

Our May 15, 2021 walk is located at Mahoney State Park and was scheduled to coincide with their annual Free Park Entry Day.  Long story short, May 15th is NOT a free day and all vehicles must show an Annual Park Permit or purchase a One Day Permit.  The club apologizes for this situation.

Nebraska residents pay $6/vehicle.  Non-Nebraska residents pay $8/vehicle. You will pay this when entering the park.  This is in addition to the $3 fee for walking, payable to the club.

Take advantage of the great forecast for Saturday morning, well-planned trails and the lack of crowds.  Two routes have been laid out: an easy 5k and a more challenging 6k extension for the adventurous.  Join us, starting at 8 a.m. on Saturday! If you want to sleep in a little, registration is open until 11 a.m., but you do have to be off the trails by 2 p.m.

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.

Welcome to 2021!

Our New Year’s resolution for 2021? To offer great walks and to make new friends! Club membership in 2021 is FREE! Download the form and either email the completed form to netrailblazers@gmail.com or print it and send it to the address on the form.  

Our latest club newsletter can be downloaded here.  As always, club members get the full newsletter emailed directly to them.  This introduces our new club president, the implementation of our calendar year club dues structure and offers the chance for one lucky person to win a FREE registration to the AVA’s 2021 Biennial Convention, to be held in Madison, Wisconsin.

We’ll be announcing the 2020 Walker of the Year at our January 11th Zoom meeting (link sent to club members by hard-working past president Lee). In-person club meetings are still on hold at this time.

You did see our 2021 Walk Booklet, didn’t you? We’ve got 8 Traditional Events scheduled, starting in March. We have 10 Year Round Walks that you can do (almost) every day of the year and 3 Seasonal Walks starting April 1st (information on this page). One of them is only available via the Online Start Box, so if you don’t have an online account, now is the perfect time to create one and get familiar with the process. A tutorial is in the works to supplement the great “Help” sections available with each step of the process.  

We’re sending out a big THANK YOU! to the folks with the Lincoln Volkssport Club, which closed at the end of 2020. Their passion and commitment to great walks continues.  Our club has picked up the Lincoln Capital and Seward Year Round Walks, with the help of former LVC members. The Nebraska City walk has been turned into one of our new Seasonal Walks, but don’t worry – it closes after the Apple Jack Festival.  

If your 2021 resolution is to be more active, we want to be your partner.  And you can always do those Year Rounds in snowshoes.  ?

 

 

November Updates

There’s a newsletter, of course, but there are some important things you need to know about November.

  • The November 7th Pie Walk in Ashland is CANCELLED.
  • The December 5th Lights Walk in downtown Omaha has been MOVED to Nebraska’s Christmas City: Seward, Nebraska.  Register online at Christmas City eRegistration and arrive at Living Word Lutheran Church, 1300 West Hillcrest Drive, Seward, NE 68434 between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.  The cost is $2 for Fun Walkers and $3 for Credit Walkers (book stampers) payable by exact change or a check (made out to NWFT) placed in an envelope when you check in.  After your 5k or 10k walk, stay for a tour of Nebraska’s largest Christmas lights display. Starting at 6 p.m. you can drive through the Magical Christmas Lights of Seward at the fairgrounds. Cost is $20 per vehicle (not payable to us). See https://magicallightsofseward.com/ for all the details.
  • Voting for Club Officers and 2020’s Walker of the Year will take place during November.  Details are in the newsletter, although the start of voting may be delayed because of some technical difficulties.
  • The December 7th club meeting is CANCELLED.  
  • Finally, membership during 2021 is FREE!  Club membership allows you to get all this news delivered to your inbox as it happens, receive the full newsletter as soon as it comes out, and the opportunity to vote for club officers and Walker of the Year.  Here’s a link to the membership form, so that you can take advantage of this great opportunity.  The full details on how the free membership works are . . . you guessed it! . . . in the newsletter.