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Tag: Nebraska Trailblazers

  • 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.
     

  • July – August 2023 Newsletter

    Our latest newsletter is available here: July – August 2023 Newsletter

    Since the newsletter comes out on a bimonthly basis, you’ll want to stay informed on new walks and events as they are created. How? You have several options:

  • 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.

  • Omaha Downtown Walk – OSB Only for a while!

    Our Historic Downtown year-round walk is temporarily available only by using the Online Start Box method. The physical start box was thrown away by the new operators of the motel where the box had been housed for many years. We are searching for a new home for a physical start box, closer to the start point of the walk. We’ll also be rolling out a new route in mid-August, to celebrate the completion of The RiverFront’s vision of linking the Gene Leahy Mall with Heartland of America Park and Lewis and Clark Landing. 

    In the meantime, please see the link on the AVA website to access registration via the Online Start Box. 

  • 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.

  • Little Italy Walk – May 4, 2023

    Grab your cameras for a historic walk through the Italian and Sicilian historical sites of Omaha, as the Nebraska Trailblazers take a walk to Little Italy.  You’ll visit historic sites including St. Philomena’s Cathedral, St. Francis Cabrini Church, Bella Vita and Santa Lucia Hall.

    We’ll be walking as a group, starting promptly at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 4th. It’s best to arrive 15 minutes early at the Farnam Archway on the 11th Street Promenade at the Gene Leahy Mall (11th & Farnam Streets in Omaha).

    There’s no fee for the walk. This walk is not suitable for dogs, due to the nature of the walking tour. Our hosts are providing genuine Italian snacks; although not required, please register by May 2nd here:  https://forms.gle/F5ANvMKfbnNaoDJy8 so that everyone gets a nibble.

  • March – April 2023 Newsletter

    Quick quiz: When is “Bring a Friend Day”? The answer is contained within the pages of our latest club newsletter, available here: March/April 2023 newsletter Enjoy the search!

  • 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.

  • 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.