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Tag: Nebraska Wander

  • Newsletter (finally!) and upcoming walk

    Newsletter (finally!) and upcoming walk

    We won’t bore you with the explanation, but the September – October newsletter is finally ready for you to read here: September – October 2025 newsletter

    If you like Omaha history or other cultures, you’re going to love our walk this Saturday, October 11th, starting at 9 a.m. from El Museo Latino, 4701 S. 25th Street, Omaha, NE 68107. South Omaha used to be a separate city until 1915, growing block by block so rapidly that it became known as “Magic City”. Name an ethnic group from Europe and you’ll find traces of them still in the neighborhoods and houses in the area.

    Today, South Omaha is a neighborhood inside of Omaha, with a vibrant culture thanks to recent waves of immigrants from Mexico, Central and South America. Stop at a “panaderia” (bakery) and try a new pastry. Or check out the many “nevederias” that sell “helado” (ice cream), specializing in fruit flavors and new combinations of flavors. Consider stopping at a local restaurant to experience authentic flavors from other countries.

    Registration runs from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., and the per walker fee is $4 (exact change is much appreciated!). For those who want to meet and walk with others, we’ll have groups leaving at 9:30 on the 5 km (3 mile) and 10 km (6 mile) routes. Written directions with maps will be provided and the route will be marked (weather permitting).

  • Meetup page closed, but we’re still here!

    Meetup page closed, but we’re still here!

    After many years of meeting new people and sharing great events, our club made the difficult decision to close the Meetup page “Walk Omaha for fun, fitness and friendship”. Simply put, we were priced out of being able to maintain the page.

    If you’re coming here from Meetup, be sure to take a look at all the events that we have coming up at our Events Page at https://nebraskatrailblazers.com/events/

    You’ll note that only club members can attend the Slattery Vintage Estates Vineyard event on September 6th (info at https://nebraskatrailblazers.com/event/slattery-vintage-estates-vineyard-walk/ )  Or, that only club members can get early access to the Fairview Cemetery tour on October 19th (info at https://nebraskatrailblazers.com/event/club-member-early-access-fairview-cemetery-tour/ )

    PS – it’s easy to Become a Club Member  (and if you’re coming from Meetup, check out Sandy’s last email to you for a shortcut)

     

  • Club member early access – Fairview Cemetery Tour

    Club member early access – Fairview Cemetery Tour

    October 19 @ 8:00 am – 5:00 pm CDT

    Limited to 25 attendees; please send payment to NWFT, PO Box 8147, Omaha, NE 68108. Registration will open to the public on September 22nd. This is a $25 value for only $10, so spots will go fast!

    This tour of Fairview Cemetery will be led by History Walks LLC, which specializes in the histories and stories found in historic cemeteries and neighborhoods. We’ll start at the “Black Angel” on Oakland and Lafayette Avenues in Council Bluffs and then walk through the early history of Council Bluffs as told by the gravestones and monuments of the cemetery. Wear good walking shoes, as the walk goes over uneven ground.

    $10 per walker

    Fairview Cemetery

    308 Lafayette Avenue
    Omaha, Nebraska 51503 United States     + Google Map
  • Club member only event: Slattery Vintage Estates Vineyard Walk

    Club member only event: Slattery Vintage Estates Vineyard Walk

    September 6 @ 11:00 am – 1:00 pm CDT

    5 km Group Walk through the vineyards and nature trail, including gnomes, followed by some snacks and wine tasting in the tasting room. $5 fee to walk includes the cost of the snacks provided by the club. All other beverages at your own cost. A flight of 5 different kinds of wine is only $9. Trail is fairly flat, but trail is grass, with some trees across trail, plus some walking will be done through the vines. Depending on the weather, they may be harvesting at that time. Glamping available for those who would like to spend the night-call (402) 267-5267 for reservations. For more information, see their website at www.svevineyards.com.

    $5 per walker

    Fairview Cemetery

    308 Lafayette Avenue
    Omaha, Nebraska 51503 United States     + Google Map
  • Joslyn Tour – April 3rd – 2 time slots with openings available

    Joslyn Tour – April 3rd – 2 time slots with openings available

    Good news/bad news about this event.

    Good news – we had 134 people sign up.

    Bad news – we had to break that crowd into two visits – one at the original 10 a.m. and the other at 1 p.m. Sandy, our organizer for this event, reached out to everyone that was signed up to make that work.

    More bad news – Sandy didn’t hear back from 30 people – either the registration had a bad email address or Sandy’s email went to Spam or the registrants chose not to respond. **Those 30 people have had their registrations canceled.**

    Good news for everyone else – Sandy and the Joslyn have made arrangements to add 30 more people at 10 a.m. and 30 more people at 1 p.m. First 30 people to respond for each time get in.

    10 a.m. – Morning Openings

    1 p.m. – Afternoon openings

    If you registered before and didn’t hear from Sandy, you need to register again.

  • Save the dates for all of our 2025 walks!

    Save the dates for all of our 2025 walks!

    All of the walks that we have planned so far are listed on our Walk and Event Listing page, also accessible through our Walks and Events menu. Each event has a handy link at the bottom of the page to add it to your Google, iCalendar or Outlook calendars. You can even subscribe to our entire event calendar by using the “Subscribe to Calendar” button in the bottom right side of any Walk and Event Listing page.

    We’ve even created a booklet, suitable for printing, at our 2025 Walk Booklet page. Please note that the booklet will not be updated during the year; you’ll have to grab a pencil and mark up any printed copy as things change. And we already have a couple of changes in the works!

    Our first walk of the year will be our traditional Soup Walk, to be held in the hills of Florence, one of Nebraska’s oldest cities and now part of Omaha. All of the details are available at https://nebraskatrailblazers.com/event/annual-soup-walk-5k-and-10k/ Grab a couple of cans of soup, your walking shoes and we’ll see you there!

  • Upcoming events in December and January

    Mark your calendars now!

    Our club meetings feature a speaker and social time, as well as a short business meeting. The December 2nd meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the basement of the Maple Ridge Retirement Community at 3525 N 167th Cir, Omaha, NE (SE corner of 168th & Maple area). Our Annual Dinner meeting will be on January 18th and begin at 1:30 p.m. at Legends in Aksarben, 6920 Pacific and run until 4 p.m. Reserve your space now by sending in $10 per member or $15 per nonmember by December 31st, to P.O. Box 8147, Omaha, NE  68108. OR – just bring it to the club meeting on December 2nd!

    Key dates:

    • Monday, December 2nd – 7 p.m. club meeting at Maple Ridge Retirement, 168th & Maple area
    • Saturday, December 14th – 4 – 6 p.m. Lights Walk at KANEKO – 12th & Jones St. entrance
    • Tuesday, December 31st – paid reservations for the Annual Dinner meeting must be received
    • Saturday, January 18th – 1:30 – 4 p.m. Annual Dinner meeting at Legends in Aksarben

    Our Annual Lights Walk on December 14th coincides with the Holiday Market at The RiverFront’s Heartland of America Park area. The Market closes at 5 p.m., so you’ll want to come right at 4 p.m. to the west doors of KANEKO, at 12th & Jones Street. There’s no charge to walk, thanks to The RiverFront. We are collecting hats, gloves and warm socks for a local agency serving the homeless. You’ll want to linger a little after the walk and check out our assortment of door prizes and cookies.

  • 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:

  • 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

  • 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.

    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