Stefan Szumko announces two AVA special events

Washtenaw Wanderers President Stefan Szumko says:

Greetings Walking Fans! Now that walking season is here, we'd like to invite you to two delightful walks:

On Saturday, September 25, we'll be joining the Oktoberfest Celebration at the Saline Harvest of the Arts Festival in downtown Saline.  Walk either a 5K or 10K route and work up an appetite for authentic German food and a thirst for authentic German bier.   Enjoy music, arts, children's activities and more.  Start your walk between 9am-noon and finish by 3pm.  Meet at the Saline Farmer's Market on S. Ann Arbor St. which is a half block south of Michigan Ave.  You can walk for free or for AVA Credit only ($3). We'll also have B-Awards from previous events on sale for various prices ($5 or less - we still have some Fairydoor Fridge Magnets, while supplies last).  For more information - http://www.ava.org/gen3/data/event_details.asp?eventid=87163.

On Sunday, October 17, join us for our annual Colorwalk starting at the Leslie Science and Nature Center in Ann Arbor.  The 10K route follows scenic nature trails for approximately 7K and is rated a 3 on a scale of 1-5 (1 being easiest)!  The 5K route is also quite scenic.  Jogging strollers are perfect for the youngsters.  Wheelchairs will have difficulty on both routes.  Park on the lawn in the lower field and start your walk on the front porch of the "Leslie House" between the hours of 10am-1pm.  Walk for free, for AVA Credit Only ($3) or for this year's National Volkssport Month Patch ($7).  http://www.ava.org/gen3/data/event_details.asp?eventid=86672.

Two of our Year-Round Events (YREs) will not be renewed for 2011 - Oakwoods Metropark and Dundee.  So head on out and walk those for AVA Credit by the end of the year.  We are, however, picking up five new YREs in 2011 - Brighton, Northville, Plymouth, Adrian, and Tecumseh.  Visit the AVA website and click on the "Find Walking Events" in the left-side navigation bar to find out details for all these events.

We are looking forward to meeting you on the trail.  Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, concerns, queries, or confessions!

Stefan Szumko
     Master Educator, Leslie Science & Nature Center
           (www.lesliesnc.org)
     President, Washtenaw Wanderers Volkssporting Club
           (www.washtenaw-wanderers.blogspot.com)
     MAEOEgram Editor, Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education
           (www.michiganenvironmentaled.org/)

"Go to nature; take the facts into your own hands; look, and see for yourself." -- Louis Agassiz
"Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time." -- Steven Wright

Group Walk in Manistee MI

We are planning a group walk in Manistee MI this Saturday, July 31 at 10:00 a.m. The start point is Wahr Hardware Store, 87 Division, one block west of US 31 behind the Christmas Store. The weather looks promising so come join us.

2010 HP annual meeting

Grand Rapids streetscape

The Historic Pathwalkers held our annual meeting in Grand Rapids on June 12, 2010. Members reelected our current slate of officers: President Jean Woltjer, Vice President Pat Korloch, Secretary John Pierce, Treasurer Alma Lucas. Members confirmed the club's sanctioning of our current list of 15 year 'round and seasonal events for 2011. The next meeting of the Historic Pathwalkers will be a group walk at 10:00 a.m. July 31 at Wahr’s Hardware Store, 87 Division Street, located behind the Christmas Store on US 31 or Cypress Street in Manistee, Michigan. All who attend are invited to join the group for lunch after the walk.

Grand Rapids walk

The Grand Rapids, Michigan YRE has got to be one of the best walks in the country. You see the magnificent Caulder stabile, the glorious gardens of the Gerald Ford Library in a vibrant cityscape, view the Frank Lloyd Wright Meyer-May house in nineteenth century neighborhoods, and stroll the riverwalk where we saw this heron fishing in the Grand River spillway.

Waterfront Film Festival and Grand Rapids on Michigan's west coast

Historic Pathwalkers President Jean Woltjer invites you to walk Douglas/Saugatuck and Grand Rapids this weekend:


Plan now to come and walk in Douglas - Saugatuck MI this weekend.    Our AVA sanctioned seasonal walk goes through the historic villages of Douglas and Saugatuck where the 12th Annual Waterfront Film festival is being held this weekend.  Saugatuck is known for its art colony dating back to 1910 and the Film Festival has been named one of the top 5 film festivals.

For more info on the festival go to  http://www.waterfrontfilm.org/  and for more info on the walk go to 
http://www.ava.org/gen3/data/event_details.asp?eventid=85283


The Historic Pathwalkers invite you to a group walk of our Grand Rapids seasonal walk on Saturday, June 12.  We plan to start walking at 9:30 a.m. The trail takes you along the Grand River, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum and burial site, historic Heritage Hill with it's magnificent architecture as well the  downtown area.   There is something for everyone! The start point is the Big Boy Restaurant, 407 Pearl St.   More information can be found at http://www.ava.org/gen3/data/event_details.asp?eventid=85281
Come and join us for a great walk.


P.S. While you're in Grand Rapids, take a walk around the Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park to enjoy the Dale Chihuly outdoor glass installation.
Jean Woltjer, Pres
Historic Pathwalkers

Summer Newsletter 2010

Summer has arrived! We’re enjoying the great weather and all the activities that come along with it. Our group walks got off to a great start this season with the last one held in South Haven. After the walk we enjoyed lunch at Clementine’s and then some of us wandered over to Sherman’s for dessert!

The next walk will be held on Saturday, June 12 at 9:30 a.m. Note the earlier time. After the walk we plan on conducting our annual business meeting at the Big Boy Restaurant which is the start point for our walk. The address is 407 Pearl Street. The Grand Rapids walk is one of our most popular so if you haven’t walked it yet, be sure to join us and feel free to bring a friend or friends. The meeting will start at approximately 12:30. 

Among the agenda items to be considered are:

• Election of officers
• Treasurer’s report
• Scheduled walk for Sept/Oct
• Renewal of YRE and Seasonal walks for next year

Our July walk will be in Manistee on Saturday, July 31. The start point there is Wahr’s Hardware Store, 87 Division St. It’s located right behind the Christmas Store which is on US 31 or Cypress Street. The start time there will be 10:00 a.m.

We send our condolences to Mr. Gerard Perry on the death of his wife Rita recently.   Rita was a long time member of the club and an active participant who did much to promote club activities. Even in later years both she and Gerard were always  there to help in one way or another. She will be missed.

The Historic Pathwalkers held a group walk today in South Haven. We had a good turnout with several new walkers joining us. The weather was perfect. We all went to Clementine's for lunch afterwards and that was followed by ice cream at Sherman's. A great day all around!!