ALBANY FITWALKERS NEWSLETTER

Transcription

1 ALBANY FITWALKERS NEWSLETTER MAY - WALK ALBANY 2014 Albany Fitwalkers, a member of the American Volkssporting Association, is a non-competitive group meeting the second Wednesday of each month at Brookdale Villas Courtyard, 1929 Grand Prairie Rd. SE, Craft Room A, Albany OR. Visitors are welcome. Dues are $ WALKER WEBSITES FITWALKERS OTSVA AVA MAY Party Time. With a Full Moon - Potluck meeting May 14. at Villa Courtyard & Brookdale Senior Living. The Albany Fitwalkers 2013 annual Christmas potluck was cancelled due to snow.to make up for the loss we are celebrating Christmas in May, Wednesday, May 14, 6:00 PM. The club provides chicken chicken.. Bring a friend and a salad, side dish, or dessert, your table service and a beverage. Water and decaf coffee are provided. The gift exchange ($15 value) is optional. Join the fun. RSVP to Jan at jmhagemeister@msn.com or by Sunday, May 11, so enough chicken is purchased for everyone. MEETING Wednesday, June 11, 2014, 7:00 at Villa Courtyard & Brookdale Senior Living. Pre-meeting Eating a.k.a. The Workers Wok 5:15 at Golden Town,2738 Pacific Blvd., Albany. Please order when you arrive. This gives us plenty of time to get to the meeting by 7pm. To walk before the meeting, meet at 5:00pm at Brookdale Start Box HAPPY BIRTHDAY Jean May 7, and Phoebe May 20 Frances and Julia June 1, Evie June 25 FITNESS FUN FRIENDSHIP FOOD

2 Albany Fitwalkers News 2014 Albany Fitwalkers Officers President Rozy, Vice President Karen W, Secretary Bev, Treasurer Jan The Prez Sez The next two months are full of walking and helping opportunities. May 8 The first will be World Walking Day which we will celebrate on May 8th. We have certificates from the international organization (IVV) to award participation. We will walk from the Two Rivers parking lot at 10 am and 5:30 pm. Arrive early to sign in and meet new people. We need members who can walk and talk with these folks to make them feel welcomed. May 11 Walk in Silverton with the Willamette Wanderers Mothers Day at 5pm. May 14 Christmas in May club meeting. Note early start 6pm at the Brookdale Villas. Bring potluck sides, desserts as chicken will be provided by the club. Gift exchange up to $15 dollars optional. Jan ( jmhagemeister@msn.com) by May 11th if you are coming. May 17 Iris Festival Walk near Brooks sponsored by the Willamette Wanderers. This walk is only held every other year and it is a chance to see the newest kinds of iris as well as the old favorites. Starts at 9-1. May 24 Your choice..a traditional event walk in Vancouver Washington or a chance to join the Mossbacks at Valley River Inn at 8 am to do the UofO/Rhodie walk. May 25 Sunday Stroll in Corvallis Book Bin 5pm. Try out a revised route. May 31 ***Our annual Peony walk that starts 8-1 at Adelman Gardens in Brooks.*** This is a great chance to help out the club with marking or sweeping trail, or taking a shift at a table for checkpoint, etc. June brings many superb walking opportunies that only come once in a while. Be advised that for these multiple-day special events there will only be credit walkers, no free walkers. June Columbia Gorge walks held every 2 years. There are 13 walks ranging from awesome to outstanding and 1 bike offered each day. Try to attend part or all of this event. You will meet walkers from all over the world. June Regional Conference held in Oregon every 8 years! This will be centered at Portland State University, but includes walks in Salem, Silver Falls State Park and one near Mt. St. Helens. We need volunteers for marking and sweeping trail in Salem and for the checkpoint at Silver Falls. contact me if you are able to help. At Silver Falls, a park pass or $5/vehicle is needed. Hope to see you soon!! What fun!! Rozy MAGNIFICENT MILESTONES Events Distance Nancy H Rozy 275 5,000 km Karen McG 350 3,500 km Stephenie won the Golden Shoe Award for her long and excellent work as club historian as well as her faithful involvement in Albany Fitwalkers.

3 2014 Albany Fitwalkers Challenge. Remember the Challenge? Those waking 10 or more of our YRE receive attractive certificates. The following have earned their certificates: Don -14 YREs, Rozy 13 YREs, and Karen McG 11 YREs. Congratulations. There is still plenty of time to complete the other Challenge the person doing the most Club YREs in 2014 shall be named Walker of the Year. Go for it. WAY TO WALK AND WORK!! 2014 First Quarter Year Round Events Event Walker Credit Free Coupons Groups Brownsville Sun. Stroll Historic None Albany North Albany Thurs. Walk Jefferson Sun. Stroll Parks & Lakes Sun. Stroll, 11 Mossback Walk SE Albany Sun. Stroll TOTALS Mary took a bad spill at the Brownsville YRE. Her advice to all is Remember, walk k with your hands out of your pockets. Thanks Mary and speedy recovery. COME WORK WITH US 2014 Albany Fitwalkers Workers Secretary Backup - Connie, Committees (The more help the merrier): Membership - Lois Newsletter Sandy, Julia, Bev Year Rounds Nancy H, Historian Sandra Website - Facebook - Meet-Up Karen W and Nancy H Publicity - Everyone Thursday Walks Julia, Dorothy and Bill Sunday Strolls Rozy, Karen W and Nancy H Bike/Pedestrian Nita, Regional Trails, Lebanon BLT - Shirley Walk Developer Julia, Beth, Karens, Nancy H, Helen, Sheena, Carol and Bob Traditional Events: May 31, Peony & Hosta Walk Phoebe Aug 22. Fri.Night,Art & Air Walk Nancy H and Karen W. Check out for area walking trails. Walks not sanctioned by AVA. Science has never drummed up quite as effective a tranquilizing agent as a sunny spring day. W. Earl Hall. Meandering Millersburg Results 94 Walkers participated, 62 for credit, 32 free and one New Walker coupon. That is a 66% credit rate! 18 Albany Fitwalkers walked. Lets beat that number at the Peony Walk May 31. ART AND AIR WALK, FRIDAY EVENING AUGUST 22, 2014 Thinking of Lolly with Abe Lolly and I took off for the beach one day to do the Depoe Bay walk, to check out RV parks so she could take her new little motor home over and know where she was going. In the process we found the illusive statue of Abe Lincoln that I had been told was in Lincoln City. This commemorates the occasion when Lincoln was asked to be governor of the Oregon Territory, some years before he became our President. Bev

4 Oregon Trails State Volkssporting Association OTSVA OTSVA Meeting The next meeting is May 17 at Countryside Church, Keizer Iris Festival beginning 3 hours after the walk start time. OTSVA Walk Challenge Jan.-Feb The results are in. Karen McG came in second place with 40 walks. She receives a $25 REI Gift Card for her efforts. Rozy placed in the top ten with 17 walks. WAY TO WALK!! Flame Awards And the categories are: Individual Excellence, Individual Inspiration, Individual Enthusiasm, and Club Excellence Send your vote with reasons for the nomination to edhainline@comcast.net by May 11, Mother s Day. Vote. Support the Oregon Flame Awards Program Get out and Walk Oregon WA State Centennial State Parks Challenge Completion date for this challenge is extented to May 31, No further books are for sale, but if you have a book, you can still do WA state parks walks to finish and return completed books. Starting Point Changes Gig Harbor Y1234 has a new start point: Ace Hardware, 3104 Judson St., Peninsula Shopping Center. Hours Mon Sat 9am 6pm; Sun 10am 4pm. An additional 1K option is added to both the 5K and 10K. A LIL HELP FOR YOUR HEALTH You could eat 20 cups of salad greens to consume the same number of calories in one candy bar or six slices of bacon. Mayo Clinic Special Report. Special National Officer Book ( S.N.O.B.) Rozy has completed her SNOB book! She collected the special stamps from Regional Directors, National Officers and the AVA Executive Director at sanctioned events. There is no ending date for this special AVA Program. Up coming conferences are the perfect time to get these stamps so get your SNOB book now. I walk because... Life is not a race, It keeps me on my toes. I'd rather count miles than calories. With each step I leave my worries behind. It lowers my blood pressure.!t makes my heart stronger, it's fun. It's cheap. It's 100% fat free. It lowers my bad cholesterol, it raises my good cholesterol. It reduces my risk of cancer. I'm building stronger bones. The world's my gym. I only need a pair of shoes. It helps me sleep better, i can walk with my friends. I can walk with my family. I can walk by myself. My dog loves me for it. No one keeps score. The sidewalk beckons. The trail calls. It keeps my joints loose. It builds my muscles. I can watch the sunrise or sunset. I'm proud to be a biped. I can watch the seasons change. I can do it rain or shine.

5 It builds my confidence. I can walk at my own pace. I can check out my neighbor's gardens. It's a great way to meet people. It's a great way to escape people. There are no traffic jams, parking meters or speed limits. I'm my own all terrain vehicle. It's good for the environment. I'm saving money on gas. It helps me stay trim. It's good for my mood. Every step is a new adventure From Julia Columbia River Gorge Biennial ial Classic:, Cascade Locks, OR, Marine Park. June Thursday 19-Sunday Walks and Bike Ride All walks are available every day. Register for any or all walks and complete them at your leisure. Times: Start between 8AM and 1PM, finish by 4PM. Registration Point: Marine Park in Cascade Locks, Oregon. Drive east on I-84 from Portland and take exit 44. Continue straight ahead on Wa Na Pa St. to Marine Park on your left. Enter park and follow signs. Credit: IVV credit only. Free walkers welcome. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Multnomah Falls (10km / 3C) Drive 16 miles to the start point for this walk. This is one of the most spectacular walks/ hikes in the entire Gorge. Walk to the top of 520-foot high Multnomah Falls then past many other waterfalls on your way to Wahkeena Springs, the headwaters for Wahkeena Falls. Then back down past Fairy Falls to Wahkeena Falls. Pre-register Strollers: No Wheelchairs: No Pets: Yes Eagle Creek (12km or 25km / 3B) Drive 5 miles to the start for this walk. This is probably the most beautiful and most visited walk/hike in the Columbia Gorge. Whether you are doing the 12km or the 25km version of this walk you are in for a treat. The trail follows a canyon and climbs gently up past Punchbowl Falls and Metlako Falls to High Bridge where 12km walkers will turn around. 25km walkers will continue on under Tunnel Falls to Crossover Falls, a great place for lunch, where they will turn around and return. Preregister Strollers: No Wheelchairs: No Pets: No Town Walk (5km / 1A) Walk through Marine Park onto Thunder Island, in the middle of the Columbia River, past the museum, and into town past the ice cream store. Easy short walk. Pre-register Strollers: Medium Wheelchairs: Medium Pets: Yes Dry Creek Falls (10km / 2B) A beautiful waterfall tucked back at the end of a canyon. Walk through old growth fir along forested trails and then down an old road back to Cascade Locks. Ice cream store at the end of this walk. PreregisterStrollers: Hard Wheelchairs: No Pets: Yes Cascade Locks to Overlook (10km / 1A) Guided walk for this event starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 21. An easy walk along the old Columbia River Highway to the Overlook Campground with its wonderful views of Bonneville and the Columbia River. Pre-registerStrollers: Medium Wheelchairs: Medium Pets: Yes Wahclella Falls (10km / 2C) Guided walk for this event starting at 9 a.m. on Thursday, June 19. Drive 5 miles to the start point. This is an old favorite. One of the prettiest waterfalls in the Columbia Gorge, this one is nestled at the end of a beautiful canyon. Walk along a creek, past an unnamed waterfall across two bridges, the double falls at the end of the canyon. Then return to walk through the Bonneville Fish Hatchery and back to your car at the Overlook Campground. PreregisterStrollers: No Wheelchairs: No Pets: Yes Dog Mountain (10km / 5) Arguably the most difficult hike in the Columbia River Gorge but also one of the most satisfying and beautiful. The trail climbs 2,900 feet in 3 miles to an open meadow with a magnificent array of wildflowers which, in June, are in full bloom. At the summit you can choose to return via the Augsberger trail or the very steep Riverside trail. Pre-register Mosier Tunnels (13km / 2A) Drive 22 miles to the start point. This walk follows the old Columbia River Highway through the Mosier Tunnels. These tunnels collapsed and were then reopened as a State Park and walking/biking trail in

6 the late 90 s. The views are awesome and the grade is easy. $5.00 State Parks pass required for parking here. Pre-register Strollers: Medium Wheelchairs: Medium Pets: Yes Nick Eaton Ridge (13km / 4B) Drive 3 miles to the start point. This is one of the harder walks in the event. It climbs 2,700 feet in 3.5 miles and tops out at a magnificent viewpoint high above the Columbia River. You will return on the Nick Eaton Ridge trail back to the start. PreregisterStrollers: No Wheelchairs: No Pets: Yes Herman Creek Pinnacles (10km / 3B) Drive 3 miles to the start point. Walk along forested trails, across a creek, past a waterfall to some really different rock formations. The pinnacles are pyramidal shaped rock mounds that are unique to this area. You can climb these if you wish and enjoy the view on the Columbia River far below. You will then return the way you came. Pre-registerStrollers: No Wheelchairs: No Pets: Yes Starvation Creek (10km / 1B) Guided walk for this event starting at 9 a.m. on Friday, June 20. An easy, fairly flat walk on a part of the Old Columbia River Highway that has been converted to a hiking/walking trail. Pass several waterfalls, an old oven the Chinese workers used while constructing the highway and a massive anthill. Walk through a campground to a small sandy beach on the Columbia River and then back to your car. Pre-registerStrollers: Hard Wheelchairs: No Pets: Yes Coyote Wall (10km / 4C) A guided group walk only up the Bingen Syncline, otherwise known as Coyote Wall. Carpool from Marine Park at 9.30 a.m. each of the four days. Awesome views of the Columbia River and at several points up-close looks at the uplift that gave this magnificent place its name. Pre-registerStrollers: No Wheelchairs: No Pets: Yes Restrooms: No Horsetail Falls (10km or 12km / 2C) Drive 11 miles to the start point. This is a return of an old favorite. Walk on forested trails past several waterfalls, even walk behind one. A 12km option takes you to Triple Falls, a great place to rest and enjoy the scenery. Then back past some great vistas, overlooking the Columbia River, to the start point. Pre-register Strollers: No Wheelchairs: No Pets: Yes Mosier Tunnels Bike Ride (25km / 1A) Bike through the Mosier Tunnels to the little town of Mosier. Here you can stop at the ice-cream store or just bike through town and continue to the Memaloose Overlook then back along the Old Columbia River Highway, through the tunnels to your start point. Pre-register NORTHWEST REGIONAL CONFERENCE THE REHEARSAL FOR 2015 June 23 through June 28, 2014 Portland State University Portland, OR Jan has accepted the responsibility as treasurer for the convention; Rozy is in charge of keeping track of people on the bus, and Karen W will be the Web Master. Walk on the Portland Waterfront, in Salem, at Silver Creek Falls, through the Oregon Garden, take a walk to several major Portland landmarks, and experience a special Portland treat, the unique 4Ts Walk (Train, Trolley, Trail, and Tram). Ondine Hall at Portland State will be the very affordable walk, talk, and eat headquarters. Think your body will be too tired for that? There s a special benefit for staying in the dormitory, free access to the PSU Fitness Center hot tub as well as a swim event Monday-Thursday! Add workshops, a Meet and Greet, a visit to Bridgeport Brewery, the famous Portland Food Carts, and a Hail and Farewell, then top that off with the final day s two events at Mt St Helens and you have an event that should not be missed. Housing reservations for the Northwest Regional Conference made through Portland State University. Each room has a private bathroom. The rooms are in the Ondine Hall at SW 6th Ave. & SW College St. on the 2nd floor in downtown Portland so there is plenty to do when you are not walking, swimming or meeting in the social room. Housing Registration: Portland State University Portland State Room Reservations Registration has two parts. The first part is for those staying at Portland State University in the Ondine Hall. Registration for those staying at Portland State University will include: 1. Rooms at $56 per night for one or two people. The beds are twin size. The rooms do not have TV s, radios, or refrigerators. We will have a

7 lounge with TV and a social room open every night till 9:30 pm. The room rate of $56 is also available a few days before or after the conference. Portland State allows you to cancel your room up to one day in advance of the conference. 2. Parking is one block away and costs $12 per day or $50 per week from Sun.-Sat. Ondine Hall is located city busses, light rail, and the trolley system. 3. Ondine Hall has a good cafeteria offering breakfast at $6 and a buffet dinner on Tues. and Thurs. for $8. Select either individual meals or the full meal package. **Make reservations for rooms, parking & limited meals directly to Portland State University at: Portland State Room Reservations REGISTRATION PART 2 EVERYONE The Northwest Conference this year in Oregon is set up as an Ala Carte basis so that each individual only registers and pays for the individual walks, swims, food, lodging that they want and not have to get a package. Individuals that plan to walk for free and do not want meals, lodging, awards or bus services do not need to preregister. They can register for events free the day of the event. For credit walkers and swimmers preregistration is recommended but not required For those ordering food after June 1 a charge of $5 for each meal is added Credit cards or debit cards can only be used for the registration for lodging, parking and the meals paid through Portland State University. Credit Cards and Debit cards will not be taken for the AVA events, bus services and the Meet and Greet, Hotdog lunch at Silver Falls, and the Hail and Farewell and for any sales items at the conference. Schedule June 23 Portland Waterfront Walk, Meet and Greet June 24 Salem State Capitol Walk,Swim, Ondine Dinner June 25 Portland 4T s Walk (Train, Trolley, Trail, & Tram), Food Cart Express, Swim, Bridgeport Brewery Dinner June 26 Silver Creek Falls, Albany Fitwalkers sweep trail, to help out contact wrozy@yahoo.com, Hot Dog Lunch, Oregon Gardens, Swim, Ondine Dinner June 27 Portland Landmark Walk,Swim, Evening Hail and Farewell June 28 Mt St. Helens (2 events)coldwater Lake and Hummock-Boundary Trails Social Room available each night Information for Northwest Regional Conference Dick Baker or dickbkr@q.com. All day April 26 at the Phoenix Grand Hotel in Salem, folks from AVA national headquarters in Texas will be there to train us for putting on the 2015 convention. Albany Fitwalkers Newsletters Printed by The conference registration offers: 7 walks for $3 each (awards separate) 4 swims for $3 or all 4 for $10 A Meet and Greet light dinner Mon. night for $10 A Hail and Farewell light dinner on Fri. night f- $10 A Hot dog/ Sausage lunch at Silver Creek Falls - $5 A bus to Salem on Tues. and to Silver Creek Falls on Thurs. is $20 or $30 each day. There are parking fees at Silver Creek Falls and parts of Salem. Sales: T Shirt $15, XXL T-Shirt $17, Cap/Visor $10, Mouse Pad $6 Saying from Donna "When I walk with you I feel as if I have a flower in my buttonhole". Wm. Thackeray AVA AND MY STRIDE Doulbe your walking rewards with AVA partner with My Stride. Go to

8 American Volkssporting Association A member of the International Federation of Popular Sports (IVV) AVA Recognition Awards Send your nominations for recognition awards to your Regional Director, with the exception of the President s Award, which should be sent to the AVA President. The nomination guide on how to is on the AVA web site. Submit to Regional Director, Nancy Wittenberg, nw_rd@ava.org. 5:30 PM. The Club will be walking its Historic Albany 5K/10K routes through Monteith/ Hackleman/Downtown historic districts. The walk will begin in the parking lot of Two Rivers arket on Ferry between 2 nd /3 rd Avenues. Registration will begin at 9:45 AM and 5:15 PM. It is my understanding that Silver Striders will be at the 10 AM walk as well as Eugene- Springfield Mossbacks. The Willamette Wanderers Club is hosting a walk event on Sunday, May 11, at 5 PM in Silverton. The Club will be walking the 5K/10K routes developed by the AVA club Silverton Walk Abouts. The walk begins at Safeway, 301 Westfield Street, in Silverton. Registration will begin at 4:45 PM. There is no charge for these non-competitive walks which are opened to all with no age restrictions including children in strollers. Leashed dogs are also welcomed. Those people doing the walk for AVA credit will pay the $3 credit fee. A limited number of international certificates will be available at the finish. For more information, contact Julia at pjwesterberg@comcast.net or Rozy at For Clubs information: and Drinking Water By Wendy Bumgardner About.com Walking May 8, 2014 has been proclaimed as World Walking Day by the International Federation of Popular Sports, a Germany-based organization founded in 1972 consisting of more than 40 national world-wide member clubs. In the United States its national member club is the American Volkssport Association(AVA) consisting of more than 200 clubs. The Albany Fitwalkers and the Willamette Wanderers Club of Salem & Keizer are AVA member clubs. In connection with the World Walking Day, the Albany Fitwalkers Club is sponsoring two walk events on May 8, one at 10 AM, the other at Drinking and walking do go together - as long as the drink is water before, during and after your walk. National Physical Fitness and Sports Month Patch May is the Month. Patch design, once again courtesy of Dorm Batson, Northwest Region. Patches are available at many May events. Use GoodSearch to raise Money for AVA.Go to for all you internet shopping

9 COME WALK WITH US Albany Fitwalkers THURSDAY WALKS Carpool to YREs Walk from 10:00am to 12:30pm See weekly or contact Julia at or ( on Thurs with cellphone: ) MAY May 1 Tualatin Ibach Park & Hidden Tualatin, 5/10km, rated 1B. May 8 - Historic Albany, 5/10Km 10:00am and repeated at 5:30pm. Meet at the Parking Lot of Two Rivers Market. May 15 Wilsonville Charbonneau Gardens, Flowers, and Ponds, 10Km, rated 1A, sponsored by Sherwood Merrywalkers. May 22 Portland Esplanade-Ladd Addition, 5/10Km, rated 1A, sponsored by 4D's. May 29 Brownsville - 5/10/13Km, rated 2B. June 5 Portland June 12 McMinnville. June 19 - No walk (Columbia Gorge walks) June 26 - No walk.(regional Conference). ALBANY FITWALKERS SUNDAY STROLL Sunday, May 25, Corvallis A River Runs By IT YRE Walk Start 5 PM, Meet at the Book Bin 10/12Km, Rated 1A Walk in rural residential areas & parks ALBANY FITWALKERS SUNDAY STROLL Sunday, June 29, Brownsville Start 5 PM, 3/5/10 Km, Rated 2B Silver Striders Walks Albany Parks & Recreation program at the Albany Senior Center Tues. and Thurs. 9:30 Guide - Helen Walk with the Wanderers willwander.weebly.com Meeting the third Wednesday of each month 7:00pm 8:30pm Bldg D, Salem Hospital, 890 Oak St, Salem Everyone Welcome Meeting Wed, May.21. Pre-meeting walks at 4:30 in the lobby of Building A MAY Willamette Wanderers Salem Second Sunday Stroll May 11 - Silverton (Mother's Day Walk) Willamette Wanderers Iris Festival Event May 17, 2014 Walk among the blooms Meeting Wed, June18 Pre-meeting walks at 4:30 in the lobby of Building A Willamette Wanderers Salem Second Sunday Stroll Sunday, June 8, 5pm South Salem Sunnyslope rated 2B 5/10Km See attractive homes surrounded by parks, shade trees, hidden paths and great views near the beautiful Belcrest Memorial Cemetery. Start point: Roth's Fresh Market 4555 Liberty Rd South

10 Mosey with the Mossbacks For Mossbacks walk information see for calendar of events.for required car pool reservations contact or call ; Eugene-Springfield Mossbacks walk for the fun of it. MAY Sat. May 3 (8:00AM-1:00PM) Carpool to Cottage Grove YRE, 10 km, rated easy (1A). Tues. May 6 (8:30AM-3:00PM) Carpool to Florence Walk by Two Lakes YRE, 10 km, rated easy (1A). Sat. May 10 (8AM-4PM) Carpool to Portland East Parkways Walk, 5/10 km, rated easy (1A). Sat. May 17 (8:00AM-2:30PM) Carpool to Kaiser Iris Walk, 5/10 km, rated 1B Sat. May 24 (8:00AM-11:00AM) Eugene YRE Tues. June 3 (7:00AM-3:00PM) Carpool to Yachats YRE, 10 km. Sat. June 7 (8:AM-4:PM) Carpool to St. Paul Historical Champoeg Walk, 10 km, rated B6. Sat. June 14 (8:AM-11AM) Eugene YRE June Columbia River Gorge Biennial Classic. June NW Regional Conference. Build Lebanon Trails Buildlebanontrails.com Lebanon Trails Committee Public Meeting Lebanon Samaritan Lebanon Hospital Tues. May. 6, 2014 ~ 7:00pm-8:30pm Meeting Tues. June 3, 2014 ~ 7:00pm-8:30pm Sat. June 7: Strawberry Festival Parade New You can survive about a month without food but only 5 to 7 days without water. A true chocolate lover finds ways to accommodate his passion and made it work with his lifestyle. Julie Davis AVA Walks in Other Cities My husband has problems with Oregon s winters so we need to go to sunny places occasionally instead of snowbirding. This past winter we went to Denver and then to AZ. We did a couple walks in Denver and a couple in AZ. It is always interesting to see how other clubs handle their AVA walks. We lived in Denver for 26 years and I never knew about AVA walks until we moved here in The Rocky Mountain Wanderers ( has 19 YRE s & traditional(weekend) walks in Denver, its suburbs and in the mountains. Their website is amazing. We walked its YREs in Boulder and Arvada; we have done its Golden YRE in the past. Although we know Boulder, Arvada, and Denver very well, their routes took us to places we didn t know existed. That reinforces my fondness for doing AVA walks on vacation. Besides the touristy sights, these AVA routes often show sights favored by local residents. While Denver had snow the week before and the week after, our week there had good sunny weather. In Arizona we did YRE s in Prescott (pronounced like brisket but with a P) and Tucson. We examined AVA walks in Phoenix, Mesa and Scottsdale. A person definitely has to be an offensive/defensive driver on Phoenix s interstates! We were very surprised by how quiet downtown Phoenix was on a Friday afternoon. We explored its Capitol but its nearby memorials really impressed me all kinds of memorials including one honoring K-9 police dogs. Prescott had a memorial in its downtown park honoring a stray dog who used to hang around downtown. I hope other Fitwalkers will submit articles about their experiences with YRE walks in other towns/states. Julia iphone for Events AVA.org provides a simple list of walking events on iphone. Go to iphone-friendly Oregon Event List

11 DATES TO REMEMBER MAY AVA Hosted Events 2014 MAY 5/17 - Keizer Schreiner s Iris Festival Walk, Willametter Wanderers View Details 5/18 Aloha Neighborhoods & Jenkins Estate Walk,Cedar Milers, View Details 5/31 Brooks Peonies, Hostas & More Walk, Albany Fitwalkers 6/7 St. Paul Champoeg State Park Walk, Silverton Walkabouts 6/19-22 Columbia Gorge Walks, 13 Walks and a Bike, Columbia River VC ww.columbiagorgewalks.com 6/23-27 NW Regional Conference, Portland/ Salem, 5 Walks, OTSVA 6/28 - NW Regional Conference, Mt. St.Helens and Toutle Walks, OTSVA JULY 7/4-5 Vancouver July 4 Festival Walk, Vancouver USA Volksporters. 7/12 Sandy Mountain Days Festical Walk, East County Windwalkers Other Saturday Walks Build Lebanon Trails (BLT) June 7: Strawberry Festival Parade ALBANY FITWALKERS 2014 Year Round Walks Albany - Historic - 5/10km, Start Starbucks, NW Hickory North Albany - 5/10km, start Starbucks, 633 NW Hickory Southeast Parks 5/10km, Start Brookdale Villas Courtyard Parks & Lakes - 5/10 km, Start Holiday Inn Express Brownsville Historic - 5/10km - 2B, Start Brownsville Chevron Gas Station,203 W. Bishop Way. Brownsville Jefferson - 10 km, 5 km, Start :Jefferson Thriftway Thursday Walks May 8 - Historic Albany, 10:00am and 5:30pm. May 15 Wilsonville Charbonneau Gardens, Flowers, and Ponds May 22 Portland Esplanade-Ladd Addition May 29 Brownsville June 5 Portland June 12 McMinnville. June 19 - No walk (Columbia Gorge walks) June 26 - No walk.(regional Conference). Sunday Walks Salem Second Sunday Stroll, with Willamette Wanderers May 11 - Silverton (Mother's Day Walk) June 8, South Salem Sunnyslope Albany Sunday Strolls May 25, Corvallis A River Runs By IT YRE June 29, Brownsville Future Events 2014 May 30 - June 1. Canadian Convention 2014, Banff, Albert, Click HERE to visit May 31 Brooks Peony and Hosta Walk Aug. 22 Art and Air Walk Oct. 5 Portland Marathon & Half Marathon IVV June 20-22, The second Europiade, in Marostica and Breganze Italy. September 18-21, IVV Congress of Delegates in Hamburg, Germany Nov 1-3, IVV-Asia - Second Asianpiad in Higashi-Matsuyama, Saitama, Japan Coming in th AVA Biennial Convention, June, Salem,Oregon. at the Phoenix Grand Hotel September 26-29, Olympiad. Chengdu, China. ALBANY FITWALKERS VOLKSSPORT CLUB POST OFFICE BOX 1218, ALBANY OR 97321