BEDFORD— The Bedford Hiking Club sponsors a historic walk during the Dogwood Festival in Orleans.
The walk will be a Volkswalk with a 5K (3.1 miles) and 10K (6.2 miles) option. It starts at the pavilion on Congress Square, and walkers will be given a map and written directions with historical information on what they’ll see along the route.
Orleans dates to 1815 and is the oldest town in Orange County. Orleans has a fascinating history and beautiful buildings. Walk the streets named after our country’s presidents and learn about the amazing people who built this town and the hopes they had for their community. The dogwood trees that line many of the city’s streets should be in bloom and will make the walk beautiful and speak to the vision Orlean’s citizens had to make their town a better place.
Volkswalks began in Europe and are interesting walks laid out to highlight areas of interest and are specific distances – usually 10 kilometers (K) (6.2 miles) and 5 Km (3.1 miles). Regular Volkwalkers keep track with stamps of the events they walk and the distances they walk in small books and look forward to the next walk to see new areas, old friends, and meet new people. The Bedford Hiking Club is pleased to bring a Volkswalk to Orleans to highlight the Dogwood Festival and this exciting community.
Walkers should check in to receive a map and directions anytime between 9 a.m. and Noon. They should plan on finishing the walk by 3 p.m. The walk is free for those who want to do the walk, but for regular Volkswalkers who walk for credit, there is a $4 charge. Teena Ligman, who planned the walk, suggests people have water and comfortable shoes to carry with them. She notes that the walk is level and paved, but some of the pavement may be a bit rough, and there are some sections with no sidewalks, so people may need to walk in gravel or grass.
In general, it might take a person 2-3 hours to complete the 10K Volkswalk. People walk at their own pace and are encouraged to stop and enjoy the festival or points of interest. It is not a timed event as long as people return by 3 pm. Dogs are welcome but should be on a leash, and bring bags to pick up after them.
‘Volkswalk’ is German for People’s Walk. The International Volkswalk Association has walked on almost every continent, part of a network of walking activities people can do. People can come and just walk for the joy of walking, but anyone who thinks they might be interested in learning more about Volkswalking is welcome to learn more about this sport. The group will have starter packs to get people started as Volkswalkers with a book and coupons for three free walks with stamps. Learn more and enjoy the Orleans Walk and the Dogwood Festival on April 20.
For information on the Volkswalk, contact Teena Ligman at 812-278-0139 or by email at tdligman@att.net.
The Bedford Hiking Club also sponsors four nearby year-round walks. The Hoagy Carmichael Walk in Downtown Bloomington features all the sites related to Hoagy Carmichael’s life while he lived in Bloomington and goes by his gravesite. There are also Volkswalks at Paynetown State Recreation Area just east of Bloomington on State Road 446 and Spring Mill State Park in Mitchell. The fourth walk is the Limestone Walk in Bedford, which features limestone buildings and two cemeteries. For information on any of these year-round walks, contact Ligman at tdligman@att.net.
