Wednesday, July 22, the WLP group walk will tackle the Rattlesnake Bluff Train in Frontenac Start Park.  The trail is  across a prairie grass meadow and ends at the edge of the bluff overlooking Wacouta and the Mississippi River looking north toward Red Wing.  The trail is mowed but terrain is uneven so good shoes and walking poles are recommended.  The walk is approximately 2 miles out and back with one small hill.  To get to the site the group will gather at 6 PM, note earlier time, at the Express 61 gas station in Frontenac parking by the sign that shows the gas price.  We will car pool, hopefully 4 to a car, and drive to the trailhead in a group.  Masks in the car will be required.  Wally Seiwert, retired Frontenac State Park maintenance manager will be our guide.  If the weather is not good, too hot, windy or raining we will postpone the walk.  Hope to see many of you join in.  This is a new trail, one that we have never tried in the 12 years of WLP. 

​There is still time to sign up for the 13th season of “Walking Lake Pepin” (WLP). This community walking challenge invites Lake City residents to sign up and commit to starting or increasing their level of moderate physical activity to improve fitness and “active living”.
Registration and details about the challenge continues at Treats and Treasures on Washington St or online at walkinglakepepin.org.
This year’s slogan is “Walk Local, Shop Local”. With Hwy 61 construction limiting access by car to many areas of Lake City, walkers are encouraged to park their cars and walk instead of driving when they do errands, visit friends in town or go to church or events.
WLP also wants to encourage walks and all community members to “Shop Local” and support all local businesses during this time of road construction and Covid-19 restrictions.
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Walkers are invited to participate in a “WLP BINGO game”. Organizers of WLP have made a BINGO card that lists our local restaurants and service businesses. As you purchase items from these establishments you can cross their name off the BINGO card and try and get score a BINGO; across, down or diagonal. Save your receipts and turn the BINGO card in at the end of the WLP challenge and you will be eligible for a drawing for Lake City Chamber Bucks. BINGO cards are available at Treats and Treasure and the WLP website.

The first group walk of the season will occur on Wednesday June 3 at 6:30 pm. Anyone wishing to join in the walks is welcome whether they have signed up or not for the WLP season.
The group will meet June 3 at the south end of Roschen Park at the picnic shelter.
The group will walk to and from the DNR building ( 1.5 miles) or the Lake City Sportsman’s Club (2.2 miles), participants can chose how far they want to walk. Discussion on how to assess safe walking intensity will be shared before the walk.
MN guidelines for Covid 19 will be followed including; social distancing, mask use and walking in groups less than 10.
If weather is threatening the walk will be cancelled. Watch the Walking Lake Pepin Facebook page for cancellation announcements.

​It was a glorious evening as the Walking Lake Pepin group gathered in Old Frontenac to walk and learn about the history of this special community.
Jim Schreck narrated the walk telling the group how Old Frontenac was settled starting with the Native Americans to the French and Spanish fur traders to James Wells and finally to Evert Vestervelt and the Garrard family, who in the 1850's really put time and resources into developing what is now Old Frontenac. The WLP group is pictured at The Winona Cottage, built in 1889, which was built on Garrard Avenue between Faribault and Sumner Streets by Israel Garrard as a wedding present to his son George and wife Virginia. A mortar less stone wall is constructed by teams of Native Americans led by tribal elder Little John.
The group also walked down to the site of the Lakeside Hotel (1867) the first resort hotel in the Upper Midwest which established Frontenac as a key resort area serving Mississippi River travelers. The hotel site and building eventually was turned into a Methodist Bible Camp and is now a site of restored single family dwellings.
Thanks to Jim for doing such a fabulous job with recalling the rich history of this idyllic place. (Rumor has it Jim is starting an Old Frontenac weekend tour business with a Food Truck on the weekends) JUST KIDDING!
The WLP group was encouraged to take part in the 160th Anniversary celebration of Old Frontenac scheduled for Sept 21 and 22, 2019. Check out this website to find out more information about the schedule of events, http://www.frontenac160.com/index.html 

​Our host last night, Dag Knutson, gave an enlightening slide show and narrative about healthy soils and the consequences that we, our children and grandchildren will be facing unless we change the way we care for our soils. He also handed out the newsletter that he puts out twice a year. Please not in the title space that he dedicated this newsletter to the Walking Lake Pepin group. Copies of the newsletter will be available at our walk next week if anyone wants to have one. We had 25 walkers last night. A slip for the door prize drawing will be entered in the box for each of you.

​On Wednesday July 31st the weekly walking group will meet at the LC Marina parking lot at 6:30 and carpool out to Manawa Prairie Farm to explore the sustainable farm that Dag Knudsen and Dierdre Flesche have created. To lean more about this farm and their mission go to; https://www.protectourresources.org/index.html. All Lake City residents are invited to come out to any of the WLP group walks. Question contact Patty Svien 345-4383.