Walking Lake Pepin - The Walk Talk | Walk Lake Pepin

2026 WLP "FREEDOM to WALK"

5/31/2026

The 2026 theme for WLP is “FREEDOM to WALK”. As the United States looks forward to celebrating the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, WLP will join in the celebration.
As citizens we have many freedoms that we may often take for granted. ‘FREEDOM to WALK” may not be a freedom that comes to mind. It does however remind us that we have a country where there are many opportunities to walk and environments to walk in.
Whether in a neighborhood, a sandy beach or a local, state or national park, there exists space where we can tie our shoes and take a walk. We can walk in solitude for mental health, with friends to build community, to maintain health and improve fitness or just for the sheer enjoyment of nature.
The WLP “FREEDOM to WALK” community fitness challenge begins Sunday June 7 and all community members are invited to sign up to participate.
The challenge encourages participants to establish or renew a regular walking/exercise program to improve health and fitness. Participants can choose to walk/exercise 150 minutes or more a week or complete 150 miles of walking in the 10 week period and log their results.
To register for the challenge, stop in at Treats and Treasures on Washington Street or Anytime Fitness on 7th Street. Online registration also available at walkinglakepepin.com.
Details for the challenge can be found at the website; walkinglakepepin.com and on the Walking Lake Pepin Facebook page.
Participants and all community members are invited to weekly group walks in and around Lake City on Wednesdays at 6:30PM. The first WLP group walk will be at Hok-si-la Park on Wednesday June 10, meet up at 6:30 at the park office.

2026 Walking Lake Pepin Challenge starts June 7

5/23/2026

at this The 19th annual “Walking Lake Pepin” (WLP) event, Lake City’s summer community walking/fitness challenge, is scheduled to happen again this summer. The 10-week event will begin on Sunday June 7th and continue thru Saturday August 15th.

The goal of “Walking Lake Pepin” is for participants to establish or renew a regular walking program or other exercise routine, to improve their health and fitness.
This year’s WLP theme is “Freedom to Walk” celebrating the USA 250th Anniversary of Independence.

Participants can register and make a commitment to walk 150 minutes a week or more or 150 miles over the 10 week event.

A log sheet will be available at time of registration to record minutes or miles walked. The log sheet can be turned in at the end of the 10 weeks to be eligible for a drawing for Lake City Chamber Bucks.

Weekly group walks will be scheduled on Wednesdays at 6:30 pm to explore a variety of walking locations in and around Lake City. The first group walk will be at Hok-si-la Park. Meet up on Wednesday at 6:30 at the Park office.

Sign up this year will begin Thursday May 21th. Participants can register and pick up walking log sheets at Treats and Treasures on Washington St and Anytime Fitness on 7th Street. Online registration also available at walkinglakepepin.com.
Continue to read updates at this website, in the Lake City Graphic or online at the Walking Lake Pepin Facebook page.

WLP 2025 Season Finale at Bremer Orchard

8/24/2025

Walking Lake Pepin (walkinglakepepin.org) concluded it’s 2025 season of walking challenges and group walks on Wednesday August 20.
The finale event was held at the orchard farm of Chuck and Judy Bremer atop a bluff in rural Lake City.
The evening started with Chuck sharing the 5-generation history of the farm and orchard. The original 200 acre farm was a typical dairy operation. Apples were first planted on the farm in 1983. In the 1990’s Chuck decided to transition to growing apples instead of milking cows.
The farm now has 40 acres of apple trees that produce 12,000 bushels of apples per year. Most of the harvested apples are sold to regional apple distributors who bring them to the retail market.
Many of the popular varieties, such as Honey Crisp and First Kiss, which were developed by the University of Minnesota, are grown in the orchard. Chuck explained that it can take as long as 30 years to develop a new apple variety.
After sharing the orchard history, Chuck led the walkers along a mowed bluff side trail that ended at a site outlooking Camp Lakeview National Guard training camp and a southern down-river view of Lake Pepin. It was a beautiful vista that reminded the walkers how special Lake Pepin and the surrounding bluffs are.
Following the bluff side walk the group met on the farm house patio for fellowship and prize drawings.
Forty-three people signed up for the WLP Challenge in June. Participants were encouraged to keep track of the minutes or miles they walked during the 10 weeks of the event.
For those who turned in their walking log sheets a drawing was held for a $20 Lake City Chamber Bucks prize. Julie Diepenbrock logged in 3,755 minutes of walking and was the winner of the drawing for LC Chamber Bucks.
Drawings continues for door prizes for those that attended the weekly group walks and everyone went home with a prize.
The Walking Lake Pepin organizers would like to thank Treats and Treasures and Anytime Fitness for providing sign up locations. Also, Jim and Ann Schreck for continued monetary support, Tom Dwelle and Jim Schreck for sharing local history during the walks and Denny Robertson for guiding the walkers on the Tree Trail in Patton Park. Special thanks to Tim and Jenny Schlagenhaft and Chuck and Judy Bremer for sharing their bluff top trails for this season’s group walks.
Walking Lake Pepin will be back in 2026. All community members are encouraged to participate. Until next year, “Walk More-Stress Less”.

Another walk through the historic Jewell Nursery

8/17/2025

The WLP walkers met up at Underwood Park to take a walk in the historic Jewel Nursery site. This is a walk WLP has taken almost every year in different locations of the nursery property.
Jim Schreck, who worked at the Jewel Nursery during the late 1950s and early 1960s has spoken to the WLP group about his experience working there as a laborer several times. This year after doing some extra research he shared the history of the business side of the nursery.
The Jewel Nursery was started by Phineas Jewell with just 10 acres of land that grew to 1500 acres by 1923.
After Jewell's death in 1878, J.M. Underwood led the nursery to be the largest landscape nursery in the nation and he a leading horticulturist in Minnesota.
Some of the most amazing facts about this enterprise was the volume of trees, shrubs, fruits and vegetables that grew there; 1,870,000 deciduous windbreak stock, 91,000 flowering scrubs, 42,000 ornamental evergreens and 310,00 apple trees were recorded in 1923.
The nursery employed 200 workers and had a bunkhouse and dining hall for 125 seasonal workers. The payroll in 1897 was $25,000 which is nearly a million dollars today.
The nursery was sold to Wm Lindmeier in 1944 and manager by his sister Agness until 1996 when it was sold to developers of the Mississippi Jewel.
Thanks to Jim Schreck for sharing the incredible success of the Jewel Nursery

Patton Park Tree Trail led by creator Denny Robertson

8/9/2025

Wednesday August 6, Denny Robertson led the WLP group walk on the Lake City Tree Trail which he developed.
The group met up at Ohuta Park and was introduced to the Cottonwood tree the grows rapidly along rivers and streams and can survive for a hundred or more years.
The Cottonwood is a heritage tree that was important to early river boats for fuel and for early settlers for shade and streambank stability. Cottonwoods along the river are also prime nesting trees for Eagles.
The group then walked to the LC Public Library to observe another heritage tree on the boulevard, the Ginkgo. This tree was planted at the time of the library renovation and represents one of the oldest species on the planet dating back 170 million years. Native to East Asia it is a hardy tree having survived the atomic bombs in Japan in WWll.
Heading to Patton Park the group learned that the park was created and planted with the support the LC Women's Club and the Jewel Nursery.
Native trees such as white pine, burr oak, sugar maple, ash and spruce were pointed out. Nonnatives, European Larch and Douglas Fir, were also identified.
It was a pleasant evening to stroll through Patton Park and learn about the trees that make Patton Park a spectacular place to visit.
Tree Trail brochures are available at the LC Chamber Office and the LC Public Library.

WLP Explores Lakewood Cemetery

8/9/2025

After a cancelled Walking Lake Pepin (WLP) group walk on July 23 due to a threatening storm, the WLP group had an interesting walk-through Lakewood Cemetery on Lakewood Avenue across from Bluffview Elementary on Wednesday July 30th.
Sixteen walkers gathered to walk through Lakewood Cemetery where many of the early citizens of Lake City are buried. Familiar names such as Patton, Doughty, Hoyt and Schmauss were noted on the gravestones and monuments in the cemetery.
The Abner Dwelle (1805-1888) family was one of the earliest to settle in Lake City and is represented in the Lakewood Cemetery by a monument with several grave sites.
Tom Dwelle, a decedent of Abner’s, joined the walkers at the Dwelle grave site and shared the story of how his family came to settle in Lake City. Tom read portions of an 1854 letter from Abner urging his family to join him and file a claim for property being platted in Lake City. Abner’s sons Thomas and Merrill eventually settled in Lake City. A YouTube video tells the story of the Dwelle family in Lake City, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LM5A7LbScmQ
Tom’s great grandfather Glenn Merrill Dwelle established the Dwelle Telephone Company in 1905. Tom’s father Glenn Dwelle Sr. joined the telephone company in 1946 and managed the company until 1973.
A street in Lake City honors the Dwelle family and several members of the Dwelle family reside in Lake City to this day.
Wednesday, August 13, the WLP group walk will explore the area and review the history of the Jewel Nursery. Jim Schreck will lead the walk and has new information to share about the history of the nursery.
All are invited to join the walk at 6:30. The group will meet up at Underwood Park on 10th Street.
Information about Walking Lake Pepin can be found at walkinglakepepin.com or at the WLP Facebook page. Watch the LC Graphic for updates. Questions? Contact [email protected].

Walk to Old Frontenac Cemetery; some bugs and raindrops

7/21/2025

Many of the early settlers in Old Frontenac are buried there. Some of the most prominent being Israel Garrard, who came to the area to hunt and fish and was an early landowner, Henry Hunecke, a master carpenter who built many of the homes in Old Frontenac and Dr. Arthur Ancker a physician from St. Paul for whom Ancker Hospital (now Regions Hospital) was named after.

In spite of a few mosquitos and a drizzle of rain, the WLP walkers enjoyed the stroll through this historic area of Goodhue County.

Next week there is again a change in the previously published walking schedule.

The WLP group walk will take place at Lakewood Cemetery on Lakewood Avenue across from the Bluffview Elementary School.
Tom Dwelle will join the group and give some history of his families’ early days in Lake City.

The WLP group will meet in the parking lot at the back of the school at 6:30 on Wednesday July 30.

All community members are invited to join the WLP group walk.
Weather updates on Facebook and walkinglakepepin.com. Questions??? Email to [email protected].

Season's Harvest Farm "Glory Trail" was great fun!

7/21/2025

Wednesday, July 9, the WLP group walkers visited the Season Harvest’s Farm owned by Tim and Jenny Schlagenhaft. They gave a wonderful narration of the farm’s history as the group walked the "Glory Trail" that they mow on their property.

Though the Schlagenhafts no longer sell any retail farm products (garlic, shallots, Christmas trees) they are dedicated to taking care of the soil and have planted prairie grasses to decrease soil erosion and work with a neighboring farmer for sustainable grazing of their cows.

The weather for the evening walk was superb, and the prairie trail was a joy to walk.

The scheduled WLP group walk location for Wednesday July 23 has been changed. The WLP group will meet at the Express gas station in Frontenac at 6:30 pm and carpool to Frontenac State Park for a walk on one of the bluff trails. Are all welcome. Updates continue on Facebook and for questions email; walkinglakepepin.com

Lake City Marina Group Walk, Warm and Steamy

7/7/2025

It was a warm and steamy evening for the July 2nd Walking Lake Pepin (WLP) group walk around the Lake City Marina.
History records that the inner harbor and point were acquired by the city in 1913. In 1933 the city received a public works grant to build docks and widen the north entrance to the harbor. In August 1934 Franklin D. Roosevelt attended the dedication of the new harbor.
The outer harbor was constructed in 1984 with the addition of 300 boat slips.
Most of the WLP group walked out onto the 900 foot breakwater along the outer harbor enjoying a great view of Lake Pepin.
Heading back to Ohuta Park the group took a break finding some shade and a slight breeze
at the deck behind the Marina office that faces the entrance to the inner harbor
For many of the group this was their first time enjoying the Marina deck and pledged to come back to watch the boats coming and in and out of the harbor and enjoy a southern view of Lake Pepin.
The group walked along the inner harbor returning to Ohuta Park shelter for a snack, water and conversation.
WLP Group Walk next week, Wednesday July 9, is at Schlagenhaft’s Season's Harvest Farm. The group will carpool, meeting at 6:15 at the front parking lot of Bluffview School.
All are welcome. Bring a friend.
Follow walkinglakepepin.com and Facebook for updates. Questions? Email; [email protected].

June 30th, 2025

6/30/2025

'Walking Lake Pepin (walkinglakepepin.com), a 10-week community walking program, is promoting the American Heart Association’s (AHA) campaign. “Walk More, Stress Less”, this summer.
As reported by the, AHA, (shttps://www2.heart.org/site/DocServer/549153453?docID=18922) stress is a fact of life and exercise is extremely beneficial in managing the stresses of daily life.
Chronic stress not only takes a toll on mental health but also can affect the heart, digestion, sleep and memory. Walking and all forms of physical activity are all helpful in reducing stress and maintaining good health.
Walking Lake Pepin continues to schedule weekly group walks that all community members are invited to join.
Last week walks were cancelled due to weather. A Lake City Marina Walk is re-scheduled for Wednesday, July 2nd at 6:30m, meet up at the Ohuta park pavilion.
The folowing week's group walk will be Wednesday July 9th. The group will walk at Season’s Harvest farm. The group will meet at the front parking lot at Bluffview Elementary at 6:15 to carpool out to the farm.
Check Walking Lake Pepin Facebook page or walkinglakepepin.com for any changes due to weather. Email [email protected] with any questions.

Author

I'm Patty Svien and I started Walking Lake Pepin as a part of my Graduate studies in 2008. This is the 13th year that our grassroots committee has promoted this event to raise awareness of the health benefits of walking. We hope you join us again this year or sign up for the first time and enjoy the beautiful surrounding of Lake City as you commit to Active Living and a healthy lifestyle.

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