April hike
Mon, Apr 11 2022, 9:30am
The UMRA Hiking Club will meet on Monday, April 11, for an easy hike of 5 miles around Pleasant Lake in the heart of North Oaks. Our hike will take us by several historic sites associated with the James J. Hill family as well as Walter Mondale. The community of North Oaks was originally part of James J. Hill’s farm and was subsequently developed in the 1950’s by the Hill family. If we’re lucky we’ll see deer, eagles, swans, turkeys, pileated woodpeckers, and more!
We will meet at the NOHOA (North Oaks Homeowners Assoc.) parking area off East Oaks Rd. at the south end of the lake. The easiest way to find it is to use Google Maps and search using “NOHOA parking North Oaks”. Our starting point is approximately a block west of the North Oaks Country Club, another landmark that can be utilized to locate our meeting point. Jane Doyle will provide more detailed directions to those who sign up. Parking passes will be provided.
You must sign up online for this hike. Your completed form will be shared with Jane and used to be sure everyone has arrived. Registrations will be accepted up to 24 hours before the hike. Please plan to arrive by 9:30 a.m. and be ready to hike by 9:40 a.m.
—Bev Moe, UMRA hiking Club chair
Upcoming Events
Our July 15 "hike" is going to be a kayaking adventure on Bde Maka Ska (formerly Lake Calhoun) and Lake of the Isles! If you don't have a kayak (or paddleboard), Wheel Fun Rentals, located next to the new concession stand rents single kayaks at $15 an hour and double kayaks at $25. The second hour is free if we rent before noon. Life jackets are provided with the rental.
Laura Ericksen will lead the discussion of How Stella Learned to Talk by Christina Hunger, a true story by a speech-language pathologist who taught her dog, Stella, to communicate using buttons associated with different words.
Our August 5 hike will be a reprise of our hike last summer at William O'Brien State Park. This is a beautiful park with a winding trail and a great view of the countryside. The hike is about 5.5 to 6 miles and we'll go at a moderate pace with frequent water breaks. After the hike, we will eat lunch at Rustic Roots Winery, a half mile north of the park.
Kathy Cramer will lead the discussion of The Bookbinder by Pip Williams, a book set in 1914 Oxford chronicling the life of Peggy who works in the University bindery, but craves a life beyond binding books but to being a scholar herself.
Enjoy a two-hour cruise on the Jonathan Padelford, leaving from the Harriet Island dock in St. Paul, boarding time at 5:30 p.m. We will have a brief program on board by Patrick Nunnally from the River Life Program of the Institute on the Environment.
August 31 is the due date for annual reports and updates. Annual Reports, Toolkits, web page updates, operating document updates and archives collections are all due each year on this date.
Autumn is a wonderful season in Minnesota so plan to join UMRA at the Andersen Horticultural Library at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Kristen Mastel, head librarian and curator, will reveal its treasure trove of publications and artifacts relating to plant history, horticulture, and natural history. After the tour, those who are interested may stay to eat lunch together, sitting outside if the weather is nice. Later, you are invited to a one-hour tram tour of the entire Arboretum that includes natural areas of flowering shrubs, bogs, and forests, family garden and landscaping showpieces, and the red barn farm
After a summer break the UMRA Photo Club will next meet September 10, 2024 in the meeting room of the Hennepin County St. Anthony Branch Library. For those interested in lunch, meet at the Great Dragon at 11:30 am. For September the THEME will be Curves
We will continue to discuss the pros and cons of Medicare Advantage. You will also hear about notable non-health plan and non-broker resources.