HIKING

Theodore Wirth Park hike

Mon, Apr 6, 2026, 9:30am

Location
Meet at the Wirth Beach Club (not the Theodore Wirth Trailhead Building)
 

Meet at the Wirth Beach Club (not the Theodore Wirth Trailhead Building)

The April 6 hike returns to Theodore Wirth Park for an encore to our February hike. Join hike leader Michael Luxenberg and fellow UMRA members to celebrate the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace.

We will hike about four miles in about two hours. We will hike along the Rose Garden Trail(but not in the garden which won’t be open until April 15) then around the Quaking Bog Trail Loop, and finally around the Wirth Lake Loop which will take us right back to the Wirth Beach Club.

Although some of the trails are multi-use, including bikes, on a Monday morning we should have the trails mostly to ourselves. Most of the trails are considered easy, some are on paved trails and others are unpaved but very little up and downs.

Theodore Wirth Park is on the western edge of Minneapolis, bordering Golden Valley. We will meet at The Wirth Beach Club free parking lot at 9:20 a.m. to start the hike at 9:30. After the hike, if it is warm enough we can have some snacks at the benches outside.

Please register for this hike by April 5. Your registration information will be used to be sure everyone has arrived before we start the hike.

—Michael Luxenberg, UMRA Hiking Club co-leader



Upcoming Events

Event Date: July 17, 2026, at 2pm

UMRA Book Club I will discuss The Silent Patient, a psychological thriller and debut novel by Alex Michaelides, when it meets via Zoom on Friday, July 17. 


Event Date: July 21, 2026, at 4pm


Two major conferences, one organized by the Association of Retirement Organizations in Higher Education (AROHE) and the other by the Big Ten Retirees Association (BTRA), will take place this year. The AROHE conference will be held in Florida and the BTRA conference will be hosted by UMRA on the UMN campus.

The AROHE conference invites all interested retirees and university faculty and staff to reimagine retirement. You are invited to register if interested at https://www.arohe.org/2026-Conference.

The BTRA is being hosted by UMRA this year. Leadership of retiree organizations around the US will convene to share competencies. Attendance is restricted.


Event Date: August 3, 2026, at 9:30am

Bev leads the Nokomis walk to Minnehaha Falls.


Event Date: August 17, 2026, at 9:30am

Nanette leads a trail of two cities hike.


Event Date: August 18, 2026, at 11am - 1:30pm

10:30 a.m. check in; 10:45 boarding; cruise from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Join UMRA friends and colleagues for a summer cruise and lunch aboard the Paradise Destiny II on beautiful Lake Minnetonka. Paul Maravelas, sailor, historian, and author of The History of Big Island, Lake Minnetonka will join us to share stories from 200+ years of lake-dwellers. Come early or stay after the cruise to explore Excelsior, a charming small town on the big lake.

Ticket price includes lunch: chef's sandwich, garden salad, fruit, chips, and cookies. Coffee, iced tea, and lemonade are complimentary and there will be a cash bar for other beverages. A vegetarian sandwich can be selected during registration.


Event Date: August 21, 2026, at 2pm

UMRA’s Book Club I will discuss the debut novel Buckeye by Patrick Ryan when it meets via Zoom at 2 pm. on Friday, August 21. 


Event Date: September 8, 2026, at 12:30pm

The theme for September is "Monuments."


Event Date: September 21, 2026, at 9:30am

Bev leads a Lake of the Isles hike with Bun Coffee afterwards.


Event Date: September 21, 2026, at 10am

Critical issues facing detained immigrants and their families will be discussed.


Event Date: October 5, 2026, at 9:30am

Michelle Trudeau-Spanjers leads the hike at William O'Brien State Park.


Event Date: October 5, 2026, at 10am

Topics include longevity, distributions, long term care, Social Security, and comprehensive planning.