2020

Doug will present a slideshow of a guided boat/bike trip he took in the northern Netherlands May of 2019. The bucolic countryside starts just outside Amsterdam and provided beautiful views of dikes, seashores, small towns, tulip fields, and forests. A very bike-friendly country, peddling was safe, enjoyable and fascinating.

Presented by Doug Johnson

Several years ago I saw a photo of a friend at the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland and knew that one day I had to go there myself. In August 2019 I went on a 19-day trip to Northern Ireland to achieve my dream. The Irish people are amazingly helpful and friendly and I learned as much about history and politics as I did about the beauty of the island. No car; I relied on busses, trains, and hiking.

I started with three days in Derry/Londonderry, Northern Ireland. I walked the intact medieval city walls built during 1613-1618, visited the Free Derry Museum, and viewed Bogside murals painted on the sides of houses during “The Troubles” – the bloody struggles of the late 1960s until the late 1990s.

The second part was a supported, but self-guided, point to point 8-day hiking adventure. I walked in Glenariff Forest, took a ferry to Rathlin Island, and hiked to Carrick-a-Rede and to Giant’s Causeway. I saw waterfalls, clifftop trails, hills, islands, rock formations, and beautiful beaches, shared walking trails with sheep and cows, and climbed innumerable stiles separating fields. Finally, I arrived at the famous World Heritage site Giant’s Causeway, and stayed an extra day.

Finally, I spent four days in Donegal Town, Donegal, Republic of Ireland. It is a very old port and the former centre of government for the O’Donnells from the 15th to the 17th century, with a ruined castle, ancient abbey and graveyard.  It is a lively music and tourist center and the beginning of the Blue Stack Mountains Way hiking trail.

I was nervous about taking the trip by myself but prepared well and relied on friendly travelers and Irish people. I can’t wait to share my photos with you!

Presented by Joannie J.

It’s not how to beat the slots, but how to find a great wilderness hiking experience nearby. Less than an hour from the Vegas Strip are the Spring Mountains, with many hiking trails and the highest peak rising to 11,900 feet. This is a picturesque, but harsh, environment with a giant mummy and gnarly zombie trees! This presentation will encompass photos from many trips out there.

Presented by Barry Shillingford

Denny Caneff (Executive Director of the Superior Hiking Trail Association) will discuss the Superior Hiking Trail Association’s Trail Renewal Program — what it means for trail users, the Association itself, and for the land and water the Trail passes over.

A couple of Rovers traveled back to the Grand Canyon to experience it from a different perspective. They visited many of the most photographed spots around the Canyon including a few buildings that were built by a famous architect that grew up in St. Paul, MN.  Come see the sites such as the North & South Rim, Horseshoe Bend, Lakes Powell & Mead, the West Rim and the critters we saw along the way.

Presented by Jen O.

Tour Europe’s most historic river, with stops in 5 UNESCO world heritage sites, castles, mansions, cathedrals, medieval cities, and an all day e-bike through the Black Forest to a mountain farm.

Presented by John Elliott

Learn from the experience of 5 Rovers who successfully thru hiked the Border Route Trail in September, 2019.  Josh Brand will explain what to consider when planning a Border Route Trail thru hike and Cheryl Batson will share our experiences from the trail.  If you’re thinking about visiting the Border Route Trail, then this is for you!

I’d heard many comments about the bike ride called Ragbrai. The simplest comment was that it’s a big bike ride in Iowa. Another comment was that it’s the biggest biking party around. That last one turned me off, since it gave images of loud partying far into the night. That’s not my style. But when some other Rovers asked me to join them on Ragbrai, I gave it a try. Now, my comment about Ragbrai is that I’ve toured across many states and countries on my own and in groups, but there’s nothing like Ragbrai, in the best of ways. I was part of at least 10,000 cyclists going over quiet roads in Iowa and through small farming towns, with each one giving a festival for cyclists.

Presented by Steven Malikowski

This is James Herriot’s Yorkshire.  The first stop on the 109-mile Cleveland Way is at Sutton Bank, where the famous author called the panoramic view from the escarpment “the finest view in all of England.” He was right. This sometimes grueling but always spectacular hike provided breath-taking views of the valleys, moors and the North Sea. My English friend Margaret and I undertook this journey with our own planning and carrying our rucksacks every step of the way.  This is the story of that adventure.

Presented by Bev M.

The Rossport Islands are part of the Canadian Lake Superior Marine Conservation Area part of the northern most part of Lake Superior. It is very remote and has fewer visitors than even 10 years ago, but it is a gem with isolated campsites, some with saunas. We visited the mysterious pseudo-nation of Nirivia. We saw amazing rock formations, caves, and sea arches. We rafted up kayaks and used a tarp to sail up part of the Nipigon Strait. We caught and ate fresh fish from the lake. This is a trip that skilled sea kayakers could plan on their own, although there are several guides and outfitters who plan trips in this area.

Presented by Fran Lesicko