American Pilgrims on the Camino - Philadelphia Chapter

Join us for a 6-mile hike in the beautiful John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge! This will be a flat walk at a moderate pace with opportunities to see some wildlife, as well as diverse habitats (freshwater tidal marsh, mudflats, woodland).

Lunch afterwards for those interested, location TBD

We'll meet in front of the Visitor's Center; introductions will begin promptly at 10:00, but please arrive early if you want time to check out the Visitor's Center (opens at 9:00, with great displays and nice restrooms). There will also be several pit toilets along the way.

Bring water and snacks; poles are optional for this walk (but this is a great chance to practice with them if you want).

Rain may postpone or cancel the walk, so keep an eye on the forecast and check back here for updates.

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This meetup group is hosted by the Philadelphia Chapter of American Pilgrims on the Camino (APOC). APOC is a national non-profit organization dedicated to fostering the enduring tradition of the Camino by supporting its infrastructure, by gathering pilgrims together, and by providing information and encouragement to past and future pilgrims. All our events are free, but we encourage you to support the work of this organization by becoming a member.

Please note that all our events are dog free.

Join us for a 7 mile walk along the Delaware River, starting at Bull's Island State Park in New Jersey, about 1 hour north of Philadelphia. We'll follow the D&R Canal State Park Trail south to Stockton, where we will cross over the river and head up to Lumberville on the Delaware Canal Towpath. We will grab some lunch at the Lumberville General Store before crossing the river again to our starting point.

Restrooms are located at the start at the Bull's Island visitor center and at the halfway point.

Join us for an 8 mile hike in Wharton State Forest on the Batona Trail. The terrain is flat and easy.

There are restrooms at the start and finish in the Visitor's Center. Meet at the Visitor's Center parking lot in front of the Visitor's Center. My car is a white Fiat 500 with Camino shell sticker on the back.

Please gather with past and future pilgrims for our Spring Gathering! For those embarking or thinking about going on their first Camino, this is a great opportunity to meet folks, ask questions, and learn all about the Camino de Santiago. This event is being generously hosted by group members Allan (CWBuff) and his wife Laurie.

The gathering will be pot-luck style, please see the list below to know what to bring!

If your last name begins with:

• A - H you are asked to bring a dessert
• I - Q you are asked to bring a a beverage (wine, beer or soda)
• R - Z you are asked to bring tapas, a salad, or other food item

We'll also have a few other things on the agenda:

• Shell Ceremony - receive a Pilgrim blessing and shell to be placed on your backpack for your upcoming Camino trip
• Camino Packs - a few of our seasoned pilgrims will bring their actual Camino packs for you to peruse through and try on. Learn what others bring but also keep in mind that everyone's pack is different and unique to them.
• Camino Book Lending Library - Anyone that is interested can bring a book to add to our lending library, or borrow a book and return it to the next Gathering for a future person to enjoy!
• Gear Swap - We will continue to have a table available where folks can leave items they no longer use or want. One persons "trash" is another treasure!

We may ask for a small contribution of $2 - $4 per person to help offset the costs for space rental and supplies.

The location is:
Clubhouse - Forrest Ridge Condo Association
300 Beech Blvd
Warrington PA 18976.
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