This page is a photo summary of the 28 walks in the first year of Topic-Talk Walks (TTW). To see our current walk calendar, visit our Meetup.com free registration site by clicking here, or clicking on the Meetup icon on the top of each TTW page.
First Year of Topic-Talk Walks (TTW) - 2008
Denver metro area, Colorado, USA
The photos from each of the 28 TTW walks in 2008 are linked to each walk’s description on Meetup.com. After each walk’s summary description, there’s a link to more walk photos on Meetup.com. The Walks are listed in reverse chronological order.
1st TTW Walk In Denver, City Park.
Topic: Improvisational Comedy
Walk Co-Hosts: Mike Moesta, Sam Arney, Fran and Richard Rew.
Impromptu Walk Guests: Grant McKenzie, and Connie Larscheidt.
January 30, 2008
On January 30, 2008, in Denver City Park right), improv artists Sam Arney and Mike Moesta were Co-Hosts for the improv topic on the first ‘Topic-Talk’ walk. City Park, Denver, Colorado, is also the home of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and the Denver Zoo.
While we are waiting to hear from similar Topic-Talk walk groups, we are developing entertaining formats for urban park walking groups of 6 to 15 walkers.
Before we went online, we had our first TTW walk in City Park. On January 30, 2008, the topic for our first Topic-Talk walk was improvisational comedy. Improv can be a great platform for introducing both walk formats and walk topics. Improv games are not only fun, they can be positively creative and innovative.
Click here to see photos from this first walk.
One of the many things that co-founder Fran Rew liked best about this walk was the creation of an innovative format for the walking improv game “Yes, and...” that aerospace engineer and business coach Grant McKenzie discovered for all of us. Just before it started snowing, we had a marvelous time being led by Recreation Supervisor, Connie Larscheidt, in an impromptu discussion about the most influential people in our lives.
Richard Rew ended our walk with a quote from one of his most influential people, Robert Heinlein:
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“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.”
On our first TTW walk, we were all interactively practicing the role of Walk Hosts, Walk Guests and Walk Audience as we developed this TTW walk show concept. We had 8 brilliant and creative walkers on our first walk; 3 of the 8 were registered online members of a delightful 2 to 3 hour trail walk, multi-topic Meetup.com group called the Aurora Walking Group.
Thinking and Talking about TTW
December 2007
December 2007, talking about the TTW concept. Fran had talked about her 15-year-old TTW dream with the Denver TheatreSports improv comedy team after their New Year’s performance at the Mercury Cafe.
3rd TTW Walk, Denver, City Park.
Topic: Open Topic.
Impromptu Walk Guest: Nat
Walk Co-Hosts: Mike Moesta, Fran and Richard Rew.
March 26 , 2008
Fran invited delightful people who had just visited the Space Odyssey exhibit in the DMNS museum to join our walk. Our impromptu Walk Guest Nat, about 10 years old, led our group in a walking Q&A game with his Space Odyssey cards. It was a lot of fun! We did need to learn how to assign only one person at a time to answer the questions. Richard and Mike Moesta were too fast in responding before the rest of us had a chance to get it wrong.
Click here to see photos with descriptions from this 3rd walk.
2nd TTW Walk In Denver, City Park.
Topic: Improvisational Comedy
Walk Co-Hosts: Mike Moesta, Sam Arney, Fran and Richard Rew.
February 27 , 2008
Fran invited 2 people who were already walking around Ferril Lake to join our walk. We had fascinating conversations, and Richard introduced a grateful retired scientist to the “60 Minutes in Space” presentation in the DMNS planetarium after they had walked together.
Click here to see photos with descriptions from this 2nd walk.
4th TTW Walk, Denver, City Park.
Topic: Open topic.
Walk Co-Hosts: Fran and Richard Rew.
April 30 , 2008
This is the “Open Topic” walk when we first met 2 marvelous new TTW members, Michael Fales and Rena. After the walk we shared box picnic snacks provided by Larabar, Elegant Catering, and Fran and Richard Rew. Then we all went in to enjoy and keep our reservations for the fascinating “60 Minutes in Space” presentation at the Denver Museum of Natural History.
Click here to see photos with captions from this 4th walk.
6th TTW Walk, Denver, City Park.
Topic: Nutritional Therapy
Walk Guest Heike Vargas.
Co-Hosts Fran and Richard Rew.
May 28 , 2008
Heike Vargas is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner. Our walking group conversation shared each walker’s response to the question: “What nutritional goals do you have for your life?”
You can visit her web site at www.WholeBodyNutritionCenter.com.
Click here to see photos with captions from this 6th walk.
7th TTW Walk, Longmont, Golden Ponds Park.
Topic: Mentoring
Walk Guest Joan L. Mitchell, Ph.D.
Co-Hosts Fran and Richard Rew.
June 10 , 2008
Dr. Joan Mitchell is an IBM Fellow, author and inventor with 92 patents. Our walking group conversation shared our experiences being mentors and mentees throughout our lives. We left with a heightened appreciation for each.
Joan is the author of “Dr. Joan’s Mentoring Book: Straight Talk About Taking Charge of Your Career.”
Click here to see photos with captions from this 7th walk.
8th TTW Walk, Denver Botanic Gardens.
Topic: Open Topic
Co-Hosts: Fran and Richard Rew.
Impromptu Co-Host: Michael Fales.
June 17 , 2008
This “Open Topic” TTW walk was like walking into Heaven. It was so very hard to leave on time. We needed a push to walk out of Heaven.
Click here to see photos with captions from this 8th walk.
9th TTW Walk, Denver, Crestmoor Park.
Topic: Your Political Concerns
Walk Guest: Joyce Foster.
Impromptu Walk Guest: Eldon Van Der Wege
Walk Co-Hosts: Fran and Richard Rew.
June 22 , 2008
In 2009, Joyce Foster is the Colorado State Senator for District #35. This walk took place when Joyce was campaigning, just before one of her campaign picnics in 2008. We shared our walking group conversation with impromptu Walk Guest Eldon Van Der Wege, an expert on the topic of single payer health insurance. Eldon represented the organization Health Care for All. We were fortunate to be able to walk and talk with such well-versed people about health care, and other political topics.
Click here to see photos with captions from this 9th walk.
10th TTW Walk, Denver, City Park.
Topic: Sailing into Your Dreams
Walk Guest: Karen Mehringer.
Walk Co-Hosts: Fran and Richard Rew.
June 25 , 2008
Karen Mehringer, MA, is an author, speaker, life transformation coach and the founder of Creative Transformations. Her primary work is to empower people to take risks to follow their dreams and live life to the fullest. On our walk together we enjoyed accepting her invitation to explore our dreams together. Karen is the author of "Sail into Your Dreams: 8 Steps to Living a More Purposeful Life." Her website is: LiveAPurposefulLife.com.
Click here to see photos with captions from this 10th walk.
11th TTW Walk, Denver Botanic Gardens.
Topic: “Enhancing Health and Wellness in the Gardens”
Walk Guest: Fred Grover, Jr., MD.
Walk Co-Hosts: Fran and Richard Rew.
July 15 , 2008
Dr. Fred Grover, Jr. is a well recognized family physician who has been practicing medicine in Denver since 1996. His passion and special interests are wellness, disease prevention, integrative medicine and aesthetic dermatalogy. Fran and Richard Rew are very grateful that Dr. Grover is also their primary care physician. In the front row of the above picture (left to right), chiropractor Jeff Parker, his wife Lynda, and Dr. Grover.
We had a fun and fascinating walk with him, learning about plants that influence our health, and related health topics.
You can read more about Dr. Grover and his practice at the beautiful True Mind Center at http://www.truemindcenter.com/.
Click here to see captioned photos from this 11th TTW walk.
12th TTW Walk, Denver City Parks,
Topic: Multi-Topic.
Walk Co-Hosts: Fran and Richard Rew.
July 30 , 2008
We enjoyed walking with Michael’s childhood friend and her husband, Pam and Jim Horton, and our fascinating new walking friend, Jo Ann.
Click here to see photos with captions from this 12th walk.
13th TTW Walk, Denver Botanic Gardens.
Topic: Community Gardens.
Walk Guest: Tom Rapp.
Walk Co-Hosts: Fran and Richard Rew.
August 16 , 2008
Fran and Richard Rew hosted a free picnic before the walk. Because it was windy and raining before the walk, we had our picnic indoors in the conservatory lobby cafe area. Tom Rapp introduced us to the fascinating history of the many community gardens. Tom Rapp coordinates volunteers for the Senior HUB, Inc many communitiy gardens in Araphahoe and Adams County. He also is the co-creator the MAGIC Garden located behind the Crossroads senior assisted living building in Northglenn. MAGIC stands for Multi-Agency Gardening Intergenerational Collaboration. Tom used his experience as a middle school administrator to coordinate intergenerational volunteers to create the beautiful and functional MAGIC community garden.
Click here to see photos with captions from this 13th walk.
14th TTW Walk, Denver City Park,
Topic: Multi-Topic.
Walk Co-Hosts: Fran and Richard Rew
August 20 , 2008
Michael Fales, Richard and Fran enjoyed the walk, the “60 Minutes in Space” presentation in the Planetarium, and the colorful Electric Fountain display against the night sky after the Planetarium presentation.
Click here to see photos with captions under the walk description for this 14th walk.
15th TTW Walk, Denver City Park.
Topic: “Alternative Energy in Transportation”
Walk Guests: Carl Lawrence and Don Lewis
Walk Co-Hosts: Fran and Richard Rew, Linda Viray, and Michael Fales
August 27 , 2008
During the Denver Democratic National Convention (DNC), when so many things were happening all over town, we scheduled a walk with the CEO of Hybrids Plus, Carl Lawrence, and viewed his plug-in hybrid electric Toyota Pruis. We were also grateful to be able to schedule Walk Guest Don Lewis, who brought his Zap all electric truck that he represented for the SmallPlanetEarth.com. So many things were going on during the DNC, with many surprise changes in schedule for City Park. One distracting beautiful surprise was the air sculpture and theater group next to Ferril Lake at the beginning of our walk together.
Click here to see the captioned photos of this 15th walk.
16th TTW Walk, Denver Botanic Gardens.
Topic: “Plants to Planets - Astronomy”
Walk Guests: Cathie and Tim Havens
Walk Co-Hosts: Fran and Richard Rew, and Linda Viray
August 30 , 2008
We celebrated the end of our summer walks with a free picnic before our walk in the Cutting Garden Gazebo of the Denver Botanic Gardens. Diane’s beautiful smile modeling the wayward letter “T” in our viser made the picnic especially wonderful. Our Walk Guests Tim and Cathie Havens made astronomy from “Plants to Planets” come alive in our hearts and minds. And Tim and Cathie Havens’ after walk astronomy “Star Party” in Cheeseman Park was marvelous! They brought several of their telescopes from S&S Optika for us to explore the stars together. Just before the “Star Party”, TTW Walk Co-Host Linda Viray led us in a delightful standing circle of stretching exercises. Fran was having too much fun to take pictures Linda Viray’s exercise circle. We did so much in such a short time! Linda is a Jazzercize instructor at the Jazzercize centers in Aurora and Denver. Walk Co-Host Richard Rew has enjoyed participating in the many “Star Parties” that continue to be made available for free to the general public the University of Denver’s Chamberlin Observatory with the support of through the support of both S&S Optika, and the Denver Astronomical Society.
Click here to see photos with captions under the walk description for this 16th walk.
Last updated January 24, 2009
“Let’s Walk About it!” - Amy Stoehr, TTW Co-Organizer
Topic-Talk Walks, P.O. Box 460605
Glendale, Colorado 80246-0605
info@TopicTalkWalks.com, (303) 321-1064
Copyright 2008-2009, TopicTalkWalks.com
17th TTW Walk, Colorado Springs, Monument Valley Park.
Topic: “Historic Time Traveling - Scottish History”
Walk Guests: Grant and Connie McKenzie
Walk Co-Hosts: Fran and Richard Rew
August 31 , 2008
We had a fascinating walking group conversation with Grant McKenzie about the Scottish history just before, during and after the Jacobite rebellions in the early 1700s. One of the many things that we learned was that wearing Scottish regalia had been outlawed during the rebellions. After the rebellions, wearing the Scottish regalia became an expression of the surviving Scottish spirit and heritage.
Judy and Lee Corder helped us select this beautiful park for our walk on the weekend of the annual hot air balloon festival in Colorado Springs.
Click here to see photos with captions under the walk description for this 17th walk.
18th TTW Walk, Green Mountain H.S. - Second Wind Fund
Topic: “The Treasure Tree:
Helping kids understand their personality”
Walk Guest: Amy Stoehr
Walk Co-Hosts: Fran and Richard Rew, Angela Hansen
September 21 , 2008
Our Walk Co-Organizer and Walk Guest Amy Stoehr introduced us to an award-winning book written to support children’s understanding of their personality. The book is titled “The Treasure Tree”.
This was the first time that Topic-Talk Walks walked as a part of a fund-raising walk. This annual Second Wind Fund walk/run/ride supports a teen suicide prevention program. The topic and the participants supported this mission well as we shared this walk through this beautiful Lakewood area. Topic-Talk Walks collaborated with the Random Acts of Kindness Meetup group who were the first to schedule this walk on their calendar.
Click here to see photos with captions under the walk description for this 18th walk.
19th TTW Walk, City Park
Topic: Multi-Topic
Walk Host: Fran Rew
September 24 , 2008
This was a delightful walk with people Richard and Fran Rew had walked with before (Linda and David Viray, and Rena Geroyan) and some new wonderful people - Colleen and Alex MacNab. Among other topics, Fran discovered she enjoyed riding on Alex’s collapsible scooter. After the walk we shared the fascinating “60 Minutes in Space” presentation in the planetarium of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.
Click here to see photos with captions under the walk description for this 19th walk.
20th TTW Walk, Four Mile Historic Park’s Pumpkin Festival
Topic: “Nutritional Therapy”
Walk Guest: Heike Vargas, Nutritional Therapy Practitioner
Walk Co-Hosts: Fran Rew and Linda Nikkel
October 4 , 2008
The fascinating and fun attractions all through the Four Mile Historic Park’s Pumpkin Festival broadened our topic scope, and helped us share a wonderful time together. Our Walk Guest Heike Vargas, is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner with the Whole Body and Mind Center. Co-Host Linda Nikkel is a partner with BenchmarkJobsNotPeople.com, the entreprenaur’s source. Heike and Linda made both our topic and the historic background topics even more fascinating.
Click here to see photos with captions under the walk description for this 20th walk.
21st TTW Walk, Four Mile Historic Park’s Pumpkin Festival
Topic: “Our 1859 to 1864 Ancestor’s Election Dreams”
Walk Co-Hosts: Ben Michaels and Fran Rew
October 4 , 2008
We were especially fortunate to have this walk co-hosted by a talented well-known performer who was the M/C of 2 of Obama’s Denver area campaign rallies, Ben Michaels.
The day of this walk was one month before our 2008 presidential election. Our walk was about the topic of our ancestors’ election dreams. This was our second TTW Walk on the same day at the Four Mile Historic Park. On this second walk, we did the things we didn’t have time to do on our first walk together. We went on a horse-drawn hayride, watched and tried some stilt walking, and went on a tour of the historic Four Mile House.
Even though we had only brief sporadic walking group conversations about our topic of “Our 1859-1864 Ancestor’s Election Dreams”, because of our historic surroundings, we had a powerful feeling of the contrast between then and now. We could feel how far our ancestors had taken us through those turbulent and much less bountiful years. Our ancestors couldn’t even begin to dream about the bountiful reality that became possible when they began to invest their personal energies less in Civil War during those 5 years, and began to invest more of their personal energies in new private and public industries that are still benefiting us (their ancestors) and advancing today.
Click here to see photos with captions under the walk description for this 21st walk.
22nd TTW Walk, Stapleton’s Central Park
Before the 23th Annual One Sky One World Kite Flying Event
Topic: Open Topic
Walk Co-Hosts: Fran and Richard Rew
October 12 , 2008
Topic-Talk Walks (TTW) and the Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) groups collaborated in scheduling this pre-event walk scheduled before the annual One Sky One World Kite Flying event. Even though the weather was rainy and cold, there was enough wind to make this a marvelous kite-flying day. After our walk, we enjoyed watching large kites make it into the air, and sway with the musical entertainment that continued throughout the day. Stapleton’s Central Park is a marvelous park to walk in throughout the year, and most especially on the day of the annual One Sky One World Kite Flying Event. Roland Allarid participated with TTW in their first video of a TTW first annual collaborative event. Fran Rew and Roland Allarid are preparing this video for broadcast on the Denver Open Media, community TV cable station channels 56 and 57. We have a 53-second video from this event on YouTube.
Click here to see photos with captions under the walk description for this 22nd walk.
23rd TTW Walk, Fairmount Cemetery
Participating with the Colorado Historical Society Event
Topic: Halloween Tour of Fairmount Cemetery
CHS Walk Host: Tom Noel
TTW Walk Co-Hosts: Fran and Richard Rew
October 26 , 2008
This is the first time that Topic-Talk Walks participated in a topic walk organized and hosted entirely by another organization. The Colorado Historical Society organized this popular annual fund raising walk. One of the most adored historical hosts led this walk - Mr. Colorado, historian Dr. Tom Noel. The Model T Ford Club offered chauffeured rides to the many grave sites we visited. Costumed historical re-enactors introduced themselves in their role of the deceased at each grave site that we visited. They invited us to ask the deceased questions about their past, and what they felt or thought about our present.
Click here to see photos with captions under the walk description for this 23rd walk.
24th TTW Walk, City Park
Topic: “Open Topic” and “Colorado History - 1908 DNC”
Walk Guests: Garry and Joan O’Hara
Walk Co-Hosts: Fran and Richard Rew
October 29 , 2008
With the 2008 national election day only 6 days away, our scheduled Walk Guests Garry and Joan O’Hara treated us to a walking group conversation about the history of the 1908 Democratic National Convention in Denver 100 years ago. As we walked around City Park’s Ferril Lake, we talked about how the 90 foot tall colorful electric fountain in the middle this lake, which was built specifically for this convention. Garry made the history the democratic candidate in 1908, William Jennings Bryan, come alive again with the new and the old political agendas reflecting both our progress and our need to progress. Co-host Fran Rew was able to introduce the O’Haras to our TTW members as a result of a collaborative connection with the Fairmount Heritage Foundation.
After our walk we shared a fascinating “60 Minutes in Space” presentation together in the planetarium of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. We were introduced to the spider, Phoebe, training for launching to the International Space Station in November 2008.
Click here to see photos with captions under the walk description for this 24th walk.
25th TTW Walk, City Park
Topic: “Open Topic”
Walk Co-Hosts: Fran and Richard Rew
November 19 , 2008
On this walk we met 3 new friends, and walked again with 3 friends we’ve enjoyed walking with before. It was a lot of fun walking and talking with our new friends ( front row ladies left to right) Sara Woznick, Becci Whitworth and Sima Green. One highlight was to learn about the humorous YouTube video that Becci’s husband, Scott Baxendale had just put online about pretending to finish custom building a celebrity’s guitar in only a few hours in his Colfax Guitar Shop. Sima made the walk extra special by sharing a pre-walk tennis game in City Park with Fran. Sara is Michael Fales niece. The walk was even more wonderful, because Richard and Fran Rew shared the walk with friends who have walked and talked together before - Michael Fales, Garry and Joan O’Hara. After the walk most of us visited the “60 Minutes in Space” presentation together at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. It was fun to share Sara’s fascination with space exploration.
Click here to see photos with captions under the walk description for this 25th walk.
28th TTW Walk, Four Mile Historic Park
Topic: “Open Topic”
Walk Co-Hosts: Fran and Richard Rew
December 7 , 2008
We're standing inside the Four Mile Historic Park with the Grant Family Education Center behind us. In the large photo above, from left to right, walk co-host Fran Rew, Ernie, Jewell Campbell, Joan O'Hara, Elaine, Garry O'Hara, Sybil Rew, and Richard Rew. Heike Vargas and her daughter Emelina joined us just in time for our hayride, and TTW group tour of the historic Four Mile House. No matter how many times we take this tour, we always learn something new. Every volunteer tour guide has their own area of special interest and emphasis about the history.
Click here to see captioned photos of this 28th walk.
27th TTW Walk, Wheatridge’s Clear Creek Trail
Topic: “Persistence”
Walk Guest: Kim Conrad
Walk Co-Hosts: Tabitha Pratt, Fran and Richard Rew
December 3 , 2008
Kim Conrad, our TTW scheduled Walk Guest, led us in an exhilarating walk on the topic of “Persistence”. Kim is the author of the soon to be released book titled “Soul Fully Yours”. After the walk, Kim put us all in the state of awe as she recited her inspirational poems, which she included in her book. Tabitha Pratt co-organized and co-hosted this fascinating TTW walk. Our meetup point was in the beautiful Wheatridge Recreation Center. After the walk, we joined the biweekly Wednesday Science of Getting Rich (SGR) meeting on the topic of “Persistence”. Rae Ann Dougherty led this SGR meeting and gave an especially warm welcome to our TTW group.
Click here to see captioned photos of this 27th walk.
26th TTW Walk, Chatfield’s Denver Botanic Gardens
Topic: “Open Topic”
Walk Co-Hosts: Fran and Richard Rew
December 2 , 2008
Our TTW group joined the colorful “Trail of Lights” event at Chatfield’s Botanic Gardens. This was the first year that this event was held at this beautiful location. The skies were darker there, away from Denver’s city lights. There was a feeling that we were walking in a warm small community, even though there were crowds of people walking along side of us. Co-Hosts Fran and Richard Rew, and TTW members Misha and Michael Fales were late meeting up with the rest of the TTW group, because we were caught in the 45 minutes of gridlocked cars waiting to get into the parking lot. We heard from the rest of the TTW members after the event, and they had a marvelous time at the event as well.
Click here to see captioned photos of this 26th walk.
