Programs

Join Andy Niekamp and Karen Power as we relive our 35-day journey of culture, friendship, and faith on the Camino de Santiago during the fall of 2023. Our route, the classic and most popular route, the 480-mile French Way, stretches from St. Jean, France over the Pyrenees Mountains to Santiago de Compostela, Spain, the final resting place of the Apostle Saint James.

The Camino is Spain, past and present. Our route took us through medieval cities and areas of natural beauty such as Pamplona, famous for its bull run; La Rioja wine region; Burgos with its magnificent cathedral; elegant Leon and Ponferrada with its Templars Castle. From Ponferrada, the Camino continues through Galicia over the mountains and picturesque village of O Cebreiro.

As pilgrims, we endured the extremes of heat, cold, wind, and rain over steep mountains, on wooded paths, rolling farmland, and paved roads. We stayed in picturesque towns and villages, pensions, hostels, hotels and an alburgue. Learn why the Camino de Santiago, a thousand-year-old footpath, is often called a journey for the body, mind, and soul. Come to hear why so many people from around the world embark on the Camino de Santiago.

BIO:
Andy "Captain Blue" Niekamp, an IT professional turned long-distance hiker, has been a wilderness adventurer for 35 years. Karen "Tagalong" Power started "tagging along" on his adventures ten years ago. Together, they have shared many miles of hiking on various trails, including the Appalachian Trail, Florida Trail, Arizona Trail, Pinhoti Trail, Sheltowee Trace, and Foothills Trail.

Andy has logged over 20,000 miles of long-distance backpacking, including five end-to-end hikes of the Appalachian Trail. He is the founder and organizer of Dayton Hikers, a Meetup hiking group with 8,500 members, and the Chief Adventure Officer of Outdoor Adventure Connection, a backcountry guide service. His passion is organizing special hiking events and encouraging others to get involved in trail maintenance.

Karen is a retired college professor, a grandmother of four, a volunteer trail maintainer, and an educator at local parks. Karen's 3,000 long-distance hiking miles have inspired a non-lucrative hobby as a freelance writer, cartoonist, and writing coach.