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26 Hudson Valley Parent ■ June 2015 By KATHY NG I f you ask anyone who lives in the Mid-Hudson Valley to list their favorite local attractions, you will hear the Walkway Over the Hudson over and over again. It is not hard to understand why. What beats a stroll on the longest raised pedestrian walkway in the world, complemented with beautiful river and mountain views? One of the best things about the walkway is that it's enjoyable to everyone. Its wide and flat surface means anyone young and old can have an easy, pleasant stroll — even for parents pushing strollers and people in wheelchairs. And at 212 feet tall and 1.28 miles long, it is the longest, elevated pedestrian bridge in the world — almost a 3-mile round trip walk from the parking lot. The Ulster County side You can access the Walkway from either Poughkeepsie, on the Dutchess County side, or from High- land, on the Ulster County side. From Highland, the Walkway connects to the rest of the Hudson Valley Rail Trail. If you are interest- ed, you can keep walking along the trail that will connect you to Fran- ny Reese State Park, The Highland Landing Park, or Main Street High- land. While there are vendors selling food and water at either end of the walkway, you don't have to go far to find more shops and restaurants in Highland. The Walkway Café offers a good selection of homemade soups and sandwiches, and the Frozen Ca- boose sells local Jane's and Perry's ice cream, soft-serve and smoothies. That sure is something to look for- ward to after a walk on a sunny day! The Dutchess County side On the Poughkeepsie side, the Walkway elevator (installed last year) takes you down to the river- front Waryas Park, and from there it's a 15-minute walk to the Metro North Poughkeepsie train station. If you would like to explore Poughkeepsie after the Walkway, you will find a playground and a skate park at the waterfront below the bridge. And, of course, there is also the Mid-Hudson Children's Museum, a perfect place to spend a few hours with children ages 6 and under. Looking to dine by the riverfront? The Poughkeepsie Ice House is located right by the river, and the River Station offers great seafood and burgers, a chowder bar, and an outdoor deck for you to enjoy the beautiful view. Special events The Walkway is a great place to people watch. On a nice weekend, you will often find different organi- zations with activities, sometimes offering face painting, free balloons, and live music for children and adults. To check out their full list of upcoming events, visit walkway.org. Walkway events coming up this summer and beyond: • The Walkway Marathon, Saturday, June 13 • 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular, 5:30 to 10 p.m. (tickets required) • Movie Nights on July 11, July 25, August 8, and October 3 • Jazz in the Valley, Sunday, August 16 • Starry Starry Night, Friday, October 2, 6 to 10 p.m. Kathy Ng lives with her family in Dutchess County. She runs the blogs goodhomeshudsonvally.com and realestatehudsonvalleyny.com. Photo by Jason Taylor A day at the Walkway Your guide to the world's longest pedestrian bridge