The seasonal turning of the leaves in deciduous forests around the world completely changes the living experience and vibe of the morphing landscapes. A beautiful, but stagnant green canvas, transforms itself into a plethora of vibrant colors, the living painting evolves. The turning process has just recently begun in the Hudson Valley so the true magnificence of fall is not quite here. To take full advantage of the beauty of fall in the Hudson River Valley I decided to take a day trip to the newly famous – Walkway Over the Hudson.

Parallel to the Mid-Hudson Bridge (cars/trucks), the Walkway is a reconstructed train bridge and was built in 2009. It is the longest, elevated pedestrian bridge in the world (wow) and is 1.28 miles long. Conveniently located next to the train station, Marist, and the CIA (the secret food agency), it is a hot spot for Dutchess County tourism. After a brief drive from Vassar to the Walkway I found myself stepping into a typical tourist trap. The sun was shining, the leaves were turning, and it was parents’ weekend at Marist. This concoction of humanity was prime for the tourist industry. They sell merchandise as a reminder of a beautiful place, a token of a special memory. It was as if New York City had somehow transplanted itself north, and all of Manhattan was walking the bridge that day.

There were so many people walking the bridge it was almost unbelievable, almost Disney-world-esque. Many walkers were proud parents sporting their newly purchased Marist t-shirts, joining the gang. Others were elderly New Yorkers who walked the bridge with a paid tour guide, educating them on the history of the bridge, the river, and the environment. The bridge and parking is free of charge, however the start of the bridge is a gathering of vendors that range from kettle corn (which I bought) 🙂 to Walkway Over the Hudson merchandise. The tourist trap was unescapable, and I was reeled in by the wonderful smell of popcorn.

From there my friend and I began to walk out over the slow moving waters of the Hudson River. First traversing our way over the highway, the train tracks, and a home who had purchased giant tarps to retain the privacy of their living spaces. From there the famous scenic views began to glow before my eyes. The shining sun, the crisp clouds, the living river, all combined to create a space that would bring a smile to the Grinch’s face. Off in the distance, to our north, a ridge of rolling mountains smiled at us across the meandering Hudson. As we made our way over the river we gradually obtained a better view of the city of Poughkeepsie. Off to the north the CIA’s main building looked almost like the famous Grand Hotel on the horse-and-buggy island society of Mackinac Island in Northern Michigan. Even closer, the Marist campus dotted the shoreline with it’s many academic buildings. Right below the walkway on the eastern shore, abandoned industry had left the area scarred, burned, and visibly useless. A sad sight to see, but a memory and potentially a lesson on how industry effects the natural environment.

As we reached the middle of the bridge, the land and river sprawled before us north and south, our vision limited by the mountains (hills to a person from Colorado). It was a gorgeous day for outdoor activities, and residents and tourists alike were taking full advantage of the beautiful weather. The bridge is tied to the local economy in so many different ways. It is an attraction for the local colleges. For Vassar, Marist, and CIA visitors (prospective students) are able to view the beauty that is the Hudson River Valley. Even the locals are given a new perspective of their homeland, possibly gaining a new appreciation for the natural aspect of their living space. The bridge is a great draw into the Poughkeepsie area, increasing time (and thus money) spent in the Poughkeepsie area. It is definitely used for leisure and recreation, providing a nice outlet and escape from the urban spaces that surround many lives in New York. It is a magnet to the Dutchess County, especially from New York City and it’s suburbs.

The Walkway Over the Hudson is an amazing thing in so many different ways. It provides a healthy activity for locals and visitors alike. It provides a scenic view of the land and hopefully changes some attitudes and views concerning the natural environment. Making people understand that without the land and what it holds, we would be dead. They may finally be able to grasp the full power of nature, before returning to the concrete jungle. The Walkway Over the Hudson should be visited by all who come to the Hudson Valley, I highly recommend it.

For more information – check out : http://www.walkway.org/

P.S. due to tidal changes in the Atlantic Ocean the Hudson sometimes flows north, and other times, flows south ~ trippy ~

C.t.Cederna

When we came rolling up the scenic hills toward Locusts on Hudson, the pleasant aroma of farmland filled the van. The historic estate covers as much as 75 acres of land. In the distance, behind well placed trees, one could catch glimpses of a river rolling by. We met with Zach and Olivia, whose smiles made us feel ever so welcome. They live and farm on this land, owned by a restaurant owner who took to renovating the property three years ago, seeking out farm fresh alternatives in a fixed market. What Zach and Olivia grow mainly winds up on the plate of the New York City restaurant, apart of a hotel with a highline skyline, which is owned by the owner of the farm. Theses farmers have had difficulty working with the chefs, as the restaurant already has a set menu. Thus, the farm is not always able to accommodate the restaurant’s needs.

Zach grew up on a farm in Salisbury, Connecticut. Olivia grew up in New York City. He then went on to study Biology in Columbia and worked for another farmer. He was accustomed to such a lifestyle, while Olivia made very drastic changes to her life.

Locusts on Hudson has a beautiful, particularly rustic greenhouse that was renovated recently. They also boast about 10 pigs, 200 laying hens, and 6 bee hives in addition to their extensive collection of crops and other farm animals. Zach even built a rolling chicken coupe. Occasionally, they rent out pieces of land, and for about 4 to 6 months they host apprentices through an apprentice program for aspiring farmers. 

The are currently experimenting with four season growing on a larger scale, and they’ve found their medicinal teas and spinach, highly desirable in the winter months, to be more than well adapted to winter growing. Although the work is hard (the summer harvest keeps them busy hours on end two out of three days of the week), they love their job.

Olivia said herself: “Hudson Valley is a glorious place. It’s so beautiful!”

Our next stop was Scenic Hudson, a company, set in the middle of a central business district, that protects and preserves the highest scenic, agricultural, and ecological lands throughout Hudson Valley. Their most recent project has been preserving local farms and creating parks and preserves. They have been creating objective plans and analysis to delineate which areas deserve the greatest attention. Such prioritization is based not on politics, but instead on soils composition, size, and intensity of farmland. They hope to build economic resilience by purchasing the rights to certain farms so that they may ensure that the farms cannot be subdivided and changed into anything other than a farm. As of yet, they have protected 73 family owned farms.

I whip across the Vassar Bubble as swiftly as my longboard will take me as the time hits 1:15 (our departure time) and I am still about 500 yards from the runway. Flyin’ past cars, humans, and squirrels alike; I was just praying that the van hadn’t taken off yet. Thankfully, I made it on time and our posse piled into the van and off we went on another Hudson Valley Adventure.

Driving north along the Hudson River we passed the neighboring school of Bard. A small liberal arts college very similar to Vassar, with a campus almost just as breathtaking. We continued on our way, allowing the swift breeze to carry us all the way to Columbia County and into the peaceful retreat known as Grazin’ Angus Acres.

Stumbling out the van I saw a small, rustic farm, it immediately reminded me of home. From the top of a small hill to our right a young woman walked down to meet us. She was a highly educated youngster from Texas who moved to the Hudson Valley in hopes of one day owning her own dairy farm. She was extremely knowledgeable of farming, food, the environment, and the politics surrounding her lifestyle. She then took us up onto the hill she had recently descended to meet the cows she worked with every single day. There were about 20 or so dairy cows roaming the hillside. Eating, eating, and more eating. Grass didn’t stand a chance against the ferocious herbivores. What surprised me more than anything was how friendly the cows were. It was a beautiful thing to connect with a being that wasn’t human. Overall, it was an extremely enlightening experience – and here is my homie Carol…

Hello everyone! My name is Grace Riley. I am from the Big Island of Hawai’i in a town called Hilo. Im a Junior Urban Studies Major with concentrations in Political Science and Women’s Studies. Having grown up in Hawai’i, I am accustomed to the idea of locally grown fruits and vegetables and cool Farmers Markets. However, the Farmers Market in Hilo would be described as a little more hectic and diverse than the quaint little Market in Amenia.

What first struck me about the Farmers Market in Amenia was that it had very little fresh fruits and vegetables and more baked goods, homemade products, and dairy! This is very different from the Farmers Markets I am used to seeing back home. However, the food looked amazing and I was temped to buy it all!

These handmade soaps immediately caught my attention. They were so pretty!

Walking out of the Farmers Market and into the town center of Amenia was an interesting experience. The center of Amenia is home to the only stop light in the town as well as a quirky antique store. This is telling of where the population of Amenia resides and how the town wan’t to appear to outsiders; a unique, little town with much character.

Hello bloggers and readers of the world. My name is Jessica but you call me Jess. What can I say? I was born and raised in Los Angeles and boy is it nothing like the Hudson Valley let alone the small town of Amenia. When I made the decision to move to Poughkeepsie, I didn’t put much thought to how different it would be to live here. I just saw Vassar College. Ever since I first stepped out of the Metro North Poughkeepsie Train Station I’ve noticed differences between the City of Angels and Poughkeepsie. One major difference that seems a bit irrelevant but affects me a lot is that in the past two weeks I haven’t seen or heard a single airplane or helicopter, knowing that in Los Angeles I was repeatedly woken up in the middle of the night by patrolling helicopters(not a soothing sound to wake up to). In the past two weeks I’ve felt peaceful, even after receiving hundreds of pages of reading.

This peace that the Hudson Valley holds can not only be seen at Vassar but also in the surrounding towns like Amenia. When I first heard I was going to visit the Amenia Farmers Markets along with my classmates from Field Experiences in the Hudson Valley, I pictured a huge farmers market like the ones I occasionally visited in Los Angeles.  To my surprise, it wasn’t big at all.  I was a bit hesitant to walk in and explore because I thought to myself “what can this farmers market possibly hold?”. I was definitely surprised when I saw the range of products the different vendors had to offer.

 I personally enjoyed the view of the desserts sold by one of the vendors the most. As I inquired about her absolutely scrumptious looking desserts, the vendor explained how she bases her creations on locally grown fruits and vegetables that are currently in season.  To show for her statement she had multiple creations made out of pumpkin. Apart from desserts, the Amenia Farmers market offered vendors with products like dairy, greek oils, mushrooms, vegetables(that I had never even seen), jewelry and variety of other things.

Along with visiting the farmers market in Amenia, I also visited a drive-in movie theater/ice cream shop there. It had a very relaxed and peaceful essence, it is definitely a place to visit when you’re driving past Amenia although it still hasn’t screened its first movie.  Overall my trip to the Amenia Farmers Market and parts of the town of Amenia was really enjoyable, it is a place that will bring peace and will slow down your busy and stressful lifestyle if you’re from the city like me.