Walk your dog over the Hudson

Kate is taking advantage of a nice, warm autumn day to snooze on the patio. If this weren't the only day of my weekend, I would probably join her.

Yesterday, I had to work, covering the grand opening of the Walkway Over the Hudson, the former Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge, now converted to the world's longest pedestrian span.


Above is a picture of the Poughkeepsie side entrance to the linear park. About 1.25 miles to the west is the entrance in the Town of Lloyd — over the majestic Hudson River (212 feet above the water), spanning two counties.

I wrote a story for today's paper about the Walking on Air parade.

I also got the opportunity to speak with a lot of people about what they thought of the new walkway. That story is here.

I was pleased to see a number of people bringing their dogs to the bridge on the first day.

In my second story, I spoke to Sean Ring, who along Dutchess, his 2-year-old Rottweiler, was making his first journey on the span.

Ring, a City of Poughkeepsie resident, said he would definitely be bringing both of his dogs to the new state park.

The FAQ on the walkway's Web site has lots of information for people who want to come to the bridge. There is a Web cam, provided by the Dutchess County Tourism, where you can watch people walk along the bridge.

In particular, dog owners should pay attention to the following:

• Only leashed dogs and other pets will be allowed on the bridge. Pet owners will be responsible for the removal and proper disposal of pet waste.

• The practice of carry-in, carry-out will be strongly encouraged. However, some garbage cans will be strategically located on the bridge.

I don't know whether some enterprising souls will be selling water or other drinks so it might be a good idea to bring some water for your dog as well as yourself.

Have fun, and drop me an e-mail telling me what you think of the newest tourist attraction in the mid-Hudson Valley.