For those of you who enjoy walking the Highline, take a trip up to Poughkeepsie and walk, jog, or bike along the Walkway Over the Hudson. According to its website, the 1.28 mile long pedestrian bridge in the longest pedestrian bridge in the world. It spans the Hudson from Poughkeepsie to Highland, NY and offers stunning views and the chance to do a little exploring on either side of the bridge.
The Walkway has been open since 2009 and draws approximately 500,000 visitors annually. Groups come to walk en masse, families 
walk children in strollers and their dogs, and bicyclists and rollerbladers zoom by. There are signs along the bridge with history notes and information about some of the birds you may see flying by. Obviously the largest number of visitors head up in the coming weeks to enjoy the beautiful fall foliage.
There are a number of food stands on either side of the entrances and there are a couple of restaurants under the bridge on the Poughkeepsie side. We like to take a five minute drive from the bridge to Vassar College. The quaint college square offers some good restaurants, a park to take a sandwich, and some interesting little shops. On the Highland side you can access the Hudson Valley Rail Trail for more rugged hiking. There’s a train ride along the Hudson to get you in the mood for the walk and the Walkway can be either relaxing or rejuvenating – depending on your speed. AFW
