This article was written as a submission to the Hudson Valley Parent Magazine. Consideration for publication is pending.
Spring has sprung and summer is on the horizon. As we step outside our doors, we are welcomed by the songs of the Robbins, the sweet aromas of young blooms and the sense of hope for today and even tomorrow. The struggling forces of the economy and the government, can be forgotten, even if just for an afternoon. Finding retreat from the woes that surround us can be found right in our neighborhoods of the Hudson Valley. Better yet, they can be found for little to no cost at all. Pack a picnic lunch and grab the kids as we venture off to three local parks in the Town of Newburgh, Beacon and Cold Spring.
We begin with Chadwick Lake Park, located on Route 300, just north west of the junction with Route 32. In recent years, the park has seen a multitude of renovations that has made the park a local hot spot with the families of the area. Offering a fantastic children’s park that includes jungle gyms, swings, rock climbing walls and gigantic climb and slide apparatuses, this section was designed with the 6 years and under age group in mind. Accompanying adults have several benches to rest upon while watching their little ones play hard. If you pack a lunch or snack, you can find a spot under the nearby pavilion to take shade and fuel up for a second round of fun. In addition, Chadwick Lake Park boasts amenities such as bocce, basketball, boating, fishing, a roller hockey rink, an ice skating rink when seasonably reasonable and a picturesque walking trail that encircles the lake. An annual permit is needed to utilize the park, with the resident fee being $15 per household, non-residents at $30. However, if grandma and grandpa are senior residents, they get to bring the grandkids for free! More information on the park can be found by logging on to http://www.townofnewburgh.org./ Click on the "Recreation" tab and look for Chadwick Lake Park. Information calls can be handled at the Ranger Station at (845)564-0608.
Let’s cross the river and enter the City of Beacon. Again, with the age group of six and under in mind, we can gather at the Wee Play Children’s Park within the grounds of the Beacon Memorial Park. Conveniently located on Fishkill Avenue, the park grounds are vast and varied. The newly designed park has many of the same great attributes that the Children’s Park at Chadwick Lake offers. Phase I of this park was completed in 2006 with two more phases on the plan books. Besides the playground, there is also a Children’s Garden in the works. Combined, the park provides for both educational and recreational needs. Walk the path up the wooded hill to find shaded areas with picnic tables and grills, a wonderful retreat from the sun! If you find yourself in the mood, just across the street is Ron’s Ice Cream, a refreshing way to end your day in the park. Through the Wee Play Project, the Beacon Recreation and Highway Departments and donations from local residents, the dream of this park is coming true. Visit http://www.weeplayproject.org/ to see how you can still contribute to the future phases of this park.
It is likely that any tot in Cold Spring, NY can tell you about Tiny Tots Play Park. This park was the inspiration for the Wee Play Park in Beacon and shares the same success in how it serves it’s community. Designed in an esthetically pleasing manner, this park entertains tots six years and under with a rock tunnel, bouncers, seesaws, an enormous sandbox, (the sand gets changed as needed for health and safety reasons), and hopes to add a Toddler Town Playhouse, Drive Thru and Trike Path. The park is supported and maintained by the Friends of the Tots Park volunteers. You can support the park and the ongoing maintenance by logging on to http://www.totspark.blogspot.com./ If you want to add to the adventure of the day, starting from the Newburgh Landing, a morning ferry across the Hudson River can be taken to the Beacon train station. From there, it is just a hop on to the Metro North train, getting off at the Cold Spring stop. Bring a supply of cold water for refreshment as the climb up the hill to the park is steep, but the reward of the park is great. You can find out about the ferry schedules at http://www.mta.info/mnr/html/raillink/newburghferry.htm and train schedules athttp://www.cfdcny.org/page30001.cfm
http://www.mta.info/mnr/index.html.
It is comforting to know that we don’t have to spend much of our hard earned money, or even none at all, to have a relaxing and memorable time with our families. All we need is a brown bagged lunch, plenty of water to re-hydrate with and the desire to spend real quality time with the little ones in our lives.
References:
http://www.townofnewburgh.org./
http://www.weeplayproject.org/
http://www.totspark.blogspot.com./
www.mta.info/mnr/html/raillink/newburghferry.htm
http://www.mta.info/mnr/index.html.
Spring has sprung and summer is on the horizon. As we step outside our doors, we are welcomed by the songs of the Robbins, the sweet aromas of young blooms and the sense of hope for today and even tomorrow. The struggling forces of the economy and the government, can be forgotten, even if just for an afternoon. Finding retreat from the woes that surround us can be found right in our neighborhoods of the Hudson Valley. Better yet, they can be found for little to no cost at all. Pack a picnic lunch and grab the kids as we venture off to three local parks in the Town of Newburgh, Beacon and Cold Spring.
We begin with Chadwick Lake Park, located on Route 300, just north west of the junction with Route 32. In recent years, the park has seen a multitude of renovations that has made the park a local hot spot with the families of the area. Offering a fantastic children’s park that includes jungle gyms, swings, rock climbing walls and gigantic climb and slide apparatuses, this section was designed with the 6 years and under age group in mind. Accompanying adults have several benches to rest upon while watching their little ones play hard. If you pack a lunch or snack, you can find a spot under the nearby pavilion to take shade and fuel up for a second round of fun. In addition, Chadwick Lake Park boasts amenities such as bocce, basketball, boating, fishing, a roller hockey rink, an ice skating rink when seasonably reasonable and a picturesque walking trail that encircles the lake. An annual permit is needed to utilize the park, with the resident fee being $15 per household, non-residents at $30. However, if grandma and grandpa are senior residents, they get to bring the grandkids for free! More information on the park can be found by logging on to http://www.townofnewburgh.org./ Click on the "Recreation" tab and look for Chadwick Lake Park. Information calls can be handled at the Ranger Station at (845)564-0608.
Let’s cross the river and enter the City of Beacon. Again, with the age group of six and under in mind, we can gather at the Wee Play Children’s Park within the grounds of the Beacon Memorial Park. Conveniently located on Fishkill Avenue, the park grounds are vast and varied. The newly designed park has many of the same great attributes that the Children’s Park at Chadwick Lake offers. Phase I of this park was completed in 2006 with two more phases on the plan books. Besides the playground, there is also a Children’s Garden in the works. Combined, the park provides for both educational and recreational needs. Walk the path up the wooded hill to find shaded areas with picnic tables and grills, a wonderful retreat from the sun! If you find yourself in the mood, just across the street is Ron’s Ice Cream, a refreshing way to end your day in the park. Through the Wee Play Project, the Beacon Recreation and Highway Departments and donations from local residents, the dream of this park is coming true. Visit http://www.weeplayproject.org/ to see how you can still contribute to the future phases of this park.
It is likely that any tot in Cold Spring, NY can tell you about Tiny Tots Play Park. This park was the inspiration for the Wee Play Park in Beacon and shares the same success in how it serves it’s community. Designed in an esthetically pleasing manner, this park entertains tots six years and under with a rock tunnel, bouncers, seesaws, an enormous sandbox, (the sand gets changed as needed for health and safety reasons), and hopes to add a Toddler Town Playhouse, Drive Thru and Trike Path. The park is supported and maintained by the Friends of the Tots Park volunteers. You can support the park and the ongoing maintenance by logging on to http://www.totspark.blogspot.com./ If you want to add to the adventure of the day, starting from the Newburgh Landing, a morning ferry across the Hudson River can be taken to the Beacon train station. From there, it is just a hop on to the Metro North train, getting off at the Cold Spring stop. Bring a supply of cold water for refreshment as the climb up the hill to the park is steep, but the reward of the park is great. You can find out about the ferry schedules at http://www.mta.info/mnr/html/raillink/newburghferry.htm and train schedules athttp://www.cfdcny.org/page30001.cfm
http://www.mta.info/mnr/index.html.
It is comforting to know that we don’t have to spend much of our hard earned money, or even none at all, to have a relaxing and memorable time with our families. All we need is a brown bagged lunch, plenty of water to re-hydrate with and the desire to spend real quality time with the little ones in our lives.
References:
http://www.townofnewburgh.org./
http://www.weeplayproject.org/
http://www.totspark.blogspot.com./
www.mta.info/mnr/html/raillink/newburghferry.htm
http://www.mta.info/mnr/index.html.
