----New York for Kids Part 3 continued----
Dear Postcards from New York Reader,
On West 181st Street we found a pedestrian foot bridge over the Henry Hudson Parkway, and we knew we were finally headed in the "right general direction." The experience of being on foot over the highway was a new one for the kids (ages 7 and 5), so we spent some time enjoying the excitement of the fast moving cars below us.
Then moving onward across to Fort Washington Park and the winding path downhill, it was at this point that I knew the children would sleep well that night, a side benefit of physical activity. As we moved south, we looked up to discover interesting views of the bridge through the trees. I found the contrast between the graceful natural lines of the trees and the steel latticework of beams and structural elements of "the big grey bridge" to be a visual treat in and of itself.
The downward path turned again and we were walking under the Parkway, and then, over another small bridge. By now, the children were getting tired, and I had to remind them what an exciting adventure we were on. We were now directly under the George Washington Bridge; we could see all the way across to New Jersey, and the Palisades. They, however, only wanted to know where the Little Red Lighthouse was.
Finally after one last sweeping right turn, there it was; bright red in the sunlight, and smaller than I thought, but just the right size to amaze and delight the children. As I posed them with the lighthouse and the bridge behind them as a souvenir photo of the day, I was approached by a policeman who advised me that due to security concerns it was no longer permissible to photograph the underside of the George Washington Bridge. I felt like Clark Griswold in the movie "Vacation," at the threshold of a great achievement but unable to enter Wally World.
Instead of kidnapping the policeman a la Chevy Chase, we settled for a southwestern view that included the police vehicle, and started the trek back up the hill. The kids were exhausted when we reached the 181st Street side of the foot bridge, so I piled them into the car for the return trip home; saving my other idea - an exciting walk across the George Washington Bridge and back - for another time.
Henry Waxman
For Postcards from New York
Address to Remember: The Little Red Lighthouse, Fort Washington Park, 178th Street and the Henry Hudson Parkway, New York, NY 10033, dial 311 and ask for the Urban Park Ranger. All seven of the Lighthouses along the Hudson River are great fun to explore, click here to learn more about them.
Directions: From Times Square MTA A to 175th Street. Follow directions above to the Lighthouse.
Photo by Henry Waxman
©Copyright 2008 The Cable Group
On West 181st Street we found a pedestrian foot bridge over the Henry Hudson Parkway, and we knew we were finally headed in the "right general direction." The experience of being on foot over the highway was a new one for the kids (ages 7 and 5), so we spent some time enjoying the excitement of the fast moving cars below us.
Then moving onward across to Fort Washington Park and the winding path downhill, it was at this point that I knew the children would sleep well that night, a side benefit of physical activity. As we moved south, we looked up to discover interesting views of the bridge through the trees. I found the contrast between the graceful natural lines of the trees and the steel latticework of beams and structural elements of "the big grey bridge" to be a visual treat in and of itself.
The downward path turned again and we were walking under the Parkway, and then, over another small bridge. By now, the children were getting tired, and I had to remind them what an exciting adventure we were on. We were now directly under the George Washington Bridge; we could see all the way across to New Jersey, and the Palisades. They, however, only wanted to know where the Little Red Lighthouse was.
Finally after one last sweeping right turn, there it was; bright red in the sunlight, and smaller than I thought, but just the right size to amaze and delight the children. As I posed them with the lighthouse and the bridge behind them as a souvenir photo of the day, I was approached by a policeman who advised me that due to security concerns it was no longer permissible to photograph the underside of the George Washington Bridge. I felt like Clark Griswold in the movie "Vacation," at the threshold of a great achievement but unable to enter Wally World.
Instead of kidnapping the policeman a la Chevy Chase, we settled for a southwestern view that included the police vehicle, and started the trek back up the hill. The kids were exhausted when we reached the 181st Street side of the foot bridge, so I piled them into the car for the return trip home; saving my other idea - an exciting walk across the George Washington Bridge and back - for another time.
Henry Waxman
For Postcards from New York
Address to Remember: The Little Red Lighthouse, Fort Washington Park, 178th Street and the Henry Hudson Parkway, New York, NY 10033, dial 311 and ask for the Urban Park Ranger. All seven of the Lighthouses along the Hudson River are great fun to explore, click here to learn more about them.
Directions: From Times Square MTA A to 175th Street. Follow directions above to the Lighthouse.
Photo by Henry Waxman
©Copyright 2008 The Cable Group
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