Review of Walkway Over The Hudson State Park and New Jersey State Botanical Gardens

 

Walkway Over The Hudson State Park, NY

Our family had booked a week long stay at Mountain Creek timeshare for the month of September back in May, not knowing then, that our mother would pass away towards the end of August.  We had, as usual, wanted to spend time together like we did twice previously in November 2020 and in March 2021.

After the funeral was over, my wife, myself, and my sister-in-law decided to go to that timeshare as that was what she would’ve wanted us to do anyway, to spend quality time together.  It was during this particular trip that we explored Walkway Over The Hudson State Park and New Jersey State Botanical Gardens.  

Both of these attractions are about an hour drive from Mountain Creek area.  We were glad we explored both of these places, as they were absolutely beautiful in their own unique ways.

We left our condo at around 8:00 a.m. hoping to be back at the condo before we hit any traffic when coming back from Walkway Over The Hudson State Park.  As we got near the park, our Google Maps tried to take us to a different place than what the road signage said.

We instead took a chance and turned left (rather than go straight as per Google Maps), when we saw the signage for the park.  We were glad, as we saw many cars parked along the road, as well as many visitors heading towards an entryway to the park.

We parked our car about 50 feet from the entryway to the park, then started heading towards the park.  Already by around 9:30 a.m., we saw plenty of people enjoying their visit.

We walked to where the visitor information kiosk was for a pit stop, then headed towards the gigantic bridge.  There were people walking, taking photos everywhere, and bicyclists heading towards the bridge.

What a view!

At the entrance to the park

This is a popular trail for hikers/bicyclists 

View of the bridge

We couldn’t help but be impressed by the majestic views all around us.  The bridge itself is wide, easily able to accommodate 8 people at a time.  The views on either side are incredible.  Hudson River, which we are all familiar with growing up in New York City, had a completely different feel near this park.  

River is of course immense (much wider than at New York City) the further upstate you go, but the scenery is really the icing on the cake.  Everywhere you look, there’s beauty:  the immense forested area on either side of the bank, beautiful buildings on the hills, and the many Hudson River bridges.

Thanks to many benches on the bridge, we stopped to take in the scenery.  As we walked, we saw many people walking their dogs and we saw families (and their little ones) enjoying a day outside, and gawking at the scenery. 

View looking East

View looking north

We noticed an elevator that takes you to the ground floor so you can see the Hudson River up close and personal.  This is something you may want to try if time permits.

We immersed ourselves in the views every few minutes, looking north/south/east/west.  The panoramic views afforded by the vantage point up on the bridge is second to none.  We were glad we stopped by…

When we had finished our walk, we were getting hungry.  We looked for a Chinese food takeout place and we found it in the town across the river in Poughkeepsie.  We found the food delicious and reasonably priced.

After finishing our takeout inside the car, we headed back to our condo in Mountain Creek.  Luckily, we didn’t hit any traffic!  

We arrived at our condo to enjoy some beautiful views from the deck overlooking the mountains.  We also enjoyed some locally produced corn we had bought a day prior from a farmer’s stand called Green Valley Farms of Crystal Springs.  

Farmer’s stand where we bought corn and other stuff

Awesome sunset at Mountain Creek 

View from the deck 

After resting for a day, we did another day trip, this time to the New Jersey State Botanical Gardens in Ringwood, NJ.  I had seen photos of the gardens during my research, and I knew this was a place we had to explore!

New Jersey State Botanical Gardens is the former estate of Clarence McKenzie Lewis, a stockbroker and a civil engineer.  The garden sits on 96 acres, and is surrounded by over 1,000 acres of woodlands.   Besides the gardens, the Skylands Manor is a popular wedding venue with gorgeous statues and landscaping.  

The drive to the gardens took us about 50 minutes from Mountain Creek area.  We arrived at little after 10:00 a.m. and noticed the parking lot was empty, except for one vehicle.  

We parked the car at the Parking Lot B, which worked out fine for us.  After walking not more than 50 feet, we saw the entrance to the gardens.  We walked in (no admission by the way), we found a beautiful walkway lined by trees which we had to walk.

Walkway lined by trees 

Flowers were still blooming in early September 

Beautiful views everywhere 

We walked as far as the tree lined walkway would allow, then headed back to view the gardens.  We were surprised at how many flowers were still in bloom in early September.  We counted our blessings at being able to enjoy colorful flowers.

Many awesome views of flowers

Manicured gardens view

Gorgeous flowers

New Jersey State Botanical Gardens sign

We sat down at one of many benches at the gardens to just enjoy blooming flowers and other flora.  We loved that there were still plenty of bees getting their fill of sweet nectar from different flowers.  We each commented on how beautiful the place was.

After few minutes of rest and relaxation, we headed off to check out the Skylands Manor.  Although the manor was not open to the public that day, we still enjoyed everything else the manor had to offer, including beautiful statues, paved stone walkways, water fountains, and more flowers.

We took the paved stone walkway towards the water fountains, pretending we were some rich nobility enjoying their morning walks.  We each pretended to speak with a British accent, befitting a gentleman and a lady.  After amusing ourselves, we stopped at the water fountain area for a breather.

Skylands Manor 

Stone walkway 

I love lotus flowers!

Beautifully maintained gardens

We were surprised to see koi swimming around the pool, effortlessly weaving in and out of the lotus flowers and its roots.  There were hundreds of them in all different sizes and colors.  We stayed few minutes to watch them play.

After enjoying the gardens and the manor, we started to head back to the parking lot.  It was a great day!  We loved the gardens so much that we went there one more time during our week long stay at Mountain Creek!

In conclusion:

One thing we always realize during our travels is that there is always something to do and see, no matter where we go.  You would think staying in Mountain Creek for the third time within a year would limit what we can do and see, but this is just not the case.

There are always places to see and to explore, if you search hard enough.  I think we’re so lucky to be living in the United States where there are National Parks/Forests, state parks/scenic areas and local parks everywhere.

Every one of these places has left an indelible mark on our travels.  Some may be well known, while others not so much, but each one of them provides a temporary resting place for our tired souls.  It’s literally a chicken soup for our tired and stressed lives.  

We’re so thankful we found two of these great places to rest up and be energized.  We hope it can have the same kind of soul cleansing effect on you as well, if you ever get to visit them. 

We thank you all for reading!

Jake

Wandering Money Pig 

Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 things to do in Ocean City, Maryland’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 things to do in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Review of Bushkill Falls and Grey Towers.’

Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 natural attractions in Las Vegas’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Review of Zion National Park’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Review of Vdara Hotel’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Review of Chateau at Coindre Hall’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 things to do in Oyster Bay’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Review of Ocean Casino Resort’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Review of Wildwood Park and Fort Hunter Mansion’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 things to do in Ottawa’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Review of Fiore Suite and classic room at the Borgata’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 places with awesome views near Harrisburg, PA’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 things to do in Quebec City, Canada’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 quintessential places to visit in New York City’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Review of Ricketts Glen State Park, PA’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Review of Beaufort, NC’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 things to do in Vernon, NJ’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 things to do in Harrisburg, PA’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 things to do in Montreal, Canada’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Review of Falls Lake Dam Recreation Area, Wake Forest, NC’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 parks to visit in Bogue Banks, North Carolina’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Review of Niagara Falls State Park’.

Please click here if you missed our ‘Top 3 things to do in Claysburg, PA’.

Please check out our YouTube channel ‘Wandering Money Pig’ showcasing our travels and our Pomeranian dog! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3kl9f4W9sfNG5h1l-x6nHw