Scenic Hudson Poetry Event and Cycling Tour Great Ways to Enjoy Fall in the Hudson Valley

Self-guided "ParkQuests" encourage exploration anytime

HUDSON VALLEY – Scenic Hudson parks are perfect destinations for outdoor fun during the beauty of autumn. Scenic Hudson will host a poetry event and cycling tour of Dutchess and Columbia counties during September. For driving directions and to RSVP, visit www.scenichudson.org/events. Joining Scenic Hudson's e-mail list lets outdoor enthusiasts receive a monthly calendar of Scenic Hudson outings right in their inbox.

Also, Scenic Hudson ParkQuests are self-guided discovery challenges that provide an ideal outing with the kids any time of year. Adults also will enjoy the adventures. Check out the quests offered for six popular Scenic Hudson parks at www.scenichudson.org/parkquests.

Sunday, Sept. 12 4:30 – 7 p.m.

Sunset Poetry Reading -- Scenic Hudson's Poets' Walk Park, Red Hook, Dutchess County

This 120-acre park is nestled in the region's famous National Historic Landmark District and offers breathtaking views of the Hudson River, Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge and Catskill Mountains. A visit to this property by Washington Irving is said to have inspired his classic story "Rip Van Winkle." Guests will gather at the park's rustic cedar pavilion and enjoy refreshments while listening to valley poets read their works as the sun sets against a backdrop of the river and Catskills. The featured poets are Celia Bland, Mikhail Horowitz, Will Nixon, Phil Pardi, George Quasha and Charles Stein.

Saturday, Sept. 25 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. (registration 8:30 – 9:45 a.m.)

Farmland Cycling Tour -- Scenic Hudson's Poets' Walk Park, Red Hook, Dutchess County

As cycling is growing in popularity, a good turnout of riders is expected to meet at Scenic Hudson's Poets' Walk Park for a ride through the beautiful, rolling countryside of Dutchess and Columbia counties. Besides catching occasional glimpses of the Hudson River, riders will pass working farms Scenic Hudson has helped protect and farmstands offering fresh produce. When participants return to the park after 15-, 30- or 50-mile rides -- as well as a 7-mile route for families with children -- there will be a lunch provided courtesy of Gigi Hudson Valley Catering of Rhinebeck. Live music and family-friendly activities will round out the celebration of the season's beauty and bounty. There is a suggested donation of $15, with children under 12 free.

Scenic Hudson works to protect and restore the Hudson River and its majestic landscape as an irreplaceable national treasure and a vital resource for residents and visitors. A crusader for the valley since 1963, we are credited with saving fabled Storm King Mountain from a destructive industrial project and launching the modern grass-roots environmental movement. Today with more than 25,000 ardent supporters, we are the largest environmental group focused on the Hudson River Valley. Our team of experts combines land acquisition, support for agriculture, citizen-based advocacy and sophisticated planning tools to create environmentally healthy communities, champion smart economic growth, open up riverfronts to the public and preserve the valley's inspiring beauty and natural resources. To date Scenic Hudson has created or enhanced more than 50 parks, preserves and historic sites up and down the Hudson River and conserved more than 30,000 acres.

###