Friday, May 17, 2013

Down By The Susquehanna River

Do you have a river flowing through your city or village?  Have you ever given it much thought?

The Susquehanna River flows just a few blocks from where I live - I would bring my son down there sometimes when he was younger (much younger).  We would walk, skip stones, and otherwise enjoy ourselves.  I am a big believer in exposing children to nature at an early age.

Where I work in downtown Binghamton, New York I am near two rivers - the Chenango and the Susquehanna.  There is a little park where they meet called Confluence Park and a couple of nearby bridges that cross the Susquehanna.  As for walking - there is a walking trail called the Riverwalk.

At lunch yesterday, I took a walk with a work friend.  This is what my friend and I saw yesterday, down by the Susquehanna River on the edge of downtown Binghamton.
The South Washington Street Parabolic Bridge.  This historic bridge is now pedestrian only.  I've walked across it many times during exercise walks.
Another view of the mighty Susquehanna, near the "confluence" of it and the Chenango.
Our rivers here give us life.  They can also sweep our life away- there have been several historic floods of the Susquehanna, the most recent in September of 2011.

The Chenango River is too shallow for commercial navigation but can be kayaked or canoed.  The Susquehanna, too, provides hours of enjoyment for kayakers and others, especially as you get into Pennsylvania. This mighty river is 444 miles (715 km) long.

Do you have a river near you?  I hope it is not too polluted, which is a story for another day.  If it isn't, pay it a visit and let me know what you find.
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9 comments:

  1. Toni NelsonMay 17, 2013 at 9:53 PM

    Love all the photos especially the first. I live near the gulf so I'm able to look at the beautiful shades of blues and greens everyday:)

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    1. bookwormMay 17, 2013 at 10:40 PM

      Your view must be beautiful indeed, especially with the palm trees.

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  2. Kathy HadleyMay 17, 2013 at 10:36 PM

    Yes, we have the Arkansas River flowing down the middle of our city. It separates east side from west side.

    :-)

    Kathy

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    1. bookwormMay 17, 2013 at 10:42 PM

      Wichita. I lived there for four years back in the late 70's. I remember the Keeper of the Plains statue at the confluence of the Arkansas and the Little Arkansas rivers. We could use a beautiful statue at the confluence of our rivers.

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  3. UnknownMay 18, 2013 at 8:16 AM

    I love rivers! I am blessed to live on one and also have an awesom beach nearby!

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  4. UnknownMay 18, 2013 at 8:18 AM

    I love rivers! I am blessed to live on one and can launch my kayak from my back yard and kayak to the beach on Lake Michigan!

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  5. Francene StanleyMay 18, 2013 at 1:23 PM

    I enjoyed the visit to your river. We don't have one close by, but there's a small lake not far away. I love watching insects.

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  6. AmyGMay 18, 2013 at 7:19 PM

    Alana,
    We have a small river (named, ironically, the Big Blue) and my kiddos and I went down to spend some time there just a few days ago. We skipped stones, and picked up fossils, and hiked and just enjoyed the river. I enjoyed your sharing your river with us!

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  7. Tammy GildenMay 19, 2013 at 12:40 AM

    Alana,
    We toured Binghamton a few times and really enjoy rivers and any hiking walking area. thank you for a delightful informative post.

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