Newark Riverfront Park Celebration

Today we joined in the Newark Riverfront Park dedication celebration.  This is an amazing new park that completes another section of riverfront park along the Passaic in Newark, They are nearing the downtown area and the park is right along Raymond Blvd. 

We had been asked to volunteer to help people learn how to paddle the kayaks they were borrowing from Essex County but when we got there we saw only canoes. It had also been raining had so they decided to cancel the paddling part of the event. This was disappointing but we went ahead paddling ourselves.

 As we were on our way to the Newark Bay just approaching the New Jersey Turnpike we received a phone call that they were launching the canoes and could we please come back.

 So we paddle back upstream as the tide also began to come in. We paddled passed the Red Bull Stadium, NJ Transit and PATH trains as well as alot of bird life. We saw Snowy Egrets, Great Blue Herons, Turkey Vultures, Seagulls, Cormorants and a number of other shore birds on the mud flats.

See the Path Train in the background

 A few of us patrolled the bridge above to keep the canoes from paddling up to Paterson. We enjoyed talking to a variety of people out for a little paddle in the canoes. While Rick stayed at the dock to help people and I stayed at the bridge Eric took the boys upstream to the railroad bridge. The tide turned quickly and really started moving upstream. By the time we were back driving up Rt. 21 home it was nearly full flood tide.

All in all it was a wonderful afternoon on the water and we were glad the Newark is also rediscovering the Passaic River. The program had a poem from Langston Hughes on the cover.

I've known rivers
I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers.
I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young.
I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep.
I looked upon the Nile and raised pyramids above it.
I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln went down to New Orleans, and I've seen 
    its muddy bosom turn all golden in the sunset.
I've known rivers: Ancient dusky river.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers. 
                   -Langston Hughes