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Harrisburg's Walk to D'Feet ALS
The Harrisburg Walk to
D'Feet ALS kicks off at the Carousel Pavilion located near the
entrance to Harrisburg's City Island. Teams and
individual Walkers can complete their registrations at the Pavilion;
refreshments are also located here.
Inside and all around the Pavilion, there are
entertainment activities for everyone, including a moon bounce, face painting,
door prize giveaways and a live band! Restroom facilities,
including handicapped accessible, are also located nearby.
The Walk route begins at the entrance to the
Walnut Street Bridge, proceeds to Riverfront Park
on the East Shore, and circles back around to the entrance to City
Island. There are few sights as touching and heartwarming as seeing the
entire span of the Bridge filled edge to edge with HUNDREDS of team members Walking
to D'Feet ALS!
For more information regarding the Walk site and
related topics, please see below (information adapted from the Harrisburg Patriot News, Susquehanna
Style magazine, Central PA magazine, HarrisburgEvents.com and other sources):
 | City Island
- Archeological evidence shows that City Island was inhabited by humans as
long as 6,000 years ago. Located in the middle of the Susquehanna River
across from the State Capitol building, the 66-acre greenspace offers a wide
variety of activities. There is ample parking in two lots located directly off of the Market
Street Bridge. |
Visitors can step into
style with an elegant horse-drawn carriage ride tour of City Island and downtown Harrisburg
(offered by the Harrisburg Carriage Company), or
have fun riding a scale version of the Civil War-era steam train ("The General") which
departs every half hour, going
around on the antique, 24-horse half-sized carousel, or sailing on the Pride
of the Susquehanna riverboat. Those looking for a more active trip can
practice their swing in the batting cages, play Water Golf (www.watergolfcityisland.com)
on an 18-hole miniature golf course located on the north end of the island,
softball, beach volleyball, or soccer at the Skyline Sports Complex or swim at City Island Beach.
In addition, great food and
a great view await you at City Island's RiverSide Village Park. Overlooking the Susquehanna River
and the Harrisburg skyline, RiverSide Village Park features seven rustic concession stands
offering roast beef and fish sandwiches, crab cakes, sausages, hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries,
ice cream, sodas & juices and a little bit of everything in between.
The Harrisburg Senators (www.senatorsbaseball.com)
play
all of their home games in City Island's 6,200 seat RiverSide Stadium. An affiliate of the
Montreal Expos, the Senators are Central PA's only AA baseball team. An
interesting baseball tidbit: Babe Ruth once hit a home run at RiverSide that
landed smack dab in the Susquehanna River.
Not only can visitors drive to City Island,
but they can also walk, rollerblade, or bike onto it from either the East
Shore or the West Shore via the Historic Walnut Street Bridge. [Back
to top]
| Riverfront Park
- Harrisburg's stunning riverfront is easy to view from any angle thanks to
the city's beautifully designed park. Riverfront Park extends four (4) miles
along its border with the Susquehanna River, providing the ideal setting for
strolling, bicycling, rollerblading, fishing and picnicking. The Park offers
easy pedestrian access from any part of Harrisburg or from the Market Street
Bridge or Walnut Street Bridge. The Park was
developed in the early 20th century as part of the City Beautiful Movement. |
The narrow park, just wide enough for a paved
walkway and several yards of grass, follows the top of the steep bank,
offering a picturesque view of the mile-wide River's many islands and opposite
shore. Safe from Front Street traffic, the pedestrian thoroughfare contains
several notable sculptures and monuments, a Sunken Garden with well-groomed
topiary, a beautifully designed floral and rock Peace Garden, and a fitness
course. Numerous benches and picnic tables provide an opportunity to stop and
watch the peaceful Susquehanna River flow by.
At several places along the walk, concrete
stairs or paved ramps lead down to a lower promenade that traces the water's
edge for most of the Park's length. Concrete steps built the entire length of
the walkway extend all the way to the riverbed, providing a close-up view of
the ducks, egrets, fish, and other River inhabitants.
With marvelous views from any point of any
walkway, Riverfront Park makes Harrisburg one of the most beautiful riverside
cities in the world. [Back to top]
|
Susquehanna
River - Originating at Otsego Lake near Cooperstown, New York, the Susquehanna
River is one of Pennsylvania's largest natural treasures. The river flows
444 miles into the Chesapeake Bay, near Havre de Grace, Maryland. In the
midstate region, aqua-lovers flock to the River to enjoy the beauty and
serenity of the water as much as to work and play on it. |
Canoeing, camping, fishing, and swimming are
some of the most often enjoyed respites on the water, though cruising on
pontoons, kayaks and the Pride of the Susquehanna would make the top ten as
well. Local residents have also continued to take a conservationist approach
concerning the waterway. In 1999, the Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources approved the Susquehanna River Conservation Plan, allowing for more
funding to be available for conservation efforts.
|
Market
Street Bridge - City Island is accessible from both the East Shore and the West Shore
via the Market Street Bridge. Opened February 27, 104, this bridge is the oldest and most
historic of the bridges still used for vehicular traffic across the Susquehanna. |
Two columns on the east
side are from the old state Capitol, which burned in February 1897. The north column contains a
plaque with historical details about the Market Street Bridge, as well as a stone tablet taken
from the tollhouse of the Camelback Bridge, the covered wood bridge that preceded the Market
Street Bridge. Mounted on the south column is a plaque with historical data about the Camelback
Bridge.
The Market Street Bridge
was widened in 1926 when the eastern span of steel was floated on boats to the west side of City
Island where it was placed alongside the existing steel span. The present stone arch bridge was
constructed at a cost of $2 million on the east side, and the completed structure opened in 1928.
The Market Street Bridge remained a toll bridge until May 15, 1957. On that date, it joined
Harrisburg's Walnut Street Bridge and eight other state-owned spans in Pennsylvania in becoming
free thoroughfares. [Back to top]
|
Walnut
Street Bridge - Opened by the People's Bridge Company in 1890, this is the oldest
surviving bridge over the Susquehanna River. It is one of the last remaining multi-span Phoenix
truss bridges. Nicknamed "Old Shakey," the Walnut Street Bridge survived many floods,
including Agnes in 1972, but lost three spans on the west end when damaged by ice floes in 1996.
It continues to be used as a pedestrian walkway between City Island and Riverfront Park. |
|
Pride
of the Susquehanna - Sailing on the Pride of the Susquehanna is an
experience every midstate resident should have. An authentically recreated
paddlewheel excursion riverboat, the Pride is docked at City Island, across the river
from the State Capital Building. Passengers may sail in the carpeted,
nautically themed cabin, or topside in the open air for a great view of the
Harrisburg skyline. |
During the May through October sailing season,
the Pride hosts 45-minute public cruises, cold deli buffet luncheons, and
sit-down catered dinners with live music. Special group rates are available with advance
reservations; the riverboat may also be chartered for a
private party. In July and September, fireworks displays light up the sky over
the river, and a seat above decks on the Pride of the Susquehanna is the best
place from which to view them.
[Back to top]
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