When my kids want to go swimming, we don't head to a backyard pool or even a lake. Instead, we grab our water shoes and visit the shores of the Hudson River, where admission is free, there's always a breeze, and views of tugs and sailboats keep things interesting. Dogs can jump in, too!

We moved up here to Dutchess County, New York, 13 years ago, and at the time I saw the Hudson as something to be crossed to get to the other side. Picturesque, yes. Swimmable, no.  Downstream in Manhattan, where I used to live, we'd take long walks along the river, but you kinda felt like if the water touched your skin, it would melt off.

So I was surprised to learn that swimming beaches and bathhouses once dotted the Hudson from Manhattan northward. An 89-year-old neighbor tells me that she used to cool off at the same local beach (abandoned for some 40 years) where I take my kids now.

The Hudson's comeback can partly be attributed to another octogenarian, local resident Pete "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" Seeger, the singer, songwriter, and activist. Pete has long raised awareness of cleaning up the Hudson and is now lobbying for a river pool, a floating structure that will draw more bathers to the shores. The fifth annual Hudson River Swim will take place this summer to raise money for the pool. But, as Pete points out, it's not just about the Hudson, it's about taking back rivers everywhere.

www.riverpool.org

                   
                          The girls get ready to take the plunge.

                    
                               Harry enjoys a summer breeze.

                              
                                Examining a tide pool for tiny fish.