The Reset Button

Aleathia says:

I had the pleasure of camping with my friend Annette this week. She is a wonderful woman who brings out some great qualities in me and helps me to stay true to the important things in my life like yoga, meditation, a good diet, tea, and being aware of the world around me. Earlier in the summer we took a road trip together...13 hours on the road each way and not once did we want to kill each other. That is a good traveling partner.

Life has been stressful in the last few months and the both of us are settling into defining how we want to live life right now and learning what our dreams hold for the future. On a whim I had asked her if she wanted to go camping for a few days and she was excited to. Neither of us had camped in a long time and a nature reset was just what we needed.

Annette is a raw vegan. I am a swarthy meat eater. We get along because we don't make it political. It is just life choices. I decided that this trip I would eat her diet for several reasons. I was having stomach trouble and eating raw meant that I didn't have to bring the usual 10 tubs of cooking gear to manage outdoor meal time. I was leery about whether or not I would feel like I was starving, but even with over 25 miles of walking and hiking, I wasn't weak or dizzy once. This really showed me what my body is made of and what it can do with different kinds of fuel.

Now this wasn't a teetotaler sort of trip. We drank rum like it was going out of style and indulged in some fancy s'mores. We had deep conversations as we walked and drank. We laughed by the fire and even had some tears. We looked at stars and waterfalls and everything green. What we did was get to know each other outside of work just a little better.

In the mornings, we did yoga by the waterfall. This was an other worldly experience to have such a connection with nature and do our individual practices. The sound of rushing water like a mantra that spoke to us in different ways.

We made a dedication to hike the entire gorge loop starting with the Gorge Trail  up to Lucifer Falls and back down on the Rim Trail which overlooks the lower falls. This hike was full of steep elevations and crazy sets of stairs. One false move and over the cliff you could go to a most certain sort of death. We met so many people along the way each of them in different stages of physical health and hiking ability. The great thing was that both Annette and I have the same hiking pace. What a rare happening to find a hiking partner on the first try!

When we reached the bridge to the Rim Trail I had doubts as to whether or not I wanted to climb more stairs to Lucifer Falls. I was getting tired, my hips were hurting, and I was feeling a little defeated. I said fuck it and up we went. If I didn't get to the top I would have regretted it greatly. Once up there we looked at the falls and had a snack. We rested for about 20 minutes and then I felt great again. We made our way down the other side of the gorge and what a glorious feeling to breech that last gate and know that you've accomplished something you had tried to do several times before but could not.

This camping trip was good for the soul. It truly was a reset button for me. It has given me new direction in my life and a more positive perspective about my future and all the dreams it holds. Always reach for the distance. It's so beautiful when you get there.

Let's Go Somewhere-8/5/2014 Canandaigua KOA

Aleathia says:

We do a lot of writing about going places around here.  Always leaving, always going away.  These days I have not done as much traveling as I would like, but this half of the year will see that changing.

What is summer without camping?  Last year we camped our brains out, but with having a 100 pound Husky who doesn't tolerate the heat, it makes going into the woods a bit more difficult.  So old Marshall is going to stay at my friend's kennel for a few days while we head out.

Now it won't be down and dirty camping.  I'm old and I can't stand listening to the kid gripe about how boring the woods are.  She is happiest with a computer in her face, but I try like hell to get her outside into the world.  The compromise was spending a little extra to stay at a KOA.  She seems like she is dreading camping, but she has never enjoyed the wonders of KOA.  I think I may have stayed in one only once as a kid.  There is mini golf, a swimming pool, game room, movie room, and bike and boat rentals.  What is not to love?  I'm not a kid and I LOVE that.

I guess it is just the age, or just my kid being lame sometimes, but I always loved camping at her age.  I loved the silence of it, the solitary moments, and the opportunity to meet people I would never see again.  It is the perfect recipe for fun.  So here is to the end of summer.  Grab your sleeping bag and tent.  Stoke up the fire and get one with nature and the peace inside yourself.

Let's Go Somewhere-6/3/2014

Aleathia says:

It is summer time folks and I can tell that by the sweat running down my back without moving a muscle.  It is what we begged for all winter long when we were shivering in the -20 winds.  This time of year our sleepy valley really comes alive and there are so many things to do that you don't have enough time to fit them all in.

Ithaca, NY is constantly voted one of the best small towns to live in for its great arts and music community. It is like a big old hippie commune with some college students thrown in for fun.  It is where the activist go to settle down and the naturalist go to take in the beauty of mother nature.

Just a short ways from Ithaca in Trumansburg there is a festival held every year called Grassroots.  It is a three or so day festival filled with world music, hip hop, country, local bands, bluegrass, and zydeco.  There are tons of stages, great food, and fun activities for the kids.

Before the inauguration of Grassroots, there was a benefit held at The State Theatre in Ithaca to help raise funds for a local AIDS charity called AIDSwork.  One of the participants was a band called Donna the Buffalo. After this charity event, the band decided it would be great to start a 4 day festival filled with local bands and artists as well as international favorites to raise money for local charities.

The first year I went, I took my daughter.

Listening to a band called New Neighbors

Many people from my work go to this festival every year...especially the ER doctors who had been like family.  Each year they have a prime spot for camping on the infield stage.  They invited us to set up our tent near theirs to help keep people from tromping through the site all day.  It was close to everything which I thought was great.  It was, however, an utter nightmare outside of theory when you have an 8 year old with you.  It was noisy and all the drunk people spent most of the night falling on our tent or stepping on our heads.  During the day it was great.  If you are going to camp, camp the edges where you'll get some sleep.

Infield camping at its finest

My first year there I went because I was going to get to see Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings and Toots and the Maytals.  They were both great shows!  My daughter had fun during the day at the Bubble Man's station and enjoying the food.

The Bubble Man aka Dr. Mark

After the rough camping incident, I had a hard time convincing my daughter to go back to the festival.  It took several years to remove the bad taste in her mouth and the only way I could get her to go with me is if we didn't camp.  It worked out for the best.  We went in 2011....the hottest summer on record in our area in a long time.  It was brutal, but the music was great and we danced and ate and laughed.

         

                                                                

                                                                                                        The Folkadelics

Dancing to The Gunpoets

Despite the heat, the crowds, and the long hours spent in a festival setting, it was worth it every time.  The festival supports their community, artists get to display their wares, local bands get a leg up, and the community has a chance to come together every year.  Friends meet up and enjoy the opportunity to let the rest of the world go.

This festival is always held the second weekend of July so you still have time to enjoy the madness.  This years headliner is Dickey Betts.  Have a great time!

Let's Go Somewhere-5/20/2014 Watkins Glen State Park

Aleathia says:

Living in upstate NY we have plenty to do all year round, especially in the summer time.  Michael and I both love camping so instead of leaving the state last summer, we decided to travel here and camp.  About 30 minutes down the road you run straight into Seneca Lake.  The Finger Lakes are rich in beauty, bounty, and entertainment.

Watkins Glen State Park is a huge tourist destination.  You get to walk through a natural made gorge and experience stunning waterfalls. If you have enough lung power you can hike all the trails which can get pretty steep, but it is worth it in the end.  I have only done it one time and nearly didn't finish due to an asthma attack, but a couple of hits off the puffer and a few encouraging words, and I made it to the top.

We decided to camp last year at the state park camping grounds.  It was one of the best maintained camp areas I had ever stayed at.  The bathrooms were well cared for, they had new playgrounds, and educational opportunities in the evening time.  The camp site we had was secluded yet close enough to the bathroom and activities that it wasn't too bad of a hike.

How could you wake up each morning and NOT want to see this?

In Watkins, they also have a nice boat tour of the lake which tells you some history of the lake and how the area was settled.  A few miles up the road you can go to a huge open air flea market called The Windmill. Loads of fresh produce locally grown, baked goods, handmade crafts and other sundries.  Also up in that area is Reisinger's Apple Country where you can go sit in the big chair and then pick some of the most flavorful apples I've ever eaten.  The family is kind and informative.

So if you are looking for a great place to camp and you'll be in upstate NY, then you should consider Watkins Glen State Park.  You won't be sorry.