Crossing the Brooklyn Bridge, Finally!

The Brooklyn Bridge!

Yay Baby!

You know how some people say you should do something that scares you every day?  Well, I took this to heart before I got off of the subway to get to the Brooklyn Bridge.  I hate bridges, I hate bridges a lot!  It isn't the height or the bridge itself, but rather the whole water thing that bugs me.  I really am terrified of deep water which mystifies some.  Look everyone is afraid of something so I have learned not to judge people based on their fears, but some just can't understand the fear of water.  I can’t explain it, it is just reality!

After exiting the R train at City Hall, the bridge was several blocks away giving me time to rethink the whole bridge crossing thing.  My friend Noah knew what I was up to as he saw the whole caged animal looked written all over my face.  He told me I had wanted to do this and it was high time I did it! 

Woo Hoo the Verizon Building!

Slowly the bridge came into view as we past City Hall.  Look, it is a great bridge not my favorite as that honor belongs to the Verrazano Bridge, but it is a close second!  The walk towards it wasn't all that bad and I didn't really feel as if I was on a bridge at first.  But as the notorious wires came into view, I knew there was no turning back.  The only way to get over the fear, get an adrenaline rush by doing a big jump photo!  And I did!  I did the mother of all jump photos!  After that, I was ready!

First off, there were five billion people on the bridge, mostly tourists.  Not really a problem as it is a very touristy activity, but I didn't think it would be as crowded as it was, it was mind blowing! The second thing to note is that there are a lot of joggers running on the bridge and they get pretty pissy at people for walking on the bridge leisurely or for stopping to take photos.  This has always struck me as odd in NYC.  I used to run track in school and one of the worst surfaces you can run on is concrete, it is bad for the knees.  Next, you live in NYC, don't get annoyed with people for walking on the sidewalks, they are there for walking, not jogging, especially at rush hour.  And lastly, when you run, you take in large amounts of oxygen.  Why would you want to run in a congested place with tons of traffic just to inhale fumes deeply into your lungs when you could just go to the park?  This defeats the whole heath benefit aspect.  Rant over...but be aware, there are a lot of cars going across the bridge as well, they are just on the lower level, but you will smell the lovely exhaust at times.Just a note, because of the cars below, you never really come close to being near the edge by the water on the bridge which made it less painful and almost fun for me.  The bad thing is that when the traffic gets going you can feel the movement from time to time or maybe I am just a big baby!

I Survived and Got a Decent Pic!

There are two areas where you can pull over and get great photos of the skyline without pissing anyone off.  That is where you will find many tourists getting photos with the Empire State Building and the iconic Verizon Building.  I even got a photo to prove that I had survived my walk across the bridge.  Yay!

In the end, I think that walking over the bridge is great thing to do while in NYC, but be aware that it is windy a lot of the time which is great during the summer months, but bad news during the winter months unless you are a real thrill seeker.  At the end of the 45 minute walk a great time was had by all, and maybe just maybe if asked again, I would go if only to get my photo with the Verizon Building again.

International Pillow Fight Day 2011!

It Begins

Ah, there was excitement in the air as today I would be attending the annual International Pillow Fight Day!  Unfortunately, due to an early morning Geology class, yes Geology, I had to be up by 6:30AM making me pretty damn tired!  So 6 hours and a big ass coffee later, I was ready to meet my friend for the main event!

Heading down to Union Square I couldn't help but be pleased with the weather.  It was a little chilly, but still the best weather we have had for a long time.  I eventually found my friend and was surprised to see he had bought full body pillows which seemed pretty damn lethal!  Apparently they were the cheapest thing at the local .99 cent store yet they cost 5.99!  Ah, I love a good mystery!

Wee, Let's Kick Some Ass!

Before entering the arena, you get checked by an officer to make sure you have a pillow and nothing inside it to hurt anyone.  I have a feeling that most police officers wouldn't mind working this gig as you get to see a lot of idiots assaulting each other with pillows and you don't need to step in but just watch the action.
Stepping into the arena, everything seemed innocent enough, but I did feel a little like an extra in Gladiator.  Well, except I had a stupid bag over my shoulder that included a laptop to take notes in class.  Trust me, Maximus would have used it if he had one!


It started out innocent enough.  Everyone stood around chatting waiting for the big countdown to occur.  Once it did, you could see everyone taking their stance pillow above head.  As the countdown hit 0, all hell broke loose. 


Immediately, a crazy frenzy of pillow hitting enveloped the group and I soon lost sight of my friend.  As I got pummeled by 3 pillows at one time, I realized that I may never see him again and after battling my foes, and nursing my wounds, I may have to skip dinner at my favorite Vietnamese restaurant and head back to Brooklyn by myself hoping he made it out okay.


Apparently, it had turned out that he wanted a little more action and headed into the center of the arena in search of the crazies pillow fighters from hell as he apparently had some pent up aggression he needed to get rid of.  Let me put it this way, he has four brothers, he is use to receiving and inflicting large amounts of pain.

Punk is Going Down

I remained on the outskirts of the arena but I soon learned that this was not a happy fun event for the faint of heart.  People were hitting people full force and had even hidden heavier items in their pillows to inflict more damage.  People were getting bruised pretty badly due to these imbeciles who enjoy taking it to the next level.  I eyed a bunch of parents with small children from the corner of my eye.  They soon realized that unfortunately in NYC events like this can take a change for the worst due to idiots who don’t want to play fair.


I did stay in the action for a good 15 minutes before realizing after being kicked in the shin full force that it was only going to get worse as the adrenaline got pumping higher.  That and my stupid laptop was holding me back from swinging the pillow over my head full force.  I know how to wield a pillow trust me, but I also needed those notes for finals if I ever had any hopes of getting into graduate school.  Priorities my friend! So in search of my friend, I pulled over to the side of the arena. There I spotted a few small children and decided to have a little fun whacking them with tiny hits so that they could get into the action with someone who was not out to kill anyone.  You haven’t lived until you are ganged up on by a group of 5-6 six year olds.


After another 10 minutes, my friend finally came over red in the face with a look of satisfaction.  He apparently had kicked the hell out of several punks who were loading their pillows with extras when they tried to gang up on him.  He knew what to do, again he has four brothers.  I was raised around all brothers too, but for some reason this was just way too crazy for me.

Getting the Aggression Out!

As we walked out of the arena, I asked him if he would do it again knowing what it was like.  The photos online make it seem like this happy little childhood place of happy pillow fights and puppy dogs.  It is not.  It was more like a scene out of some crazy prison movie!  He said he would definitely be back next year as he thought it was a lot of fun to beat the hell out of people with pillows, especially the punks.  Me not so much.  Maybe I was just made to be a spectator in the wonderful world of pillow fighting.


So know the facts before you go to Union Square.  It is nothing like the photos!  It is pure chaos and there are punks in the group looking to hurt other people because they suck.  I wouldn’t advise bringing small kids here, I really wouldn’t.  Just know that once you go into the arena, you will be hurt in some way unless you really didn’t participate.  My bruise finally healed after a week and a half.  


But there are some fun aspects as well.  It is a freak show in the greatest sense! People come in full costume to partake in the madness which adds to the surreal experience.  You can tell that these people have been to the event many times before and had no hesitation getting into the mix.  Also know that if someone gangs up on someone too aggressively goodness will prevail as many strangers will band together to kick this person’s ass.  That was a lot of fun to watch as many had watched these punks take out people who couldn’t defend themselves with packed pillows.  We watched in satisfaction as they got nailed by 5-10 bystanders who didn’t like the way they played.  Good will always beat out evil, even in pillow fights!

Thinking of Japan

Temple Grounds in Nara

Japan is one of those special countries that you have a hard time erasing from your memory once you have left it.  Last Spring was my first trip to Japan, and while there, I knew it was special.  It is completely different from any of my travelling experiences thus far as it is a country rich in history, culture and deep rooted traditions.  


After I returned form Japan, I had hundreds of beautiful photos to go through along with amazing memories that kept swirling through my head.  It had been a successful trip and one that had definitely made it into my top three countries visited.  

Deer in Nara

As Spring approaches, I find myself thinking about it often. I can't get Japan out of my mind for soon Cherry Blossom season will be upon the country making Japan even more unforgettable than it already is.  You haven't fully lived until you have seen Cherry Blossom season in Japan.  To see the hundreds of people walking down the row of cherry blossoms in Ueno Park in an attempt to get the perfect photo.  You haven't lived until you walk through the historic streets of the Gion district of Kyoto trees in full bloom, hoping to get a glimpse of the Geiko (Geisha) as they hurry off to a nearby teahouse.  You haven't lived until you have walked through the traditional temples of Nara feeding the deer that dot the landscape cherry blossoms floating like light pink snow after a quick wisp of wind rustles through the trees.  It really is special and indescribable.  The longer I am away, the more special Japan becomes to me.  It really does stay with you in a way may places can't, it truly is magical.


I had thought about possibly going back this year, but having been there before, my travelling partner wanted to see something new.  Also, with the problems with the reactors and lack of supplies due to the earthquake now is most likely not the best time which is unfortunate.  For me, I am most impressed with how the Japanese are dealing with this tragedy.   There has not been one documented case of stealing anywhere within the region.  In fact, there are many cases of people sharing what they have with other people for the greater good of the community.  This most likely would not happen in any other country in the world.  To me, this speaks volumes about Japan and its integrity. 


Once everything settles, I would encourage everyone to go to this wonderful country.  You can see through this experience what an amazing and strong country Japan truly is.  Watch closely, in the next few years, Japan will come back better and stronger than before and I hope to go back to see it for myself.


I am thinking of you Japan during this difficult time and I can't wait to come back, you truly are unforgettable.   Text Red Cross to  90999 to Donate $10.

Springtime in Nara

Blossoms in Tokyo

My Obsession With Wagashi Continues...

Yummy Ysuya

This week while walking through midtown I came across Minamoto Kitchoan a Japanese Wagashi store that specializes in Japanese pastries.  I knew the place existed as my friend had told me about it and had even bought me a few samples before our trip to Japan a few months back.  For some reason, the place had slipped my mind but lately I have been having cravings for delectable Japanese sweets as they had become an obsession while traveling in Japan.  So with a giddy step in my gait, I skipped through the glass door leading me into the promised land that would satisfy all my wagashi cravings.

Cute Packaging Ensures Freshness 

My first impression was the minimalistic approach that was taken with the decor, it did remind me of some of the specialty stores that I had set foot in while visiting both Kyoto and Tokyo.  The store is very clean and bright with several display cases holding the different types of treats.  You can buy the sweets individually or in boxes for gifts.  One of my favorite aspects was how traditional the store was as far as service.  the woman was very polite and placed all of my items in a very cute bag with a little cover on top to keep the treats from getting ruined from the rain.  Also when she took my money she put it onto a tray and then handed my money back to me on the same tray which is how it is done in Japan.  

Because the sweets are imported from Japan several times a week, they are more expensive then other pastries you may get around Manhattan for example in Chinatown.  To me, it's worth it as they are made in Japan with some of the finest ingredients and the presentation of the treats are beautiful!  They do have a stamp card available for frequent buyers.  For every $5.00 you spend you get a stamp and after 20 stamps you get a $5.00 gift card.  That is a lot of mochi, but after trying the treats I know I will have no problem filling the card.

Must Have More Kumquat Mochi!!!

I bought four different treats while in Minamoto Kitchoan: Tenkataihei a little fish filled with red bean paste, Ysuya which is a pancake filled with red mean paste (yes I love red bean paste!), a chestnut flavored treat that I don't remember the name of and my absolute favorite a mochi filled with white bean paste and kumquat.  The woman who helped me mentioned this mochi was her favorite and after eating it, I whole heartedly agree!  It was amazing and if they have a box of these on my return, I may have to take out a small loan to invest in a box! 

So thank you Minamoto Kitchoan and the green tea mochi ice cream for satisfying my cravings for Japenese sweets.  Lately I have been having withdraw and this is a perfect way for me to enjoy the sweet tastes of Japan while sipping green tea as I flip through my cherry blossom photos. 

Wagashi Unleashed!

The Magic of Red Bean 

Mochi Green Tea Ice Cream Bon Bons!!!

I Present the Mochi Ice Cream Bon Bon!

Every year around this time I start to get that strong urge to get the hell out of my apartment and NYC in general.  Why?  Because I feel as if I have been holed up in one building only to go straight to another one and become holed up again!  I can’t stand the cold and feel like a hibernating bear trying to find that one special den to keep my cold butt happy all winter long until the weather improves.  Look, I know the groundhog predicted only six more weeks of winter, but I know better, the little dude is usually wrong and I know how NYC rolls.

Yep, I Tore Into the Packaging Like a Wild Animal!!!

Recently I have been thinking a lot about my trip to Japan several months back.  It really is an amazing country with so much culture and tradition, beautiful temples and wonderful food, especially the sweets.   So while walking through my local Asian Market to pick up some red rice wine and water chestnuts I stumbled upon the freezer section.  I was happy to see my favorite shrimp dumplings and grabbed a bag but not before my eyes came upon an amazing sight…Mochi Ice Cream Bon Bons!  Yes, Mochi Ice Cream Bon Bons in six delicious flavors! Immediately I was struck by the mango and red bean flavors, but I knew what my heart really yearned for and dug into the back of the freezer until I came upon what I desired most, the green tea mochi!  Yes, I love green tea anything, it's a subtle flavor when used in sweets, but a delicious one.  I also contemplated getting the mango ones, but the price was pretty steep, $4.50 for a box of 8!  I understand that it is a specialized product so I paid the cashier and was off.

Bag to Keep the Mochi Freezer Burn Free!

Vulnerable Mochi

I won’t lie, I know it is strange to be eating ice cream when it is 26 degrees outside, but I was missing Japan and some of the yummiest treats I had ever encountered.  Well, I will say this, the mochi ice cream did not disappoint.  Mochi is a unique consistency and one that many people many may not care for.  Me, I had to walk away before I ate the whole damn box!  The mochi was perfection while the ice cream was the perfect light creamy flavor I expect from my green tea ice cream.  The bon bons are small, but that is normal for Japanese desserts as with most places in the world, the proportions are small in comparison to the insanity of American plating.

Sweet Mochi Goodness

Though the ice cream is expensive, I fear that in the next few weeks, I may drop around $15.00 for three different kinds as the Mochi Ice Cream has affected me much like coffee does, it is like crack!  This time I would like to get the Mango and Red Bean Paste Mochi along with the Green Tea; it really is my favorite.  Yes, they have flavors like chocolate, vanilla and strawberry, but those are flavors I can get from the local freezer case everyday though not in mochi form.  I miss you Japan.  I love you mochi… 

We Need More Snow in NYC

Yum!  Fresh!

I know most people with disagree with me on this, but snow sucks!  Do I ever like it?  Nope!  This isn't a new thing for me either.  Ever since I was a kid, I have hated snow.  I just never understood the appeal!  I remember the first time I ever saw snow.  Being from California, I rarely came in contact with it.  In fact, I think I was 6 the first time I came face to face with it.  

Whoopie!!!

One day, I woke up and there it was almost by magic!  I had never seen it in person, only on random TV shows here and there.  My Mom thinking this was a defining moment of my life bundled me and my brothers up and sent us on our way.  My first reaction to the barely covered green grass peaking out the blanket of thin snow?  There wasn't enough if it!  Maybe enough for a tiny baby snowman, definitely not enough for snow angels or sledding.  My second reaction?  This is colder than hell, I am going back inside where it's warm! From the comfort of my house I directed the making of the snowman, nose pressed against the chilly glass of the window pane.  As time passed, this sentiment did not changed,  I still hate snow!

I know most people find it to be pretty and peaceful, but they apparently have never lived in NYC!  It is even worse here!  In NYC, the snow lingers a lot longer than many other places.  Sure snow lingers in places like Wisconsin and Minnesota, but the difference is you do not have the amount of people in these places that you do in NYC.  By the end of the first 24 hours, there will be dirt, trash, dog poop and even vomit embedded in the snowdrifts.  Yes, vomit!  Why?  Because that's what the drunks do every damn night!  Puke!  In the end, the "pretty" snow ends up being defaced by the grossness that can be NYC.

Face Plant Snow Angel

Sadly, a few nights ago, we were hit by yet another snowstorm.  When I moved to NYC, I knew that the winters were a lot harsher than on the West Coast, but I never signed up for this craziness!  My friend from Wisconsin is even baffled by how insane the weather has been and he likes snow!

When the snow hit Thursday, nobody expected it to be as hardcore as it was, they only expect 2-3 inches to accumulate.  In my hood, we got about 8 inches while other areas got over a foot!  Unacceptable!  But who are you going to complain to?  Pretty much anyone who will listen, but it still won't do jack as Mother Nature will just tell you to shove it and dump another foot of snow on your ass!  Fantastic!

So on Thursday, struck with another bout of insomnia, me and my roommate ran outside at 2:00AM to finally have fun in the snow before the dog crap and Friday night puke desecrated it.  You have to move fast in these here parts my friend.  Look, I can't travel much in winter, in fact, I hate leaving the apartment, so I decided to flip my mind and pretend that I was in the Alps frolicking through the newly fallen snow.  It worked until I found a rat burrowed into the snow digging into a newly dumped trash bag...lovely!

So enjoy the marvels of the aftermath of 5 blizzards in NYC.  My favorite photo is the Hill O'Snow as I like to call it.  Its humble beginnings began in December during the first blizzard!  I am scared to know what lies at the depth of its center but will find out come April!

Climbing Everest!

 

Haunted by Pigeons

For some reason, I am being haunted by pigeons.  While sleeping in the morning, I heard my cat freaking out about something by the window while hearing the sound of something tapping on the window.  Living in NYC, I was horrified as I didn't wan to see what was tapping outside of my window even if it was the daytime.  I opened the screen to see this!

Crazed Tapping Bird!

Horrifying!  Just look at the beady eyes on that thing!  I tried to shoo him away by hitting the glass, but he only pecked more.  I finally went back to bed, threw the covers over my head and went back to sleep.  No big deal, it had never happened before and I doubt it will ever happen again, the odds are with me as there is no reason for him to return as it is a crappy place to nest and there is no food!

Later on in the week, I was going home on the subway but there were problems with the line, go figure as the MTA stinks!  Because of a problem on my train's line, I was forced to take another train to the end of the line and then take my train back up to my stop.  It sucked, but I soon was amused by the spotting of this guy.

Didn't Pay Full Fare

He had gotten on the train at Stillwell and decided to take train to the next stop.  Well, I am glad someone is getting a good deal from the MTA!  I had to wonder though if he would take the train back to find his family and friends.  Do pigeons mate for life?  Do they have friends? I doubt it, as they are pretty greedy creatures so I figure they probably don't get to attached to places or other pigeons.  I just hope if he does have responsibilities he made it back in time.  Probably not though as the trains are rarely on time.  Just for the hell of it, here is another shot as it made me laugh for a good 2 minutes making me look like a crazy person.  Odd, because you don't normally see too many crazy people on the NYC subway system...

Looking for a Seat Before the Upcoming Busy Stop

Good times!  But my pigeon encounters didn't stop there, which frightens me!  Yes, they are everywhere in NYC, but they aren't normally this bold or obvious.  You just learn to dodge them, especially the ones that dive bomb your head.  They just become a normal fixture of NYC much like piles of puke on Saturday night and the dog poo you are forced to avoid thanks to the careless owners who don't pick up the special delivery from their pooches.  But this week, the pigeon encounters kept coming fast and furious

It started on Saturday.  After a stop at Starbucks for a big ass coffee due to my extra early class on Saturday morning, I headed towards the college.  It was early yet to head to class and I made the decision to take a walk around the neighborhood rather than go downstairs to the basement of hell at my college to try to force myself to stay awake as the process of the Linear Regression was explain ad nauseum.  Look, there is no way to make stats fun, period.  See, this is what I do when I am early to functions.  Take a walk around the neighborhood rather than be cooped up inside hating life.  Even in my day to day life, I get antsy, thus my life is one big wanderlust.  I get bored easily and would rather get lost in the sights of the city and sounds of my iPod.

While turning a corner, I noticed a huge moving mass on the ground.  As first, I wasn't sure what it was until I got closer.  But soon it became clear.  There was at least 75 pigeons swarming to get something on the ground.  I had no idea what it was, I don't know if I wanted to know what was there.  Could it be The Ark of the Covenant, the Passage to Atlantis, or did I possibly just find Waldo?  The truth is I never found out as I didn't want to get anywhere near that mass for fear they would freak out and come at me crapping all over me before class.  In the end, I only got these pictures before running away to the safety of the next avenue over.  If I am brave enough, I may venture to the street next week to see f they are still there.  Why?  Because it is disgusting yet fascinating.  See for yourself:

Disturbing Yet Fascinating! 

 Hopefully this trend o'pigeons will end this week and I will be able to go back to my normal relationship them. 

Goodbye Fall, Hello Cold, Cruel Winter

A Walk Through Central Park

First off, thanks to the people who emailed me about the blog it is really appreciated.  And they weren't even my family or friends but people who stumbled on the site.  This blog is a great way to let my family and friends know what I am up to, but I am happy if others enjoy it.  I haven't been on as much lately due to my impending finals, auditions and job search.  Life has been busy, but good!  Onto what's new...

Fall is still in full swing until December 21^st, but it sure feels like winter is here full force.  Then again, I am a cold weather lightweight.  If it dips below 50, I will complain, a lot.  It has been in the 30’s and 40’s and even with many layers of clothing, I am still freezing.  Good times for me until the end of April.  That’s what I get for being a Californian, a weather wimp.

Still, I never get tired of the sites of NYC, especially as the seasons change.  I am a fan of photography and take way too many photos trying to capture everyday life.  Ah, another artistic endeavor I cannot make a living off of!  Yay!!!

So now, I would like to bid a fond farewell to Fall, even though technically is is still Fall.  Too bad!  When it drops into the 30’s, it's officially Winter, even if it is in the middle of Summer.

So enjoy some of the sights around NYC amid the changing leaves:

Most of the pictures were taken in Central Park.  Central Park is the best place to see the leaves change in NYC because there are so many trees unlike the rest of Manhattan.  I miss trees, well, nature in general, though I see plenty of animals on the subway everyday...  The day I took these photos, I was wasting time in Central Park rather than doing what I should be doing, studying.  Nature trumps boring subjects I didn't want to take anyway!

Nature's Fireworks in Central Park

Three of the photos were taken in Washington Square Park when my friend Angie and crew came to visit in NYC for a few days.  They had never been to Washington Square Park and we happened to be in the area.  There were some great photo opportunities due to the lighting from the clouds breaking after a brief rainstorm.  These pictures were taken earlier than the Central Park photos so the trees were just starting to change.  There also was a great shot of a person peeing in a fountain, but I don't really care for those kind of nature shots...

Washington Square Park

Highway Madness and Final Thoughts on West Virginia

Dirty After a Long Day of Hiking

So I would like to talk about how amazing our last day of our adventure was, but the reality is that nothing really happened as we were heading back to NYC.  We got up early refreshed and ready to go.  Okay, not so refreshed as we had been burning the candle by both ends, but the hotel room was really clean compared to the one the night before.  The breakfast was okay, mostly carbs and more carbs, though they did have yummy bagels as was requested by Noah. 

Yes, on the request form that is on their website Noah was a smart ass and wrote, “Please make sure you have some yummy bagels.”  It was damn funny at 2:00AM when the hotel was booked, but we had forgotten about it until the guy who checked us out asked if we had found the bagels they had out on the spread “yummy.”  I lost it and went into a laughing fit while Noah replied, “Indeed, thank you very much!”

Entering West Virginia

So off we went to make it back to Philadelphia where we would catch our bus home.  The ride was crazy in the morning on the route we took, so we decided to go onto a highway that had a toll.  Because of the toll, most people bypassed it, but let me tell you, it was a dream!  Hardly anyone is on it and it is quite spacious.  It was worth the $7.00 we paid just to escape the headache of dealing with stupey drivers.

There is a refreshment area before you get too far onto the highway which was nice.  There we decided to grab a coffee as we were pretty tired.  Let me just say this place was not as amazing as we thought it would be even though it was in the toll area.  First off, some crazy woman wearing pajamas walked out of the building carrying food even though Noah had held the door for me as I was halfway through already.  I have to be calm around rude people like that as it is hard for me not to say something, but after she pushed through, I walked through the doors saying “thank you” to Noah.  She replies, “yep” as if she had done me a favor.  I had a few choice words to say which will not be repeated.  It takes a lot to make me lose my cool!

Point Pleasant

Noah laughed and reminded me that we would be getting a Starbucks which would make me happy as their coffee is strong enough to keep me going.  When we walked up to the counter, no one was there.  About two minutes later, the guy who was working there came back after he was done talking to the person at the Subway counter.  The guy stared at me in a way that made me a little uneasy, he never blinked!  As I began my order, a fly went past the guy’s face and he caught it in his hand squishing it, his eyes never leaving my face and his eyes still didn’t blink.  We grabbed our coffees and got out of the area as fast as possible, it was all just too weird.

As we walked out to our car, we were surprised to see three dudes leaning against it having a conversation.  Okay, this place was a freak show!  When they saw me entering the car two of the guys moved while the third one didn’t care.  I finally had to ask him to please get off of our car so Noah could get in.  This place was crazy!

Crazy Turtle!

In the end, it saved us a lot of time and we got to our destination an hour early.  It was worth it, I just wouldn’t stop at that scary area ever again for a pit stop as it was way to questionable.  Back in Philadelphia we decided to see if we could get onto an earlier bus as it was pretty empty and we didn’t want to stay there for an additional hour and a half as we didn’t feel it would give us a lot of time to do anything. 

I have to say that in the end, I really loved West Virginia.  Yeah, people will make comments about it saying that it isn’t one of the more interesting states or make fun of it for other reason.  Well, I am here to say that they are wrong.  West Virginia rocked!  If you are an outdoorsy person, get there quick, you will love it.  Even if you are not, there is still plenty to do and their weekly festivals are a blast.  Example, there was the Road Kill Festival that next weekend.  We were disappointed to be missing it, but were satisfied that we had finally gotten to the Mothman festival, so it didn't matter.

So thank you West Virginia for showing me a good time!

Bat Boy, Bikers and Seneca Rocks!

The day before had been so long and crazy, we were too tired to really complain about the hotel room we were in.  I won't lie, it was old and smelled like wet dog. I do have to say that besides the orange bedspread, the hand towel in the bathroom was the scariest sight I had seen in at least a month.  I opened it up before stepping into the shower to find that there was an old large brown stain on it.  That in my mind could only mean one thing and it wasn't a good thing.  I threw the wash cloth onto the floor and decided to clean up without the help of a washcloth as it would probably be more sanitary in the long run.


What was even more bizarre was that the cleaning crew kept trying to get into our room starting at 7:00AM in the morning.  7:00AM!!!  The woman tried 3 times before we finally started to get our stuff together and leave.

Water Wheel of Fun

Because of the dirtiness of the place, the next morning, we decided to skip the free breakfast and grabbed a coffee while snacking on our store bought goods.  After the washcloth incident, we figured it probably wouldn't be a good idea to eat the food from the establishment.  This place was an interesting West Virginia experience of its own.


So after we grabbed our iced coffees, we were on our way once again.  Today we knew that we had an ambitious itinerary as it was our last full day.  Noah had an interest in seeing a cave while in West Virginia as he had never been in one before.  When I was about 7 I had gone to the Oregon Caves on a family road trip from California to visit my grandparents.  I remember being freaked out due to the heights and the steps that seemed rather questionable.  There came a point where there was a high climb to some room that I just couldn’t do.  My brothers laughed in my face while Mom stayed below with me.  Yeah, nice caving memories.  


Still, I am one to face up to my fears and told him I had no problem with it.  I mean I was 7 years old at the time and felt it was possible that I was overreacting.  I do remember the dank coldness of the cave and pulled out a thick sweater and change into sneakers as I did not want to repeat the stupidity of the day before.


It was decided that we would be going to the Lost World Caverns as they were on our route and looked to be pretty easy to handle.  On their site, we noticed that they had the Wild Cave Tours.  It is a four hour trek deep into the caves with a guide.  There you climb through small spaces, splash through water and mud and just have a crazy good old time.  After seeing some of the photos, I wanted to do this, but we had limited time and Noah didn’t appear to be into the whole experience so we stuck to the plan of taking the 40 minute self guided tour.

Onto the Cave Adventure!

The ride to the caves was about the same as any other drive.  We got behind a 90 year old guy going 15 under the speed limit while the cars behind me tailed us one inch from the back of our car.  Finally, the guy turned onto a dirt road and the pack was off.  It didn’t take long before we got to our destination.  


The road to the caves is marked, but we weren’t prepared for a full on narrow gravel road.  It was crazy!  Because the car was borrowed, we were a little nervous to take it down the road, so we took our time so as not to bang it up with flying rocks.  It took a good amount of time before we finally reached the cave, but there were greeted by a beautiful horse and a nicely kept wooden establishment with a working waterwheel churning away.


Noah was pretty giddy when we hit the door as he knew he was a few feet away from the site where the infamous Bat Boy was spawned.  Yes, the infamous Bat Boy supposedly came from this, the Lost Caves.  Now why would anyone be this excited over a bat child?  Well the same reason I was excited over Mothman, it is ridiculous good fun.  That and Noah had played the title role in the musical Bat Boy and it left a positive impression on him.  So, in a way it was a character study too late, ah well, better late then never.

Bridal Formation

Before we entered the cave, we entered the large gift shop and dinosaur fossil area.  It’s really large and really well put together.  The co owners are also extremely nice and really funny, we ended up talking to them for over an hour.  Bat Boy eventually came into the conversation which gave them both a good laugh.  They had nothing to do with the original story posted in the crap magazine, but they did find it amusing and bought a copy and hhad it behind the counter.  Apparently, there are contrasting stories about where Bat Boy comes from, but either way, they were more interested in people enjoying the actual caves though they said the extra tourism from the bogus article didn’t hurt either.


The cave itself it quite nice and well taken care which can’t be cheap.  It is a self guided tour and takes about 45 minutes and is quite nice for a smaller cave.  We ran into people of various ages including children and seniors so it’s fun for all ages.  The rock formations are pretty cool and we had fun singing in the cave once we were the only once left inside as the acoustics were pretty sweet.  Pseudo opera sounds pretty crazy in a big empty cave.


At the end of our tour, we thanked the owners and headed back out to the world of light towards our car, but it didn’t take long for me to get distracted by a big, friendly dog by the waterwheel.  I love animals and this guy slowly lured me over before he made me a slave to scratching his head and tummy.  I seriously love animals!  But soon, I had to say goodbye so that we could hit the road to our last sought at destination; Seneca Rocks.  


Seneca Rocks had been suggested to me by a few people who had been to West Virginia and the rocks seemed pretty cool, but it was already early afternoon and we had quite the ride ahead of us as it was across the state from where we were.  So we got back in the car and were off.

The Cave

Our only option was a back road that took us past many incorporated towns.  I will be honest, I had no idea what that meant.  Noah did as he comes from an area with smaller towns.  It basically is an area with no local government and a very small population.  Interesting!  While on this ride we past a lot of farm land, but soon realized that even though it was relaxing due to the lack of cars, we needed to take the freeway if we planned on seeing the rocks before dark.  So we veered onto the freeway for about an hour before getting onto a narrow two way road that would take us to the highest point of West Virginia.  The drive up was gorgeous as the leaves were turning into vibrant autumn colors the higher we climbed the more the leaves came swirling from the trees to covering the roads in bright orange, yellow and red.  It was beautiful and a rewarding drive.


Then, the bikers came!  Yes, bikers!  There were about 20 of them and they passed our car in true West Virginia style.  I was going over the speed limit but didn’t want to push it past 15 over as I didn’t feel like careening over a cliff that day.  There was one guy in the back who was driving a piece of crap that couldn’t pass us and I knew one thing, I didn’t want him to get in front of us.  His ride was really lame!  Well eventually, I did let him pass because he was annoying me and apparently bikers only feel comfortable if they are all together.  It isn’t like they are running away from Jason Voorhees in the woods and need numbers on their side, there are 20 bikes you won’t lose them.  In the end, they ended up going 10 under the speed limit once they passed.  Yeah, not a fan!  An interesting thing to note, when bikers pass other bikers going the opposite direction they give each other the “we’re bad ass” signal even if the biker is on a crappy bike like the lame guy who probably picked up his for $10 at a garage sale.  It was pretty much a glorified scooter!  I mean if you are on a Harley why give this guy a thumbs up?!? Ah well!

Vulture!  I've Known a Few

Eventually, they all turned off and I did the happy dance in my seat hitting the speed limit for the first time in an hour.  Finally, we arrived at Seneca Rocks. We had the chance to visit the highest point in West Virginia, but skipped it as I had been on higher points on the West Coast.  We were about the rocks!


Now, there was a hiking trail that people can take to the “lookout point.”  It was getting a little late in the day and we knew we didn’t have much daylight left, so we forged ahead.  I apparently got confused as I thought that the lookout point would be an area closer to a better view of the rocks for taking photos.  My first clue should have been the 1.5 miles trail, but it didn’t click.  It turns out the trail takes you close to the top of the rocks on a steep switchback trail all the way up.  Why we didn’t figure this out, I have no idea.  Maybe it was because we hadn’t been sleeping.   My body was still aching from the New River Gorge Bridge hike from the day before but this time I was ready as I had the appropriate shoes on, so on we marched.

The Arrow is Where We Climbed To

It wasn’t bad at first, but after a quarter of the hike we kept passing people who were red in the face and sweaty.  Many of them were older and perhaps not in the best shape of their lives, but still, it concerned us, that and the sun had gone down.  I don’t know how long it took us as I had left my phone in the car like an idiot, but it was quite the hike.  It is completely uphill and it was really humid out and my calves were burning from the day before thanks to the 1600 steps half of which were up.  Still, it was a lot easier than the hike before, but it is a decent workout   

By the time we hit the top, we were surprised to see a wooden structure that looked like a porch deck at the top jutting out from the side of the rocks.  Now Noah is afraid of heights and pretty much freaked out.  I didn’t realize I was truly afraid of heights before getting out onto this thing.  It just didn’t seem stable for some reason though it totally was.  It was just strange to be on something you would expect to be sitting on drinking a cold beer on a hot summer night with friends on the side of a rock formation.  It was a great view and the after light of the past sunset was a pretty shade of deep pink.  We then realized it was probably best to head back as it would be dark soon.

Face the Fear!

The hike back down was a lot faster than the climb up that’s for sure.  That and we were booking it to get back to civilization before night fall which was coming quickly.  On our way down we ran into a couple on their way up.  They asked how the view was.  We wanted to be nice and told them it was great, but that it was pretty dark when we left so they may not see much.  This didn’t deter them at all and they continued up which I thought was crazy.  For the rest of the night we would talk about whether or not they turned around or if they got stuck up there for the night or possibly got eaten by a bear.  I don’t really know why, but I couldn’t stop thinking about them!  


By the time we got to the car, it was dark, and we knew we needed to get moving to get to our hotel sometime before midnight as we were staying in Maryland as we had to catch a bus by 1:30 the next day in Philadelphia.  


Again, the ride sucked.  We were on back roads going through the mountains and again, we ended up in front of a dude who was tailing me like a maniac with full high beams.  I was going 20 over on dark unfamiliar roads with nowhere to let him pass or any place for me to pull over.  These drivers sucked, period.  Noah thought we were going to die, so as soon as I could, I let the idiot pass.  Worst drivers EVER and this is coming from someone who drives in NYC on occasion thanks to drunk friends who can’t get home.  

The Dark Hike Home

Finally, we got off the death road and hit the freeway.  The drive from there was pretty easy going thanks to a 3 to 4 lane freeway.  We ended up  leaving West Virginia and then reentered all on the same freeway within a 10 minute span which was special.  Saying goodbye the second time was a lot easier than the first.  Also, West Virginia likes their big crosses and you can see them from the freeway for miles but the biggest thumbs up goes to Lord Fairfax Community College for such an awesome name for a facility for higher education!


Before hitting our hotel, we decided to stop by somewhere to get food.  It turns out there is not much open in Hagerstown, except for the Waffle House we passed the first day of our trip.  The place was scary, but it was 11:30 at night and we were hungry!  Sadly, we looked over at the now closed Cracker Barrel.  Please, don’t eat at this Waffle House for your own good.  The service sucked and there was a big dead roach on the first table we passed.  When our food came it was not great and my eggs were raw in parts.   I was so tired and hungry I just cut away the crap part and got the hell out of there as fast as I could and prayed I wouldn't get food poisoning.  It was just skeevy!  So after that delicious meal, we headed to the hotel as we both were exhausted.  Luckily the hotel was clean and inviting with no crap stained towels.  Yay Hagerstown!