WE CLIMBED MOUNT NITTANY!
DSC_0103, originally uploaded by slickvic626.
Greetings! I have just returned from my weekend jaunt to State College, PA!
On Friday, I took a vacation day to go to open studio hours at the darkroom and finish my project. (Which I DID! And it looks really good -- I am very proud of how it came out!) I went to the darkroom with all of my Photo materials AND a bag packed for my State College trip. I worked in the darkroom (and mounting room, matting all my work) from about 1:30 until 5:00, then took the train directly to Susan's apartment to meet up with her.
I left most of my photography stuff at her apartment, and we departed for Chinatown. Susan got us tickets on the Chinatown Bus (there's now one that goes directly to State College!). Susan had taken it before, and it was very cheap and convenient. Well -- we were soon to learn that during the summertime, the State College-bound Chinatown Bus is actually a VAN. The van holds 15 people, and it was COMPLETELY full! We were in the very back of the van, on a seat that looked like it would only hold 3 people, but instead held 4. We were crammed in like sardines! Needless to say, this wasn't the best part of the trip, however the only real thing you can do in that situation is laugh (which we did -- a lot!).
We arrived late on Friday and Susan's mom picked us up. The next day we went to the Arts Festival in State College! It is located in and around the campus of Penn State, and it is a juried show of artisans from all over the country. A lot of the stuff was more "high end" art, so we didn't really buy anything -- just looked around! I got some postcards to send (they are shipping out today, so anyone will get them WAY after I have returned to Brooklyn!). We had a lunch of spinach and broccoli "puffs" (like savory strudels!) from a festival vendor.
Then, at 3 PM, we met up with Susan's friend Danny, and we hiked to the top of Mt. Nittany! (See the photo!) It was about 5 miles of hiking, with the very first leg of the hike being very difficult/strenuous. Once you got over the initial ascent, the hike was then very flat and scenic! Susan had a guide book about hikes in Pennsylvania, so she periodically read to us about things to look for and do. One of the things the book told us to do was to smile and proudly proclaim, "WE CLIMBED MOUNT NITTANY!" (Which of course we did.) I really, really enjoyed the hike. Surprisingly , we weren't even too sore after!
Susan's Dad cooked us a nice BBQ dinner, and then we went to the Creamery for dessert, which is a place on Penn State's campus that has HOMEMADE ICE CREAM, and I have been wanting to go there since Susan first told me about it! We stood on a super long line (filled with summer camp girls) but it was worth it!!! The ice cream was so delicious! (I had Cookie Dough flavor.)
The following day, we went to the People's Choice Arts Fest which was in a neighboring town, and it is kind of like the "competitor" of the State College Arts Festival. The People's Choice Fest features only local Pennsylvania artists/crafters, and it was more crafty and less high end (read: more affordable!). I actually did some Christmas shopping there! I even got myself a couple treats, including a small pottery colander perfect for berries! Susan got her Dad a birdhouse!! In the middle of the People's Choice Fest, a big rainstorm swept in and we took shelter beneath a tent for a while!
We were aware of the time, as I had to catch a 5:00 PM train back to New York, but due to the rain we had some extra time to do a few other activities! For instance, we went to Mayer Dairy (another famous local creamery!) and had "Mexi Hots" (a special kind of hot dog you can only get at Mayer Dairy!) then another homemade ice cream (this time I had Chocolate Marshmallow flavor). We went to a fabulous discount store, Ollie's, where I picked up some discounted scrapbooking supplies and the DVD of "Big Bird in China" (HELLO! Only $2.99!!).
Alas, then it was time for me to head back to New York (I went back alone because Susan is staying a little longer -- but I had to get back to be at work and then class tonight).... But fear not. I will be re-living the FUN when I edit all of the HOME MOVIES that I took during my trip! This film's gonna be an EPIC. For once I tried to make a more coherent movie (not just one that shows us driving around; this one will actually show us doing things!).
Anyway, I wish I was still on my trip, but it was very fun!!