Haunted Highway

About 2 hours West of where I grew up, and about 40 minutes west of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, there is an old stretch of highway that has been desolate and abandoned 4 the last 40 years or so. This stretch of highway is simply called the abandoned PA Turnpike, because that is exactly what it is. Always curious for more urban exploration, I decided to go and check this place out for myself.

For the backstory of this 13 Mile long stretch of highway, it was first commissioned around since 1941 by the Pennsylvania highway agency. It served as a main route for transportation until the 60s, where it was deemed impractical because it became so heavily trafficked due to the bottlenecking of the tunnels at Sideling Hill, Tuscarora, Rays Hill, and blue hill made traffic and absolute nightmare. Around 1964, a plan was laid down to expand the turnpike, which was partially followed through, until the highway was eventually shut down with the construction of the new Turnpike in the 80s. Although the tunnels and Highway roads have not been maintained for over 30 years, the tunnels are still intact, and parts of the highway and Turnpike themselves, although littered with graffiti, are still approachable.

And so, two of my friends and I set out on an adventure to check out as much of this Turnpike as we possibly could. We first came up on a stretch of road in Buchanan State Forest called Oregon road,

where we parked in a lay-by and climbed to the top of a tunnel to see the first stretch of abandoned highway. Other than a beautiful place to take a few pictures of the surrounding Forest, there wasn't much to see in the ways of graffiti. However, this is where my GPS deemed the tunnels to be, and this is where my first stop was. We consulted a few other blogs before moving forward with our next destinations.

One blog suggested we take 30 West through Chambersburg until we get to Blue Mountain Road followed consecutively by Pump Station Road. And so we did just that, getting to another section of Turnpike that was just as Bland as the last. However, we still did not see any tunnels. As a last-ditch effort, we drove to a location called "Pike to Bike", a non-profit company run by the community that is going to be turning the abandoned turnpike until public domain Rail Trail. It started sleeting, and my shoes were soaked, but we found a pair of joggers about a mile into our walk down the road then insured us that we were about threequarters of the way towards one of the bigger tunnels on the turnpike. So, now that we knew that we were on the right track, we forced on words.

This time I was about 18 minutes from Rays Hill Tunnel, so I believe it was the Tuscarora tunnel in Breezewood Pennsylvania. Walking 5 minutes into it, we saw a lot of graffiti, and we were still just as it, we saw a lot of graffiti, and we were still just as close to the light at the end of the tunnel as we were at the beginning. Although we can see the light, we determine if there was an incredibly long tunnel. There was a rusted maintenance room in Boiler Room nearby, as well as an observation tower, but all the doors were rusted shut, so even upon entry by crawling through a broken out window, we couldn't see much.

After dropping a few pieces of metal and running through the dark like bumbling idiots, we decided to depart from the turnpike. Whether or not it is haunted remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure; I will be going back to see the tunnels another day.

Looks inviting, right?

Expeditions in a Digital Age

I am no expert, but I do want to get my two cents on this topic. Many people feel that the world has gone smaller because of digital technology and the role that e-commerce play it's our society now. Although it is very profitable to start up a shop online or run a successful blog for passive income, it is still just as Grand of the world, and still just as hard to navigate from time to time.

Being a millennial, however, has its pros and cons. We are more likely to be accepting of others and put our minds to a variety of things at once, but we are less likely to be focused on a longitudinal approach to things. We will go where the money is and the job market is, even if that means sacrificing some friends, family, or job benefits along the way. That means navigating the job market has become much more difficult. you can now blast out your job application across the world in record timing. but, because of this, many places have more and more strict regulations on who can and cannot enter the country and work within its borders. send Skype messenger and online gaming has become so prominent, we're also much more likely to have friends across the ocean and make pen pals happen. It's a scary concept to some, but the others, it can be some of the most Comfort we have ever known. The downside to this however is that we might lose touch with the reality that is right in front of us we are so focused on meeting people from different countries and walks of life.

Shopping online has made a very possible to get killer deals on traveling at vacations, but it is just as easy to lose sight of how much money it will cost to survive both during the vacation and apart from it. Although it has become so easy to travel and make a profitable career out of traveling, it is still a very difficult Market to navigate.

So being a digital Nomad myself, I must warn the world around me that it is not all peaches and cream and hunky-dory. There are still many problems that exist in our world. hopefully we can circumnavigate the Monday with a little bit more open dialogue.

If you like this post or one more information about travel and commerce, don't forget to subscribe to my blog and stay up-to-date with new posts presented weekly.

The Coffee Bean

So if you haven't figured out by this point in time, I'm a huge Aficionado for different types of coffee. And this post, I am going to be reviewing different types of coffee, different Brewing methods their flavors, and what I use them for.

For a bit of history, coffee was presumably originally discovered in the Arabian peninsula when a  Sufi shepherd  noticed his sheep and the birds nearby were gathered around a tree and acting keyed up. He came to a conclusion that this bean that fell from the tree made the sheep hyper when they ate it, and so he decided to try it, too. The coffee was then turned into kah'wa, a nomadic berber beverage made from heated water and the mush of bean from this tree, which gave way to the namesake we still use and enjoy today.

First, we will talk about regular brewed coffee. This is where a coffee bean is roasted from a green bean, cooled, and then ground into a coarse or fine grind to extract coffee in liquid form. The finer the grind, the more natural tannins and overtones will be released from the bean. This is why coarse ground coffee makes a really good coffee base for recipes or for mixed alcoholic drinks, a medium grind makes for a perfect cup of coffee, a medium fine grind makes a great cold brew, and a fine grind or Turkish grind makes for a perfect top of espresso or concentrate.

You also need to factor in the roast that you are using. Espresso roast is usually a darker roast, and the darker the roast, the stronger the coffee, but the less caffeine content there is. French roast is one of the darkest, and is essentially burnt coffee bean. Light roast and chaffed roasts have less of the traditional coffee flavor, but being that they are more related to their natural composition, they are a motherload of caffeine. This is especially helpful in the morning, which is why most breakfast blends are a light roast.

Then there are different pouring methods. You can make coffee in a variety of different manners. the most common place is a coffee machine, where a few scoops of coffee grounds are put into a filter, water is poured into a reservoir compartment, and then heated water is dripped onto the beans and pressed through the filter paper. this is done for a standard cup of coffee.

The Mr. Coffee 12-cup pot, as seen at Target.

Next is the percolator, a huge vat of water that contains a steeping tray for coffee grounds at the top. The water is steamed inside the chamber, and rich coffee comes out the other side. This form of brewing was particularly popular in the 19th and 20th centuries when coffee shops were rampantly spread, and is still used today for larger batches of coffee.

A modern percolator and strainer. Photo credits: Consiglio's.

On a complimentary note, there are the Clover Brewing methods and pour-over Brewing methods. This is where super hot water is poured over a single batch of coffee grounds through a thinner filter and then squeezed into a coffee cup. This is usually one of the better methods for select brands of coffee, such as rare coffees or high altitude coffees.

An explanation of the Clover brewing method by Starbuck's 1912 Pike site.

Arabic coffee, like Greek coffee, is made from extremely fine coffee powder and hot water.

Next, we have the K-Cup machine. This is a single pot of coffee grinds, tea leaves, that are put into a single serve machine in the form of a recyclable. Although this is not the best method for a cup of coffee, it gets the job done in a hurry.

The Traditional Keurig Machine. (Photo: Snapguide)

Last in the form of regular coffee brewing is the French press. This is a continuation of the percolator, but in this instance, it is a smaller graduated cylinder. The coffee grinds and hot water are put into a carafe, and then a plunger with a filter is pressed down on to the grinds to extract be coffee juices from the bean. this is a perfect form of brewing for camping trips, and it's one of my personal favorites.

One example of a French Press, purchasable from Crate and Barrel.

Next on the list is the cold brew method. This is where a large amounts of coffee grounds are combined with cold water and allowed to steep overnight, either in a fridge, and a cold dark place, or in a sunlit area. When brewed in the Sun, the coffee with mature through anaerobic respiration and starts to ferment a little bit which will release some acidic undertones.

Kitchn's take on Cold Brew Coffee.

And last but not least for this post, there is the espresso tamping machine. This is where finely ground coffee is compressed and packed into a pod or into a tamper, and then extremely hot water is forced through this tightly Grounds Coffee. This creates an espresso shot, which is extremely concentrated coffee and usually consist of more caffeine content and being content per ounce of coffee.

One of many examples of an espresso machine, as seen on Whole Latte Love.

In my next post, I will talk about different types of espresso beverages. stay tuned for more!

Espresso Beverages

As I mentioned in my previous post about the delectable trade to humankind known as coffee, I promised I would talk a bit about espresso beverages and coffee mixed drinks. As such, here is a bit more information on exactly that.

First, we have the red eye and the blind eye. The red eye is a regular cup of coffee that has a shot of espresso thrown in it, and the blind eye has two or more shots of espresso.

The Red Eye, as illustrated by Mike Rohde.

Then, there is a beverage I once saw called a Code Red. This is coffee mixed in with 5 or more shots of espresso. I personally call this one suicide, but to each their own.

(Note: A regular cup of coffee usually has about 20 ground beans in it. 2 oz of espresso has about the same amount. So if you have 5 shots of espresso, which takes you to 10 oz of coffee with 100 beans in that, you will have 6 oz of regular coffee to make it to a pint of coffee, which would have around 15 beans. You would be getting 150 beans of coffee with this drink. and, if a shot of espresso contains 140 mg of caffeine, and 6 oz of coffee has about 140 mg of caffeine... You're getting over 800 mg of caffeine. That's just dangerous.)

Next, we have the Americano. This beverage was created as a love letter to Americans, when they discovered espresso in its truest form in World War 1. Americans weren't strong fans of coffee if it was extremely strong, so Europeans put their heads together and created the Americano, which is a shot of espresso that is diluted with hot water. To this day, most coffee in Europe continues to be made through an espresso machine, but the name "Americano" stuck.

Notice how with the Americano, the cream of the espresso shot is still present.

On the other end of the spectrum, there is the double shot, which is a beverage comprised of two espresso shots and not much room for anything else besides maybe some ice and half & half. Of course, after this, there is the triple and quadruple which goes exactly as you would expect.

There are other methods of brewing espresso, such as the Ristretto and Lungo. Lungo is twice the amount of water as a regular espresso shot, and Ristretto is half the amount of water.

A side by side analysis by Coffee of Day.

From here, we get into next beverages, which usually have a milk-based to them. On the hot Spectrum, we have is a latte and cappuccino. A latte has steamed milk and espresso, and the cappuccino is filmed milk and espresso. To the untrained taste buds, these are extremely similar, but the cappuccino, being more froth than liquid, has a much creamier texture.

The difference between a macchiato and the aforementioned is that a macchiato means "marked" in Italian. This Mark occurs because the steamed milk is added to the cup first, and then the espresso is poured on top, instead of the other way around. This creates more of a trickle-down effect, and more of the espresso is available throughout the drink instead of concentrated at the bottom. An Americanized macchiato is a full beverage with lots of milk and a little espresso, but a true European macchiato is just enough steamed milk foam (approximately one or two ounces) to contain the espresso shot.

The doppio, also known as a cortado, is a beverage that combines froth and steamed milk with espresso, having equal portions of each. These are not really sold in American stores unless specifically requested.

Next, there is the Frappuccino, or coffee frappe. This is shaved ice, cold milk or milk substitute, and espresso, blended into a frozen smoothie. these are very popular in the South Mediterranean and America. Greece also have their version, which combines sweetener, instant coffee powder, milk, and ice, and has a much more prominent taste.

Huffington Post released this glossary to help us out.

That essentially covers the basics of coffee. check out my other coffee related post here!

A Voice in the Choir

Singing in choir has always been near and dear to my heart. I have sang in choir since I was in the 8th grade of my primary education. I was initially too nervous to join flyer, but then quickly became a confident soloist our select ensemble. what is quite nice to know is that even if you do not have the best singing voice, you will still be able to contribute to they overall warm tones of a choir.

Singing in a choir took me literally across the world. I have performed in Time Square, in various churches throughout Pennsylvania and Maryland, at cultural festivals, at LGBT festivals, and in several Cathedrals and a festival in Ireland. All because I realize that I have the ability to boost the bottom of the choir with my bass voice. If it weren't for singing, and music that lifts the soul, I would not have met even half of the amazing people that I have throughout my lifetime.

what is even more incredible is finding a Nish of people that you can buy with. If you appreciate music to any capacity, then choir will be well for you. You don't need to find a College Choir where professional choir, you can start small, like at a church choir. I introduced quite a few songs and conducted a few songs of my church choir, and it is always a gift. a common interest in music binds us all together, regardless of religious or political affiliation, or who we love, or who we are. Music is the language that transcends language.

Of course, there are several different voice Parts in choir. There is a lot of flexibility as well, because every voice is unique. For instance, I have a baritone range, but because I have a very rich low-end, I often sang base 1 and base 2 and select ensembles because of the depth that I can provide. My friend, also baritone, has a glassier voice, so he sometimes jumps in on Tanner Park. I know many Sopranos that sing really high or really low. By the way around, your unique talents can contribute to the overall sound of a choir.

So even if you have the slightest a bit of talent for singing, or barely any at all even, you should consider joining a choir. There is nothing quite as remarkable as a vocal swell and 1/8 part split. You never know where your music will take you.

Drum Corps

On the first of August, I went to see my second Drum Corps International (DCI) live show. This year, though, I had not watched any videos of any drum corps performances during the season, so I was going in blind. I also got the special treat of seeing Carolina Crown's afternoon rehearsal at a high school local to the event stadium (Talen Energy outside Philadelphia).

Myself and a friend with three members of the Cavaliers all male drum and bugle corps.

Drum and Bugle Corps started as a stoically American thing in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1972, after the first few corps wanted provided more intense musical experience for kids under the age of 21. These drum corps wanted more creative freedom outside of church, military, and scout bands.nAnd so, the 47 drum corps (as of 2018) came to knock the socks off of any music afficionado anywhere.

Myself with Justin, trumpet player for the Bluecoats drum corps.

On the night I went, Cadets2 , Phantom Regiment, Blue Knights, Cavaliers, Crusaders, Carolina Crown, Vanguard, BlueCoats and Cadets all performed. Each and every single performer blew my mind. Here are a few more pictures to commemorate my ears getting horn-blasted.

The Blue Knights from Denver, CO.

Cadets2 from Allentown, PA.

Vans Warped Tour

Before going overseas to gead school, I went to the very last Vans Warped Tour to ever exist. in 2018, Kevin Lyman stated that he wanted to move on to bigger and brighter things, but that there would be a large celebration in 2019, which would have been the 25th anniversary of the tour. 

The festival started small in 1995, as an Eclectic alternative rock festival that would eventually include punk rock and other genres of music. skateboard shoe manufacturer Vans would become the first large sponsor of the store, and because of the sponsorship, they were able to take the tour all around the United States and so few stops in Canada. over the next two and a half decades, many different types of bands will perform at this Festival.

Just a few of the bands from the day I went.

Rumor has it that the festival came to an untimely end because of a few bands being packed with sexual allegations. Members of brand new and Pierce the Veil Scott flags for fire do to their relations with underage patrons, and to try and keep the image pure, Vans Warped Tour took its bow and left the scene.

However, in spite of all of the criticisms and allegations surrounding the tour, it's continued 2 be an outlet for teenagers to go and see all of their favorite bands perform 35-minute sets all in one day, and continue to be an award-winning tour for over 20 years. in fact, that's why I became so popular, that just a few years after its Inception, they decided to go Global, starting the 1998 tour in New Zealand. the crowds were enormous, drawing in nearly a million people in North America alone every single year.

And so, and the tail end of July, I went to one of their final destinations in Columbia Maryland. Merriweather Post Pavillion, a venue to which I've been several times before, posted several big name bands that day. I took a friend, and we have the time of our lives. I saw I saw several great bands that day, and also crowd-surfed for the first time in my entire life. Needless to say, there must be a repeat occurrence of these events.

Less Than Jake at a meet and greet. I missed out, as the line was at least 45 minutes.

The day that I went, there were over 50 bands, and five of which I had listened to frequently prior. besides crowd-surfing to August Burns Red, I broke up a fight during Chelsea Grin, met the members of Nekrogoblikon, sat in the bleachers for We the Kings and Simple Plan, nearly broke my neck to Sharptooth and Motionless In White, and enjoyed the positive atmosphere of Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish, and Mayday Parade. 3OH!3 Also made appearance, although I had all but forgotten about their existence up until this point of time.

I didn't miss out on signing the petition for Goblin Rights, though!

It was a great show filled with great people, and they were many Shenanigans to be had from the audience members. if there is ever another occurrence of a festival as awesome as this one, be sure to go.