North and Down

By the time we had gotten our rental car in keflavik, Iceland, and began driving, it was already about 8:30 in the morning. We had a two-hour scenic drive through Reykjavik and some small little towns ahead of us, eventually arriving at our first hostel from Airbnb in a Cronus at 11 or so. At this point in time, the sun was actually just beginning to set. Our host was out of the country, but her son was there and was able to let us in without a problem. We laid down for a 2-hour nap to prepare our bodies for the festival.

When we finally got to Harpa Hall, Iceland's most expensive Concert Hall and akin to Sydney Opera House in Australia, we had to First figure out the confusing parking lot after figuring out the confusing streets of Reykjavik. This concert hall itself is the most expensive Concert Hall in all of Iceland, and the honeycomb design was meant to reflect the transparent fish scales of their biggest industry in the country, fishing. We parked for 6 hours, but purchased 8 hours for about 10 American dollars. 

The Bell Choir Playing at Night.

When we went in, there were a couple of free concerts that we went to see before going to see Sigur Ros. We wanted to see my moods and Alex Summers and Kevin Shields as well, but an additional wristband needed to be purchased that we were not informed of prior. We saw the Icelandic bell choir, or Bellakor Islands, and I got to speak to the director after she just got done speaking to the manager for Sigur Ros (which I didn't actually recognize as being the manager for Sigur Ros). They were going to start recording sometime soon, with a lot of the kids being big fans of cigarillos and a few of them actually being in the crowd of the concert. We also saw Oliver Donaldson perform some of his original music before we decided to get our first actual meal since leaving the states, which consisted of some vegan falafel bread and salad.

My dinner for the night - barebones, but effective.

After the dinner, we settled in to see sigur Ros perform. This was our second time seeing them perform, and they actually perform the exact same set that we saw them perform the first time we saw them. During intermission, I met a couple from Portland who had actually made a couple of local friends who were going to show them around. Sigur Ros themselves put me in such a euphoric trance with there for Brado, you and Z is the Seto, falsetto, the very Ambience drums, and The Impossible theatrics. One way to describe their sound live is cozy. Although they no longer have their string quartet or their keyboard player, the three of them put on such an atmospheric world of sounds whenever one is lucky enough to hear them.

Although the tickets were not necessarily cheap, we were enjoying our first moments in the northernmost capital of the world, at 66 degrees north latitude. Despite not having a huge budget to go off of, we were still able to see and do so much, and although this concert was are initial excuse for even going to the country, we still had 8 days to see and experience the wonders of this land first hand.

A Song of Fire and Ice

The first time I discovered Iceland, it was during a high school project for a class. We were instructed to do research on a country that not a whole lot of people usually think of going to vacation for, and making a vacation commercial and slideshow. A lot of cool countries were already taken, but I remember having listened to Sigur Ros once before when a friend showed me their music in Germany. I was unappreciative at the time, but I remember hearing that Iceland might be an okay place to visit. One of my classmates suggested that we could use music from Jonsi to go along with our commercial, and from the first moment I've listened to one of his songs, I fell in love. This pulled me back into Sigur Ros, and also, into the beauty of Iceland.

I spent the next wake creating a research video, learning everything that I could about the culture, the food, clothing, tourist locations, the people, the geography, the hiking, the music, and everything that I didn't just mention. I started listening to Sigur Ros officially, and I went on and bought “Agaetis Byrjun” by Sigur Ros and go by Jonsi. I was listening to them every single day, and even attempting to learn the language of the locale. Needless to say, because of its similarity to Old Norse, it is a very hard language to acquire.

In times of sorrow, when I wasn't sure where my life is going next, I would do a little bit more research on this fabled land of Fire and Ice. Ironically enough, their biggest volcano Eyjafjallajokull had just erupted approximately a year before I conducted my research for the first time, and now, tourism to Iceland was booming. I went to see Sigur Ros in the states, and they had advertised that they were putting on a 4 Day Festival at Harpa Hall. I took out some extra student loans, bought the tickets, book the rental car and hostel, and all of a sudden, this dream was becoming reality.

One of my first views over Reykjavik from Hallgrímskirkja.

Almost six years after I first dreamed of going to this beautiful country, I was driving to the airport to board an airplane to go there. Airport security coming to and returning from Iceland was very quick and efficient, and the only thing that really sucked was the jet lag. We left at 6 at night and with travel time plus time difference, we arrived at 5 in the morning, and went to the Festival on literally an hour of sleep. There is much more to come on that in the next post.

The Sweetest Place On Earth

Nothing says sweet like chocolate, and nothing says super sweet like an entire theme park based around a chocolate wizard. Milton Hershey had an idea back in the early 1900s, and started building upon it, building a huge entrepreneurial career for himself. He created the original Hershey's recipe, the original Hershey's chocolates and candies, and lost a successful business based out of south central Pennsylvania, and all of it without completing High School.

As a businessman, he donated a sizable amount of profit to charity, establishing the first all male boarding school in Pennsylvania 4 boys who have been either orphan or expedited from their previous families. It still runs today, filled with all of the latest fixings and goodies, and is a true testament of Milton's character considering that a few of his best friends would have been potential candidates for said school. He was always at his facilities helping on the front lines, offering smiles and fair wages to all who came to work for him.

Nowadays, right outside of this orphanage and boarding home lies the world famous amusement park names in his lightning. The first rides were installed in the 50s, with the whip and the ferris wheel, and was initially just a day park with lots of land. Over the years that has grown into what it is known as today, filled with a waterpark, constant live entertainment, and close to a dozen roller coasters.

Although some individuals I've met at the park if traveled from as far as California, Maine, and Europe to see this amusement park, I'm lucky enough to have lived about 35 minutes away from the park throughout my entire childhood. My family and I went at least once a year every year since I was 3. After my father passed and we didn't go as a family anymore, my grandparents helped keep the tradition alive by buying a set of tickets for me to utilize every year.

This massive park is home to some of the greatest roller coasters and amusements that the world has seen. For instance, Sidewinder is a roller coaster that goes forwards, and then goes through the entire roller coaster again backwards. Storm Runner is a hydraulic lost roller coaster that goes from 0 to 75 miles per hour in 3 seconds. The Great Bear has a dangling roller coaster seat, so your feet hang out the bottom of the ride. And the laugh track is the world's first indoor roller coaster. Whatever your fancy is, there is something in it for everyone.

For kid friendly and family-friendly events, there is the coal cracker, which is a log flume ride. There's also the ferris wheel, the monorail, and their Zoo America animal exhibition. When the day is done, you can grab a bite to eat, milkshakes made with their signature chocolate milk, and visit Chocolate World, there biggest attraction. Here, you can learn about the history of the chocolate, experience a day in the life of the workers, and even get to try a free sample of whatever the newest chocolate might be.

When not at the amusement park, visitors can also be seen in one of their to Giant amphitheaters seeing a concert. Many concert venues are held there every year, and the stadium is often used for football games. I myself have marched on the field with my High School drumline, and it is a fantastic arena to perform in.

So, without further Ado, visit Hershey today! Get Hershey Park happy at the sweetest place on Earth.

The So Called First Capital

As much as I have posted online about my travels and Adventures, I've not actually taken the time to sit down and write a post about my home city. Although it is small, it is mighty. And although I might give it a bad rap, there is actually some good to be said about York County and York City.

York City likes to style itself as the first capital of the United States, although it was actually the 4th. It is the fourth Capital after Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Lancaster claimed their spots. The first national capital happened to be 8 years later in New York City in 1889. Nonetheless, however, there is still a rich amount of history. There is a Heritage Center that has documents that were signs 200 years ago, as well as information pertaining to the genealogy of most individuals who ever lived and died in York County.

By and by, the county was settled by a mixture of Irish and German settlers. now, when it's not busy being riddled with problems, is actually quite nice. York has gotten the rep of being a mobile food court now though, however, as restaurants and small business change. Rent is fairly cheap here. there are few things that make York hit the radar, but here is a couple of the things that do put it on the map.

The first thing is our fair. York County had the first fair in the history of the United States shortly after the country was settled. It is also the longest consecutive running fair in the United States. Every year, there are many attractions and vendors that come into York to put on a show and enjoy themselves. There are also things such as baking and vegetable growing contests, camel rides, local farmers exhibits, musicians, actors, and carnival rides.

We also have timeline arcade and a large ice arena, and both are cool ways to have fun on a weekend. Down in central city, there are a lot of dance clubs of varying types, what's the most notable one being the Swing Dance Club in downtown York. Close to that is the strand capitol, and not-for-profit entertainment venue that hosts lots of small acts every single year.

York is also a culture hub that is home to many small markets, that I described in another one of my posts. there is a little bit of something in York for everybody, you just have to know where to look for it. we may be tiny, but we are mighty and we are progressive, and that is what matters most about one of the cities that was one of the first capitals of the United States.