Tower City

In north central Pennsylvania, there is a town called Tower City that lies near several mountains. I had to take an opportunity to write about this, because I went up here one summer to visit a friend from undergraduate.

and I am so glad that I did.

I was on the highway for maybe a half hour out of the hour and a half Journey from my house. For the rest of it, I was surrounded by the forest, mountains, Recreational Park areas, fishing zones, and the Appalachian Trail. since starting my new job with a medical company, I had wanted nothing more than to retreat to the mountains again. This came as a perfect opportunity, as I got some much-needed forest therapy. I needed this time so badly, that I actually put my phone on silent and stopped voice-recording any book or blog notes I was working on, turned off my mp3 player, and enjoyed the Roaring glands through the trees for a solid 30 miles until I arrived at my friend's house.

When I was in high school, one of my English teachers told me to go and sit with nature. Not just being it, but to engage in it. To turn off all electronic devices, to take the watch off, and to sit and be one with the world for least a half hour. I sat there for an unknown amount of time, wrote my assignment about it, and realized immediately that this experience has changed my life completely and for the better. It is the reason why I'm so obsessed with being outdoors in nature and Hiking now.

And so when I got to the area of Wiconisco, we went hiking in Bear Valley. It was pretty much a straight shot up one trail. If we would have taken the trail ten miles we would have eventually reached a fire lookout. We hiked for about 2 miles before turning around, enveloped by forest on either side.

After this, we spend a lazy afternoon at my friend's girlfriend's place, relaxing with homemade pizza, mountain pies, and lemonade. Many good laughs were shared, and even if it isnt a high caliber adventure that I usually take, it was much needed for R&R. Until the next adventure... stay tuned!

Crabs, Birbs, and Starz

Baltimore is another wonderful city that lies close to my hometown of York. Although most people don't realize this as such, Baltimore is home to many small but important items. And, some of them are listed in the title of this post. I will now systematically review some of the things that makes Baltimore what it is.

First and foremost, it is a cultural Hub. Throughout the years, the demographic has severely shifted away from Germanic and Irish descent and become more mixed in ethnicity. There are several restaurants around owned by Indian people, African American people, Hispanic people, are there Asiatic call Sarah, and so much more. On nearly every single block, you can find a hub for a different culture or group of people.

The one downside to this, however, is that there is a lot of disputes between people, and a lot of poverty and crime in certain parts of the city. As such, if you are going to Baltimore at night, it is advisable to take at least one other comrade with you. It is the sad unfortunate truth that I must warn others about, pertaining to big cities with high population density.

Baltimore is also home to Inner Harbor, and Metropolitan epicenter of Commerce and Industry. Not only are there attractions like the Baltimore Science Museum, the Baltimore aquarium, the Baltimore Zoo, Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum, and several excellent concert venues, but it is also home to the Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay is home to most of the East Coast domestic crab imports, and home to several difference indigenous species of wildlife. As such, there are many environmentalist initiatives to support the Chesapeake Watershed and to preserve the surrounding area by reducing carbon emissions and waste output. The bay itself is beautiful, and there are ferries that serve the greater Baltimore Maryland area allow one to be on the water.

Aside from all of these wonderful attractions, Baltimore is also home to the Baltimore Orioles and the Baltimore Ravens, to sporting’s most prominent sports teams. Both of these teams have amassed many awards and accolades throughout the years, and their stadiums are within a 15-minute commute of one another. Many major sporting events and charity events happen if both of these stadiums every single year.

Probably one of the most important things about Baltimore is its government and American history. Many government workers and Space Engineers are employed in Baltimore because it is halfway between Washington DC and Harrisburg, which are two major areas of government work. This was able to be initiated because Baltimore is home to Fort McHenry. When the British Invasion happened in the 1800's, Francis Scott Key was on a boat in the harbor witnessing the bombardments on Fort McHenry, which inspired him to write the poetic piece that would later become America's national anthem. The Fort is still open and accessible for visitors to this day, and small tours around the surrounding area and Proving Grounds are often lead.

So this being said, if you are ever in northern Maryland, check out Baltimore and the surrounding area. There are lots of things to see and do, is this entire area and several square miles have been industrialized quite efficiently.

A Dive into Philadelphia

The third time I went to Philadelphia, I went to visit my friend Tommy, who is a graphic design artist in front end developer for a large corporation just outside city limits. He’d recently sold his car for the sake of a train and subway pass, as gas could cost up to $80 a month and car insurance and payments could cost at least a hundred per month. Hopping into taking the train for $30 per month with unlimited usage could save him about $2,000 per year or more on commuting expenses. Plus, he was vegan, and walking to work sometimes, so he is in great shape. With his business portfolio he established himself in the world as a prominent front end developer, and he started thinking about eventually getting additional schooling paid for and to one day work from home. Who says you can't get paid to get creative?

In general, Center Philly traffic absolutely sucks. Even getting to his small studio apartment was a nightmare, and when I finally found a secure valet parking, the $40 for an overnight pass completely drained whatever resources I had left. however, I knew that my car was safe, and that I could just hoof it around the city with my friend.

Considering the Philadelphia is an up-and-coming town with a lot of Millennials moving in, there are a lot of vegan-friendly options and nearly every restaurant, and the prices aren't actually too ridiculous. For example, a pint of ice cream cost me about $8, but in Iceland it probably would have cost me $12 or $13. I was able to get a vegan shaved ice for $8 at The Founder’s Fountain (link), and old timey ice cream parlor that has been in Philadelphia since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Dinner that night was at Tattooed Mom, a small restaurant and late night bar that had both omnivore friendly and vegan-friendly options. I got a Chubby Cheesesteak, made with Veganaise, chicken flavored seitan, tater tots, onions, mushrooms, and peppers. It was served and a toasted tortilla wrap and it was one of the best things I've ever eaten at a restaurant. We then went for vegan drinks at Charlie was a sinner, a vegan company that also owns HipCityVeg, which was my Santa Fe Southwest vegan "egg" the next morning. In addition, both bars I visited had happy hour price drinks, so I got loaded up on IPA and Porter for $3 a pop. Not bad Philadelphia, not bad. A happy plant-based dieter I was that day.

Just as exciting as the food were the people. There were so many beautiful people walking around, but there was also unfortunately a large demographic of homeless and mentally ill that were despondently wandering the streets. Men and women alike of all cultural and racial backgrounds were sitting on the street, both able-bodied and sitting on walkers, begging for change. Considering as to how I had to borrow money just to make this trip and the next happen, as my paycheck had not come through yet, I felt conceited and awful that I could not spare even a penny, as I was desperately broke myself.

What was the most exciting was all of the history that I got to experience with my friend Tommy and his girlfriend Miranda. We walked around downtown, seeing Penn's Landing where William Penn landed during the revolution, we got to stand in front of the building where the Declaration of Independence was signed, and we got to take pictures in front of the Liberty Bell. We got to see the historic district at all of the gothic churches and Barbershop style stores that still stood tall and proud. Indeed, everything was within walking distance and very humbling.

After meeting up with my friend and meeting his vegan girlfriend, we walked around and saw and did as much as we possibly could. Philadelphia has no shortage of museums and restaurants to visit. And, you can spend countless hours just walking around and ogling everything. This included a jazz rrio that became a quartet when a street Busker came by with his saxophone, a random guy playing congas for change on the corner near the old parliament, and some guy yodeling outside of the restaurant we ate at. Traffic continued to suck throughout my experience, and truly is the only thing that I did not like about visiting Philadelphia. 

Although it did not have enough time or money to spare, I went to the Eastern State Penitentiary to snap a few pictures. This is the prison where Al Capone was held at four the last couple of Decades of his life. When I get time and money to spend, I will definitely come back to visit this hallowed ground.

So without further ado, when you get the chance to do so, go on out and visit Philadelphia. You especially must come if you are fresh out of college and looking for a job, as the economy for Millennials is starting to flourish in this city.