Author:
Ralph ( a different one!)
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Date Posted: 11:48:23 11/06/07 Tue
In reply to:
Connie
's message, "Watkins Glen Summer '73" on 15:03:14 01/05/07 Fri
Hey all!
I was 18 that Summer and had recently finished High School. All senior year myself and a group of friends planned this grand Summer trip across country. By the time July came around I was the only one who hadn't bailed out on the scheme.
I had spent all winter preparing my '65 VW microbus for the adventure. Hand painted with underground comix charachters, eyebrows over the headlights, the front bumper painted like a big toothy smile, you get the idea. The inside in back was multicolored shag carpeted,pillows,curtained, and of course quadraphonic 8-track sound! LOL! All my Dead, Allman Bros., and Band tapes loaded and ready to go.
My self and two friends left Eastern Long Island about 6 P.M. Friday night. Somehow it took us until 6 A.M. Saturday to arrive between Montours Falls and Watkins Glen, as far as we could go. Part of it was traffic and some part smoking joints and getting lost!
After about a one hour nap we set out on "the hill". Connie, you are right! What a long hot hike! That pond did look so tempting. We finally arrived and found a patch of ground to sit on.
I think the heat, lack of sleep, and the fact I foolishly wore a brand new pair of "stiff as a board" jeans finally got to me. After a couple of hours, well before the music began, I headed back down the hill to my van to crash. Later, when I awoke, I had the greatest time! I fired up my tapes, and a few bones, and had a mini-concert with whoever passed by and stopped to share some wine or weed or a bite to eat. My new friends and myself partied all night and had a blast.
My friends who had come up with me were returning to L.I. but I had other plans. Early the next morning I found my way out of town and headed west. When I returned to Long Island at the end of September I had driven across the country twice and had many other adventures and met lots of wonderful people. Quite a solo adventure at 18!
Somewhere I still have the newspaper clippings my Mom saved. One even shows my old bus!
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