In the Ithaca Heights

Dry Buttermilk and Swimming Area

I woke up to get some breakfast and meet up with the group and chaperones at RPCC to go to Buttermilk Falls. They're called Buttermilk Falls because right after the snow melts and there's a lot of the water, the water looks like buttermilk as it rushes down. Most of the bus ride Paula and I spent trying to catch Pokemon on the new app. We also talked to the chaperone/RCA Joseph because he was playing Pokemon Go too. The ride to the state park went by really quickly.

We took an hour long hike around the gorge trail, and we got to see many different small falls. Although there was a lack of water, so it wasn't very much like buttermilk, it was still a gorgeous view. The best part about most of these trails is that despite the fact that it's hot, they're mostly shady and being so close to the water feels nice. We got to small pools of water along the way and got to touch the water, it was really cold. The whole group traveled pretty far, but we decided to go back because we were running out of time. One RCA went one way, and the other 3 took the rest of us another way. The other RCA beat us to the swimming area. 

The hike was the best part

Of course, after being sweaty and tired most of us changed into swimsuits and went into the water. Because it's a very natural place, the bottom was very rocky and I strongly regret not bring water shoes with me, or at least sandals on this specific hike. The water was very cool, but we weren't allowed to go into the deep end, so in order to get mostly wet we had to squat down. It must've been only 20-30 minutes until we had to leave, but it was refreshing.

Paula and I got back on campus and went straight to business. We had plans to go see the production of the musical In The Heights, originally by Lin-Manuel Miranda. We showered, got lunch, and then started bugging our friends for what we needed. Public transportation was our original method of transportation the theatre, but our friend Tommy and my classmate Ansh really helped us out by lending us their bikes. They're both from New Jersey, coincidentally, so they brought their bikes with them. We printed our ticket, and by 2 PM we were good to go. There were a few complications on the way, like Ithaca's random rain and Paula struggling to ride the bike. Nevertheless, we made it to the Hangar Theater safe and sound. On the way, we took the Cayuga Waterfront Trail and it was so worth it. We probably got to see more of Ithaca by taking this trip than we would've otherwise. 

I tried to take a picture while riding the bike

The bike that made it all happen
Thanks Tommy

The musical was nothing short of amazing. The compositions by Lin-Manuel Miranda were entertaining and a lot of fun to listen to. In The Heights is set in a predominantly Puerto Rican and Dominican barrio in New York. Most of the audience were elderly people, but everyone seemed to enjoy the musical and laughed a lot. At least, I know Paula and I did. The experience overall was incredible because musicals are so lively. On the other hand, the ride back to campus was awful, and I was sweaty and really hungry. We went straight to dinner as soon as we got on campus. Thankfully, we chose a matinee for the musical, so we were just in time. 

My afternoon was very eventful compared to the rest of the evening, and I feel like that's the opposite with everyone else. My friends and I just roamed around the halls for the most part, and we watched a part of the move Spotlight, which I will be fully watching as soon as possible. Then, I took some time to work on my affirmative constructive for my debate class. It's a lot of research, but the research is interesting.