Seeing the Gorges

After waking up super tired I went to go eat breakfast with Joceline. After breakfast and checking in we got on a bus and went to Taughannock Falls State Park. The bus ride was about 15 minutes, which was a little disappointing because I really like sleeping on a bus for long periods of time. When we got there we split into two hiking groups. One group went down the gorges and the other went around all around the rim, which was a longer trail. Joceline and I went on the longer trail. It was really hard at first because there were lots of stairs and they were really steep, but after getting to the top we got to see the gorges. 

After finishing the 3 mile trail we were able to swim in a designated area with a life guard. I got into the water really slowly because it was super cold. It was my first time in freshwater and it was super refreshing. Even though it was super cold, it didn't stop us from splashing each other. I got to meet a couple of girls from California and one from Connecticut. We were only able to go up to the 8 feet zone because it didn't open until after 11:45 AM and my group was leaving at 11:30 AM. 

I ate lunch and took a shower when I got back. I worked on my application for JSA, a club, and then met up with my cohort to walk to downtown Ithaca to eat dinner with Mike. Another girl, also named Diana, tagged along. We were originally going to take the bus to the restaurant, but we thought it was close to College Town, which meant it was easier to walk, but it ended up being in downtown Ithaca. It was nice exploring even though we walked for quite a bit. We ate at Gateway Kitchen, a barbecue place. I ordered beef brisket sliders and they were so amazing. I was only able to eat 2 of the 3, but I ate the third one later. I was also super happy because I got some lemonade and I really like lemonade. 

Mike got the hotel shuttle to take us back and when we got back onto campus the other Diana, Kachi, and I walked down this trail to see the gorges closer to the campus. It was really nice because I didn't get to see them at Taughannock Falls. There were also lots of stairs here and I was a little scared going down them, but we got some really cool pictures. We also talked about lots of different things and got to know each other better. I learned all about Kachi's strange experiences and Diana's most recent adventures. It was a pain walking back up the stairs, but completely worth seeing the pretty rocks and water. 

Kachi, Diana, and I went back to Mary Donlon to play cards before going to the slope to watch fireworks. We played Egyptian War and this one Russian card game. It was really funny because Kachi had no idea what was going on in the Russian card game, but she still won. After many rounds of the card games we grabbed a blanket and walked to the slope and watched the fireworks. We were pretty far away from the firework, but I was still pretty surprised at how small they looked. Diana and I headed back to the dorm and played some more cards before checking in and going to our rooms.