Just as true today as it was in the the 60s, we need more love and less violence…. Last fall, I got the chance to take a step back in time and visit the famed Woodstock music festival site in Bethel Woods, New York. Not only was this a must-take music fan trip, but a great history lesson.

What really made a strong impression on me was how painfully relevant the racial issues of the 60s are to us today…. I took my time reading through the words of wisdom and pleas for a better society coming from artists, athletes, and politicians alike.

The museum was celebrating the 50th anniversary since almost half a million hopeful souls gathered to celebrate three days of music and artistic communion. I found out about the challenges that such a monumental celebration had to overcome, including securing a venue, feeding the hoards, and navigating bad weather. I heard from attendants who recounted their memories of a unique and thrilling experience of their youth, and I witnessed snippets of the great performances by musical legends Jimi Hendrix, Joe Cocker, Santana, Janis Joplin, and Credence Clearwater Revival. For someone like me, who was born outside the US in the late 70s, Woodstock had been a famous tale of greatness but yet an abstract one. The visit to the famous site, along with a very well organized museum made this major historic and artistic event real and memorable for me. If you’re in the area, I highly recommend a visit.

Upstate New York is vastly different than New York City: it is a quiet and expansive rural landscape, complete with wild life.

Not far from our home in the woods – Happy Days Campground – we found several local restaurants, and enjoyed a fresh poke bowl and a rainy view of Lake Kauneoga at Barrio Kitchen.