Shenandoah to NYC

So I have taken a break from my blog for a while to enjoy my travels to the fullest. I have hiked my way through the great Shenandoah National Park as well as hustling through the crowded streets of New York City. During my travel to Virginia where I stayed in Shenandoah, I found myself waking to a foggy cloud which slowly crept along the mountainside making anything further than 5 feet away merely invisible. I had an encounter with some white tailed deer in Big Meadows that was absolutely unbelievable. I was within arms reach of a young faun as it continued to walk closer and closer. I made sure to grab a few shots.


I then hiked in to the woods with my camera and camping gear hoping to find a backcountry spot to camp. I overshot my hike and passed the poorly marked sites and found myself at the beginning of the 5 mile hike. It seemed like a rather difficult 2 miles in, but hell i'm a bit out of shape and I had a 50 pound makeshift back pack on my back. Irritated by the situation I decided to settle into a campsite on the far South side of the park. Right as I pulled in to the campground I noticed to very tired looking men off to the side. I stepped out of my car to register and we began to talk. Joe, a long bearded man from Chattanooga, Tennesse and Tiff, a German and newly relocated Atlantan. We talked for a bit and decided to share a camp spot to save money. I took the two men to the camp store and they were thankful enough to purchase two nights of camping. We ended up having a great time and sharing many memories and stories. We eventually were joined by Al' and Jordan, a father and son duo. Oh and did I mention all of these men were hiking the Appalachian Trail. The two nights with these new friends went by very quick, but I am very glad I got to share time with them. it's easy getting lonely on the road. They told me I should go visit Blackrock summit before I departed. I took there word for it and made my way hiking in to the rocky mountainside. I slipped on the rocky slope till I made it to the top. The view was incredible. 360 degree's of visible mountains and wilderness. I made my way back to Sophia and ended up taking another hiker back to the campsite from the summit. I really enjoyed helping these guys, because I felt there pain with my measly little 5 mile hike. From there I departed and headed to Long Island to visit my sister.
Once I made it to Long Island I was greeted by my sister and nephews. They have been so amazing to stay with and I really have found a special place for them in my heart. It has been nice building a stronger relationship with my sister. We didn't grow up together so my memories have been very faint. I definitely feel a lot closer to her now and the two boys have grown so much since the last time I have seen them. I really want to try to be a better uncle for them as well. Denise took me into Brooklyn so I could stay with a friend for the night and visit the Buckminster Fuller Institution. I had a great time visiting with Derek and walking around the city. It was a little odd not having anyone with me and just wandering, but I had a lot of time to think about what I needed to be doing to prepare for the rest of my journey. I woke up from Dereks early in the morning and took the train back to Williamsburg. I got some breakfast and headed to the Bucky Institute. There I spent the day reading Earth, Inc. which was published in 1947. I was the only one in there other than the 2 people who worked there. It was a really nice study area with a bookshelf of interesting literature from Bucky, about Bucky, or from people who influenced Bucky. I was able to take a lot of notes as well as passing forward information about my documentary and the idea for my experimental social project. Hopefully I will hear back from their project coordinator. Denise then came and picked me up and took me home for a delicious home cooked meal. I will set off in the morning to go to Portland, Maine where I will visit my friend Watson and hopefully take a lot of pictures. This I think will be the last place I visit in my journey. My money is getting low and the toll roads are wearing the budget thin. For now it is late and I shall rest up for tomorrow.
Till next time,
Scott

Changes

What a shame . . . We have reached a point where our own ignorance, greed, and insensitivity has lead to a point of disaster. My plans for moving to New Orleans have changed. I have looked in to going and helping and "due to the high volume of volunteers [they] are no longer accepting applications." I am concerned for the health of those helping and the education being provided about the harmful side effects of working with such toxins. The chemical agent being added to the oil has many catastrophic side effects and we will see a lot of damage in the future because of this. I blame not only the government and BP for this disaster, but I blame myself and other humans for not putting forth all of their interests into alternate fuel options. We have had our chances with the auto manufactures and the public was more concerned with their gas guzzling suv's, sports cars, and trucks. So for now we choose oil which is spewing out rapidly into our oceans, destroying our wildlife, poisoning our food, and feeding the flame for the fate of our future. I know I want this to change.



Instead we will probably point fingers for a while and not take responsibility for our own actions. There needs to be more government action and less blame game. Also, somebody needs to take the typewriters microphone and pass it to Obama. I can't hear him talking in circles clearly.

On the contrary, my lease ends on the 30th of June. I have arranged for myself to take forth all of my energy in my documentary to help educate humans on what it is that is happening and why. I will be traveling to Canada hoping to stir an interest in my project and to receive grants and funding. I just need the means in which I can focus 100 percent of my time on this project. I will be stopping by the Buckminster Fuller Institution to learn more about Bucky and to talk with them about what it is I am trying to do.

I will use this trip as the stepping stone to constructing a hard outline of what the project will offer and to help educate people along the way. I will keep a consistent video blog of observations and experiences through out my journey.

Please help me in my travels. I need places to stay, people to talk to, topics, and any information that can be of help for making a change. Please email me at scottmckibbenphotography@gmail.com

On a more light hearted note, I will also be cataloging my music endeavors along the way. Hoping to create a video blog series devoted to american music. I will play my own tunes as I travel as well as film the others I encounter. If you live on the east coast and are interested in meeting me to be a part of this project please let me know.

There is a lot to come from me in the next few months. I am also happy to say that my website will be going up next week. After months of hard grueling work Dave Berzack and myself have come to a closing with my website as well as his Nerdcore Rap Spoof video. I hope these projects bring us success in the future.

I just wanted to give a brief overview of what there will be to see in the next coming weeks and am very excited about sharing my travels with the world wide web.

Till next time,
SBM