Sunsets at Alpine & Sunrise over Niagara Falls

Cheesin' Out

After the camping chaos at Deer Creek, we opted for the hotel route at Alpine Valley. Last minute hotel organization on tour can be tricky, but with help from new and old friends we scored a reservation and could afford to stay at the Marriot - Glorious beds, showers, and super heady food. It was 45 minutes away from the venue but hell, we were in Wisconsin. 

The Alpine shows lived up to the hype I had been hearing and Waterwheel killed it just like the band. Fans were feeling extra generous and the autographed posters went as quick as you could say Jiboo. This was great news for The Hunger Task Force of Milwaukee, the non-profit group Waterwheel hosted for the shows. I had no idea that Milwaukee is one of the poorest cities in the nation, but I'm grateful to be apart of such a philanthropic community, raising awareness and support for groups like The Hunger Task Force.

We decided to skip Jones Beach and spend a few days stationary in Burlington before SPAC. B and I left Wisconsin originally intending to break up the drive back to Vt over the course of a few days. Instead, we stopped at a roadside cheese castle, snagged a bunch of snacks and were inspired to drive through the night. We pulled into Niagara Falls an hour before sunrise. After cracking a beer in the parking lot, we wandered around the empty park until sunrise.








I couldn't help but be in awe of the incredible power of water and shed a few tears for a fallen friend who had drowned at a popular Vermont swimming hole just a few days before. I poured out the rest of my gluten free beer with so much love for Rudy and an overwhelming respect/ fear for water. Another looming reminder of just how much control we really have, and that the elements can take it all away in moments. The rest of this trip will be lived through a new lense, with a filter of appreciation for the present, the pleasant and acting with intention.

I survived Deer Creek 2012

Sharing the limited living space of a chevy cavalier coup with another person is a humbling experience. Life gets simpler everyday. I've learned how to go without conveniences like a dresser, consistent indoor plumbing or a steady source of income. Each day I figure out something else I am able to do without. That was true for everyday of this trip thus far, with the exception of Deer Creek.

The actual Phish shows were incredible and it was pretty clear that everyone was enjoying themselves in Indiana despite the extreme weather conditions. 105 °F is a little too intense for me. Throw in some torrential downpours, thunder, lightning, high speed winds, hail, and you've got yourself some weather worthy of storm chasers. Now imagine this experienced from the safe walls of a 2 person tent nestled under the shadows of dead tree branches and you've got yourself a Deer Creek party.

Deadly heat during the day, portos so nasty you can't help but wonder which diseases are festering behind the sun faded doors, and 'showers' reeking of rotten eggs from the sulfur in the water (which also happened to turn my rings into stained yellow metal). Up until Deer Creek we had decided to save money on hotels by camping, but this was nothing like the sprawling shaded live oak trees of our campground on VA beach for the Portsmouth shows. This was being woken up at 2am by police megaphones warning campers to prepare for another storm, taking down the hammock, securing the campsite and climbing into Betsy's tent with just enough time to tuck my head under my arms, squeeze my eyes shut and hope the dead branches hanging ten feet above the tent weren't about to impale us while sideways rain tried to breach the walls of our rain fly. Thanks to the police and the neighbor's wake-up warnings I didn't experience this storm from my hammock and thankfully Betsy has a kick ass tent that weathered the storm (we stayed almost totally dry with the exception of the puddle at B's feet and her waterlogged toes).

Even after all that drama, I can confidently say it was worth it. Loved the fishman/ trey switcheroo and the increasingly frequent crowd interactions. Pumped to hear their covers of Sweet Jane and Old Home Place live. So many more highlights to the shows, but I've been especially amped about seeing B connect with the music more and more each show.

The Alpine shows didn't disapoint either, especially since we were able to unwind (post and pre shows) within the comforts of the Marriot... Sometimes you don't need to rough it.