The whole Autisticana crew went on excursion to Fire Island. Originally we planned on going to Ocean Beach but missed the ferry so we went to Kismet. Some of us almost missed the boat because we got on the wrong ferry terminal boat but the correct time. The crew on the ferry was nice enough to save us time but made in time to catch the ferry to Fire Island. We landed at Kismet, Fire Island. The whole group took a wagon and went for a walk to Kismet Beach. When we got to the beach, some of us went to the water and others relaxed to enjoyed the view. Afterwards, we went for a walk around Kismet and walked through the town and the most interesting houses on the island. We saw signs and souvenirs as items for decoration. I saw some wagons and bicycles in the front yard since cars weren’t allow to go through Fire Island. Afterwards we went for dinner at a deli and we had ice cream, chicken tenders with fries, and a large pretzel. Finally we went saw the most interesting sunset and took the Ferry back to Bay Shore.
Scott
On my end I started off with riding on a wagon halfway before having all of the bags on the wagon. I went to the beach and had a blast by getting hit by the giant waves while I tried to avoid getting hit by the riptides. At one point I almost touched a jellyfish with a minor sting, during which I was hypnotized because it was a close call. While I went for a walk with the group, I found out that every wagon and bikes with baskets had a license plate so they know the name of the vehicle. It would be cool if they can customize the plate or get an old license plate for an souvenir so they can put on a vehicle. There’s also a wagon depot by the dock which every wagon should have a license plate to know the color and customize their plates from New York, Florida or whatever customized plate for an ocean-theme related name.
Jackson
I loved walking around the beach and standing by the waves while feeling the sand being pulled in by the water. We also got to sit on our towels and talk about how interesting Kismet Beach was. At first I was nervous by the ferry because I kept thinking my stuff was going to fall off the boat but I got through it both to the island and back. I also enjoyed seeing an interesting fence rumored to belong to a “psycho killer” and eating at the deli with each other. I enjoyed a delicious dinner of fries and sparkling lemonade mixed with blackberry seltzer and seeing a beautiful sunset on the way back to Bay Shore.
The blood moon represents the purpose of showing the universe to be what does the beautiful view looks like. The blood moon also represents the reddish tingle which the full moon takes on when it’s fully eclipsed. The beautiful of it that the moon changed colors from white into being covered by turning red which is the beauty of the night sky. A “blood moon” happens when the Earth’s moon is in a total lunar eclipse, while it has no special astronomical significance. The view of the night sky is striking as the usually whitish moon becomes red or ruddy brown which gives purpose of the changes afterwards. The planets goes through around the galaxies to tell when the next time when they’ll be another blood moon.
A total lunar eclipse happens when the Moon travels through the Earth’s umbra and blocks all direct sunlight from illuminating the Moon’s surface. For some reason, some sunlight can still reaches the lunar surface indirectly, through the Earth’s atmosphere, bathing the Moon in a reddish, yellow, or orange which shows the audience of interesting facts about the evolution of the moon and sun being on each other’s planet. The Blood Moon has a fact that cycle lasts for quite some time depending on how long the moon turns red or depending on the weather if it has to be a full moon.
Lunar eclipses can only happen during a full moon, when the sun fully illuminates the surface. Usually, a full moon has no eclipse because the moon orbits in a slightly different plane than the Earth and the sun. However, at times the planes coincide. Earth passes in between the moon and the sun and cuts off the sunlight, causing an eclipse.
There’s so much things to do during the fall and winter months. People can go skiing snow tubing and community events, hiking. The town also often host local beer festivals and cultural activities in the area. The weather is cooler during most of the summer and it has the best scenery of the amazing different colors of leaves during the autumn. Lack of carbinonaxie which is good for the people to breathe in with the fresh air. It is also one of the most iconic places in Upstate New York with so much sceneries.
Housings and ski resorts for the holiday tourism. People should consider moving to Upstate New York because there’s less population than Southern New York which they need to move up in the north. They also have a solar farm. They have colorful housings and stores in their local downtown area on Route 23A Main Street in Tannersville. There’s also art museums, historic places, antique shops and other local attractions. Upstate New York also has a lot of real life Cafes and Thrift Stores for local business.
During the Winter Months, most of the time it always snow and has plenty for people to do skiing, snow tubing and so much adventurous activities during the day. People can sit by the fire and have marshmallows with hot chocolate to keep you warm. There’s also great shopping and dining options especially when people wanna enjoy their getaway trip to the resorts or Winter Lodging for fun activities. Others can do non winter activities like snowshoe trails through the woods, or shopping downtown and enjoying a craft beer tasting. There is plenty of activities like historic sites and other events which is the reason why the Catskills are the ideal destination!
The reason people should move to the Hudson Valley/Catskills because they can have the luxury life or find something that fits your budget but wanted to find somewhere with nature. Most of the houses would have more freedom of the walk around the property and often see wild animals once in a while or see the shooting stars on a clear night.
The place is a the sense of wonders during the summer months like going out to so many fun places to go out for a trip to remember. Theres plenty of lakes and waterfalls for tourists to spend parts of the day like swimming in swim holes, paddle boating, Canoeing, Kayaking, fishing, and exploring animals in the nature preserve. The Catskills has local eatery and brewery for adults who love to socialize and have a good time. Hit the highlights or go through the horizon and see where the road takes you to find a great spot like, biplane adventures, the waterpark, mountain activities, or eatery cafes and restraints for the whole family. They can also stop by at local music festivals if they wanna have a good time especially theres the shops of Woodstock were they can check out and relive the memory of the Hippie Era. Also there’s a couple of petting zoo for kids and people who adores with animals and loves learning about history at some of the local museums and art museums.
The scenery is beautiful during the autumn because of the Fall Foliage and theres much adventurous activities. The weather is also breezy and crisp during the autumn months. There’s also lots of fall festivals, horse back riding trails, hiking trails, farmers markets and trips to the farm.
The first thing that Dr. Christine and I did was that we stopped by at the Cafe called Golden Russet Cafe & Grocery. It was a Cafe and Grocery Store which is very interesting and it only happens in less populated areas especially in the woodlands or the rural suburbs.
I ordered myself a bacon and egg and cheese sandwich with tomato which was really delicious.
There was a play room and a reading station for the kids while the grownups got to have coffee time with friends and family. I thought that was a great idea !
I was able to meet Jenny( the owner) so Christine and I interviewed her about the place and how she and her husband ran it so successfully. We also got to discover the beautiful historic houses, a local farm, and a local brewery around Rhinebeck. We also visited the Omega institute which is the most famous health and holistic retreat center in the United States.
Afterwards, we stopped by at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, a hamlet in Dutchess County, New York. We saw a very old tree which was over 350 years old, It is called the survivor tree as Christine always teaches us the tree pose and how to stand tall with resilience. ,
I also thought it would be a very nice spot for holiday tourism or a weekend for a day trip in the area.
When we drove to Poughkeepsie, there was a section of Marist College which is near the downtown area of Poughkeepsie.
We also had great exercise and spa time at Mike Arteaga’s Health and Fitness
We got to go swimming in a great salt water pool, and there was a hot tub included and a cold plunge and sauna that we rotated over and over for detox
There’s also a cardio room in a movie theatre room where you can go on the treadmill while watching a movie. That was so cool , and we made a pact to go tomorrow again at 7 am.
Then we got onto our obligation to wash our service animal doggies ( Mabel n Moon and company , of which their books are coming at soon!)
Foam and wash is also a car wash which opens 24 hours a day. Two for one ! As conscious and accountable news makers, Christine has taught us how to really effectively multi task.
Afterwards, we drove through the Mid Hudson Bridge which was beautiful with the rainbow lighting on the bridge which was meant to be as it represents us at Autisticana.
Finally we drove all the way to Kingston to stop by at a progressive urban book store called “The Rough Draft Bar” and Books, which it’s a cafe where writers can work on their blogs or their upcoming books. The place was very interesting and we ended the night with a healthy and delicious dinner.
I had a nice adventure and a great trip around the Mid Hudson Valley.
Our News Virtual Travel Bloggers got the opportunity to take a kayaking trip last Friday with a young man named Huy (You can follow him at his Facebook page Huygo Gang & Kiara Badass). Huy, Kiara and Momo created this group to hold a space for us to grow our connection. We’ll update upcoming tours in Vietnam or in other countries. Exploring hidden spots, telling untold stories, and having fun are what we want to do together!
It was really nice to see that Huy created this whole trip using his own dog Momo as the main character in his story. My impression is that he named Momo after the winged lemur from the beloved Nickelodeon cartoon Avatar: The Last Airbender. The show follows a young boy named Aang as he awakens from a century long slumber in an iceberg and goes on a quest to bring harmony and peace to a world of four warring nations. I think Huy named his dog Momo because Momo from Avatar and Aang have a very close connection with each other as well as his sky bison Appa. I can relate to Huy and Momo’s bond because Momo rarely leaves Huy’s side as he livestreams his journeys for HeyGo.
Momo, Huy’s dog
We began our trip on the boat with Huy to an abandoned island as Momo stepped into his role as captain and led the way while Huy started educating us with his wonderful storytelling about the virtual excursion he was taking us on. The boat ride showed us beautiful tunnels of coconut palm trees which stood out in the murky and shallow swamp as we finally ended up at Hoi An.
Hoi An, Vietnamese for “peaceful meeting place” is one of Vietnam’s most renowned cities that is located within Vietnam’s Quang Nam province. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site because it serves as a renowned example of a 14000s to 1800s Southeast Asian trading port that displays lots of influence, whether it be from other parts of Vietnam or other countries teeming with traders and travelers.
It was very interesting that people worldwide could come on from around the world and go on a boat ride throughout Vietnam’s river. That meant the Heygo viewers could ask a lot of questions from their own perspectives and I find that intriguing especially as a group of travel bloggers.
As an investigator, we dug a little bit deeper to find out the name of the island and why it was flooded. From our research, we learned that Quang Nam province was heavily destroyed due to Typhoon Joan in November 1964. Many villages as well as Vietnam’s rice crop supply was destroyed by the raging rivers and heavy rain and many people died as well.
Eric’s Fun Facts
Vietnam is a nation of rivers
Soccer/football is the most popular sport in Vietnam
Vietnam currency is called dong
Nicole’s Visualization
Sit in a comfortable quiet space. Let your body relax, preparing yourself for your mind to relax. Take a deep inhale in, and exhale completely. Once again, take another full breath in and exhale completely. We are going to take an imaginary trip on a kayak through the Vietnam rivers. Gently bring your shoulders to your ears, shrug your shoulders up creating tension, and let them drop. Again, take a deep breath in bringing your shoulders up creating tension and then let them drop. We begin our venture kayaking the the Vietnam rivers to an abandoned village. As we start our voyage we take notice of the sight of palm trees as we keep paddling through the canals. We take a deep breath in as we bring our shoulders up and exhale releasing tension as we continue our kayak journey. We are excited and can feel the sensation of joy as I look at my little dog on the front of the boat playing the captain of our journey and of our visual meditation. I am so grateful I have a small companion to take this trip with. As I exhale completely, I bring the boat up to the shore of the island. I take a deep breath in and smell all the vegetation on the island. I hear “splash splash” as my dog falls off the boat. I laugh as I remind myself that he can swim because I taught him well. As I begin to pick him up and dry him off, I feel the sensation of his wet body and keep drying to make sure he is comfortable. As Momo and I get off the boat, we walk onto the island. I follow my sense of smell as I am led to plush vegetables and fruit gardens. I pick a ripe star fruit off a palm tree. As I taste its sweet yet sour fruit, I then feel the fruit which is in the shape of a 5 point star. Its skin is edible and the meaty part of the fruit tastes sour. I learn that they use star fruit in many dishes in Vietnam. I am full with joy as I take another inhale and exhale deeply. I follow the fruit patch till I see these big beautiful cows. I notice that the cow is starting to come over to me and I feel that he wants me to pet him. I first place out my hand to be very gentle as I feel the sensation of him licking my hand. I see that myself and the cow are really laughing together. I take another deep breath in and out and feel grateful that I have this bond with the animal. I begin to sit under the tree with my dog to relax. I close my eyes, take a breath in and out as I am very grateful that I can return to this amazing trip and create my very own visual meditation and excursion whenever I wish.
Scott’s Sport Review
We found out that one of the most popular sports in Vietnam is Da Cau. Da cau or “foot Badminton” is a sport that has been in practice in Vietnam for centuries. The emperors and kings of Vietnam also encouraged their soldiers to play the sport to sharpen their agility for fight. There is incredible acrobatics that the players must utilize when practicing da cau.
Photos by Danielle
David’s Rhyme Zone
There was a guy in cambodia named Huygo
Who had a puppy named Momo
They took us on a kayak tour
And showed us local scenery and more
And now that’s another country that I know!
Dr. Christines Positive Take Away
I am so proud of all my kids consistency with continually sharing their talents with the world . This trip was extremely fun because it show cased the joy and accountability found in the host It is so wonderful to see a young adult be creative and enthusiastic about his work . He captured this virtual experience very well and entertained his global audience with his dog Momo.
He answered all questions immediately that were asked with calmness and confidence . Some participant asked him ” What am I learning ?” and his response was ” Watching is learning ”. I thought that was confident and a brilliant answer. In this fast paced crazy world we live in, everyone is looking for a quick fix and an answer There is beauty behind curiosity . If we quiet down to pull ourselves into our five senses, we will find our answers So visually watching was so on point. Great job Hoy, and kudos to my newsmakers for sharing their individual gifts with each trip we take. Consistency is the key to success
Our news makers, now taking on the job of being our virtual travel bloggers got the opportunity to take a virtual trip by Amazon Explore. Our trip was to the Featherwood Sanctuary in Australia. We had fun seeing the sanctuary’s different examples of Australia’s greatest creatures such as koalas and kangaroos.
This virtual tour hosted by Leone was really great for all of us. She was very kind and very experienced about the park and all the animals. We virtually got to experience some great stories about the park, it’s history and all the animals. We saw and learned about the kangaroos, koalas, wombats, Penguins and much more.
What was fascinating to me was that these penguins that live in tropical temperatures. This was all new to me, I thought Penguins could only survive in the cold. Leone explained to us that these penguins have adapted to the climates in Australia. They have a layer of fat, just like the cold weather penguins, but it is not as thick. This allows them to live on land where it tends to be warmer. However, they are also covered in tightly worn feathers that act like a wet suit. These are all the animals we experienced in Australia.
We also really loved the kangaroos as they were able to jump up high, like we had learned about in various books and websites. Seeing them do it in real life was amazing!
Eric’s Fun Facts
Kangaroo Joey’s are the name they call their babies and weigh up to 6 kilograms until they leave the pouch (does anyone know how much 6 kilograms equals? a. 25lbs b. 13lbs c. 3lbs)
Wombats have hard butts used for defense, burrowing, and mating
14 species of penguins can survive in warm climates
Wombats are short-legged, muscular quadrupedal marsupials that are native to Australia. Anyone know what a marsupial is? Baby Joey’s in momma’s pouch!
When seeing the koalas climb on the trees, it was amazing to see them in action. What we learned was that they use climbing as a powerful tool to get food . They also climb to escape danger. So koala bears are actually super heroes. Imagine if we had those powers? We really do! Dr. Christine has taken all of us out hiking and climbing, so we are on our way to staying fit , reducing stress and being our own super hero!
Nicole’s Creative Visualization
A meditation about Featherwood Sanctuary
Find a calm and comfortable place.
Close your eyes as we begin our journey to Featherwood Sanctuary in Sydney Australia. Take a deep breath in and exhale completely. Let your body relax and your mind settle down as we begin our journey through the luscious green park. As you are walking through the path, you notice the ‘ lily philly’ which is a beautiful fruit that grows through all of Australia. As you breathe in and out you feel your body beginning to relax deeper as you smell the fresh wooded scent of the bamboo trees that surround you. When you reach out to touch them they are so strong, which makes them so resilient to any environmental condition. Christine teaches us to stand tall and be strong always, and if you fall, it is ok, you then begin to pick yourself up. As you breathe in and out, try to stand tall and confident in your strength like a bamboo tree. Even on our worst days, we can find the time to mimic a bamboo tree and stand tall like the mountain pose in yoga.
You feel grounded and strong into the earth as we hear the birds chirping and singing amazing songs they create naturally. You take a deep breath in and out and feel very grateful that you have this opportunity to experience this magic as we continue our creative visualization. As you keep walking through the trees you see the rain drops fall off the leaves, you proceed to reach out and touch the leaf, feeling soft and wet from the natural rain. You breathe in and out as you see this beautiful koala smiling at you. You reach out gently to touch the little bear, his fur is so soft. The koala is smiling as you stroke his fur, and that makes you smile as well. You proceed to walk further as you see a bright yellow banana tree. You pick one, close your eyes, and breathe in and out feeling grateful that this banana tree is able to share it’s fruit with you. You peel the banana and take a big bite, it is so fruitfully sweet. You walk to the end of the park looking at all the amazing animals. At the far end of the park, you realize you are at a cliff and am able to see the waves go up and down. As you feel the wind, you breathe in and out and look at the blue ocean. Realizing from the teachings in the News Makers, life is really like an ocean and we are all here to learn how to surf the waves and to stay emotionally steady and physically fit. You proceed to take one more deep breath in and out, knowing that you can come back to this beautiful sanctuary whenever you wish. Dr. Christine has taught us the art of writing creative visualizations, which actually helps us to calm down and center our minds.
Cara’s Art Corner
I chose the Koala because I thought it would suit best with the blog. This picture was painted on mixed media paper, fully done with watercolor. I enjoy using all different mediums for my works, but I chose watercolor because it’s efficient, dries quickly, and the colors come out brilliantly.
David’s Rhymes and Rhythms
The wildlife sanctuary was like a zoo
And we even got to see a kangaroo
The momma kangaroo had a joey in her pouch
He was so heavy the momma said ouch
We also saw a koala bear
He was so close as if we were really there
We enjoyed the Featherdale Wildlife park
It had a lot of pairs of animals just like Noah’s Ark
Scott and Jackson’s Facts about Australia
Our news makers, now taking on the job of being our virtual travel bloggers got the opportunity to take a virtual trip by Amazon Explore. Our trip was to the Featherwood Sanctuary in Australia. We had fun seeing the sanctuary’s different examples of Australia’s greatest creatures such as koalas and kangaroos.
This virtual tour hosted by Leone was really great for all of us. She was very kind and very experienced about the park and all the animals. We virtually got to experience some great stories about the park, it’s history and all the animals. We saw and learned about the kangaroos,, koalas, wombats, Penguins and much more.
I really loved the kangaroos as they were able to jump up high, like I had learned about in various books and websites. Seeing them do it in real life was amazing!
When seeing the koalas climb on the trees it makes me enjoy seeing those creatures in action we learned in the past that they use climbing as a powerful tool to get food and escape danger and then really imagine if they go up high.
What was fascinating to me was that these penguins lived in tropical temperatures.. This was all new to me, I thought Penguins could only survive in the cold. Leone explained to us that these penguins have adapted to the climates in Australia. They have a layer of fat, just like the cold weather penguins, but it is not as thick. This allows them to live on land where it tends to be warmer. However, they are also covered in tightly worn feathers that act like a wet suit. These are all the animals we experienced in Australia.
Dr. Christines’ positive take- away
What is not positive about being so close to beautiful animals, that you feel you can reach out and touch them. Our News Makers were thrilled to see these beautiful creatures in Australia and learn about their characteristics and fun facts. The host was exuberant and lovely and was happy to answer all questions. Animals and nature have a way of lifting every ones’ mood. For the isolated, animals can make you happier than most humans. Getting in nature, even virtually can really help shift your mood. Nature has been researched to be one of the best elements to increase mental attitude. What better way than having the opportunity to do it in Australia. Our News Makers had a wonderful excursion.
Recently, I went to the Organics Today Farm in East Islip, NY with my friends. It was a farm with growing crops. It seems to be great for programs to help out soak all local communities to do volunteer work. We had to walk around in a cricle, which made it interesting to see the sights.
A photo of a sign directing vistors to different areas of the farm during the Halloween season (Photo credit: Scott Weisbrot)
We saw a lot of plants, crops and farmers market. There was also wagons to ride for kids if they want to go for a rides with their parents or use them for pumpkin picking if it is too much to cary. We saw scarecrows and an old mid 90s Jeep Cherokee that never moved in 7 to 8 years. There was a pumpkin patch field where you could pick pumpkins. During the summer months, people can come to the farm to pick fresh fruits and vegetables they can eat or cook.
When we came to this path, I noticed that some car might’ve drove on the trail. I could tell this because the dirt path was divided by a segment of grass in the middle. At the end of the trail, I saw a train from the Montauk branch. This was cool for people who love to hear passing trains. Finally, we went to the Farmers Market, which was in a small building. It has a lot of cool stuff like local food and handmade soap, honey, cheese, diary, maple syrup, and farm products.
The Organics Today Farm also does programs, dayhabs, volunteer work and field trips. It is open from the first day in the spring to Thanksgiving.
You can check out the photos I took on my adventure:
Bellport is one of the most interesting villages to go in central Suffolk County, Long Island, NY. Recently while I was there, I found a playground with an outdoor workout station – which is cool. The playground was opened during the end of 2020 If I ever plan on visiting Suffolk County during the summer, I can take a 5 minutes drive to workout almost everyday.
Photo of Scott with Dr Christine Grimaldi and friends in Bellport Village, NYThe playground in Bellport Village NY near the ocean.
Then we stopped by to see the other landscapes of this park which there was a shelter and boat dock. Nearby are the docks of Bellport Yacht. There’s a ferry boat that can take locals to Ho Hum Beach on the East End of Fire Island, NY. The service is only available during the summer months from Memorial Day to Labor Day, weekends only.
A view of the docks from the playground in Bellport Village, NY
We discover busy main street with popular summer shops. This includes cool stores, historic houses, and ice cream shops. It is perfect for summer tourists and people who wanna live there for the summer. Also, there are farms for animals and food – great spots to be in the summer and fall. The houses are nice in the area, and the town has very cautious speed limits from 15 to 30 miles per hour.
A storefront of Carla Marlas, an ice cream shop in Bellport Village NY.
Recently, I went with a group of friend on a trip to Hoyt Farm and Preserve in Commack, NY. Hoyt Farm is a preserve in the town of Smithtown, which is a nice place with cool parks and beautiful nature. If you go in the fall, it’s a great place to find the leaves changing color and walk pass through the animal farm. There’s lots of cool stops among the trails. There was also a garden gnomes village in one of the trees. We checked out the empty barns with different paths of bushes. We discovered the Hoyt Farm playhouse, which looked like an empty wooden house. Afterwards, we toured around the preserve. In total, it was a half a mile walk.
Here’s a map of Hoyt Farm in Commack, NY:
A map of Hoyt Farm in Commack NY
You can check out all the photos I took on my trip to Hoyt Farm below:
