Close but no Cigar

Posted: Feb 03, 2010

Even though I went to Woodstock with a couple of friends from high school, by the time we got there Sat. morning we couldn't get near the exit we wanted to take. We crept along bumper to bumper on some road for what seemed like miles only to be turned around at some traffic circle to head out the way we came in.At some point our battery died & we spent most of the morning trying to find a replacement. At that point we had enough & went on to Lake George to go water skiing.

Everyone knows about the people who got in to see the show, but you never hear about the hundreds of thousands who were parked, stranded or just roaming around the little towns around Bethel. We were several exits from #104 & had no idea how close we came to White Lake, but we saw hundreds of vans, mini buses & cars with people hanging out and creating one of the largest "tail gating" experiences ever. The little town we passed thru was over run with vehicles & people everywhere, some stores had signs in there windows stating "No Gas" or "No Food".

It's amusing to show the 4 page brochure that I recieved with my tickets (of which I have never seen another copy of) to my friends which advertizes things like:

Hundreds of Acres to Roam On

" Walk around for three days without seeing a skyscraper or a traffic light. Fly a kite, sun yourself. Cook your own food and breathe unspoiled air. Camp out: water and restrooms will be supplied. Tents and camping equipment will be available at the Camp Store."

It goes on to talk about the Art Show, the Crafts Bazaar, the Work Shops and the food that will be available. On the back page it shows a vague map of Rt 17 with an arrow pointing to an asteric with the words White Lake next to it. To this day I'm not sure where Yazgur's farm is.

I grew up in Schenectady, NY but have spent the last 34 yrs. living in Virginia Beach, Va.Today I own a small decorative concrete company and play music at my church. The band I play with is very good & we have been fortunate enough to open for groups like: Gretchen Wilson, Lone Star, Sara Evans, and resently Miranda Lambert.

I would be interested in sharing experiences with other baby boomers from upstate NY

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