joni mitchell

ok, so my i booked an on-line ticket for my spouse to travel to upstate new york to visit with his dying sibling over the weekend....and the following was attached to the bottom of the confirmation....

PACKAGE SUGGESTIONS

Albany, NY: Fly & Drive - Back to the Land
From working Buddhist monasteries to artist colonies, Woodstock
is worth the roadtrip.

Long after Joni Mitchell sang about getting ourselves back to
the garden in 1969, Woodstock remains a cultural stronghold in
the Catskill mountains. One hour's drive south of Albany, this
mecca for artists has countless festivals, galleries and
theaters in keeping with its reputation. Start off with a hike
up Rock City Road and into the marked trails leading throughout
the Catskill mountain range. About half way up the mountain,
you can rest up at Karma Triyana Dharmachakra, an active
Tibetan Buddhist Monastery. When you stumble back into town,
make a beeline for the New World Home Cooking Co. This funky
and well-respected restaurant is welcoming to all, even tired
hikers fresh from the mountain. Try the shrimp with day-glo
beet horseradish lime dip or the Divine Trilogy of Macaroni.
Your kids will love the addition of snails, slugs, spiders and
old socks to the menu.

Karma Triyana Dharmachakra

335 Meads Mountain Road
Woodstock, NY 12498
845.679.5906"

KARMA TRIYANA DHARMACHAKRA is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery
beautifully situated in the heart of the Catskill Mountains
above Woodstock, New York. It is the North American monastic
seat of His Holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa, the spiritual head of
the Kagyu Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Karma Triyana
Dharmachakra was built through the blessings and inspiration of
His Holiness in response to the sincere supplication of
students in the West who yearned for an authentic place for
study and practice. Here, the teachings and practices of the
"whispered lineage" are preserved in their purity and made
available to Western students who wish to learn about and
practice Tibetan Buddhism.

The grounds of the monastery
include the site of a future stupa, solitary-retreat cabins, a
fish pond that was stocked by His Holiness the 16th Gyalwa
Karmapa, and a staff and guest house. Buddhist teachings at
Karma Triyana Dharmachakra are offered all year round and range
from introductory presentations of Buddhism to the instruction
in advanced Vajrayana practices. Many of the teachings are open
to the public; check the current schedule at
http://www.kagyu.org/schedule/sch00.html.

If you are
interested in attending teachings or visiting the monastery,
you might want to familiarize yourself with Dharma etiquette
before you arrive: http://www.kagyu.org/monastery/mon01.html.

Take the New York State Thruway (I-87) to exit 20 (Saugerties
Exit). Take Rt. 212 West straight into Woodstock to the Village
Green, which is immediately across from Houst Hardware at the
crest of a slight hill (8.7 miles). Turn right there onto Rock
City Road. After a four-way stop, the road becomes Meads
Mountain Road. Drive to the top of the mountain (2.5 miles).
If
hiking, allow plenty of time to climb Meads Mountain Road. The
monastery is 2.5 miles from downtown and all uphill. From the
village green take Rock City Road to the four way stop. Cross
Glasco Turnpike (a two-lane road) and continue to the top of
the hill.

i would find all of this amusing if circumstances were different......