diff --git a/.ebextensions/static.config b/.ebextensions/static.config
index d6f2514..18fedb3 100644
--- a/.ebextensions/static.config
+++ b/.ebextensions/static.config
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 option_settings:
   - namespace: aws:elasticbeanstalk:container:nodejs:staticfiles
     option_name: /public
-    value: /public
\ No newline at end of file
+    value: /public
+  - option_name: NODE_ENV
+    value: production
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app.js b/app.js
index 72dedff..b2dc773 100644
--- a/app.js
+++ b/app.js
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-
 /**
  * Module dependencies.
  */
@@ -6,33 +5,91 @@
 var express = require('express')
   , routes = require('./routes')
   , user = require('./routes/user')
+  , hike = require('./routes/hike')
   , http = require('http')
   , path = require('path')
-  , hike = require('./routes/hike');
+  , mysql = require('mysql')
+  , async = require('async');
 
 var app = express();
 
-// all environments
-app.set('port', process.env.PORT || 3000);
-app.set('views', __dirname + '/views');
-app.set('view engine', 'jade');
-app.use(express.favicon());
-app.use(express.logger('dev'));
-app.use(express.bodyParser());
-app.use(express.methodOverride());
-app.use(app.router);
-// app.use(express.static(path.join(__dirname, 'public')));
-
-// development only
-if ('development' == app.get('env')) {
-  app.use(express.errorHandler());
-}
+app.configure(function(){
+  app.set('port', process.env.PORT || 3000);
+  app.set('views', __dirname + '/views');
+  app.set('view engine', 'jade');
+  app.use(express.favicon());
+  app.use(express.logger('dev'));
+  app.use(express.bodyParser());
+  app.use(express.methodOverride());
+  app.use(app.router);
+//  app.use(express.static(path.join(__dirname, 'public')));
+});
 
-app.get('/', routes.index);
-app.get('/users', user.list);
-app.get('/hikes', hike.index);
-app.post('/add_hike', hike.add_hike);
+app.configure('development', function() {
+  console.log('Using development settings.');
+  app.set('connection', mysql.createConnection({
+    host: '',
+    user: '',
+    port: '',
+    password: ''}));
+  app.use(express.errorHandler());
+});
 
-http.createServer(app).listen(app.get('port'), function(){
-  console.log('Express server listening on port ' + app.get('port'));
+app.configure('production', function() {
+  console.log('Using production settings.');
+  app.set('connection', mysql.createConnection({
+    host: process.env.RDS_HOSTNAME,
+    user: process.env.RDS_USERNAME,
+    password: process.env.RDS_PASSWORD,
+    port: process.env.RDS_PORT}));
 });
+
+function init() {
+  app.get('/', routes.index);
+  app.get('/users', user.list);
+  app.get('/hikes', hike.index);
+  app.post('/add_hike', hike.add_hike);
+
+  http.createServer(app).listen(app.get('port'), function(){
+    console.log("Express server listening on port " + app.get('port'));
+  });
+}
+
+var client = app.get('connection');
+async.series([
+  function connect(callback) {
+    client.connect(callback);
+  },
+  function clear(callback) {
+    client.query('DROP DATABASE IF EXISTS mynode_db', callback);
+  },
+  function create_db(callback) {
+    client.query('CREATE DATABASE mynode_db', callback);
+  },
+  function use_db(callback) {
+    client.query('USE mynode_db', callback);
+  },
+  function create_table(callback) {
+     client.query('CREATE TABLE HIKES (' +
+                         'ID VARCHAR(40), ' +
+                         'HIKE_DATE DATE, ' +
+                         'NAME VARCHAR(40), ' +
+                         'DISTANCE VARCHAR(40), ' +
+                         'LOCATION VARCHAR(40), ' +
+                         'WEATHER VARCHAR(40), ' +
+                         'PRIMARY KEY(ID))', callback);
+  },
+  function insert_default(callback) {
+    var hike = {HIKE_DATE: new Date(), NAME: 'Hazard Stevens',
+          LOCATION: 'Mt Rainier', DISTANCE: '4,027m vertical', WEATHER:'Bad'};
+    client.query('INSERT INTO HIKES set ?', hike, callback);
+  }
+], function (err, results) {
+  if (err) {
+    console.log('Exception initializing database.');
+    throw err;
+  } else {
+    console.log('Database initialization complete.');
+    init();
+  }
+});
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index ae9468b..9e07b80 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -3,10 +3,13 @@
   "version": "0.0.1",
   "private": true,
   "scripts": {
-    "start": "node app.js"
+    "start": "node app"
   },
   "dependencies": {
-    "express": "3.3.4",
-    "jade": "*"
+    "express": "3.1.0",
+    "jade": "*",
+    "mysql": "*",
+    "async": "*",
+    "node-uuid": "*"
   }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/routes/hike.js b/routes/hike.js
index fec29a9..bd8bca6 100644
--- a/routes/hike.js
+++ b/routes/hike.js
@@ -1,6 +1,14 @@
+var uuid = require('node-uuid');
+
 exports.index = function(req, res) {
- res.render('hike', {title: 'My Hiking Log'});
+  res.app.get('connection').query( 'SELECT * FROM HIKES', function(err, rows) {
+    if (err) {
+      res.send(err);
+    } else {
+      console.log(JSON.stringify(rows));
+      res.render('hike', {title: 'My Hiking Log', hikes: rows});
+  }});
 };
 
-exports.add_hike = function(req, res) {
+exports.add_hike = function(req, res){
 };
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/views/hike.jade b/views/hike.jade
index ef7b09f..1db3c85 100644
--- a/views/hike.jade
+++ b/views/hike.jade
@@ -2,4 +2,21 @@ extends layout
 
 block content
   h1= title
-  p Welcome to #{title}
\ No newline at end of file
+  p Welcome to #{title}
+
+  div
+    h3 Hikes
+    table(border="1")
+      tr
+        td Date
+        td Name
+        td Location
+        td Distance
+        td Weather
+      each hike in hikes
+        tr
+          td #{hike.HIKE_DATE.toDateString()}
+          td #{hike.NAME}
+          td #{hike.LOCATION}
+          td #{hike.DISTANCE}
+          td #{hike.WEATHER}
\ No newline at end of file