Uncategorized

This Great Dead Town

(Part 4 of my Detroit/Cleveland adventure) Highland Park itself, if possible, managed to be even more desolate and Detroiter than its Detroit surroundings. After a local financial crisis bankrupted the town in the late 90s, Michigan took it over, and consolidated its government functions, leaving what was probably once a proud municipal square to decay: city hall, courthouse, police and fire stations surrounding a deserted square. OK, you got me this time Guilty as charged! (These cells lock. I don't know what we would have done if someone didn't helpfully leave the keys, and a sign, right outside there!) I…

Continue Reading This Great Dead Town

And You Shall Say, God Did It

(Part 2 of my Detroit/Cleveland adventure) Our next destination, Detroit urbex tourists as we were, had to be the Packard Plant! There is nothing like it around... over a million square feet of giant, dead factory space with nothing in it but some vagrant homes, a precariously perched RV or two, and the best graffiti in the Midwest. Only one thing could stop us: Optimus Prime! Only one thing did stop us: Optimus Prime, surrounded by a film crew and attendent security. Oh well, looks like we got a sneak peek at Transformers 4... soon to be in theaters for…

Continue Reading And You Shall Say, God Did It

Secret Passages Bank

I'll admit it: this isn't technically urbex, we had permission to be here. This beautiful abandoned bank will be transformed over the course of the next 8 days into a venue for ArtAwake 3, a one-night art and music exhibition in a forgotten part of the city. Until then, though, it's one hell of an abandoned building to explore! How about a giant vault door? Or a ceiling covered in frescoes? This would never happen in the Recession Unique view of the Times Square Building One beautifully complex cable

Continue Reading Secret Passages Bank

Further Down the River

These Soviet-era apartments are on their way out; no big loss for the city, they all look exactly the same anyway and go on for at least 1/2 mile All that remains of some sort of Erie Canal infrastructure The historic Genesee Brew House The bridge that carries bike route 1 and the main drains across the river into Irondequoit Your writer, in a cage The destination: a cave entrance, deep into the river bank One soaking wet climb up to the drain section of it! The exit... beautiful daylight!

Continue Reading Further Down the River

Apollo 12

I said I was looking for adventure -- it didn't take me long to find it! I climbed Mt Marcy (5348', highest point in New York State) last weekend with my scout troop. Lesson learned: mountains are big! It was an epic experience, even if it's an experience that a certain someone doesn't believe I could ever do, despite the photo evidence! I should have known from the start that this was a bad sign, that not many people go this way. The beginning of the hike was flat and easy enough, about 5 miles to Calamity Pond, where we…

Continue Reading Apollo 12

In The Beginning

I should have seen the signs for a while, maybe I even did see it; summer of 8th grade year, getting absolutely covered in poison sumac, and all I did was apply to be a CIT at my camp, come back for four weeks of it. Then once I got there, it was almost a calling, teaching wilderness survival. It came naturally to me, I felt like it was useful knowledge I'd need someday. Sure, I could have avoided a lot of deerfly bites specializing in basket weaving or rugby, but I couldn't stop learning the ways of nature. Then…

Continue Reading In The Beginning