Explorations and Adventures?

Team Fail: From The Rescue!

It started out of spite... a few days after New Year's, I bought a ticket to Copenhagen, for the end of February. I had just had a bitter argument with my parents about the possibility of going hiking in Iceland this summer, and they even offered to use their leftover airline points to get me there... until I was forced to admit I had no idea who was coming with me yet, even though the trip was at least six months away. So I decided to go farther, and sooner, and just kind of hoped that if I waved tickets…

Continue Reading Team Fail: From The Rescue!

Urbex Challenge #103

Even as well as 2015 started, this one just seemed too good to be true. I'd heard a few weeks ago that the Walters Building was wide open, and at my level no less, for the first time in at least 10 years. I even got directions to it so I'd know exactly which door to use - either the best chance I'll ever have again at an asylum, or an elaborate trap to send me into the teeth of security. All I needed was someone willing to try it with me, and I even managed to make that happen,…

Continue Reading Urbex Challenge #103

Temporary Autonomous Zone

I've had my eyes on this building for years now, since I lived downtown. Not for much good reason, except that it was the local abandonment, not counting the one that was just an elevator ride away. But despite being so close, it always stayed locked up and even defied our efforts to Occupy it instead of wasting everyone's time fighting for a silly park. This building began as a hotel, the Richford, in around 1920, founded by one Richard Ford, initially without much success despite a central location in the middle of downtown Rochester and between the then two…

Continue Reading Temporary Autonomous Zone

The House That Seph Built

After a few successes, and the total surprise that anyone actually showed up to explore with me, I was ready to aim higher and take on Seph Lawless himself. I'm not exactly sure how I feel about Seph - certainly not the revulsion most explorers have to him, although not complete devotion either considering that he's been less than helpful to me. But I was in his territory in Cleveland, and of course I'd jump at the chance to go somewhere he has, just in case it might give me some semblance of the following he has. Ideally I'd just…

Continue Reading The House That Seph Built

Call Of Ducky: Quack Ops

After a night of hipstering around in Brooklyn and a frustrating subway ride lost in Queens, I caught a bus from the festering pit of humanity on 41st street to Cleveland. I will admit my expectations for Cleveland were essentially zero. Despite having made what I thought were plans with Johnny and his friends, it wouldn't have surprised me one bit to learn that it was all fake, just meant to send me all the way out to Ohio for nothing. Only a few minutes after I got to Cleveland, something totally unexpected happened. They showed up! We started in…

Continue Reading Call Of Ducky: Quack Ops

Waystation For The Weird

It didn't take me long to get started with 2015. While the TV appearance ended up being a disastrous failure, with Seph Lawless getting the spot I'd been aiming for, and the producer letting me know that he followed up with me by mistake after our interview, I had a few leads to follow and the potential for some huge adventures in the not too distant future. And especially in the winter, I get a horrible chronic case of wanderlust, and make lots of impulsive plans - this time, to spend a weekend in New York City and Cleveland to…

Continue Reading Waystation For The Weird