Jul 24
On my big trip to Alaska, I was always looking for interesting side trips. The useful road and provincial park map of northern British Columbia provided by the helpful BC visitor centers depicts a short road up to a town called “Cassiar”. Since I was driving the Cassiar highway to Alaska, I figured this must …
Jul 11
When planning my big trip to Alaska, I originally figured I would be in British Columbia (BC) for the 4th of July, since I was going to be spending Canada day in Barkerville, smack dab in the center of BC. But then I got to researching and found there is one small outpost of Alaska …
May 03
Everyone goes to Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina) to see the famous rebuilt bridge and to walk the streets, shop, and eat. If staying longer, it’s well worth visiting some of the attractions in these day trips from Mostar. Note that the area around Mostar is technically part of Herzegovina, something I didn’t learn until my …
Jan 03
If you’ve ever wondered what a post-apocalyptic USA might look like, look no further than the Salton Sea Ghost Town of Bombay Beach, California. The sign on your drive into Bombay Beach, CA says “Population 295, Elevation – 223 feet.” That’s right – negative 223 feet. This town is probably the lowest town in America. …
Sep 17
The Northern Sate Mental Hospital was a working asylum in Washington State from 1911 until 1973. Some of the main buildings have been repurposed, but the outbuildings, farm, and areas surrounding have been converted into a lovely park. It’s possible to explore some of the abandoned buildings at Northern State Recreation Area. The Buildings You …
Apr 25
There are so many scenic drives in the state of Oregon, and one in contention for most scenic might be the stretch of Highway OR-216 from Grass Valley to Tygh Valley, also known as the “Sherars Bridge Highway”. From the views of Mt Hood, the to scenic camping spots on the Lower Deschutes River and …
Apr 24
Last year, I really enjoyed visiting the deserted buildings of Pripyat, Ukraine in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. So, when I heard about the Traverse City State Hospital Extended Tripod Photography Tour with a professional photographer at the deserted buildings of the Traverse City State (Mental) Hospital, I had to go. These tours only run a …
Apr 01
Most people visiting Chernobyl do so in a whirlwind 1-day tour from Kyiv, with 2 hours diving each way. It’s also possible to do longer trips, but these are much more expensive and for those that have a deep interest in Chernobyl. My friend and I decided to do the middle trip – a 2-day …
Apr 01
A highlight of a Chernobyl tour is a visit to the Russian Woodpecker, or Duga-3. It’s a 1 km long, by 150 meter high hunk of rotting metal radar technology. The “woodpecker” name comes from the tapping Russian Woodpecker sound it makes while in use. This remnant of Cold War time was a way for …
Apr 01
On April 25, 1986, the city of Pripyat, Ukraine had a population of 50,000 people. Many of them employees of the Chernobyl Nuclear plant and their families. Within a couple days, everyone would be evacuated after the April 26 accident. The pictures here show the impact of 30 years of desertion on the city of …
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