August 14, 2021
All in all, it was all just bricks in the wall… that were manufactured here.
July 22, 2021
Even more into the green now, I’d spend my third night without running water in the gorgeous Spruce Knob Lake within the Monongahela National Forest, driving up to the highest elevation of the state. With starry eyes, I thought I’d see the stars best here–but weather was uncooperative once again Read more…
July 21, 2021
Did you know there is a National Radio Quiet Zone? The National Radio Quiet Zone restricts Earthly radio transmissions to maximize radio data from outer space. This means NPR wasn’t coming in too clear on my drive to Green Bank Observatory in Green Bank, West Virginia. Similar to the field Read more…
New River Gorge National Park is the newest National Park. One of its scenic draws is the gorge’s bridge, the longest steel arch bridge in the world at the time of its construction. Now this gorgeous feat of engineering is the longest steel arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere. Many Read more…
July 20, 2021
After staying two nights in a hotel, I had a massive neck ache from terrible pillows. But waking up each morning in my tent, I felt euphoric. Perhaps it was how isolated my campground was, The Brooklyn Campground (teehee) near the Cunard River Access area of New River Gorge National Read more…
July 19, 2021
The West Virginia State Penitentiary operated for more than 100 years (1876 to 1995), holding a peak of 2,000 inmates. The cells, which I roamed in and out of freely taking the Photography Tour, were mostly 5 by 7 feet. Shockingly during overcrowded periods of operation, those small cells held Read more…
Finally having electricity and running water at my will, here is a photo dump of some vegan eats from my days in West Virginia. Some sweet treats from the all-vegan Venerable Bean Bakery in Morgantown, part of the Mountain People’s Food Co-op. Selection was pretty low since it was later Read more…
July 18, 2021
To follow are some shots from the main Kirkbride building of Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. A bit cleaned up and subject to large groups coming through for tours, many of the spaces were staged with artifacts and informational displays. A lot of ghost hunters have left toys for the spirit of Read more…
My favorite shots of the day at Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum were in this batch of photos–from the Greenhouse and the Medical Center. It’s of course color, light and texture that play so well in these structures. The effect of this combination is far more impressive than my next batch from Read more…
Opened in 1864, Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum was designed under the Kirkbride Plan, aligned with the namesake’s views on best care practices: giving patients access to air circulation and natural light. Those long hallways that illuminate decay so powerfully are all his fault. As was the case with many large self-sustaining Read more…
July 17, 2021
Blazing a quick trail to West Virginia, I knew I would be picking up some seitan wings from Mountaineer Tap House to help settle me into my hotel. I was pleased to learn that they had just created a vegan ranch to accompany the seitan wigs and I’d be one Read more…
July 13, 2021
Happened to see these fields as I head to Middletown for some food, so I stopped in to trespass in the sunflower fields. This was a field out front for you to pick your own… No one was around, but me and the sunflowers… until the farmer on the tractor Read more…
July 12, 2021
Finding a meal that satisfies so fully while on the road is part of why I love to travel! And Col’s Kitchen in Concord, New Hampshire most certainly fits the bill. Bright, friendly and with a fantastic all-vegan menu, it was a welcome respite from yet another day of driving. Read more…
These train cars are the main draw for this Vermont/New Hampshire trip, originally planned for February but cancelled due to snow. At the time I created a loose itinerary around finding them, I scoured the world wide web for their exact location to no avail–though now I found it within Read more…
One thing to take note of when driving on the backroads of Vermont while using Google Maps GPS… they don’t really care if they put you on a steep dirt road winding into the mountains like the long driveway of some geezer living off the grid barely. That is how Read more…
It was pure joy to stumble upon Valley Vegan in Conway, New Hampshire while staying nearby. The all-vegan shop and bakery offered me (and others!) all I could need for sustenance. Fully stocked case made it difficult to decide… If I had a kitchenette in my room, I’d get some Read more…
July 11, 2021
In the back of my mind during a recent road trip was the fact that it was time for the New Moon. Since shooting the Milky Way is often less fruitful in the East, I didn’t make any plans around astrophotography. But as the sky darkened and that familiar cluster Read more…
Based on my experience, sanatoriums–hospitals that treat patients with Tuberculosis which was once thought to be cured with fresh air and sunlight–carry a lighter psychic energy than the ruins of sanitariums, typically to care for the mentally ill. I’m not challenging google search results that ultimately claim both to be Read more…
July 10, 2021
Lowell Lake State Park is Vermont perfection. It opened as a recreational area in 1880 and I am pretty sure not much has changed since that time. The cabins that once sheltered visitors during this time remain in the park shuttered (mostly), dotting the beautiful lakeside property with just the Read more…
Was passing this place, previously called Moon Wink Hotel, on the way to Vermont and had to pull in. It’s in sorry shape, with a tremendous amount of mold festering within. But I still day dreamed of owning it and decorating it. I have those fantasies a lot. I do Read more…
The Hollow Bar & Kitchen serves up some seitan wings, along with other vegan options, at their happening space in downtown Albany, NY. So I had to partake after a day of driving. The seitan comes from Halo Vegan Food Company, a wholesale supplier of vegan “meats.” Though they do Read more…
July 9, 2021
This place has been on my list to eat for years! I finally made my way to Caribreeze as I headed upstate recently and quickly became a member of the clean plate club. I ordered from the all-vegan Jamaican joint via Grubhub as I was on the road and could Read more…
Staying close by in Albany, I took a quick trip in Albany Rural Cemetery because my previous visit was snow-blanketed. And I am pretty nostalgic for cemetery visiting. But soon the Fall will give way to the cold and it’ll be cemetery season once again. Here are the ladies of Read more…
July 6, 2021
The last day of the desert adventure… before I would spend hours in the air waiting for New York City storms to clear the atmosphere before landing in Buffalo to refuel and finally seeing my bed in Brooklyn at 2:00 am as opposed to 8:00 pm as originally scheduled. It Read more…
July 5, 2021
Fremont Street is where the Old strip used to be, where vintage neon harkens back to less grandiose times. Of course this was always my favorite part of Vegas to visit. But now The Fremont Experience embodies a whole different time of vibe… dot dot dot Let’s just say it Read more…
A reigning Favorite Thing, I go nuts for tiki bars. Vintage decor, kitsch, seediness, decorative and impactful cocktails,,, and in the case of the legendary Frankie’s Tiki Room in Las Vegas–gambling, smoking, and lots of couples making out. Ah, a fantastic energy that is so nostalgic to me.