Small Town Adventure - Bowling Green, Ohio

On a recent Friday morning, my husband called and said, "I have to be in Bowling Green, Ohio for a meeting Monday morning, do you want to come along?" Since his meeting was at 8:30 and Bowling Green is a good 3-1/2 hours from our house, he was planning to leave Sunday afternoon and stay overnight.

While he is asking me this question, I am lying on the couch on a bag of ice. I had tweaked a muscle in my back the day before, causing the whole right side of my body to feel like a pulled taut bungee cord. You would think my immediate answer would be, "I can't." But having been through this predicament before, generally a whole lot of ice and ibuprofen takes care of the problem in a couple of days. Since nothing was required of me but getting into the car on Sunday, I told him I would decide one way or the other Sunday morning.

Sunday morning while not perfect, I could sit with minimal discomfort. Googling Bowling Green, Ohio, an image search revealed: old buildings, a quaint-looking downtown, and some nature parks. Plenty to keep me busy on Monday.

At three o'clock Sunday afternoon, I climbed into the car, cranked the heated seat to high, and stretched out the best I could. Almost four hours later, we arrived at our hotel.

At dinner that night with one of my husband's coworkers and his wife, I posed the question - where would be some good places to go photograph? This can be a risky question to ask non-photographers. Chris suggested the Historical Center and Museum which was two stop signs down the road from our hotel. As soon as he said old buildings and cemetery, I knew that his suggestion could be taken seriously.

Shortly after eight o'clock Monday morning, I checked out of the hotel (Glen had already left with another colleague) and drove two stop signs down the road, crossed a country highway and found the Wood County Historical Center. Formerly, the Wood County Infirmary, i.e. county poor house. I was in heaven.

The Wood County Infirmary operated from 1869-1971. After 102 years of operation the Infirmary closed. It reopened in 1975 as a Museum. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

The Infirmary Cemetery is the final resting place of over 400 Wood County residents. Not everybody buried here lived in the Infirmary. Residents too poor to afford burial in a public cemetery were also buried here. The county paid for a simple pine box and grave marker noted with a number. They do have records of who is buried here, but none that indict which number belongs to which name.

Two parks that I also visited while in Bowling Green were: Wintergarden Park and Simpson Garden Community Center. Both beautiful parks, but it was too hot and too sunny for any good photos. I am hoping to be invited back to Bowling Green so I can explore further.

A Weekend in Gary, Indiana

Mercy Hospital

My husband and I spent last weekend in Gary, Indiana. Now if you are from the mid-west you are probably thinking, what the heck were you doing there? The only things in Gary are danger and abandoned buildings. But if you know me at all, you will also know that I am okay with a little bit of danger and a whole lot of abandoned buildings. 

Photo Credit: Glen Huizenga - City United Methodist Church

We were in Gary (during the day) for a two day photography workshop with Rad Drew and Sally Meyer Wolf, called Abandoned Gary. 

Photo Credit: Rad Drew - Group photo minus two.

There were fourteen of us seekers of decay. Most of us hailed from the mid-west, but a couple arrived via plane. This photo was taken at the last destination on the second day. We were a motley crew by then: so hot, so sweaty and so dirty. But there were still hugs all around as we parted ways. I can't imagine spending two days wandering derelict buildings with any other group. 

City United Methodist Church

This is the second workshop Glen and I have done with Rad. Last summer we did a one day workshop at Conner Prairie near Indianapolis on Mobile Photography. You can read that post here if you are interested.

Photo Credit: Glen Huizenga - City United Methodist Church

The Abandoned Gary workshop started on Friday night with a meet and greet dinner. Glen and I enjoyed a date day first, so we trickled our way down to Indiana by way of a few wineries in southern Michigan, and a late lunch at a favorite restaurant - The Stray Dog. We checked into our hotel in Merrillville, had a quick soak in the hot tub, and rested before going to the restaurant.

We spent the bulk of Saturday morning here at City United Methodist Church. Built in 1925 for $800,000. It was closed in October of 1975. You can see the destruction that abandonment will do. 

City United Methodist Church

The other place that intrigued me on Saturday was Mercy Hospital. A whole hospital completely abandoned. 

Mercy Hospital

Nothing left except for peeling paint, trash and dripping water. The dripping water can sound a little creepy when you are on a floor by yourself. 

Mercy Hospital

We were suppose to be on the buddy system, except every time I looked around for my buddy husband, he seemed to be MIA. That's because he was busy climbing up on the roof. 

Photo Credit: Glen Huizenga - Mercy Hospital

This is my favorite shot of Glen's for the day. So I guess the climb up to the roof was worth it, and he did bring me up there eventually. 

We ended the day with beauty of a different sort. Sunset over Lake Michigan in Michigan City.

I'll be back with Day Two and my favorite place from the workshop...

He's Watching Me

He stood astride his bicycle at the corner of 8th and Franklin. I could feel his intent gaze on me as I photographed the red doors of Trinity Episcopal Church. Satisfied with my red door captures, I wandered toward the former Masonic Temple father down the block, I felt his gaze follow me.

Maybe he was the documentary photographer that I had been fantasizing about, but I doubted that he had $4000 of camera gear in that backpack at his feet.

I was on his side of the road and started to make my way towards him, but I chickened out at the last minute, choosing instead to recross the street and photograph some pretty flowers at the side of the church. I wasn't ready to answer any questions regarding what I was doing. Even though I had my acceptable answer ready. I was taking a photography class, and one of the assignments was to visit a small town and photograph the buildings. While not 100% true, I am always taking some online photography course, and I will probably need pictures of architecture sooner or later.

By the time I had finished photographing the flowers, he was gone. He must have realized I was avoiding him, and didn't wish to creep me out any further.

Able to wander freely again, I set off to explore the rest of the downtown that I had driven through for the past twenty years. Driving through the boarded up and crumbling in favor of the bright, shiny and new at the Outlet mall.

I was happy to see fewer empty, dusty plate glass storefront windows and more open signs. A sign of hope and better things to come. Restoration is a slow and painful process in small towns like this, but it can be done. It just takes a community that cares about supporting local businesses and local business owners. 

Eventually I did have to answer the question of what I was doing, but I was ready when the time came. I had passed this door once, in favor of an artfully arranged window of local artist's wares, but I could feel the tug of the green door pulling at my heart. I went back. In the process I passed the owners of a new gallery admiring their business sign that had been hung the day before. As I passed them the second time, they inquired if I was looking for a certain business or waiting for a store to open. I gave them my 'taking a photography class' answer, and they completely understood. But I could have told them the truth, that I was having a day to myself to photograph and work on writing a blog post, they would have gotten it. They were artists after all. 

Even after my successful day of exploring old buildings, it was hard to leave even one unphotographed. On my way out of town, I saw this place. My heart got that fluttery feeling, and I knew I had to turn around and go back. As I got out of my car and stood in front of this boarded up building, I looked around for the guy on the bicycle, I was ready to answer his question.

Kalamazoo - Urban Explore

Does Google Maps know the personality of the owner of the phone it is running the app. on? Does it look at the photos in the owner's camera roll and see this...

and instantly know that she would much prefer to travel a road like this...

Now if Google Maps was to look at my husband's camera roll it would see this...

Yes, that would be nothing. Google would know that he is definitely a destination person and it should get him there as fast as possible. Yet when we travel we usually use the Google Maps on my phone, and it always has us taking the back country roads way into our destination. I know it drives him crazy, but it makes me so happy.

I went urban exploring this week, but Google Maps was still kind enough to take me there via a few backroads.

I have just finished this book, The Idle Traveller - The Art of Slow Travel by Dan Kieran.

The author is a big fan of the slower modes of travel; train, car, bus. Transportation that will let you see the country. In particular he likes walking, you can't get much slower than that. I had already thought about doing more walking adventures before I read the book, but reading it completely convinced me. 

For my first adventure I chose the city of Kalamazoo, MI. Kalamazoo is a little over an hour from my house, depending if you take the expressway, or the backroads. Backroads, add another half hour, only because there are things to stop and photograph along the way. 

Thanks to Goggle Maps I drove into the city without a hitch. All the streets have parking meters, so instead of being tied to coming back to the meter every hour, I chose a parking lot in the Haymarket Historic District, received my parking ticket from the delightful parking assistant, who kindly pointed out that I could dispense the ticket myself from the machine just by pushing the button marked TICKET. Feeling slightly dumb after that, I found an empty spot far from her booth to call mine for the next few hours. 

 I grabbed my gear from the backseat; small daypack with wallet, tissues, hand sanitizer, tripod for iPhone and remote shutter release for iPhone. I also threw in the latest Bella Grace Magazine to read at lunch. I have no problem eating lunch alone, as long as, I have something to read. I also slung my Canon dslr across me with the wide angle 17-55mm f/2.8 lens on it. Such a great all purpose lens. Geared up, I set off.

My first destination was the train station.

The original depot was built in 1887 by the Central Michigan Railroad, replacing an earlier structure. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The inside is filled with gorgeous vintage details, there were too many people to get photos though, without being completely obvious. I still like to keep a low profile in places like that. No need to draw attention.

After leaving the train station, I noticed this building across the street, such lovely detail and those windows, be still my heart.

Kalamazoo abounds with beautiful old buildings like this, all the easier to stop and appreciate if you are doing a walking tour of the downtown.

I saw this mural on the back of one of the downtown buildings and it reminded me that there were a couple of highly praised coffee shops in the area that I wanted to scout out.

On the way to the first coffee shop I got distracted by this though...

I felt that excited, fluttering feeling inside me the second I laid eyes on it. An empty, for sale warehouse on the edge of downtown with outstanding grunge factor. I will come back here on an overcast day, more photos need to be taken. I was limited to where I could stand and what I could include due to bright sunshine.

I was reluctant to leave the warehouse but the sun was only getting higher in the sky and I was starting to feel some hunger pains, breakfast had long worn off. As I looked around I realized I knew exactly where I was, having been over here on a brief explore last fall. The desired coffee shop should be just on the other side of this warehouse. Granted I had to walk back around the block to get there, but I was right.

Water Street Coffee Joint, the place was quaintly adorable. I was so happy to secure a table by the windows, natural window light is a photographer's best friend. Lunch of a Prosciutto Panini and a coke was delightful.

After lunch, I set off to explore the Architectural Salvage store I had seen earlier in the morning, but it hadn't been open yet. These places don't open until 11 a.m., so no need to be an early bird, or you can go to the Coffee Shop first.

A bounty of treasures lived here. I want to go back someday when I have more time and when I am not carrying my big DSLR around, having to be careful not to bang it on anything. 

After the salvage store and the antique store next to it, I set off to wander more of the main downtown area. I wandered for blocks but always kept my starting point fixed in my mind. If I did get lost, I did have Google Maps to get me back to the car since I knew where I parked. 

I was starting to get thirsty again, so I happened to notice another coffee shop on the way to a block long park. Coffee shops are like a magnet to me, so in I went. Since it was pleasantly warm out, I decided on an iced latte (my first ever) Vanilla and Brown Sugar. It was delightful! 

Iced latte in hand, I set off for the park. I noticed as I got closer that churches pretty much lined the perimeter of the park. Beautiful old church buildings made of stone, with huge, detail rich wooden doors. I noticed one church that had huge, red wooden doors and front steps that were in full shade. A perfect spot to set up my iPhone on it's tripod and take some self-portraits for the photography class I was taking at the moment. A momentous occasion, me drinking my first iced latte. 

Of course, nothing in life is that simple. I noticed a lady sitting in her car at the curb watching me. I didn't think too much of it, doing self-portraiture tends to gain some attention. I got the focus set on my iced latte and then positioned myself just beyond it. Just as I pressed my remote shutter release, two of the enormous red, wooden doors of the church swung open and stayed open. I tried to act casual and carry on with my photo session. Then the lady that had been sitting in the car got out and came up the steps, giving me a questionable glance as she walked past. I still act casual and carry on. After getting some shots I stand up to go check my phone to see how they have turned out. I glance up at the open church doors and see that people are gathering for a funeral. I decide it would be best to move on before more people start showing up, as I took my phone off the tripod mount it slipped out of my grasp and tumbled down the steps, an "oh s**t" may have inadvertenly escaped my lips. Needless to say I quickly gathered up my gear and scurried away.

I did find some more awesome church doors, but this time I refrained from taking any selfies.

After finishing wandering around church square it was time to set off for the car. Scout was at the groomer's getting a bath and haircut, and it was time to go pick him up. 

I loved wandering the city on foot. I felt like I really saw things and enjoyed them traveling at a slower pace, and I never felt lost, but I do feel like I know the city a lot better now. 

The Coffee Shop Chronicles - No. 28

I recently overhead my husband say to one of the salespeople that he manages "I find new prospects exciting and intriguing". He is in the janitorial and packaging supply business. He thrives on "cold calling". He thrives on getting his foot in the door of someplace new and hopefully walking away with some new business.

I also find new prospects exciting and intriguing. I am in the adventure business. I thrive on photographing new locations and getting my foot in some forbidden doors, hopefully walking away with an amazing photograph, or at least a good story.

When the opportunity presented itself to accompany my husband on a recent business trip I jumped at the chance. He had to go to my one of my favorites places on earth, Traverse City, MI, for a couple of days to work with his salespeople there. I would have the days to myself to wander and photograph to my heart's content, the nights we would be together, instead of having sad, lonely conversations on the phone.  There was one small glitch in this plan though, we were going to Traverse City via Toledo, OH, which makes absolutely no sense except that he had a very important meeting there. So we would be driving 3-1/2 hours southeast of our home to Toledo and then driving five hours northwest to Traverse City.

I have never been to Toledo so I was game even if it meant a long day in the car. There is something so exhilarating about crossing a state line, like I have suddenly found myself in a foreign country. Although it really doesn't look any different than the country I just left behind. Maybe it is seeing different license plates on the cars, maybe it is seeing new sights, I am really not sure what it is. I do know that I love seeing big cities from the interstate. There is always some cool old brick building that has my eyes glued to my window.

We arrived in Toledo at quarter to eleven. We were early for our lunch meeting with my husband's salesperson. So once we had found the restaurant where we were meeting him, Glen asked Siri for a list of coffee shops nearby. She came back with a few choices and Glen started reading them to me. I stopped him after the first one, Black Kite Coffee and Pie, I loved the name. I pick coffee shops based on name just the same way I pick books from the bookstore based on their cover. Sometimes they suck and sometimes they are well worth the chance.

The coffee shop was only a couple miles away from the restaurant so we followed Siri's directions to it. Let me just say that roundabouts are not in Siri's vocabulary so we had a brief struggle but managed to get back on course. Finally back on the road to the coffee shop, we drove past the most breathtaking old stone and brick churches. My favorite one was a cathedral constructed of the most amazing stone, complete with two tall, narrow towers in the front and a stone furnace stack in the back. The massive wood front doors topped by a round stained glass window reminded me of my trip to Paris in 2007 and seeing Notre Dame. The detail, the workmanship that went into that cathedral boggles my mind and gave me that fluttering feeling I get when I see things I want to photograph.

Siri guided us to the next block and sure enough there was the coffee shop on the corner. Glen was a little worried about parking our car around the side of the building where we he couldn't keep an eye on it. We may have passed a house or two that had disheveled front yards and boarded up windows, giving him reason to be concerned. But according to the sign at the corner we were in Cathedral Square, what could possibly happen. We were parked right next to a fairly new convertible VW bug. If I was going to steal a car I would pick the VW any day over our mud splattered, white SUV. I can see myself now, convertible top down, Scout in the backseat, his ears streaming behind him as we cruise down the country back roads.

Semi-convinced Glen put the car in park and prepared to get out. I, on the other hand was already out and striding confidently towards the coffee shop. I was in my element here, coffee shops and old brick buildings, what more could I ask for.

I opened the wrought iron outer door that could possibly be a security door and then turned the knob on the wood and glass inner door. We were warmly greeted by a young man in his mid-20's who reminded me of a shorter, dark haired Shaggy from Scooby Doo. I was very impressed with this young man, he took the time to explain each size drink and was extremely courteous throughout our entire encounter. I ordered my usual Chai and Glen ordered plain old black coffee. Since we were going to be eating lunch soon I wasn't going to get anything to eat, but Glen broke down and got a cookie for us to split. Let me say a jack hammer would have been handy when splitting it.

Glen had to pour his own coffee but young Shaggy delivered my chai to the table, how sweet. I opened my notebook and began to record my observations of the coffee shop. Quite a large space, with a bank of big windows letting in lots of natural light. Besides Glen and myself, there were two other customers in the coffee shop. A young woman to my left, who was busy typing away on her laptop and answering occasional incoming phone calls. Maybe this was her office away from home. There was also a young man with dreadlocks slouched on the couch near the front picture window. He had his laptop open but he seemed more focused on the music he was listening to in his ear buds.

My chai gone and satisfied with the observations I had recorded in my notebook I could hear the beautiful stone cathedral calling me. So I bravely told Glen where I was going, donned my coat and mittens and strode confidently out the door. Usually I get a vibe if a place seems creepy or not right. I didn't get any weird vibes here so I set off down the block to the cathedral.

The Cathedral did not disappoint me. Standing in front of those massive wooden doors all I could do was marvel at the architecture and record as much of it as I could with my iPhone.

Finally, hands freezing, I wandered back to the coffee shop. Glen was still working away on his laptop. He looked up as I took my coat off and his first question to me was "Did you look to see if the car was still there?" I replied "No, I did not, but I am sure it is".

The coffee shop was quiet at the moment and I noticed that Shaggy was leaning over the end of the counter looking at a magazine. I decided to stroll over to the bar stool at his end of the counter and ask him some questions. He didn't know me and I would never see him again so I had nothing to lose. As nice as he had been so far I was fairly certain that he wouldn't mind, and he didn't. I told him that I write essay pieces on coffee shops and wanted to ask him a few questions. He readily agreed. His name was Tylor (yes that is spelled correctly) and he had been working at Black Kite for a couple of months. He really likes working at Black Kite, he described it as a pleasant, relaxed environment. Much better than the bar that he use to work at.

I asked him about the area. He actually lives only a couple of blocks away. He said the neighborhood use to be home to doctors and nurses from the local hospital, which explains the grand designs of the old brick houses. Eventually the doctors and nurses moved to the suburbs and the area fell on hard times. He said the area is slowly making a come back one restoration at a time. Such a common tale of once grand urban neighborhoods. I thanked Tylor for his time and returned to our table.

It was time to leave for the restaurant and meet Glen's salesperson, so we bundled up and headed out the door, Tylor busy at the order counter with some new arrivals. Thankfully when we rounded the corner of the building our car was still there and so was the VW bug.