At the beginning of August in 2019 I set out on a massive road trip with Zenning with Zay. We really didn't have any locations planned but rather just a general area where we wanted to go. We were heading to Lake Superior & planned to sleep on Crown Land! Our first night was strictly driving & then setting up in the dark under billions of stars. The next morning we packed up & continued on our way. As we drove through a small town we spotted a derelict building & decided to see if we could get in. Within minutes we were inside & in disbelief!
The first area I will show you is the kitchen. This was a small area however had everything you'd need for the bar/nightclub! As you can see, everything was left behind including dirty dishes. I am not entirely sure if the kitchen also catered to the hotel residents but its quite likely. Being in such a remote area I suspect the hotel was used for long term residency for seasonal workers & the bar/nightclub was a local watering hole!
As you enter the facility you have three options. The far left would lead to the dining area & kitchen, the middle led to the bar/nightclub & the right was a staircase up to the hotel area. As we head towards the dining area my path was obstructed by what appeared to be a caved in ceiling. I have to point out that the corridor leading to the dining room was slanted to the left as the walls of the building have started to fail.
Fortunately we were able to get around to the back area as the way through the bar/nightclub was safer. As I made my way down the corridor there was an office to the left which likely managed everything from hotel stays to staff scheduling & supply orders. Then I entered the bar/nightclub area. This was incredible as there was so many things left behind. There were still bottle of booze & even a case of beer! As I looked around I noticed something strange.
There were tables everywhere & it seemed as if at one point in time after the place initially closed there was a yard sale of sorts. So many old items could be found decades old just sitting there. It was really odd. Although there was nothing of any real value, it was still quite interesting to look through it all!
Then I rounded a corner & much to my surprise there was a pool table! This thing was in mint condition with balls & cues still on the table! This is such a rare find as usually the balls are missing or the table is trashe but given the remoteness of this place, it was relatively untouched! If it wouldn't draw attention from passerbys & time constraints, I would have racked em up & played a game!
This place was the gift that keeps on giving! I could hear noises from upstairs & knew it was Zay so wasn't concerned. She then came down & asked I had been upstairs yet to which I replied no & asked what it was like. She replied "AMAZING!" Having explored the main floor it was time to venture upstairs. The amount of decay on the stairs was surprising & made me a little uneasy but I could feel I was safe on my way up. I turn the corner at the top of the stairs & the first room I entered my jaw dropped.
The first bedroom still had the old bed frame & mattress & curtains & a lamp. All this was coated in paint that had fallen over the years & been completely undisturbed. This sort of untouched abandonment is truly rare as these days everyone has the exploring bug. I couldn't get enough of it but there was still so much to explore. I exited back into the corridor & had two choices left or right.
Seeing as one path was clean & the other decayed I decided to save what I perceived as the best for last & took the clean corridor. There were a few bedrooms, a bathroom & a kitchen as well as a larger apartment unit larger than the rest & plenty of furniture left behind. As I got to the end of the corridor, one room was filled with junk. I dared not enter as I could see the floor was sloping & right out the window was where the major cave in had occurred.
I then circled back & headed down the decayed corridor, past the first bedroom anxious to see what goodies I could find! Sure enough it was everything I had hoped for! A kitchenette with table & chairs still set up & loads of paint peel that finally lost the battle to gravity had coated just about everything! This was so cool! I then turned around to a bedroom still virtually in tact with an old bed, television & chair! Then beyond that was an absolutely amazing lounge room that doubled as a kitchen & it was fantastically disgusting with years of decay everywhere! Seriously, how were we going to top this high point of the road trip?? Was it even possible?
Having explored everything I then decided to take out the 50mm portrait lens & take some detail shots. It's not often that I do this but I was so amped up about this absolutely incredible place I wanted to be sure I captured it all as best as possible with two different lens' & of course a video! I really hope you all have enjoyed this adventure as it truly was an epic one & as always, I appreciate feedback! Now for the detail shots!
