A Temporary Goodbye

With that last post, it'll probably be a while before I post again on this blog since I won't be returning to North Carolina for another year or so. But home is home, and I know I'll somehow always find a way back there. Until then, some other cool places to check out are Turtle Hole, a hidden swim hole in Durham, as well as Rock Quarry, where you can go cliff jumping. I would highly recommend both, although I don't have pictures.

If you want to check out my other adventures, I create a separate blog for each place I'm in. You can visit my main blog page listing them all at:
http://mywanderbook.blogspot.com/

Aloha Safari Zoo

Probably the most commercial place I'll ever put up on this blog, but this zoo was just too good not to mention. Hidden away in Cameron, NC, there is literally nothing else in the vicinity worth seeing. Unlike other zoos, this place is a family business, and has none of the tourist-y feel that one normally expects. In fact, because the place is much more similar to an animal shelter than a zoo, it feels like you walked straight into an Animal Planet documentary. Behind the fence, one zoo keeper was playfully hosing down two tigers, while another zoo keeper kept a small alligator from running away on the lawn. Highlight of my day? Having a giraffe nibble on my hair and steal my bag.

Dezola Street

My friend and I were driving around Raleigh one night and decided to visit Dezola Street in Apex purely on a whim. I remembered seeing a flickr photo of a beautiful barn that was tagged with "Dezola Street", and for some reason we decided that we would be able to find it in the dark. We never did find the barn, but what we did find was a completely forested road that seemed to go on forever. The end actually led to a couple of homes, but I'm willing to bet that there were abandoned sites galore along that street. However, since driving down that road was actually one of the most terrifying (and cool) experiences of my life- imagine Snow White fleeing into the forest except in a moving vehicle- I vetoed any idea of getting out to look around. The car headlights did illuminate an old wooden hunting structure a little bit off the road though, so it's definitely something I want to go back and check out in the daylight. 

Fun Park Left Behind

Nothing like an abandoned fun park at night-time to give you the chills. My friend was the one who found this place so I can't remember where it was other than it being on the side of a pretty major road in Raleigh. Still, it took a solid five minutes of sitting in the car before I worked up the nerve to get out and look around. There just seems to be something infinitely sad about a place that's haunted by smiles and laughter that won't ever visit again. Again, my phone failed to take anything more than sub-par blurry pictures in the dark. 

Boylan Bridge

Not exactly hidden or abandoned, but for someone looking for a spectacular view of the Raleigh skyline, this would be it. While Raleigh can't exactly compete with New York City or Shanghai, it is it's own kind of beautiful because it's home. Below the bridge runs what looks like an abandoned railroad track that I didn't get to check out, but would love to if I had the time. Unfortunately, it was too dark for my phone to take anything other than blurry pictures.

Underneath the City Streets

Ever wanted to know what the view is like from under the streets? Well my friend and I found a human-sized tunnel so naturally we had to find out. It turned out to be a storm drain for a residential neighborhood that led to a series of little underground chambers and tunnels. Someone had clearly been there before us because there was a small mirror mounted on one of the walls. Definitely interesting, but wouldn't recommend trying to get very far without some water shoes and a flashlight.

Chapel Hill Road

Along Chapel Hill Road are a bunch of deserted houses, covered in forest and decay. There's even a small cemetery, although the tombstones date back to years ago. I didn't really go into the buildings in case trespassing would become an issue, but I did take some pictures of what you could see from the outside. The best part came when my friend and I stumbled out of the woods after finishing our photos and found ourselves directly across a cupcake shop. A peanut butter and chocolate cupcake is never a bad way to finish off your day.

Webb Estate

By far one of the most interesting places I discovered was Webb Estate, an abandoned $2 million dollar mansion. The original owner had been a part of a failed Pyramid scheme, and had since abandoned the once grand home. I included below a link to the full story. For my part, I'm of the opinion that Mr. and Mrs. Webb have distinctly tacky taste. The painted ceiling in the grand foyer can be best described as "garishly overdone", and the leopard print carpet in the private movie theatre isn't winning them any points either. Nonetheless, it makes for more interesting exploring so I can't complain.

Fully Story: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/08/01/2235456/graffiti-covered-mansion-is-a.html

A Bookworm's Paradise

Like I said earlier, I'm including in this blog some established businesses and attractions that I think are noteworthy although they may not fit in a stricter definition of urban exploring. One such place is the Readers Corner bookstore on Hillsborough street. It's a tiny bookshop that's easy to miss- I had driven past it for years without noticing it. What I love about it is that it's everything a bookshop should be- there's photographs, scraps of newspapers, postcards, and knickknacks tacked around the walls. Shelves are filled with everything from gorgeous leatherbound volumes to vintage magazines, and the books spill over to shelves outside the shops where some are as cheap as 25 cents. Theres a musty sense of old paper and cozy messiness that I love. I found a pile of vintage advertisements from LIFE magazines for a dollar each while my friend raided the CDs.

Abandoned Barn in Cary, NC

This is the first "urban exploring" I ever did, and it started with a hot summer day when my friend and I had nothing better to do than grab some juice boxes and check out the abandoned barn near her home. Although it was only about 30 feet away from the road, it was well hidden by trees and undergrowth, and isn't noticeable unless you're looking for it. Of all the abandoned buildings I've been in since, this remains one of my favorites because there's an open doorway on the top floor looking out onto the road- perfect for car watching and long conversations during a lazy day.

The Art of Urbex

Having lived in North Carolina since I was ten, I never realized what an interesting and beautiful place it is until about a year ago when I discovered Urban Exploring. For those of you who aren't familiar with the hobby, it basically refers to exploring any little known, possibly abandoned, or hidden place. Some places are definitely harder to get to than others, and I usually bring my camera along to document the trip.

While a stricter definition of urbex usually doesn't include attractions, I've made a few exceptions for a few well hidden gems that I discovered. My trips usually start with a google search, where past urban explorers might have left a tip or a photo of somewhere they've been. There's almost never enough information to get more than a general idea of where the place is, and finding it is half the fun.

Hopefully some of these posts inspire you to go exploring on your own (just be careful not to violate any trespassing laws). Bring a flashlight, a friend, and a camera, and you'd be amazed what you to discover.