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explore everywhere

Sometimes I go places, this is where you can read about my adventures. Road trips, cemeteries, abandoned places – they’re all here.

instant film from out west 2016

by Kaylah Stroup September 22, 2016

desert, abandoned, instant film, arizona, twin arrows, polaroid

This last year and a half I’ve really slowed down on shooting film. A number of things factor into this but it’s mostly the cost. Back in March Fujifilm discontinued my favorite film, and I’ve been trying really hard to ration the film I do have because $40 for a pack of FP-3000b is INSANE and I absolutely refuse to spend even close to that for ten measly photos. I have a hearty stock in my refrigerator that I’m hoping to save for the future. I try to only use it on special occasions or when it feels absolutely necessary but there is one time I will always break out the film – vacation!

I didn’t shoot nearly as much film this year out west as I did on my first trip out there in 2014 but I did get some really lovely results with the few packs I did use. For each of these photos I took a nearly identical shot with my digital camera as well but there’s just something about the way film looks that captures the vibe of road trips so perfectly. I treasure these photos!

cactus, impossible project, instant film, polaroid

instant photo, land camera, polaroid, abandoned

polaroid, instant photo, polaroids, cactus

abandoned swimming pool, arizona, impossible project, polaroid

Shoot film while you still can!

xoxo

For more photos of the places pictured in this post check out – Roswell, New Mexico + Two Guns.

The photos above were shot with FP-3000b, FP-100C, and Impossible Project color frame film.

Two Guns + The Apache Death Cave

by Kaylah Stroup September 19, 2016

I originally found Two Guns on Roadside America back in 2014. It was right on the way to where we were heading except we were majorly crunched for time. We had reservations and had to check into our wigwam before the front office closed for the night. But Two Guns!!!! It looked amazing. We had to stop, there was no two ways about it. Jeff and I agreed we’d only spend ten minutes there so we both got out of the car and literally ran from building to building snapping photos like crazy. The ten minutes was up in no time at all. We got back to the car gasping for breath and full of adrenaline. My pictures weren’t that great but it’s honestly one of my favorite memories from that whole trip.

To this day, we still talk about that visit all the time. I’ve even exclaimed that I want to get married there someday. They’re just some silly abandoned buildings but they became something special because our brief visit was so fun.

Each trip out west Jeff and I try to take a different route so that we aren’t just doing the exact same thing over and over. So far, other than the airport we fly into, we’ve done a pretty great job at this. A few days before we left for this year’s trip Jeff text me to say he had just realized we’d be near Two Guns. Swinging by this year would only add seven minutes to our drive so obviously it was a necessity to stop and actually take our time there.

stickers, street art, denture sticker, arrested development

When I first got into geocaching at the beginning of this year I was blown away by the fact that there are basically geocaches everywhere. One of my first thoughts was “I wonder if there was a geocache at Two Guns!” Sure enough there is but it’s WAY cooler than I could have ever imagined. Since the second we read the description, Jeff and I have been basically frothing at the mouth to get this thing. The cache isn’t near the abandoned buildings, instead it’s underground… in the Apache Death Cave. I won’t go into it but the cave has a crazy interesting history, as made quite obvious by the name. You can read more about it here. There’s even more insanity not listed in that article if you still feel like digging around!

We wandered around the abandoned stuff for a while, getting all the shots we weren’t able to take on our first visit then it came time to find the cache. We took the short hike over to where we thought the cave might be and sure enough there she was. The photo below shows where you climb down. In older photos I found on google it appears that those logs used to have boards going across so the walk down was fairly easy but these days you choose a log and hope your balance is good enough. Jeff took this really cute photo of me walking up the logs!

You guys, I love adventure. I like exploring new places, and I like a bit of danger. I love when my adrenaline is pumping and I talk a big game but when it comes right down to it, sometimes I’m a giant weenie. I was terrified in this cave. Not because of bats, or the dark but because I was afraid rocks would fall and we’d be trapped. I was afraid the cave, which is said to be cursed, would end up being our one final adventure.

Jeff, on the other hand, basically had the time of his life in this cave. He even said “I think I can retire from geocaching now.” because seriously, how could a cache be in a cooler spot than this one?! Despite being afraid, I was definitely enjoying myself. It was a true adventure! How many people can say they explored a real cave in the middle of the desert? Not somewhere you have to pay an admission fee, and have a guide. But a reeeeal cave. IT. WAS. AWESOME.

After making it out of the cave alive, wahooo, we poked around the property a bit more checking out the ruins of buildings. We didn’t get a chance to see this area last year so it was all new to us. Then when I started researching the cave after leaving I realized we missed a few more buildings that hold fairly significant history here. Guess that just means we have to go back again…

Until next time, Two Guns!!
xoxo

To see more posts from this trip + others, check out the “travel” tag.

rehoboth mission cemetery

by Kaylah Stroup September 15, 2016

After Roswell, Jeff and I drove up to Tucumcari, New Mexico. The original plan included us dipping in to Texas but we realized it would make for a super long drive to the next night’s hotel so we nixed that and decided just to leisurely cruise parts of Old Rt. 66 on our way to Gallup.

While he drove I browsed Roadside America, Roadtrippers, and good old google for spots to stop along the way. I really wanted to check out a cemetery. Despite three trips to the desert I’ve only managed to make it to one cemetery out there. I ended up stumbling across a photo of one with a bunch of white crosses on a website listing the “most haunted places in New Mexico.” I was intrigued but couldn’t seem to find anything out about the photo so I kept on hunting for other spots. I ended up finding Rehoboth Mission Cemetery and even though it wasn’t the one I saw pictured earlier it did have a whole bunch of white crosses, and even more exciting was that it was right outside of the town our hotel for the night was in.

To get to the cemetery you have to drive through school property, and then up a little hill on a tight, winding dirt road that maybe you shouldn’t be taking a rental car, especially a crappy rental car, on. We came to a sign that said the cemetery closed a few hours earlier but I was determined to get up there. I mean, we already made it most the way up the creepy road. Why not just go all the way?

As soon as I got out of the car I was already in love with Rehoboth Cemetery. I have never in my life seen a cemetery with such character. Flowers litter the graves of recent burials! Most cemeteries in Ohio don’t even allow flowers! There was an article about the cemetery on the school’s website that started with “Most white folks would say the cemetery at Rehoboth is not a well-kept place…” and as much as I hate that generalization, I guess I would agree. It’s interesting how a cemetery can look so overgrown but so clearly be maintained and taken care of. It’s exactly the kind of cemetery I’d like to be buried …if I wanted to be buried.

It was incredibly peaceful there, yet I had a slightly unsettling feeling like I wasn’t alone. It’s hard to describe exactly what it was like but it’s safe to say it was one of my favorite cemetery experiences. Numerous times throughout my short visit I would see something out of the corner of my eye only to realize it was flowers dancing in the breeze. This cemetery felt alive!

If you were to ask me what popped into my head when picturing a cemetery in New Mexico, this is exactly it, even before I ever saw it in person. I’m so glad we pressed on and found this beautiful little spot. Also, sorry for trespassing! 😉
xoxo

I’ve got two recommendations for you! Grab lunch at Kix on 66 if you’re in Tucumcari and if you find yourself looking for a hotel in Gallup – SpringHill Suites by Marriott is AMAZING. Not only is it super new, it even smelled like building materials, but the rooms have such a neat layout. Oh, and the breakfast buffet is tops!

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Roswell, New Mexico

by Kaylah Stroup September 14, 2016

The second night of our 3rd annual trip out west we had a hotel booked in Roswell. This was/is super exciting to me for two reasons...

One – when I was in middle school I was obsessed with aliens. I read every book I could find on them. I had all sorts of alien accessories, and probably wanted nothing more than to actually see some. While I’m not as into them as I was then, I definitely still believe in aliens and there is special place in my heart that loves all tacky alien related things.

Two – Roswell has been somewhere I have wanted to go for yeeears. A long time ago, toward the beginning of The Dainty Squid, I was working with a company and the person in charge of their social media stuff, Kiran, was super friendly. I remember making small talk with him, and he mentioned something about how he had just gotten back from a roadtrip and how cool Roswell was. He sent me a bunch of photos of silly alien stuff and from the second I saw those photos I knew I had to go to Roswell. It would be years before I ever made it out west, and then a few more years before I made it to Roswell but Kiran put the bug under my skin to want to travel. I know I’ve talked a few times about how I felt stuck in my pre-Cleveland life, and traveling anywhere just seemed like something I’d never do. To finally get there felt amazing, and way more special than I could ever explain.

We drove into Roswell, and immediately checked into the our hotel room. I wasn’t too impressed with what I saw on the drive through but felt like I needed to give it a real chance. So that evening, while Jeff napped, I went out with just my camera and wandered around Roswell by foot. It didn’t take long before I was completely enthralled. Every where you look is something alien related. It’s incredibly tacky, in the best way. The town has a handful of alien gift shops, and a UFO museum but even the “regular” businesses had aliens sprinkled into their advertising. There was a furniture store with little aliens relaxing on their couches!! The thing that surprised me the most was that no one has cashed in and made an alien themed hotel. I mean, even McDonalds is shaped like UFO there! As soon as someone builds one, I’ll be back!

even the street lights are aliens!

If you aren’t into aliens, or didn’t go through an alien phase at some point in your life, you probably wouldn’t think Roswell was all that special. While they definitely could do more to make it a better tourist trap, it’s still a lovely little town. I’m so happy to finally be able to cross it off my list.
xoxo

3rd annual road trip out west

by Kaylah Stroup September 12, 2016

Hotel Encanto, New Mexico, travel, orange sky

sunrise from our hotel in Las Cruces.

I’ve barely finished rambling about my last little road trip (I actually still have one more post to share from that one!) and already I have a whole new trip to begin writing about! At the beginning of the year Jeff got a new full time job which I was pretty sure would make travel this summer impossible yet we managed to squeeze in two vacations that were basically back to back. I’m feeling a little bit like the luckiest girl ever, and a lot like I need to make this my every day life. I love traveling so much. It doesn’t matter where, I just enjoy seeing new things. The desert certainly holds a special place in my heart though. This is actually our third annual trip out west. It was never supposed to become a trip we’d repeat but we just can’t seem to stay away from the desert.

The first Saturday in September we boarded a plane and flew to Phoenix, Arizona. We were hoping to fly in somewhere else, simply because PHX is where we landed last year but for the weekend we needed to travel, it was the cheapest. After landing we immediately grabbed our rental car, which was a complete piece of crap, and started the five and a half hour drive to Las Cruces.

Our first trip out west we didn’t book any hotel rooms ahead of time. We slept in the car most nights, and booked two hotels when we were absolutely exhausted and filthy. The second year we did the same thing, booking the day of when we needed it. This year, for the first time, we booked everything before we left which had it’s ups and downs. Anyway, that’s why we drove late into the night to Las Cruces. We stayed at Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces. It was beautiful. I’m actually a little bummed we didn’t have more time to poke around the property (+swim!) before we headed out bright and early the next morning. I did find a tiny bit of time while Jeff was on the phone with the rental car company to take some photos of their lovely cactus! Seeing real, live cactus in the wild never gets old to me. I came home with so many random cactus photos.

It wasn’t long after leaving the hotel that we stumbled upon some good old desert abandonment. We passed right by this and had to turn around to get some photos. There’s something special about abandoned buildings in the desert. They’re just so much different from what we have around here. I’ve even talked about this in the past. It was a short stop but good one!

sandwitches, you guys. SAND WITCHES!

view from a rest area on the way to White Sands.

The big stop of our first full day of on the road was White Sands National Monument. Can I be real here? Yeah? Okay, well, I didn’t have fun at White Sands. I actually cried at White Sands. Let me back up a little bit though… So, I mentioned earlier in this post that our rental car was crappy aaaand it was. About twenty minutes after leaving the rental place we hear this noise. It sounded just like a flat tire. We pulled over on the highway, I hopped out to look at the front right tire only to find there was nothing wrong at all. I got back in, told Jeff, he got out to look at his side and we end up coming to the conclusion that it must have just been the wind. Sometimes my car makes funny noises if the wind hits it just right, so that what this must have been too. No big deal. We take off again, no noise at all. Maybe forty five minutes later we stop to grab coffee and when we turn the car just makes this AWFUL noise. After investigation we realize that a piece of plastic from the wheel well has fallen and is scraping. The noise continues every time we turn or slow down so in the morning, from our hotel parking lot, he calls Hertz who offer no real solution. Ya know, aside from drive to Texas to exchange it. Hmmm. Nope. So we pressed on with our crappy loud car, taking turns at each stop to push the piece back into place.

When we pulled into White Sands the car was probably at peak loudness which in a parking lot full of people is really quite embarrassing. I asked what we were doing pulling into the welcome center, as opposed to simply driving straight into the park. Hey, I didn’t want to be around people with our noisy car! I apparently asked “what are we doing?!” one too many times and Jeff finally snapped at me “we always go to the welcome center!” I managed to hold it together until we got into the park itself before the torrential downpour of tears came. Probably the most water the desert has seen in a while… Looking back, it easy to say we were both just overly tired, and embarrassed about being looked at by strangers. It’s almost kind of funny now. Almost…

So, White Sands was absolutely beautiful but it certainly wasn’t the experience I was hoping for. Before the trip I was thinking about all the photos I would have when I got back and how they’d probably break down into blog posts. White Sands, I’d definitely have tons of photos from there, and it’d get a whole post to itself but when it came right down to it I only managed to squeeze in a few photos. Travel isn’t always fun. Sometimes there are tears, sometimes there are stupid arguments, and sometimes there are crappy rental cars but you just gotta go with the flow. White Sands, Jeff and I will come back someday in the future and enjoy you properly. No tears next time, I promise!

children’s sand rake = cute little cactus!

I’ll be back later this week with more desert goodness from our trip! I have instant photos to share as well as my favorite abandoned spot, and one heck of an awesome cemetery.
xoxo

Dead Horse Bay

by Kaylah Stroup September 7, 2016

The whole reason we dipped down into New York after Maine was Dead Horse Bay. I have wanted to go to this beach for oh so long! While planning the trip and looking for fun things to do along the way I thought “Hmm, I wonder how much time Dead Horse Bay would add to the drive?” Mapping everything out showed that it really wouldn’t add any more time but would simply take us a different route home which is always ideal anyway. I asked Jeff what he thought and since he’s basically down for anything, he agreed it’d be an awesome stop.

The original plan was to hit the beach around sunset on Sunday evening but we spent too much time geocaching and goofing around in Boston. (Totally worth it!) It started to pour the rain down, and I highly highly hiiiighly underestimated what a mess New York City traffic is. So needless to say getting to the beach in time for a beautiful sunset didn’t happen.

I was feeling pretty defeated by the city and how incredibly difficult it is to get around by car. I know, everyone else in the world is like “duhhh!” but I’m used to Cleveland’s easy breezy traffic. I basically sat in the car with my eyes closed while Jeff thoroughly enjoyed the aggressive driving style you have to take on. I honestly didn’t know if we’d make it to Dead Horse Bay at all just because of time constraints and how long it was taking to get around.

I was overjoyed to finally get to the parking lot, gear up in my brand new rubber boots, and start hiking toward the beach. We walked down a road that said it was for those with fishing permits only. The beach was in sight but the second we stepped on to it I knew we were in the wrong spot. Too clean. It was hot, and despite it not being a terribly long walk, both Jeff and I were pooped out. I groveled “We can just leave if you want. It’s not a big deal.”

While we walked back to the car I did a little bit more looking around online for details on where exactly the beach is. We eventually realized we had to cross the road to get to it. There was mention of a wooded trail which we found right away once on the correct side of the road. What everyone failed to mention was the mosquitoes. You guys, I grew up in the country, I am no stranger to mosquito bites. But I have never in my life been bitten SO many times. At any given moment there would be at least six of them biting. It was hell. I was nearly in tears. Yeah, they were that bad. I felt like the path would never end. I couldn’t understand how we hadn’t reached the water yet. We eventually emerged from the woods, the mosquitoes cleared, and it was everything I had hoped it would be!

So, Dead Horse Bay, what the heck is it? One yelp user calls it “an abomination!” Another says “Disgusting! Fascinating! Free souvenirs!” I’m on the side of the second person. In the nineteenth century the area was home to a few horse rendering plants. The harbor was used as a dumping ground for the chopped up bones which would wash up on shore. Later the marsh was used a landfill which quickly filled up and needed to be sealed. Eventually, in the 1950s, that cap broke. Since then garbage has been spewing into the ocean and washing up on shore. The beach is covered in bottles, many of which are completely intact, and tons of other random items that have a hard time decomposing, like soles of shoes. There are even a few abandoned boats! Sooo, it’s basically a trash beach …and it’s amazing.

My time at Dead Horse Bay was short but I loved every second. I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but this place is exactly my style. I could have poked around for days! It’s an absolute treasure trove. When it comes right down to it, it’s trash, but it’s trash that’s full of history. Many of the bottles were from products no longer manufactured! It breaks my heart that I didn’t have more time to spend there.

I made sure my camera bag was full of other random empty bags for all the treasures I might find. I didn’t know what I’d end up leaving with but I knew there was no way I’d come away from here empty handed. Surprisingly, my pile of loot was fairly small. I brought home four small bottles, two pieces of pottery, a claw, and a shell. My favorite of the bunch is a little brown bottle that has taken on a new shape. I definitely let out an audible noise of approval when I realized it wasn’t broken at all.

If I lived nearby you know darn well that I’d have all sorts of little arrangements of bottles set up around the area. I honestly can’t believe that there weren’t any along the large pieces of driftwood or in the abandoned boats. Apparently from time to time the trees in the area have bottles strung up in them but sadly, I didn’t see any.

New York City, I will be back! I will explore you properly and I will love you. Dead Horse Bay, I already love you. I cannot wait to come back and hunt for more treasures.
xoxo

Granary Burying Ground

by Kaylah Stroup September 5, 2016

After checking out of our hotel in Waterville, Maine Sunday morning we started the drive to New York City. We weaved our way through precious little ocean towns, and stopped at a handful of geocaches along the way. Throughout the trip I had been checking Roadside America because that’s what I do when I’m anywhere I’m unfamiliar with. Coming up, in Boston, was Mother Goose’s Gravesite*. Jeff desperately wanted to visit Boston since he’d never been there but I was insisting we waited until we actually had time to explore the city. I wasn’t interested in spending a small amount of time, I wanted to wait until we had enough time to see everything Boston had to offer. Well, that was until I clicked on the photo of Mother Goose’s headstone. IT HAD A SKULL!

Okay, so if you’ve been keeping up to date with my cemetery posts you might recall me mentioning that I love headstone symbolism. There is tons of it here but Ohio just isn’t old enough to have the kind of stuff I really want to find. Number one on my wishlist of things to find was a skull. The fact that I was guaranteed to find one, and on Mother Goose’s headstone of all places, meant I was all of a sudden SUPER interested in Boston.

In no time at all, I mean other than that 25 minute detour because of ONE single wrong turn, we were in Granary Buying Ground. I have never in my life seen a cemetery so full of people. I guess it’s not too surprising though considering the amount of history packed into this small space. John Hancock, Paul Revere, and Samuel Adams are just a few of the big names buried here. Not even going to lie though, despite being surprised at the amount of historical figures here, the highlight for me continued to be the fact that nearly every single headstone was decorated with a skull. I was in heaven!

Granary Burying Ground is the third oldest cemetery in Boston, founded in 1660, which makes Cleveland’s oldest cemetery (1826!) sound like it was started just yesterday. It also means this is easily the oldest cemetery I have ever been in. It is safe to say they just don’t make ’em like they used to.

mary goose, headstone, skull, Granary Burying Ground

Mary Goose’s grave.

The only thing that would have made this cemetery more enjoyable for me is if it wasn’t packed full of living people (and if it hadn’t been one thousand degrees!) I imagine on a cool weekday this place is an absolute dream. I’m still looking forward to seeing more of Boston some day, even more than I was being this very brief visit. Granary Burying Ground was an excellent first impression of the city.
xoxo

*Apparently she is not THE Mother Goose. Some sources say the myth was started to encourage tourism to the cemetery. If you’d like to do more reading on the subject you can do so here. Regardless, it got me to this cemetery and it was an incredibly headstone so it’s all good by me.

Maple Grove Cemetery

by Kaylah Stroup August 29, 2016

If you thought I was going to go to New England and not come home with a thousand cemetery photos, you clearly don’t know me very well. These aren’t quite as interesting as the ones with the creepy faces from Old Bennington Cemetery and not even a quarter as awesome as some I found at another cemetery I visited the next day but this was still an excellent stop.

I had passed this cemetery on my way to Pemaquid Point but was driving too fast to stop since there were cars behind me. I chalked it up as a loss, and had completely forgotten about it until on my way back to the hotel I ended up at the red light across the street and figured I haaad to stop! Right after pulling in the sky opened up and it started to pour. My plans for the evening included swimming in the hotel pool anyway, so why not get wet a little bit early?

Back in March I visited and blogged about Mound View Cemetery in Mount Vernon, Ohio. One of my favorite headstones there was one that just said “Carrie”. Since that one finding headstones that only have the first name on them has become one of my favorite things. It’s so mysterious. Of course, one could presume it’s because family is nearby but some of them are so far from other headstones it’s hard to tell if they’re related to anyone else there. In this cemetery I actually found a few of them. My favorite of which is “Annie”, seen below.

xoxo

Giant’s Stairs

by Kaylah Stroup August 25, 2016

Pemaquid Point didn’t quite satisfy my urge to explore tide pools. I mean it was obviously an awesome spot but I needed to see more of the coast! Giant’s Stairs trail was another spot I found listed as a favorite by the same person who recommended Pemaquid Point. It was a little over an hour away from where I was but the tide was still low enough, and the photos looked cool enough that I figured it’d be worth it.

…Aaaand it was! I followed the trail for a few minutes before dipping down off the path to climb around on rocks. Same luck as before though, I still wasn’t finding anything alive. Despite all my research tide pool exploration is still a bit of a mystery to me. It kills me that I don’t get to do this more often. If I lived near the ocean I would be at a spot like this every single day at low tide to search for critters. It’s so
amazing that this world exists and for a small amount of time we get a
peek of it.

After an hour or so of watching waves crash in, I climbed back up to the trail ready to head back to my car. It was then I realized the path went on a lot further than I had thought before. Despite being tired and ready to head back to the hotel (+ the hot tub!) I figured I might as well keep on walking because when would I get a chance to explore here again anytime soon.

Not too far from where I climbed up I stumbled upon the actual Giant’s Stairs. Seen above. I guess I thought the whole area was just the Giant’s Stairs. My photo does them no justice at all. They really are giant stairs!

I’m already aching to get back to the coast. One half day is not even close to enough time. I always hear people always say stuff like “I was born in the wrong era.” but I was just born in the wrong state – which, luckily, is something I can fix. I definitely picture myself living on the coast some day. I am an ocean gal through and through. I’m half terrified of it which I think is so much of why I love it. It’s frightening yet calming. I don’t quite know if that makes sense at all but the ocean definitely has me feeling some kind of way.
xoxo

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