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some of my favorite posts

The Burying Point

by Kaylah Stroup September 3, 2018

Charter Street Cemetery

In the past few years, I’ve crossed off more than a few bucket list travel spots. Two bigs ones being Roswell and most recently, Salem. Both places, although very different, I love for the same reason. They’ve embraced their pasts and in turn, become kitschy as all heck. Roswell is covered in aliens, even places like the local furniture store have alien decor. Similarly, Salem has something witch-related every way you turn! Witches don’t interest me the way that aliens do but it still ranked pretty high on my list of must-visit cities.

Salem was just as lovely as I imagined. Witches everywhere! It was such a sweet, little walkable city. We left our hotel early in the morning and explored Salem before it really got busy for the day. We wandered the streets, peeking in storefronts that weren’t open yet, grabbed a coffee and headed toward the one thing I really wanted to check out on our short visit – The Burying Point. One of the oldest cemeteries in the US and the oldest one in Salem!

Charter Street Cemetery

I was a little nervous about the small cemetery being busy. Even if you’re not the kind of person who visits cemeteries while on vacation, The Burying Point would probably still be somewhere you’d visit while in Salem. Being an earlier riser certainly has its perks though! We were the only people around aside from some construction workers across the street.

Each headstone was more beautiful than the last! It killed me to have to stay on the path (although I do understand the reasoning in such a high traffic cemetery.) Being from the midwest, where our cemeteries aren’t that old and definitely don’t have as interesting headstones, I still freak out over headstones with skulls. I enjoyed every second of our visit.

headstone with skull and wings

Beside the main cemetery is the Salem Witch Trials Memorial. Built in 1992, the memorial consists of 20 granite benches dedicated to the victims of the Salem witch trials. Each states the victim’s name, the date of their death, and how they died. We visited these a little bit later in the day when the city was much busier. People filed through the memorial, briefly glancing at each inscription. There were flowers on each of the benches and other small trinkets throughout (including a Reese’s Cup! Why a Reese’s Cup!?) There was a much more somber vibe here than in the cemetery, despite only being a few feet away.

So hard to believe the Salem Witch Trials were something that really happened. Giles Corey, whose memorial is pictured below, is especially hard to fathom. Retelling history isn’t exactly my forte, so instead, I’ll point you to his Wiki page. Yikes.

Pressed to Death

I wish we had spent more time in Salem. I certainly wouldn’t mind going back and actually checking out all the museums and shops. I definitely still consider our visit a success though. Coffee, a beautiful cemetery, a souvenir t-shirt from a bike shop (it has a witch on a bike!!!) and some of the most delicious macarons I’ve ever eaten.

Until next time, Salem!
xoxo

▴ Three days in New England

▴ Ponyhenge

Polaroid Originals OneStep 2 review

by Kaylah Stroup August 23, 2018

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Polaroid Originals OneStep 2 review

Back in June I got my hands on the Polaroid Originals OneStep 2. I’m no stranger to instant photography, and film photography in general but I was kind of shocked how much I liked this bad boy! It quickly became one of my favorite cameras. So, if you don’t feel like reading anymore and were just looking for the go-ahead to buy a new camera – here it is! Do it, you won’t regret it. If you still need convincing, read on…

I’m going to assume you’re familiar with the original Polaroid cameras of yesteryear. This camera looks the same, and can even shoot the same film but it’s the modern version! I know a lot of people got turned off by the first 600 instant film that started being made after Polaroid ceased production. It was expensive, took ages to develop, and wasn’t super reliable. Without hesitation, I’ll say that it’s improved by leaps and bounds! Even the 600 film that is being made now is so much better than it was just a couple years ago.

I digress. The Polaroid OneStep 2! Let’s talk details. High-quality lens (2ft to infinity!), powerful flash, rechargeable battery, self-timer function, and a tripod mount on the base. The camera is simple to use – just turn it on and hit the shutter button. It has the standard exposure compensation switch (minus, natural & plus) but to be fair, I never really touch that unless I’m shooting in a much darker location. It also has a flash suppression button you need to hold down while you shoot if you’d like the flash to not fire. Another thing I never use. I’ve found that with instant film, in general, flash on is always a good idea. There’s a small LED indicator on the top that lets you know if you how your battery is doing (green = charged, orange = only a few shots left before the battery dies) and how many frames are left in the pack. It even comes equipped with the ‘frog tongue’ so your film is shielded from light when ejected from the camera.

The settings may seem limited to some but I truly enjoy how straight to the point they are. There’s no fiddling around, just shoot and capture the moment. It’s exactly what I think instant photography should be.

Polaroid Originals review

One of the major highlights is that this camera can shoot original 600 film as well as the relatively new i-Type film Polaroid Originals is making. Since the battery is in the camera instead of the film cartridge, they’re able to sell it at a cheaper price point. Approximately $2 per frame, as opposed to $2.37 per frame. It’s not a huge difference but it definitely starts to add up if you’re shooting a lot. It’s still not cheap but to me, nothing beats the tangibility of instant film, and I really am a sucker for that square frame.

Right before getting this camera I had spent a lot of time shooting with my old Polaroid so I was very familiar with what to expect. In my opinion, the photos taken with the i-Type film and the new camera are so much better! The colors are more vibrant and the tones are prettier. I hadn’t even gotten through the first pack before I was hooked and knew that my old Polaroid camera would be retired.

Polaroid albums – not super cheap but if you’re gonna spend the money on film, you might as well take care of it and show it off.

My one complaint is battery life. I’ve found that I can get through one and a half, maybe two, packs of film before it dies. Luckily the cord is just a Micro-USB so you can charge it in your car or with a power bank, if you’re not at home. The thing is, I don’t feel like I should have to worry about it even that often. You have to be super diligent in remembering to turn the camera off after each use. (Although, you’ll probably make the mistake of leaving it on a few times before you really learn your lesson!) Definitely not a deal breaker but I do wish I could worry about it less.

Instant photography will most likely never be cheap. If you love to shoot lots of photos all willy-nilly, your best bet is sticking with a digital camera or your phone. Same things applies if you’re a sucker for perfection. The joy of instant film is the unpredictability. While shooting with this camera, I’ve never wasted any film. Surprisingly, everything has at least developed! The Polaroid Originals OneStep 2 is certainly the closest I’ve ever gotten to perfection with instant film though!

All in all, the Polaroid OneStep 2 is definitely a great choice if you’re in the market for an instant camera. I can’t sing it’s praises high enough. Polaroid Originals’ film is only getting better and better. Give it a shot!
xoxo

The OneStep 2 comes in a few different colors currently including mint, white, and graphite.

If you’d like to check out even more instant film options – I made a list just for you. Check it out, ‘in an instant’.

abandoned in the desert 2018

by Kaylah Stroup August 21, 2018

These are the very last photos from our wedding trip. I’m so sad to have finally gotten through them all. I mean, I know it was all the way back in the beginning of June but I liked knowing that I still had photos left to sort through. After each trip to the desert, I end up having an assortment of photos from the abandoned places we stopped at along the way. Each year I save all these random photos until last and end up writing a post about how much I enjoy desert abandonment, how much these trips mean to me, etc. Perhaps it’s a bit redundant but y’all, I like to talk about it. (2014, 2015, 2016 + 2017)

Obviously, this year’s post is a little more special than normal. Not only did we get married on this trip but my parents were there with us at all of these places. After officially deciding that we’d get married in Arizona, one of the things I was most excited about was getting my parents back out west. My mom loves the scenery and my dad loves poking around all the abandoned houses. Roadtripping around with four people was definitely more difficult than it just being the two of us but I feel so thankful that we had the opportunity to experience this with them. I don’t feel like crying, it’s too early for that, so I’ll just say holy cow, I love my family.

Ponyhenge

by Kaylah Stroup August 20, 2018

The Rocking Horse Graveyard

My travel bucket list is… unique. While I certainly wouldn’t mind going to Stonehenge, places like Cadillac Ranch and Ponyhenge are what actually top the list.

When we started planning out some locations we could stop at on our New England road trip, my number one spot ended up being Ponyhenge. Also called ‘The Rocking Horse Graveyard.” I’d seen photos of it for years. I could NOT wait to finally see it in person!

When we got off the highway and still had a bit of drive left, I got a little worried. Our trip had already had quite a few stops that we didn’t research enough and that ended up being a bit of a letdown. I was worried that I was directing us to nothing, especially since Lincoln looked so darn quaint. I’m expressed interest in immediately moving there at least five times as we drove through. It was beautiful. Alas, we weren’t off looking for charming homes, we were looking for ponies!

Ponyhenge

The origins of Ponyhenge are a little fuzzy. There are mixed stories but basically, there was a single rocking horse left in a field, random people started dropping off their old horses, and eventually, it became what it is today. A field of, at the time of our visit, 24 old rocking horses. According to various articles I found, Ponyhenge is periodically rearranged. Sometimes they’re in a circle, sometimes rows and other times, they’re simply scattered about.

When we arrived, the ponies were in a circle with a few hanging out in the center. The field was overgrown. (I’d been crossing my fingers it would be!) The sky was gloomy, and threatening rain. It was perfect for photos! Although, the ponies and general gloominess of the day may be a little bit spooky, the area it was in was the complete opposite. Everyone who jogged or biked past, and there were quite a few, enthusiastically greeted us. It was awesome. Spooky ponies and extra friendly folks – feels like a town with a secret, eh?

Ponyhenge is easily one of my favorite roadside attractions I’ve ever stopped at. It’s literally just a field full of rocking horses but gosh darn it, I love it. I truly hope someday I can own a piece of property like Ponyhenge that people will add to, come photograph and just enjoy! There’s just something really special about this type of thing.

We found the ponies by putting ’39 Old Sudbury Rd. Lincoln MA’ into our GPS. The ponies are actually a little bit further past that in a field. There’s even room to pull off in front of them. My first impression was that it was much smaller than I had imagined but don’t that let that stop you from checking them out. Heck, bring a pony to leave behind if you can!
xoxo

Taken with Polaroid Originals OneStep 2.

Thurber Cemetery

by Kaylah Stroup August 15, 2018

The very last stop on our epic family roadtrip / destination wedding adventure was easily one of my favorites. It’s hard to say something is your favorite when you literally just got married a few days earlier and spent a whole bunch of time with the people most important to you. So, let’s call this my favorite aside from the things that basically automatically get ‘favorite’ status. Although, one could argue an old cemetery complete with friendly livestock grazing inside automatically ranks up there as well.

This was another FindAGrave app find. Just like our previous stop, we were all hankering for a place to stretch our legs and explore. I browsed Roadside America but didn’t find anything that looked interesting on our route so I turned to my second app of choice, FindAGrave. The reason I always say it’s not the best is because of the limited information it gives on places. It’s nice for locating cemeteries but who really knows if it’s going to be worth checking out or not. I decided it was worth the gamble since it wasn’t too far off the highway in the direction we were heading.

We arrived at the address only to see it was wooded, gated, not visible from the road and presumably, up a bumpy looking dirt road. Worse than that was that, there was someone at the gate closing it up. We pulled into the large pull off area in front of the gate and asked ‘Is the cemetery up there?’ hoping if he had some sort of authority he’d say it was okay if we poked around. He cheerily responded that yeah, it was up there, the road was driveable, he was just visiting his grandparents, to make sure to close the gate behind us and to have fun!

We crept up the dirt trail in our rental cars. After going through a second gate, we entered the cemetery. I could immediately see that it was going to be a good one. Then I spotted why there were so many gates and why it was so important to keep them closed! A beautiful cow was grazing alongside the graves. I’m not sure if there were more but I was excited just to see her. It was a really beautiful sight, and of course, I’m always excited to see animals. I was also very happy we’d been dragging around the 70-200mm lens. I was able to get some nice close up without disturbing her.

After getting my shots of the seemingly random cemetery cow, I started to wander around the rest of the grounds. It seemed like everywhere I looked there was something that got me all excited. One of the things I loved most was the huge range of different grave marker types. The whole thing was the complete opposite of the uniformity most cemeteries have. There were crosses made from pipes, headstones that appeared to be stamped somehow, metal crosses, and of course, your classic granite obelisk among many other unique one of a kind things I’d have trouble even describing.

Thurber Cemetery has a ton of history, and what makes it most interesting is that they have signs scattered about with little factoids. Instead of being dry and boring, they were actually fairly humorous. Clearly written by someone with a lot of opinions – check out the one a few photos below. “idiotic cemetery restoration attempt…”

I hesitate to describe a cemetery as ‘fun’ but I’m having a hard time thinking of any other descriptor that works as well or sums up my feeling on it. There was a cow, there were cactus, a little bit of every type of grave marker you could think of, and interesting information sprinkled throughout. I loved Thurber Cemetery. I’m really glad we got off the highway to check it out!
xoxo

Clearly, it needs updated since in the two years after hitting publish I’ve found many others I LOVE but I have a list of my top ten cemeteries!

abandoned motel in New Mexico

by Kaylah Stroup August 9, 2018

Desert West Motel, abandoned, swimming pool

Cruising down the highway shortly after entering New Mexico, Jeff and I spotted this abandoned motel at the exact same moment. We gave each other the look and quickly agreed that even if we couldn’t get inside it’d make for some cool exterior shots. Despite having just stopped an exit or two earlier to check out a cemetery, we were ready to stretch our legs again.

As it would turn out, the Desert West Motel was wide open and a prime spot to spend some time wandering around. Jeff, my dad, and I all had a blast here wandering around the property. Dipping into rooms to check out it’s contents. Stacks of mattresses, garbage bags full of trash, and tumbleweeds filled the majority of them.

Seems as though while in operation it wasn’t that great of a place. One and two star reviews are almost all there is to be found. Pool was closed, resturant was closed, no hot water, broken furniture – all things repeated in each. The last review dating back to 2013. Most do mention the one positive – ‘no bugs!’

Spots like this are my favorite. Abandonment in the desert is so much different than here in Ohio. Wish we could explore spots like this more often. They always seem to be worth a stop.
xoxo

twenty-eight

by Kaylah Stroup August 2, 2018

details
glasses – Bonlook
hat – TJ Maxx
earrings – Target
dress – TJ Maxx
boots – Golden Ponies

TWENTY-EIGHT

Today I am twenty-eight years old. It’s… whatever. I don’t know. I’m trying not to stress about ‘getting old’, and I think I’m doing a decent job. I’m happy to be in good health. (I mean, I could do with fewer headaches…) Happy to be recently married, to be comfortable in my own skin, to have the cutest lil apartment in my favorite neighborhood, to have lots of travel plans coming up, et cetera. I’m also pretty darn jazzed to have an excuse to bug my friends to go on bike rides, and eat ice cream with me. Not that I ever need an excuse…

Just like last year, I’ll be doing my best to stay busy on my birthday. I used to like to lay around and just relax on my birthday but the older I get, the more I realize how much happier I am when I’m moving about. Hopefully by the time this post goes live I’ll have already grabbed coffee, hit the beach, and come home to get cleaned up. I spotted some estate sales that look ripe for the pickin’. Cross your fingers I find all the best treasures today.

The Dainty Squid birthday

Fun little side note about this dress, when I was checking out the cashier, a woman of similar age but of very different style, was like “Oh my gosh, I can just see you in this. You’re gonna look amazing!” It was basically the best thing ever. I’m pretty sure I left the store glowing. I really do love this dress and feel like it’s very flattering but honestly, no idea how much of it is just because she hyped me up so much. Either way, I love it – both the dress, and women building up other women! Can you do me a birthday favor? Give someone you see a genuine compliment.

A peek back at previous year’s birthday outfit posts featuring balloons – 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 + 2017!

Steins Cemetery

by Kaylah Stroup July 30, 2018

ghost town cemetery, Steins Cemetery

The FindAGrave app isn’t perfect but it did lead me here and that definitely counts for something!

Normally the drive back from anywhere feels so much shorter because you have whatever you did to occupy your mind. This definitely should have been the case, since Jeff and I had just gotten married a few short days earlier, buuut the drive from Phoenix back to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport was long. LONG. Loooong. I guess what made it feel so long was that we knew we were on a tight-ish schedule. There was time to explore but at the same time, we all just really wanted to get some miles behind us so that it didn’t seem quite so daunting. Fifteen and a half hours is a lot of time in the car!

It had only been a few hours since our detour to Tombstone, AZ but we were all ready to find somewhere to stop again. This will be a repeating theme throughout the rest of the posts I have from our drive after the wedding. I love long car rides but what’s the fun if you’re not stopping every twenty minutes to check out things along the side of the road and take photos?! Luckily, my husband and my parents feel the same way.

I haven’t been to too many of them, but I’m hooked on desert cemeteries. On any road trip, I’m going to make an effort to find interesting cemeteries but in the desert my need to find them is even more intense. The FindAGrave app showed Steins Cemetery coming up, it looked pretty small. Only 24 memorials are listed but the three small thumbnails in the app looked promising. I was stoked from the second we pulled up! It was beautiful! Okay, maybe not everyone’s vision of a beautiful cemetery but the absolute perfect desert cemetery. A strange variety of memorial types – flat stones, crumbling concrete crosses, and small wooden planks – all weathered by the hot sun. No two headstones were the same, and most weren’t even remotely similar to the ones beside it. It was an interesting hodgepodge of styles, for sure!

desert ghost town cemetery Steins Cemetery

The cemetery is small but an excellent place to stop, stretch your legs, and of course, poke around a bit. There’s even a geocache right outside the cemetery! Here are five reasons to start geocaching, if you haven’t already.

ghost town cemetery

three best spots for beachcombing in Cleveland

by Kaylah Stroup July 25, 2018

beachcombing in Cleveland, OH

I’m sharing top secret information with you here today. Are you ready? I’m giving up my three favorite spots for beachcombing in Cleveland! This information isn’t actually a secret. These beaches are all popular spots but perhaps never shared in this manner? What I mean is that when people think of Cleveland, I’m sure their first thought isn’t ‘I’m definitely gonna have to look for beach treasures while I’m there!’

Part of me feels like I shouldn’t disclose this information since beach people are normally fiercly protective of their spots. As someone who travels fairly often though, I do wish this information was easier to find. When I’m researching areas that I’ll be visiting, I’m not looking for the best beaches to swim or sunbathe. I wanna know where your trash is! Where can I find random treasures that wash up on the shore?! This is the information I’m sharing with you today. If you’re looking for some tips on where to swim in Lake Erie, this isn’t the post for you. If you want to find beach glass, old pottery, and other strange bits and bobs – I’ve got ya covered!

Wendy Park

2800 Whiskey Island Drive, Cleveland, OH 44102

Wendy Park is my main haunt. It’s the first beach I fell in love with when I moved to the area. It’s off the same exit as Cleveland’s most popular beach yet, somehow, manages to be worlds different. Waves wash in all sorts of random things from pottery to drift wood to miscellaneous trash. Sometimes there’s even an abundance of beach glass as well but not all of it is as worn down as I’d like.

I’m a big fan of Wendy Park because it’s fairly quiet (and of course, because I find lots of fun stuff in the sand!) Every once in a while I’ll show up and there will be a bunch of people but the majority of the time it’s usually just me and a random dog walker. At the park beside the beach you’ll find a neat view of the city, and a pier that leads out to the old coast guard station that is currently being renovated.

Best for : trash, driftwood, pottery pieces + birdwatching

Bradstreet’s Landing

22400 Lake Rd, Rocky River, OH 44116

I discovered Bradstreet’s Landing shortly before moving to the area and actually regularly took the hour drive just to come here. I had never seen as much beach glass as I was finding here. I was used to finding four to five pieces of glass per trip but at Bradstreet’s I could fill a sandwich baggie in an hour or so.

Depending on what time of the day you go, Bradstreet’s Landing can get kind of crowded. It’s an older, friendly crowd though. A great spot if you’re a social beachcomber who likes to chitchat. Even when there are others there, it’s still super easy to find lots of great pieces of glass!

Best for : beach glass

Perkins Beach

Upper Edgewater Park – 41.48752919,-81.75115557

I found Perkins Beach by accident. We were geocaching around the area and one led us to this quiet little beach. It was getting dark but I liked the view of the city I could see so I made it a point to go back the next day to check out the beach. What a great discovery that was!

I almost already regret sharing this spot because the beach glass here is so good! There isn’t a lot of really large pieces but the small pieces that cover the shoreline are perfectly frosted. I have never seen such beautiful glass in person as I find at this beach. There’s also an abundance tiny blue pieces!

Best for : beach glass, driftwood + a great view of the city

beachcombing in Cleveland, OH beach glass from Perkins Beach

an hours worth of glass from Perkins Beach

A couple honorable mentions…
(Not included in the top three mostly because of distance to Cleveland.)
▴ Mentor Headlands. People rave about the beach glass here. I’ve never had great luck but I think Mentor Headlands has some seriously impressive rocks!
▴ Sherod Park Beach. To be honest, I only recently discovered this beach. Consequently, I can’t really give a fair review of the beachcombing scene there. I actually didn’t see much beach glass at all. The reason it makes the list though? I found my first marble there. I will say that there were lots of great rocks as well!

Two last things before ending this post!

If you see a green haired girl hunched over searching for treasures at the beach, please say ‘hi!’ I’d love to meet other folks who enjoy poking around in the sand!
Pass on the knowledge! Know of a neat ‘trash beach’ near you? Let me know! Like I mentioned at the beginning of this post, finding these places online isn’t easy, it’s almost like you just have to be in the know which isn’t really possible if you’re just traveling through somewhere. I’m always looking for new places to add my to-visit list. If you’d rather keep it a secret, feel free to email me.

Good luck!
xoxo

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