What Makes an Adventure?

Exploring, discovering and adventuring all sound like great words and things we would like to be doing and talk about doing (before and afterwards). When you have adventures you have something to brag about, right?

But, what is an adventure? What makes one day, or one trip, or one event and adventure versus another day, trip or event? Does an adventure have to be dramatic, does it have to accomplish something and do you need to come away from the adventure with something changed or different about you? Have you ever thought about what an adventure, an exploration or a discovery really are?

Can you have an adventure on an ordinary day, running errands, talking to people in same place you live out your everyday and doing stuff you think of as nothing really? Why not I say! My Adventure on April 14th: An Ordinary Day This is a well known landmark here in Barrie, Ontario. A firetruck happened to pass just as I took the photo. The unexpected things make the adventure more interesting. At some point you might think your ordinary day is more like an extraordinary day even.

I didn't have a lot I had to do that day. The adventure started mid morning, even though I had thought about an earlier start. Adventures don't always go as planned. That's one of the good things about them. I sometimes get lost and only figure out my way back by using the map, my handy sense of direction or reading road signs.

However, there were a couple of places I did intend to go that day. One was the downtown bus terminal and the other was the Tim Hortons (well, any one of them) so I had something planned and yet left myself plenty of time and space to wander and find new things to see and do. Always give yourself some time to wander. Wandering off is a great way to discover new adventures and explore new paths. Explore the World, Choose your own Adventure and Discover Something Different

Each Adventure Needs some Planning

A coffee stop to check the map and co-ordinate for bus scheduling and routes. I also bought the 50th anniversary mug from Tim Hortons while there. Not every adventure involves a map, compass, camera, sturdy footwear and all the rest of those traditional things. You can have an adventure with almost no equipment or gear at all. But, why would you want to?

At least take along a camera so you can remember where you have been and see what you missed the first time you looked. A camera is great for giving you a second glance. I'm often surprised at what I see in the photographs I took. I don't know how I miss so much when I'm actually there, looking right at it.

Really, is it an adventure without some kind of map? Keep a map in your pocket, purse or wallet at all times - even when you are not on an adventure you should be ready in case the opportunity arises!

I Really do Like Maps

Where Did you Leave your Thirst for Adventure? - Every adventure needs something you love (and a bit of nature too).

Rocks. Just because I love rocks. You should pay attention to the things you love, especially when you have travels and adventures.

Adventures Should include a Snack

I stopped for lunch. it was a nice tuna wrap until the end where the big, thick, rusty lettuce came in. Still, the coffee was good.

You can't hope for fine dining during your adventure. Not unless you are going somewhere you have been before, know the cook and some of the staff too. If people at the restaurant know you by name - is it really still an adventure? How can you be exploring if you already know what to expect?

You can see the cover of the book I was reading. I like to explore and travel alone but I always bring a book so I can read when I have a quiet moment or 30.

No map is made perfectly. You just can't turn something round and bumpy into something flat and smooth. But, you can make your own imperfect, old fashioned maps.

Map making is cartography - the study, collecting and making of maps. Have you ever wondered how early people created maps? How they could understand where land ended, where the water came in and how high the mountains reached, even though they had very rudimentary skills (in comparison to the modern technology) in geography, science and mathematics?

As school kid, I used to wonder how they knew the shape of the coastline. How could they guess well enough to draw it. They didn't even get the perfectly right dimensions for the land itself. In the old times, especially the more ancient people, may as well have been drawing fantasy maps from their own imaginations. Or, so I thought.

How to Make Paper Look Old

You can make paper look old with cold, strong black tea, instant coffee or strong, regular coffee, a cookie sheet and a blow dryer or clothes iron to crisp it up again.

Your paper can already be written on or still blank. It may be better to write or draw your map on the paper first as it could rip or tear easier once you have finished giving it the age treatment.

Just let the tea of coffee become strong and then leave it to become cold. Crumple up your paper (don't let it rip). Uncrumple the paper and smooth it out. Place it on the cookie sheet and pour the cold tea/ coffee over it. Let it soak up to an hour, turning it over once and pressing it down to be sure no edges are missed.

Pull it out, let it dry slightly, then use the blow dryer or clothes iron until your paper is completely dry. Use a cigarette lighter to singe the edges a little for a bit more of a vintage look.

No Map is Precisely Perfectly Made

No map is perfectly made. There isn't a perfect method to take the true measurements of the land and put them on a flat piece of paper. Imagine a globe of the world map. Then think about how that globe would have to be changed in order to become a flat map. This is what causes the distortions in map making.

Most maps you will see are created with the Albers conic equal-area projection. This is based on keeping the area and shape of the land correct rather than being mathematically precise.

When you draw your own map you need to gather as much information as you can about the place you want to draw. Take all the measurements and then convert them to a smaller scale and keep the same conversion for everything you draw. This will mean a lot of math skills if you are trying to be very correct and precise. It's much easier to draw a fictional map than something real.

At the end you will need a map legend too. That's how you show various features like shopping malls, schools, etc. without having to write them in by name each time. Legends are a short cut for map makers - plus they keep your map from becoming very cluttered.

What Type of Map Will you Make?

Most maps are political, physical or based on some other theme like oil production, telephone lines, forest density, etc. A physical map is all about the land itself. The focus is in rivers, lakes, hills, mountains, and everything else you could see with your eye. Meanwhile, political maps are all about man made definitions like borders between countries, provinces, states, counties and the locations of towns and cities and roadways.

The Finishing Touches

Don't forget the map legend and the compass rose (or at least the arrow pointing north). Also, every explorer should sign the map they have created.

The Drawing of the Map

Start with pencil as you make your first rough draft.

Consider how large or small your map will be. A map showing a larger area will have less detail to focus on versus a map which is based on a smaller area and would need to bring in more attention to detail and focus on the features of the area.

Begin the map from one side, drawing your rough outlines until you have included all the space you need for each area. When you have gotten to the other side of your map step back and get a long range look. If that works out (if you don't need to make some changes to fit in some features in the right locations) begin fleshing out the details.

You might find it helpful to use grid paper rather than giving yourself a complete clean page. The grid could keep your distances straighter as you work out where everything should be drawn in.

When your map is looking good make a clean version and, once that is done, trace your lines in pen. Then begin to add names for the locations and features on the map.

• Hand Drawn Map Association
• Lost Cartography
• North American Cartographic Information Society
• The Map Room

Buying a camera bag is simple enough. But, there are important things to consider for protecting your camera and making sure the bag stores it well.

I take my digital camera with me on the road, literally. In various weather (I especially like rainy and overcast days for taking photos) and in all seasons, I am out there with my camera. My camera case has hay, seeds and one insect wing inside of it. I'm sure there is dirt and dust and assorted other common relatives of dust and dirt too.

It's ironic that your camera lens is so exposed to so much which could mistreat it and yet I don't have of many people having their lens scratched the way I used to. Is it luck or just using better gear, including the travel case or bag for your camera?

Get the Right Camera Bag or Case for You

Start by thinking about how you use the camera and what you need from a camera bag. Take stock of your needs and then shop for the camera case or bag that meets your needs. Don't be satisfied with less than what you need. Shop online, try a few different stores and try an actual camera store too.

• Consider whether you need a small camera case which is light and can fit into a purse or do you need something bigger to hold more.
• Do you need to store your battery charger and your camera cord in the case with your camera? Not everyone can store them elsewhere and know they will still be found in the same place when you need them.
• If you travel often, with your camera, you need to consider keeping your camera safe from harm and theft.
• If you want to take professional photos you may have more gear and accessories than the amateur or home photographer.
• You want to protect your camera from all weather: rain, heat, cold..
• Look for a case which gives you easy access to the camera so you don't spend time fumbling with zippers and snaps when you want to catch the action. Find a case that lets you close the top with one snap - but also has a zipper and better fastenings for when you travel and want to make sure the camera stays put.
• Bring your camera with you when you shop so you can make sure it fits in the bag. You do not want a snug fit. If you don't have the camera with you check that you can bring the bag back to exchange it for a size up.
• Squeeze the sides of the bag, all four sides and then the top and bottom. It should be firm - to protect the camera from impacts. Make sure you open the bag and pull out any cardboard stuffing added as packaging.
• Try to avoid a heavy camera bag. When you are carrying it around it's only going to feel heavier.
• Check the strap and attachments on the bag for strength and durability. See how the strap fits over your shoulder make sure you can adjust it to where you want it.
• Does the camera bag have a clutch strap so you have the option of not carrying it over your shoulder. I like to just reach down and grab mine rather than fumbling with a long shoulder strap each time.

My Experience with Camera Bags and Cases

My old digital camera came with a nice case, it fit the camera well but it was flimsy. More like a camera envelope than and camera case. The next time I bought a digital camera (actually, I was allowed to pick whatever I wanted for my birthday) I went shopping for a better case to carry it around in. That camera was still the standard digital camera size. I could slip the whole thing into my purse easily. Even when I was using my less than huge purse. But, that case was firm with some kind of hard substance in both halves of it. So it stood up to abuse very well. Which was a good thing for anything carried around in my purse. It was also red, which made it easier to find quickly. Though my wallet and change purse were matching red, of course.

This time, when I bought a new digital camera I also had to buy a new case for it to travel in. The camera did not come with a case and my old case will not fit around the bigger sized lens. I'm up into the big lens cameras now. (I really wanted the big zoom for my photos of abandoned places which I can't always access due to fences, animals and no trespassing signs). I'm also giving my in between camera to my nephew. It's a few years old but still a great camera and he will need the case. But, he does have to find a new strap for it since the old strap broke off one day when I was dragging it out of my purse.

Anyway, I did pick out a new camera bag. They seem to call the bigger size camera carryalls, bags while the smaller carryalls are cases. I guess it makes some sense.

The one downfall of the new bag is it's size, it won't fit in my purse but it does fit into my regular backpack along with my purse and my map book and whatever books I'm currently reading. Also a few shopping bags and maybe a coffee travel mug. If I were sensible I'd bring smarter shoes too but I tend to always go around in sandals even when I end up in mud or wondering if there could be a rusty nail just waiting for me under all that long grass.

Enjoy Summer without Going Broke or Getting Burnt

Summer is the time people want to be outdoors, doing things and having adventures. It’s when we recharge our batteries from the winter just past and coming up ahead. So everyone, even those who don’t like the heat, humidity and sweat of summer will still try to get out there and do something.

Enjoying some part of summer becomes a bit of a problem if you have a tight budget, or nothing extra to spend at all. I am on a budget myself and I’m not especially a summer person who wants to be out there for too long. So, I put together a list of summer things to do, on a budget, which won’t leave you feeling over heated.

You can always do the armchair adventure idea. Have a staycation with virtual adventures and real snacks.

Pedal Power!

Take out that bicycle and pedal yourself to new locations. Have a plan or just go in some new direction and see where it takes you. Picture yourself as an explorer, sailing out over the vast ocean, suspecting the world is flat and you may at any moment sail right over the edge… but not yet. How far can you travel before you find your flat edge and decide to go back? Bring your own water.

Foot Power!

See your city or town on foot. Sign up for any walking tour you can find, free tours are often available through the local library for bird watchers and other groups who get together. You can be walking through a forest on a breezy summer day and not spend a thing to get there. Or, your tour of choice may be a haunted walk, having a night time adventure and trying to see the ghost.

Pot Luck Dinners

Invite people over for a pot luck. Everyone brings one thing: salad, burgers, buns, cutlery, water, etc. When it all comes together there is enough for a great feast and yet it won’t cost more than you would have spent on making something for dinner that night anyway.

Check Your Local Listings

Check the newspaper and online websites which list local events. Pick something and attend. There is bound to be something going on every weekend, somewhere, in a city.

In smaller towns the church has a pancake breakfast, bake sale or some kind of event involving people getting together with food and face painting.

Most towns have a farmers market on weekends too. Pick up fresh produce and take your time wandering around the booths.

Libraries, museums and art galleries will be trying to attract people during the summer. Check their websites and see what they have to offer. Most of it will be free – you just have to show up.

Check public parks for soccer games and assorted free things you may take for granted. You don’t have to be a parent to watch the kids play but it can make you feel happy to hear them laugh, cheer them on and just be part of a group doing something.

Pick Up Junk and Treasures

Spring cleaning, people moving to new homes and travel plans are all causes for people to sort through their stuff. You can find better trash to treasure during the summer than you will find tossed out during the winter. Take advantage of your neighbour’s spring cleaning to pick up something you can restore, renovate or repurpose. Summer is a great time to be a scavenger.

Of course, you can always haul out some of your own unfinished projects, books and clothing taking up space and have a garage sale. Whatever doesn’t sell can sit at the curb for someone else to pick up as a great find to treasure.

Hang Out at the Mall

Pick the one which still has air conditioning. Shopping indoors can be a sticky, hot adventure in the days of trying to be green. A fast food restaurant is a good choice too, if they keep it cool. You can buy a coffee or a bottled water and hang out for at least an hour. Bring a book.

Staycation Yourself in the Backyard

Pull out a blanket, the radio and a book. Make yourself at home in your own backyard. You can pretend to be at the beach, in the middle of a forest, at the top of a mountain – even bring your own sound effects if you find something to download online. You don’t need to go far to just be outside in the summer.

Be a Weekend Gardener

You don’t need a lot of space to have a few things growing. If you want to go all out and plot a big garden go ahead and enjoy it. But, if you just want to get your fingers a little dirty and have something to grow for it, that works too. Consider a window box which you can plant with herbs, or annual flowers. Container gardening is one way to keep your plants mobile, move them onto patios, decks or balconies and shift them around as they grow, flower or go to seed.

Pick plants which don’t need a lot of water. At first they will need some water to help them transplant and grow new roots. Most plants will let you know when they need watering, they droop and look sad. Over watering and too much care will kill plants too. If you have no luck at all try a cactus. They don’t mind being dry but they do like sun and won’t be happy to be left in the cold if you start them before summer is actually here. Herbs are pretty tough, plant herbs which are native plants in your area and you will be a weekend gardener in no time.

Get Wet

Find a source of water near you and put yourself into it. Not everyone will have a public pool or local swimming hole. But, you can put the sprinkler on to cool down or lie outside in a kiddie pool (pretend the kids are coming over later if you feel the need to explain yourself to anyone).

Do Kid Stuff

• Fly a kite or paper airplanes
• Blow bubbles
• Build a sandcastle

Find Free Theatre and Music

Check for live events where you don’t need to pay or just bring canned goods for the food bank. Theatres may allow the public to sit in on dress rehearsals. If you investigate you can find live entertainment for free at least once over the summer.

Flower Picking

Find wildflowers like daisies and pick a bouquet. If you don’t have a vase put them in a tall glass or water pitcher.

Watch the Night Sky

It may not be the sunny daytime but the summer sky at night is soothing as the day cools off. Find a spot and relax under the sunset until the stars come out.

Build a Fort

Does your grocery store offer boxes? Bring home as many as you can and build a fort in the backyard. Kids can help but do it yourself just for fun. Why do we think we need to have children to enjoy building a fort?

Have at Least one Picnic

Summer is for picnics, ants and all. My Grandfather would take us to the grocery store and buy a loaf of bread, some cold cuts, maybe pickles and cheese too. Then we all drove to the park with him and played on the swings for awhile. Then he would bring out the supplies and we would eat our picnic, even with slightly dirty hands. I still have fond memories of picnic sandwiches with fingerprints.

Seed Spitting

Is it really summer if you haven’t had watermelon? Eat it outside and see how far you can spit the seeds. You can always do the armchair adventure idea. Have a staycation with virtual adventures and real snacks.

When you don't live in the city you can call yourself a rural explorer.

Chances are you already know the first place you want to explore. There's something that catches your eye on the way home from work every day, each time you drive to visit your Mother, when you go on the backroad into the next town... There's a place out there which you'd like to stop and get a look at, if only you dared. Let's not say you need to find the time. The time is there. It's not easy to stop the car, get out with your camera and make that first step into being an urban explorer.

Or, a rural explorer, as I see it. I don't live in the city. I've lived in the city, in a small city and a range of towns around Ontario. I started exploring abandoned farm houses with my Mother and my Aunt, before I ever knew other people were doing the same thing. I didn't go looking for antiques, old hardware or anything like that. I wasn't hoping to see a ghost or wanting to get creeped out. I wanted to see a relic from the past, the old woodwork, the way the bricks had weathered and whatever mysteries might be lost, forgotten and buried under dust, debris and wild plants. The best thing I found myself was an old iron key. I still have it in my jewelry box.

The first time I explored on my own was years later. Right after I got my first digital camera. No co-incidence there. The digital camera is a wonder for anyone into exploring. Now you can take all the photos you want and not think twice about the cost of getting them developed or how many rolls of film you had packed into your purse.

The photo in this introduction is the very first house I explored, alone. Just my digital camera and me. That was the year 2006.

Don't Pass up a Great Chance to Explore

Access All Areas: A User's Guide to the Art of Urban Exploration I bought this book just after the author died. Not from falling off a building or any kind of exploring accident. I met his wife when I bought the book, at a zine fair in downtown Toronto, Ontario. I still have Access All Areas, even though I have not visited all the places he did. Mostly because I live farther north now. The book is a guide to taking a chance, some risks and visiting places mostly unknown, unseen or where you may not be welcome. I hope people continue to buy Access All Areas for all the same reasons I did years ago.

Photo taken in 2007. This house is now gone. Burned down by vandals, then demolished.

The Real Dangers of Urban Exploration

You may expect the top danger for explorers to be people. It's not!

I've been exploring, often alone, and the biggest danger I've found is from wild animals. Not that I have been attacked by wolves, raccoons, rabid squirrels... no. I've been threatened by birds and attacked by bees. I've had toads and frogs scare the pee out of me - I still think I stepped on one poor toad when I was walking through very long grass and couldn't see where my feet were stepping.

Birds can be territorial and may dive bomb you. The only solution is to tolerate it or hide. I've yet to have one actually strike me. But, the closest to do so were blackbirds (those smaller versions of crows) and hummingbirds. Don't laugh!

Bees are pretty self explanatory. Rule number 1: don't step in between the flight path of two beehives. Just don't do it. If you really must, duck down low and make sure your hair is covered. There is nothing like having a bee lost in your long, curly hair - near enough to your ear so you know you're in danger of being stung and you're not really keen on finding it with your fingers.

People will sometimes ask you what you are doing. In all but one case I have never had any trouble at all with people. They are curious. If they know something about the history of the house/ building/ location they will usually tell you about it. Volunteering all kinds of historical information. Which is great. I do like to hear it. Sometimes people want to talk more than I want to keep listening, but I do appreciate their time, their interest in the place I'm looking at and... the fact that I'm a woman and they are likely telling me all this because I don't seem like someone who would be getting into trouble, or making trouble.

Only once, I had a woman who was suspicious. But, it turned out she was the owner of the house I was photographing - it was a ruin but not abandoned. In that case I liked it for the ruined look. But, there are cases where you will find out (later hopefully) that the abandoned house you're photographing isn't actually abandoned after all. It's kind of funny, later.

Getting back to animals... watch for animal holes. You might hurt your leg if you step into one. It is a good idea not to go alone just in case you do get hurt and need help. I do not explore inside the houses, hardly ever actually. I will go inside if I'm with a group, or at least one other person. Safety in numbers, when it comes to injury or... getting caught as a trespasser.

This has not happened to me. But, it is on my mind each time I stop and get out of the car at a location I want to explore. I feel I am keeping myself out of trouble by not entering the premises. If I just walk around outside taking my photos I'm not breaking into the property. Also, I just don't feel right about entering a home this way. Most often they are pretty gutted by other explorers or people looking for hardware and such to steal and sell as vintage. So, in theory, I feel I am not trespassing, or really missing much.

I was asked to leave one location by the security people. This was a time I was not alone so that was nice for me. I had already taken the photos I wanted too. I think they left me alone to wander around for awhile before they finally approached me. But, I'm sure they would have come on the run if I had been trying to do more than take outside photos.

If you do enter any abandoned, derelict or ruined building you must know you are at risk. You can not be 100% sure about anything in that building. Even a place which does not look badly derelict can have structural damage. Don't be an idiot about exploring inside. Wear decent footwear, bring a flashlight (even in daylight). Have someone with you or at least make sure your phone is charged and with you so you can call for help.

Taken outside of Barrie, Ontario. 2011.

Shipwreck on Lake Ontario, 2007.

How to Find Locations for Urban Exploring

I find places to explore by driving around and looking out the car window. These are the times it's important to have someone else driving the car. You can't navigate the car and have most of your attention focused on catching sight of weathered wood, boarded windows or a driveway overgrown with plants.

Urban Exploration Photography Tips

My new (new 2 years ago) digital camera has a great feature for urban and rural explorers, zoom. I've got 10x zoom. This makes a big difference in what I can get into a photo without having to be physically closer. You can't always get close up when there are fences, animals, and etc in the way.

Frame your photo and use the rule of thirds. I like to photograph a foreground of weeds/ wildflowers in front of a house. Sometimes I scoot down to the ground so the house appears to be on a hill. (It helps if it actually is on a bit of a rise). I like to get trees on the sides of my photos. It gives the photo a real, living edge. Then I take a photo where the house fills the frame.

Be creative, try different angles, try getting high (the roof of another building, a tree?) then get down low for a different view. Using a tripod is nice, if you have one. I did buy one but I have yet to actually take it with me.

I do have a camera strap. I always keep it on my wrist when I am using the camera. It is so easy to have some little thing trip you up and next thing you drop the camera. If you have that strap over your wrist, your camera has a much better survival rate.

Focus on details. There will be little details you miss, You will notice them once you upload the photos from your camera. As you get practice you start noticing details easier, while you are still on the site. Train your mind to look for small things, the trimmings, the cracks. There will be details which especially appeal to you of course.

Don't be stingy with your photos. Take extra. You can delete any you don't need later. Or, you might find one of your extras just happened to catch the light and the angle just right.

Try different times of day, different seasons too. Sunset adds a glow to your photos outside. Winter makes everything look mysterious and silent. You should explore night photography too, what works for taking photos in darkness. Bring a flashlight, shine it on a window and get a photo of the beam inside the house.

From 2009. Car and house in the background. Ruined by fire.

Another idea is to join Flickr. You can get a free account. Search for local groups with explorers who are already adding photos. Some of them will put directions and locations on the photos. Not everyone will. I tend to leave it ambiguous. I like to protect the places from vandals and people who just want to grab whatever they can sell. So, I am cautious about giving directions. But, that doesn't mean I hoard them all. If you can join the local group, get involved in a discussion, share any photos from old places you already have - you might find a place in the group. Try to attend when people plan an event - meeting at one site. It's a lot of fun plus you make real contacts and become someone they will share information with.

Flickr has a lot of local groups but it isn't the only source. Search online and see what you find.

Read local history. Read the news. See which buildings in your own town are historical and may be in danger of being demolished. Read about the history fo your area and see what has already been lost and what is still left.

Check real estate listings. Some places have been for sale for years, empty. Some of them are being sold due to fire or damage from something else. Some are being sold in order to be knocked down so the land can be farmed or have housing developments built over them.

On a busy road into the town, in 2008. A baby deer was also at the house when I began photographing.

UER Huge site for urban explorers. Having an active membership gives you some prestige and access to extra features. Membership is free, but donations are accepted.

Painting by Michelle Basic Hendry

Women Urban and Rural Explorers - I have met the women explorers on this list through my years of running the Flickr group: Ontario Rural Ruins. If you are a woman urban or rural explorer send me a note and I will check your links and photos and add you to the list.

Flickr: Female Urban Explorers "This group is a place for UE girls to get together to talk about our explores and experiences and a place to share our images. Let's celebrate the fact that we are female Urban Explorers....and proud of it!"

msDeKay Ontario urban and rural explorer. Lots of photos, not all locations in Ontario.

KateKnevil Ontario rural explorer. Not a lot of photos but very good photos.

Lee-Ann Licini Ontario rural and urban explorer. She also runs the Creepy Ontario group on Flickr.

The Navigator Ontario urban and rural explorer. I've actually met Carla, face to face once.

Michelle Ontario rural explorer and artist. Now moved away from Ontario and living in the US. Her paintings of rural ruins are available on her site.

Abandoned on a Lake, 2010

Take only photos; leave only footprints.