A day trip is simple, just the one day away. You don't need to put in a lot of serious planning, you don't need heavy duty packing. If you leave something undone at home - you will be back later the same day to finish it up. Just make sure you leave your home safe - turn things off and lock it up!

A day trip can be something you decide to do just because you want a change of scenery, feel frustrated or need to recharge your creative energies.

I really enjoy a day trip. Day trips can be impulsive or planned in advance. Either way, you don't need to bring a lot with you or plan your life around the one day you're taking off.

Where to Go on a Day Trip

• Visit friends or family who live in another city or town.
• Pick a restaurant you wanted to try.
• Take the bus or train and go into the city for the museum, art gallery, etc.
• Take the bus or drive out into the country, be rural for the day.
• Travel around and try farmer's markets on a weekend day.
• Look for local events like seasonal fairs and festivals.
• Pick a town you heard something interesting about and go there.
• Go to the beach. In winter it's cold but still nice to hear the waves.
• Look into short excursions like ferry boat tours and ghost/ haunted walks.
• Pamper yourself by going to a spa or enjoying some other luxury.

Check the Weather

Check the weather expected at your planned destination and along the route you plan to take there and back. You can expect seasonal weather but you might want to see if you're heading into a humid or rainy day or a day where the winter is going to dump a few inches of snow. This is also good to know for the driving conditions, if you are driving rather than taking a bus, train or plane.

Pack for the Activities Planned

If you know what you will be doing, make a list of everything you will need. Do this ahead of time so you can add items to the list as you think of them. Trying to think of everything last minute can leave you with something important forgotten at home. You really don't want to be the one person who forgot to pack a swimsuit for the beach.

If you are going to be active (swimming, hiking, etc.) you might want to pack your own shampoo, even though you only plan to be away for the day. Chances are you will find some where to have a quick shower to freshen up before heading home again.

Think of the little things which you may not need but could really wish you had packed, if you had planned ahead. If you don't end up using everything, then just bring it home.

Light Travel Links

• Well Designed Travel: How to Pack Lightly | Apartment Therapy

• One Bag - The Art and Science of Travelling Light

• How to Prepare Your Day Pack | Festival Survival Guide

What to Pack

Don't use a huge suitcase or massive luggage for a day trip. You're just going to be stuck carrying around a huge bag when you could be carrying everything much more easily and with less weight to haul around. Your actual bag to be packed should be light weight, as with any luggage.

• Any tickets, documentation, government or insurance papers you need.
• Any medicines and toiletries (shampoo, hairbrush, toothbrush, etc.) you need. Pack these as if you were planning the trip for an overnight stay, just in case plans change. Stash a light nightgown and a change of underwear too.
• ID, money, wallet, credit or debit cards. Keep some cash handy too. One of the best things is stopping for farm fresh produce at the roadside stands.
• A good book, possibly pens and paper too to keep yourself amused should you end up waiting for someone or something. (I'm into bookpacking myself.)
• Your electronics of choice: camera, mobile phone, tablet, mini laptop, etc. Pack the chargers too if you haven't already charged the electronics at home.
• Maps! If you are driving look for maps showing the back roads. Get driving directions if you need them.
• Something to drink should you be in for a long drive. Stop for coffee if you want to but keep something with you in case you don't find a good coffee place.
• If you are going anywhere fancy pack an extra set of clothes to wear so you aren't wearing the same travel clothes.
• Consider items for first aid or wardrobe malfunctions.
• Consider a sturdy pair of boots if you are the type to stop for interesting detours along the way.
• Pack sunglasses for warm travel and warm socks for cold travel.

Of course, you won't need all of this for a day trip. Skip whatever you don't want to pack or carry around. If you can't fit more into your light backpack or travel bag then re-plan how much you are taking and leave some of it behind. The theme of the day is to keep it light. As long as you have the basic ingredients you can usually grab anything else you need along the way. Day trips, after all, are not that far from home.

Picture a sunny day, maybe it's Autumn when things have cooled off from summer, leaves are changing colour on the trees and (if you're Canadian) you have been making plans for family coming over and Thanksgiving dinner. It's nice to have a quiet day to yourself amid all the planning, people visiting, phone ringing... why not take make a quick, simple picnic and spread a blanket in the cemetery to eat lunch and read a book?

Cemeteries and graveyards are only as creepy as you make them. In fact, they are well landscaped with history and greenery. They are quiet places - great for bird watching, writing, solitude and picnics. Stop by for a visit, even if you don't have relatives there.

Cemnic - Picnic in a cemetery. Usually thought of as a large, well landscaped place but it could also be a family graveyard in a rural area, anywhere really.

A Few Links

• A Halloween Picnic: In a Graveyard! | Halloween Alliance

• Full Life, Good Death: Cemeteries and Picnics

• Road Trip: Picnic and a Movie at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery

How to Have a Cemetery Picnic

Pick a Location

Most cemeteries are considered public property so you should have no problem with access - this means you are not trespassing. However, cemeteries may have scheduled hours. The gates may be closed due to the lateness of the day or they may be closed one day a week for maintenance and groundskeeping.

In the cemetery itself, find a place where you can be peaceful, away from traffic and foot traffic. Pick a picture perfect spot, where the grass isn't dry and prickly and the trees aren't dropping twigs or insects upon you.

Bring a Few Things

Bring a blanket to sit on, especially if the ground is damp or freshly mowed. Bring an extra blanket to curl up in if you get chilly. The cemetery tends to have a lot of open area so it can be breezy. Dress for the weather. Bring an umbrella if you might get rained on.

Of course, you need the picnic itself. If you have a whole picnic basket with plates, glasses and cutlery, great. If not, pack all the supplies you will need, don't forget napkins.

Sandwiches are traditional picnic fare but you could pack up anything you like as long as it's won't slop outside of the containers you pack it into. Try to avoid anything which will leave a lot of crumbs. Birds and other critters may eat the crumbs but the groundskeeper may not want to encourage all the various wildlife to come around.

Drinks in bottles which you can re-cap are a good plan. Insects will be attracted to sweet drinks but you can keep them from bothering you if you keep everything sweet contained.

You can get a quick picnic by going to the counter where they have sandwiches and salads at the grocery store, or a bakery, etc. Grab a container of cottage cheese or any other extras you like. If you didn't already pack knives, forks, spoons and napkins you can pick them up there too.

Bring a bag for trash. Usually you can find trash bins at the cemetery, if not, take it with you and find another place to dispose of the trash.

Respect the dead and the sensibilities of anyone who may also drop by to visit.

Don't leave behind trash. Don't drink too much. If you smoke (you probably shouldn't) but don't leave cigarette butts anywhere. Anything and everything you bring with you should also leave with you. The only exception being something you brought for relatives/ ancestors buried there. My brother and I will leave my Grandparents a Tim Horton's coffee when we visit them.

You might bring a laptop to work in the quiet. You might bring a radio to listen to some music. Watch the sound level, you want to keep it respectful. If you bring animals keep them leashed and clean up after them, pick up the poo and don't let them pee on any gravestones.

Don't take or disturb the flowers and decorations left by other families. Some people may have left money even. Resist temptation.

If you're visiting with family and making an occasion of it, bring a camera and take photographs.

If you're visiting family graves take some time to think about them. Talk about them if you're with family - talk to them if you're alone.

As you sit there, or while you walk around, take note of names on the stones. This is your local history. The families who lived in your town, built houses and businesses and had families are all right there. You could find out more about some of those old family names if you have an interest in local history.

Day of the Dead

Likely you have heard about the Mexican Day of the Dead, November 1st and 2nd. Family and friends gather to pray for and remember those who have passed on. In Mexico it is a national holiday.

Private altars are built, honoring the deceased, using sugar skulls, marigolds. Favourite food and drink of the departed are prepared and brought for visiting the graves with these gifts. Possessions of the dead are also brought and left for them.

Tomb Sweeping Day

The Qing Ming Festival (more commonly known as Tomb Sweeping Day) is a traditional Chinese holiday celebrating the arrival of Spring and remembering ancestors. Families visit grave sites the month following the Lunar New Year and days before the Spring Equinox.

The burning of incense and paper after the grave has been swept and maintained. Family members bow in front of the tombstone with incense in their hands and placing the incense upright in the ground. This is how they pay their respects to the dead.

Specialty shops sell paper versions of material possessions. One can buy paper houses, paper servants, even paper cell phones. It is believed material objects like these will still be needed in the afterlife so these paper versions are brought by the families.

After the paper offerings are burned, the food is divided up between family members. It's traditional to bring a whole roast pig to be offered at the tombs. Other food brought includes whole steamed chicken, white/yellow sugar cakes, oranges and other fruits. Rice wine is poured on the ground for the dead.

This picnic at the cemetery is a happy occasion of remembrance.

I wrote one like this before. Probably for HubPages. This one has more points about being prepared and bringing stuff with you. I don't really do either of those. I wear totally the wrong shoes and I only bring the map book and my camera. 

 Probably not a great example to follow. 

10 safety tips when photographing abandoned buildings :: Photographs inQuinte by Geary LeBell

As my interest with taking photos of old, abandoned structures and buildings has increased over the years, so has my awareness of my safety. Many of the buildings that I enter are NOT structurally sound and present a risk to your safety when exploring.

Here are 10 tips when out exploring and taking photographs of old abandoned buildings and other structures.

1. Watch your step tripping hazard. Always be cautious with the steps you take. You need to be reasonably sure that the floor or surrounding structure is going to stay intact when exploring. There are many places where I've made a conscious decision not to enter because I felt my well-being was at risk. Entering an unsound building is a risk to your safety. Use common sense every time you make a decision to explore.

2. Be aware of your surroundings. Walking on uneven and weak flooring; being surrounded by loose brick, drywall, plaster and other building materials; and surrounded by sharp and ridged objects is a recipe for disaster if you do not exercise caution. Caution, balance and awareness of your surrounding are key to increasing your chances of not being injured or worse.

3. Photo gear bag with easy equipment access. Make sure your gear is accessible and safe. The ability to quickly access your camera, lenses and other equipment will not only provide safety for you, but your gear as well. Brining too much equipment or not being properly organized for transport creates frustration when trying to switch camera bodies or lenses and put you and your gear at risk. When exploring, I either leave my camera case in the car; bringing only what I need, or always wear it around my shoulders or neck when exploring the interior of a structure. Accessing my equipment can be done without ever taking the case off as it can go from behind me to in front of me by sliding the shoulder strap around my person, which provides easy access to all my equipment.

4. Wear the proper shoes. Wearing a solid shoe with good tread is critical when exploring old buildings. I would even go so far as to recommend work boots; even though I never wear them. The point is that you need to have a solid grip on the ground and ankle support for uneven ground. I wear a good quality running shoe with good tread and have never had an issue. Sandals, high heels or bare feet will surely get your injured!

5. Stepping on a nail hazard Wear proper clothing. Don't wear tight, bulky or expensive clothing. You'll need to be able to maneuver in tight spots and in awkward positions to get that amazing photo. Wearing tight jeans, a bulky jacket or a $800 dollar leather jacket is not ideal for this kind of photography. Think cheap, light and comfortable fitting.

6. Have a method of communicating with the outside world. If possible, carry your mobile phone in a secure but accessible location. The last thing you need is to get injured and/or stuck, having no way to notify someone.

7. Tell someone where you're at! Always tell a friend or family member where you're going. Accidents happen and you can take comfort in the fact that, if you're missing for some time, someone will know your location and eventually will find you. Remember the movie 127 hours?

8. Be calm, polite and understanding to property owners. Chances are, at one point or another you will be approached by the owner of a property you have not been given permission to be on. In my experience, being polite, understanding explaining your purpose usually is responded to in a positive manner. Always be accommodating, even if they tell you to get the #$#ck off my property!

9. Get permission go on someones property. Be aware of other people's presence. 99.9% of the time when you happen to cross paths with another person while exploring an old building you will have no issues. Just be aware if there are people in the area, you should use good judgement to avoid a situation you don't want to be in. Use your gut feeling and common sense to avoid suspect individuals! Be wary of causing injury to them and vice versa, them to you.

10. And finally, get permission. The best thing you can do to relieve the stress of being in an abandoned building without permission is to get permission. Sure it's fun and gets the adrenalin pumping, but to have permission from a property owner will set your mind at ease and provide you with a more pleasurable, un-rushed experience. Some ideas on how to get permission: talk to a neighbour, investigate the place online before heading out, check with local Land registrars.

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-incedence 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.

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/ bulding/ 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 geting 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 hopefuly) that the abandoned house your'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 tresspasser.

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 tresspassing, 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.

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.

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.

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 litle 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.

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.

This is mainly a link farm while I work on putting the sites I have found into a web directory on this domain.

Canoe.ca: Haunted Ontario
The Toronto and Ontario Ghost and Hauntings Research Society
Terry Boyle: Haunted Ontario
The Haunted Walk: Kingston and Ottawa, Ontario.
Burlington Ghost Researchers
Haunted Hamilton
Whitby Ghost Walks
Ghost Tours of Niagara
Flickr: Ghosts of the Niagara Region
Haunted Ottawa
Canadian Haunters Association
Suite101 by Jason Gray: Tales of Haunted Ontario
Wikipedia: Ghost Towns in Ontario
Abandoned Ontario: Haunted Houses in Ontario
Facebook: Most Haunted Places in Ontario
St. Thomas Elgin Paranormal Society
Facebook: London Ontario Ghost Squad
Paranormal Knights of London
Spirit Matters for Durham Region
Paranormal Toronto

Canadian Links:

CBC Digital Archives: Halloween and Tales of Canadian Ghosts
Paranormal Studies and Investigations Canada
The Halloween Project: Celebrating all things Halloween in Canada.
Canadian Haunters Convention.
Ghost Towns Canada.ca
Ghost Town Pix.com
Haunted Sites in North America: Haunted Sites in Canada by Province

• Ontario Rural Ruins on Flickr\
• Creepy Ontario\
• Urban Exploration Ontario on Google Groups\
• Ontario Abandoned Places\
• Abandoned Houses of Ontario on Facebook\
• Northern Ontario Abandoned\
• Abandoned Ontario on Flickr