Posts tagged with “exploring”
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What is a Vagabond?

Historically, vagabonds were pretty tough, anti-establishment characters who lived as homeless drifters by choice. Modern vagabonds tend to be people who live off the grid or those who travel the world from out of a backpack.

Traditionally a vagabond is a person who wanders from one place to another, with no real home of their own. In modern culture this could be a homeless person or a street person. However, vagabonds aren't the same as people who stay in a city (or any one place) and live there without having a typical home. Vagabonds are a subculture of their own making.

Some offbeat world travellers call themselves vagabonds. They travel the world, they travel as cheaply as they can (in order to keep travelling , they work here and there... but they do have a home to plan to return to once they finish travelling. The vagabond tourist is about seeing the world and stretching their resources for as long and as well as they can along the journey. Historically, vagabonds were more rebellious and travel was their way of avoiding putting down roots or really belonging or being found anywhere.

Vagabonds (tramps, hobos, or drifters) during the Great Depression lived a homeless lifestyle by choice. Often they were fugitives from the law or just avoided the law after having a few run ins with the police and/ or jail. My Grandfather was a drifter for awhile. He told me about some of his adventures. He said the tramps were dangerous and he learned to avoid them. Those men could be brutal and were living by taking what they could get.

After living that way awhile some of them adapted the lifestyle as their own subculture. They created rules and guidelines for who they were and created a culture out of their vagabond lifestyle.

There's a romantic ideal of the vagabond (the little hobo with patches on their clothes and a pack slung on the end of a stick), but that's not based on the facts so much as the idea of travelling and seeing the world, meeting new people and enjoying different cultures. The modern is about adventure.

Could You be a Vagabond?

  • You really need a change, like a jump start for your life or your spirits.
  • You haven't figured out your career path or all your jobs seem to be dead ends.
  • You don't have a lot of obligations, personal (family and kids) or financial (mortgage on a house).
  • You feel burnt out or you've lost (or never really had) your sense of who you are.
  • You've never really travelled, never left your own country, or even your own home town.

 Other Words for Vagabond

  • vagrant
  • tramp
  • drifter
  • hobo
  • wanderer
  • nomad
  • landloper
  • train hoppers

 The Downside of the Vagabond Lifestyle

  • Living out of a backpack, suitcase, luggage of whatever sort.
  • Always looking for travel arrangements and destinations.
  • Finding temporary work on the road, year round.
  • Not having a place of your own where you can put down roots and keep your stuff.
  • Living under someone's (couch sitting, hostels, etc.) roof with their rules and ways.
  • Meeting and getting to know people but always moving on and not having any real relationships with anyone.
  • No routine, having to adapt and make plans every day.
  • Packing and repacking everything into one bag and then hauling it all around.
  • Eating on the fly - sometimes not eating when the money is low.
  • Living on a tight budget and having to be thrifty.

Vagabond Lifestyle

Vagabond as a Traveller

Articles About Being a Vagabond

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What Urban Exploration is and is Not

Urban exploration is about exploring the modern world, as it is. This includes infiltration (going where you are not really wanted or allowed) documenting abandoned and derelict places and being an actual explorer - with ethics.

Don't get the idea urban exploration is all about trespassing, goofing around and leaving your mark. That is entirely the wrong way to get started. Urban explorers have a respect for the locations they explore. "Take only photographs; leave only footprints" is the motto for people who are true urban explorers. We value history and we want to continue visiting the places as they decay and change.

Demolition is the sad fact of urban exploration - photograph history today because it may be gone tomorrow. This is very literally true! However, don't think of demolition as the enemy, this just makes you bitter. Change happens and we need change - everything can't just stay the same forever. So, be sad, but be glad you got the photographs while you could. Photographs of place now gone are treasures.

Rephotography

You can also get into rephotography. Take an old photo and photograph it again, included in the original location as it has evolved now. Look for rephotography for some really exceptional examples online, or on photography sites like Flickr.

Where to Explore

There are endless places to explore in the modern world. Not all urban explorers look at old buildings. There are industrial ruins, tunnels and drains and tall buildings where you can get photos of the whole city as you stand looking out over it (rooftopping). There are also ghost signs - faded signs from shops and advertising on the sides of buildings. There are ghost towns, if you can find much left of them. Urban explorers also like cemeteries - the old gravestones. You may be a rural urban explorer (like myself) and look at abandoned farm houses, barns, farm machinery, old cars too.

How to Explore

Before you begin exploring you will need some basic equipment: sturdy footwear, a map and a camera. These are the basics, you can certainly have more and will need more gear if you are exploring tunnels and other risky locations. But, for the average or new explorer you should stick to less risky places where you just need a good pair of boots to keep you safe.

Be aware, there are risks in most places. When exploring old farms I have been attacked by birds dive bombing me, I've made the mistake of walking in the flight path of a beehive and I worry about where I step each time I put my foot down. Always watch were you are stepping - you could find a deep trench under tall grass, an abandoned well which was not properly covered or marked or a big rusty nail which came from the house or something dumped there by someone else. If you explore consider yourself responsible for your own safety.

How do you Find Places to Explore

The question people usually as is how do I find places I have explored. I look for them! It really is that simple. You can get in the car and drive around and find places. I highly recommend you have someone else drive while you navigate and watch for signs of an old house. I have tried solo exploring while driving and it is not that great. The extra pair of eyes watching for old houses is great but - one of you needs to be watching the road as well. (No, I didn't actually drive off the road but I was not a safe driver on the road).

You can also check the Internet for locations. Not every explorer will share the locations they find. We can be cautious about giving away information when we don't know you or your intentions. Some people like to find abandoned places to salvage them for parts, some just want to find something to destroy and vandalize. Urban explorers don't vandalize, we don't leave trash on the site and we don't salvage parts or take anything (though I make an exception for garden plants because I like to save a living thing from dying in the weeds).

Pay attention to the news too. If you listen to the news or read the newspaper you will sometimes hear about a business, school or other location being closed or abandoned. A place up for sale is not really abandoned but may be interesting to explore. An old school or factory being closed and likely to be demolished is technically abandoned and really nice to explore and document  in your photographs (before it's gone).

Read about local history. Find out about the old buildings, places and locations in your area. Chances are there are great places to explore right under your nose - you just haven't found out about them. What was the first house built in your town - is it still standing? What was the first industry or business in your town - where is it now? Visit your local museums and libraries, you will find a lot of local history there. Join your local historical society. Not only does this give you access to more resources but you will have a membership card to give you validation as a local historian. Keep your membership card with you when you explore. If someone doesn't like you being there you can at least prove your interest in history rather than being labelled a troublemaker.

What do you do After Exploring

What I like best, once I've scraped some of the muck off my shoes or boots and cleaned the rest of me up as well as I can, is a good coffee. I seem to pick rainy days to wander around taking photographs. Good for the photos but the leave me (and my camera) damp or right soaked through at times. I stop for coffee somewhere, visit the washroom to clean my hands and tidy up a bit.

The best part about after exploring is seeing your own photos and sharing them online (not all of them - I tend to pick the best and save the rest). I've been posting my photos to Flickr for a few years. I began a group for other explorers in my area. You can search the site and see if there are local explorers in your area. Share your photos and as you get feedback and get to know them you can begin asking them where they have been and what they have seen. Share tips, and locations. Let them know what you found when you were there. (Was there a dog, a dive bombing bird, an abandoned swing set in the back, something else interesting or useful to watch for?).

*Originally, I wrote this for h2g2 - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition ( the Unconventional Guide to Life, the Universe and Everything). But, they don't want illustrations added to the posts unless you have approval from a peer review, or more credentials from past work on the site. I don't know if I want to write for their site on top of the work I'm already doing so I'm just going to keep the post for here instead. *

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Urban Exploration... Did you go Inside?

I explore abandoned places, most often farm houses here in Ontario. I post my photos to Flickr, my account there and some of them I select to post to the groups I began for Ontario Rural Ruins and Canadian Rural Ruins. People like my photos and will often ask, "Did you go inside?".

I very seldom go inside the abandoned places I photograph. Not everyone understands this. Some people think you aren't a real explorer if you don't go inside. But, I feel differently. I love to see the outside of the homes for one thing. I also prefer the places which are very deteriorated, eroded by the elements and overgrown by plants. Those kind of places are not safe to enter. I know one explorer who has some engineering and fire fighter background, he takes more risks and enters the places which are risky. But, he is educated about it and decides to avoid anything dangerous.

There is another issue about entering an abandoned or derelict place. You don't own it. So you're trespassing in reality.

At an abandoned place you decide for yourself how far you should go. For me, I walk around the building (watching where I step) but I don't go inside. That's the point where it doesn't feel right to me.

About Trespassing

Basically, trespassing is going onto the owner's property knowing you are doing so and not having permission from the owner. So, by the law urban and rural and industrial exploring of property you don't own yourself, is trespassing.

But, I do it anyway. Sometimes I do stop at a clear sign that the property owner does not want anyone there. If I see a 'No Trespassing' sign or if the property has a locked gate blocking access, I will stop there and just use my camera's zoom feature to get what photos I can. You can take photos from a public access area - that isn't trespassing. You can walk up and down the street along a 'No Trespassing' location and take as many photos as you like. (From the public side).

But, I do sometimes take a step onto the property so I can see more. I don't cause any harm. I don't litter or take anything away with me. I also don't enter the premises (the building) on the property.

The odd times I have had someone stop and ask me what I was doing it was a neighbour who was curious. Sometimes they will tell me all they know about the building and the people who owned it (especially when it comes to old farm houses).

Once, I was asked to leave the premises by security. This was at a location in Orillia, Ontario which had once been a sanitarium. I think they left me to my own devices for awhile before approaching me. I was able to have a nice walk around and I had just finished taking the last photo I wanted to get when they stopped me. They were very nice about it and I had no problem leaving by then of course.

Just to note: a trespasser would probably not be prosecuted if the property was not fenced in, did not have trespassing signs and the land was open - if the trespasser did not interfere with the owner's use of the property and if the trespasser left without incident once (or if) they are asked to leave. (You can be asked to leave by someone who is not the owner and that counts too).

This is why I am strict about the 'Leave only footprints; take only photos' theme of exploration. This is also why I almost never enter the building on the property but I will carefully walk around it to view as much of it as I can.

Some people may think the property owner is just being a miser, a Scrooge or a Grinch about the whole trespassing thing. So, you need to consider it from their angle. First, if you are injured while on their property (even uninvited or as a trespasser) the property owner is liable for whatever happens to you. Not quite fair is it? The property owner isn't even there to have a voice in your exploration, yet they are responsible for you while you are there.

Of course, any harm you do while there will be left for them to deal with or clean up. So don't leave so much as a coffee cup around and don't take anything you didn't arrive with on your person. A property owner can claim ownership of the photos you have taken while accessing the property, if you were not on public grounds while taking the photograph.

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Adults Can Have Adventures Too

As a kid, I really wanted to be one of those early explorers of the world. Travelling on a tall ship, braving the elements and the dragons at the edge of the map... Of course, as a kid, I ignored all the practical things like asthma, allergies, my financial allowance from my parents at the time and assorted other stuff that just gets in our way as adults.

It is sad how far we 'grow' from those days of being a care-free kid who thinks we can do so many things if we can just figure out how to make it get started and get our parents to understand and let us do all these great things. Still, now we are the adults and we can actually do some of the world exploring we wanted to do as bold adventurers when we were younger.

You don't have to take on the world, drain your bank account or find yourself a tall ship to be an explorer. Just get the basics: a map, a camera, maybe a flashlight, sturdy footwear, maybe a jacket if things get wet or messy and a good backpack to stash it all in for easy carrying around. Bring a few bags or something practical for any treasures you pick up along the way. Maybe some bottled water too, for yourself to drink or they also make good storage for plant cuttings, seeds, small fish or assorted other interesting finds.

Now, just take yourself out there, into the world. You can plan a destination, or just move your feet, pay attention to your surroundings (don't watch your feet - look up and really see where you are and what is around you, all the things you usually take for granted and miss). You might plan an adventure which ends up with you at your favourite coffee shop - an adventure doesn't have to be an all day or all week event. An hour is good. Just see something new - new to you. Stop and smell the roses as they say. But, I would say, you should touch some of those roses and not just settle for smelling and seeing them.

Explore your neighbourhood. Explore the alley behind your house. Explore your driveway if you broke your leg and can't get around much. Or, be braver and explore another town, an old house, a rooftop with a view, a cave, a museum, an art gallery, pick something interesting and find something new there. Explore your world.

This summer just past my nephew, Zack, and I did a little exploring together. I told him about some places to see in his town and area. Then we explored this school, which he had found, together. The school has been closed a few years but is not abandoned, just not still being used. Once a year it is open with the Doors Open event for people who come to tour the historical places.

Keri Smith has impressed me with her lust/ zest for life. We could all use more adventure and exploration in our day to day lives.

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How to Locate a Ghost Hunting Tour Group

Ghost walks (or ghost tours) are guided tours where guests are shown the haunted history of an area or a location. Ghost tours cater to tourists and are not meant to be as frightening or taken as seriously as an actual ghost hunting would be.

If you want the reality of a ghost hunt you will need to talk to the ghost hunting or paranormal research group and ask to be included next time they go out on something other than a tour. However, you would have to be someone with more knowledge and commitment to investigating the paranormal than at the tourist level.

Finding a Ghost Walking Tour

If you are already online the easiest way to find a local ghost hunting tour group is to try an online search. Open your search site of choice: Yahoo, Google, DuckDuckGo (a new search which I've been trying and liking), etc. Type in the search terms - "ghost tour", "haunted walk", "haunted tour", "ghost exploring", and then your local area which could be the town or city or the county you live in. Don't restrict your search to a small area, unless you live in a very large city and want to find something right in your neighbourhood.

Don't forget to check social sites like Flickr, YouTube and Pinterest for people who are giving ghost tours or have been on a ghost tour and given a review of their experience.

Also, search for paranormal seekers and ghost hunters in the larger area around you. Often they will have links to smaller groups in the area on their websites or blogs. This is a great help, of course, for people looking for local ghost tours.

You can also contact the larger groups and ask for information, links or phone numbers to contact any local ghost hunters who would give tours if asked or may already run scheduled tours.

Another way to find your local ghost hunters is to watch where local groups list their upcoming events. I found my local group listed in the local newspaper and a website giving free space to local groups to list their upcoming events. The ghost tours are a tourist service, a small business, so they won't be trying to be too secretive, they want customers to find them. Ask around town, talk to other local business people and see what they know.

Historical Walking Tours

Here in my area, Barrie, Ontario, Canada, we have Doors Open, which is a tour of historical homes and places. The doors to private homes and businesses open once a year for people to have a look.

Look for tours of historical places in your area and ask the people who give the tour if any of the places are known or suspected to be haunted.

Talk to people in your local historical society too. Anyone with an interest in history of the local area is likely to know other people who share the same interests.

Urban Explorers Like Old Places and History

Try to find a group or individual who explores old places, not for ghost hunting, necessarily. Urban explorers like old places. They don't focus on finding ghosts or any thing paranormal but they are usually interested and have stories of their own to share.

Local Pagans Will Know Where the Ghost Tours Are

Is there a local group of Pagans, Wiccans or Witches? These are another group of people who tend to be involved in the local paranormal community. Chances are great someone in the Pagan community will also know about the paranormal researchers in your area. (Actually, they are very likely to be part of both groups).

If your town or local area has a Pagan supplies store, ask there about ghost tours. They will likely have a business card, brochure or something they can hand out to tourists looking for a local ghost walk.

Find Out What the Ghost Tour Includes

Don't forget a ghost tour is a business, like any other kind of tourism service. Don't pay for the tour without checking to make sure you are getting what you want. Just what does the tour include? Will you need your own transportation between locations, if there are more than one included in the tour? Does the tour guide have a plan for handling things if someone gets too spooked out and needs a break? Will you get to see data taken from the tour and discuss it afterwards, like a paranormal investigator rather than being just a tourist sent on your way right afterwards?

Also, find out what you need to bring. Should you dress warmly, bring your own water or coffee? Find out what you are allowed to bring as well. Can you bring your own ghost hunting gear, if you have any?

Need More Ghosts?

Barrie Paranormal Links: My Own Local Ghost Hunters