Vacancy

During a little drive in the country a few weeks ago, we came upon an abandoned motel somewhere between Kingston and Gananoque. J stopped the car so I could take a few photographs while H explored the grounds. She noticed that one of the doors to the motel was slightly ajar and suggested that we go inside to explore. I teared up a bit at her sense of adventure before I dragged J out of the car to act as our guide (y'know, just in case there were squatters or critters taking refuge inside). My biggest fear was being attacked by a rabid critter but of course the thought of some knife-wielding vagabond wasn't far behind.

I've often looked longingly at abandoned houses and buildings as I drove past them but never actually set foot in them so this was very exciting. It was even more thrilling to be able to share this experience with the little person who I imagined would look back on this event as something quite special (or traumatic).

We inspected the motel and found beer bottles, employee slips from the 80's, a dusty record player, a contraption which I guessed was the switchboard, old furniture, an aluminum video camera case (empty...we checked) and rolls of unwound tape (among other things). What I found most interesting were the different textures throughout - a result of the neglect and decline of the building. A door kept slamming in the wind which added to the creepiness of our tour. It was particularly unnerving when we were exploring the second floor as we felt it shut behind us. I kept freaking out every few feet (as did H) but we were loving every minute of it.

If you've ever wondered what was lurking within that old abandoned farmhouse off the highway or what was hiding behind the walls of that boarded-up building down the street, I urge you to consider exploring. There's always room for one more.