A Busy Day in Baltimore

So it was up again early on Sunday but no dancing around the house this morning. It was grab the camera bag and go, as quickly as possible, because Emily and I were exploring! Yee Ha! It's been ages since we've been out and we were both raring to go.

 Emily had been checking out a few photos on Flickr and had a couple of idea so our first stop was a small suburb on the west side of Baltimore where we found these row houses right next to a railway line and a few old buildings.

Then it was off for more scouting and we ended up driving through derelict streets but noticing white tent tops and loud music. 

 Stopping to investigate, we walked into the Roots Fest, which was a 'celebration of community, creativity, culture and connection'. It seemed a little surreal to find all this activity when most of it's surroundings were buildings bereft of life or care. But it was a welcome lunch stop and we took great interest in an exhibition portraying the proposed new Red Line railway which would run east to west in Baltimore. 

Our interest turned to delight when we spotted a map showing some of the abandonments we'd previously visited along with some more that we hadn't. A free pointer, how kind! We continued to wander around but soon decided to go back to the car and continue scouting around the city.

This lady was sitting outside her house, one of the very few that was still inhabited, and seeing our cameras, asked us to take her photo. What a cute little girl! 
We carried on driving and entered areas that even Emily was unfamiliar with. Then at the end of a dead end street we hit gold. An abandoned church and surrounding buildings. We walked in noting how all the windows were boarded up but we found one at the back that had been opened. Climbing in, we crept through rooms with flashlights loving the beautiful mirrors, fireplaces and fittings that hadn't yet been ripped out. But then I noticed a red light flashing in a corner. A motion sensor. Walking to the entrance hall, I saw the main panel was flashing red also so it was time to leave, quickly. We got to the car and waited a bit and realized that the alarm was probably not hooked to the local police station any more. But common sense prevailed and we left, to research further and definitely return. Photos will be posted after that visit.
Our next stop was Madeira St. Emily had seen some photos of an art project there showing photos pasted onto derelict buildings of the people who used to live there. 

We also walked around the backs of the buildings where later I realized I had been bitten to pieces.Damn mosquitoes. 

I used my glass ball, found a porn book, found an awesome Oolie Owl who now resides on my patio and this suspended bathroom deserved a photo. These buildings are slated for demolition this summer so we were pleased to capture the area before it disappears forever. It was getting late and we had covered a lot of ground so inevitably we finished with beer. It had been great to get out exploring again and we'd achieved a lot in one day. I love this activity!