Empty Places: The not so pretty place to stay

Do you ever get the feeling you have been here before? That is what I love about exploring old roadside motels. You can remember as a kid stopping at a place like this. Perhaps in Florida, South Carolina or Virginia?

The basic layout of the room and the old wallpaper remind of what was once a nice place to lay your head after a long drive. Maybe you remember returning to the room after a long day at the beach or after a night out on the town. Those memories are now mixed in with the debris left behind by those who moved in to steal what furniture was left. 

The once clean motel rooms are now littered with trash from vagrants, passing animals, fire from homeless men and women trying to stay warm in the winter, etc. 

Empty Places: Another ghost town building of America

I love to go urban exploring. Here is a deserted roadside motel I found on a hillside in Tennessee. Overgrown, no sign of life. 

Empty Places: The overlooked vacant structure

This large building stands in a heavily used area of Chattanooga, TN yet has stood vacant for decades. It has been tagged and pillaged, but remains untouched by viable occupants. I use the word pillage, only because of all the broken windows and doors that vagrants, vandals and explorers have used as access points. Doorknobs and other small items are missing. 

The building is next to an outdoor market / pavilion, a baseball field and a dog park. What could be here? Local residents have voiced the idea of art studios, a brewery, loft apartments and more. 

Photo shoot with the General Lee

For this little journey, I followed a man from Rockvale, Tennessee all the way to Georgia where we captured his General Lee / Dodge Charger in original filming locations of the Dukes of Hazard. The popular American television show was aired from 1979 to 1985. Re-runs soon followed for years. Most of the show was filmed in small communities all around Atlanta. 

Empty Places: Got Milk?

I was honored to tour the old Flagship Atlanta Dairy, LLC in Georgia, thanks to the generosity of a local government worker at the property that is now used as a parking lot for Government of Atlanta vehicles. 

In these photos, I decided to make the exterior shots in black and white and the interior ones in color. Why, you ask? Who knows?

I do not know why the Flagship Atlanta Dairy, LLC closed, but I have to admit that I found data from the federal government quite interesting. Evidently, the company had a Food Service Contract with the Department of Defense. 

In 2005, the dairy had a contract with the Department of Defense that added up to $98,037. By 2008, that number grew to $2.28 million. In 2009, the contracted amount dropped significantly to a mere $3,225.

Empty Places: An abandoned school in Georgia

I was able to walk through and photograph the John B. Gordon Grammar School with a man whom attended the school in the 1970’s. He had fond memories of every room, including the cafeteria, the auditorium / gym and of course the principal’s office. He pointed to the stage with a smile and said, “My very first school play was right there.”

The school opened in East Atlanta, GA in 1909. As you look through these photos, you will be able to see some of the vibrant colors of years past as lead based paint flakes and falls to the now dirt floor. You will also see that some years, the colors were dark or bland. Other years boast pastel greens and yellows.

The school was shut down in 1995 and later purchased by a development group with plans to turn the structure into loft apartments. That never happened and in 2009, the property was foreclosed on.

In April of 2014, the building caught fire. Today, it is a total loss and will likely be torn down in the near future to make way for development. When that will occur is still up in the air.

These photos were captured in June of 2014. 

Empty Places: Welcome to the Prison Farm

The Prison Farm is just as creepy as it sounds. This structure, once owned by the Federal Government, opened in 1920 as an experiment for alternative punishment for prisoners. The inmate population of 100-beds (which later grew to 700-beds) knew their home as one of the first sanctioned "Prison Farm's" in early American history. Guards oversaw about 1,200 acres in the area of Atlanta, GA. 

The prisoners that lived on the farm were trusted individuals from a variety of backgrounds. The population was hand picked by the warden and each inmate worked hard to raise not only crops, but also animals. 

The prison, while successful, was expensive to properly oversee the inmates. The prison eventually closed in 1983. 

The prison, which is a very significant part of history, now sits abandoned. Fires, vandals, drug addicts and the like have been unable to destroy the massive structure, which is falling apart all by its lonesome due to nature. 

Hippie Hill - Home to hippies and within 40 miles of 3 major distilleries

A 70-minute drive from downtown Nashville, Tennessee could land you on a hidden hilltop called "Hippie Hill." The wooded hilltop is home to travelers from as far away as Alaska who are traveling the country in search of good music, relaxing days and a cold beverage. Well, not that cold, there is no electricity on Hippie Hill, nor is there running water.

Despite a lack of city utilities and city water, you will stay hydrated. There is a fresh water spring at the bottom of the hill. It is also helpful to know that you are only 24-miles away from the Short Mountain Distillery (legal moonshine) and 39-miles away from the famous Jack Daniels Distillery. The hill is also 25 miles away from the equally famous George Dickel Distillery. 

The residents and guests live in tents, tee-pee's, old school buses from the 1950's, tree-houses, pull behind campers from the 60's and makeshift shacks. If you visit, bring a tent or perhaps a cozy hammock. 

Quiet - is one way to describe Hippie Hill. A second... peaceful. 

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Empty Places: Population 649

An old farm house next to a stream, the perfect setting. The only thing that is missing on this gravel road are people. 

This home is in Tennessee. The population of the small town where I found this empty picturesque home stands at 649 residents today. 

Empty Places: A house in the country

This photo was taken in Tennessee. The home, that was wired for satellite television, sits vacant in the woods with a wheelchair ramp on one side and stairs on the other. The small town where this house is located has only 502 residents. 

Empty Places: The statue

This is another shot from a ghost apartment complex in Florida. As you can see, when the apartment shut down, residents just left many of their belongings behind for unknown reasons. 

A statue, a grill, a portable stereo and buckets of chlorine are all seen in this picture. 

Empty Places: Defunct motel

Furniture littered the parking lot. Broken beds, desks and nightstands filled the rooms. Beer and liquor bottles were carelessly thrown thrown into windows and mirrors. Remnants of makeshift beds were seen in some motel rooms, although people were no where to be found. 

This shot was taken in a small beach-side town located in Florida. Population stands at just over 36,000 residents. 

Empty Places: Old waverunner

This old waverunner in the center of this shot was sitting in the courtyard area of a once thriving apartment, hotel and office in Florida only one block from the beach. 

Empty Places: Putt Putt Golf

What was once a thriving putt putt golf course in a small Alabama community, is now a lonely place for lizards. As I walked the overgrown course, lizards scurried about the place every other step I took. Amazingly, I did not see any snakes, only lizards. 

The population of this small town where the putt putt course once merely survived... 2,800 residents. 

Empty Places: A deserted Motel

This photo was taken at a vacant motel in Florida. This is a half empty pool adorned by signs posted by the Florida Health Department warning visitors not to swim. A lone Bible, possibly once in a bedside motel room drawer, is seen on the edge of the pool. 

Empty Places: An old pool

This was taken at an abandoned / vacant apartment complex one block away from the beach in Florida. The entire place looked like a ghost town. It was evident that someone or possibly multiple people, had been living inside the vacant apartments even though there was no water or electric services. 

Inside the individual units, mold was on the ceiling and walls and weeds were creeping into the lower units. Broken glass was seen throughout the complex. The neighboring motel in the background also sat unoccupied.