Photos

Kennedy Space Center

  • Another Crawler

    Another one of NASA's land crawlers, hiding inside.

  • Saturn 5, second stage
  • Lightning Towers

    3 lightning towers designed to direct bolts away from the launch pad that they surround.

  • Saturn 5 Rocket Base

    The business end of a decomissioned Saturn 5. Walking the length of this rocket takes minutes! 20 tons of fuel per minute would flow through here.

  • Seaside Bunker

    Looking out into the Atlantic, one of the main launch platforms would have been behind me. According to our guide this little bunker was used to house sensitive equipment for detecting electricity in the air, as lightning is a grave threat to launches.

Last November, I had the opportunity to visit the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, while visiting relatives living in the area.

Oktoberfest 2013

  • Locking horns
  • Almost to the top!

    Nearly there! And an amazing view of the surrounding mountains.

  • Up the cloudsplitter!

    Can't beat that view! This is why I love the Adirondacks.

  • Whiteface

    Facing the opposite direction as the previous photo, the view of Whiteface from Little Whiteface.

  • Looking down

    Halfway up the mountain, looking down.

Every October, the ski resort at Whiteface Mountain has a small Oktoberfest. Traditional German music, food, beer, and demonstrations are featured, and many local vendors come to show off their homemade crafts.

This is the first time I've gone in many years, and the first time I went being older than 21! It's a ton of fun and is definitely worth checking out if you're in the area during the skiing offseason.

Exploring Benson Mines

  • Another office.

    Some sort of office area, completely rotted out.

  • Outside

    The office/bathroom is inside this building, and the first building in the album is visible through the trees in the background.

  • Workshop

    Inside another building, some sort of workshop.

  • Entrance

    Entrance to the facility - and my car!

  • Abandoned Excavator

    ...With no bucket. Likely a Massey Ferguson 450.

Benson Mines is a long-abandoned iron mine near Watertown, NY. The mine was shut down in 1978 and the buildings and have been completely abandoned ever since. Abandoned man-made structures are my favorite to take pictures of, so I couldn't resist exploring!