Ghost Towns, Why We Visit

There has been a sudden surge in the number of people visiting abandoned places like ghost towns.  These abandoned places might be towns, institutions or historical sites.  Whatever they are, they are bound together by our feelings and emotions upon visiting them.   
So, is it nostalgia for a changing world that is driving this new tourism trend? Or are we just looking for new places to take selfies away from the crowded city centres of the world.  


Why I visit Ghost Towns

For me its more personal. I grew up in a small town in rural Saskatchewan in the 1970s and 1980s.  This time period was really the end of the line for the small-town elevators and the towns around them. Since those days, the towns have been steadily centralizing and amalgamating into regional centres.
The result is that the small towns I knew as a kid are disappearing fast.  And so visiting these places connects me to my past and gives me a vision of the future.  The future where the present is long gone and forgotten. Like I will be one day.
I think it’s the premonition of the future, of being forgotten by time, that gives us that weird feeling when we visit.  That tingling sense of wonder and fear that we all know to be connected with our growing knowledge of our own mortality.


Why you Should visit Ghost Towns

You should visit Ghost Towns cause its fun. Really. Forget all that stuff I just said above.  In fact, ghost town tourism provides for an opportunity to explore places that are off the beaten track.
What’s more exciting than visiting a place where very few people (if ever) visit.  Where better to take a selfie (you know you will) with a view no one else has seen? 
I love that there are no crowds and the space is often unreal.

Ghost Town Do’s and Don’ts

Like visiting natural wonders and parks, the most important thing to do is leave nothing behind.  In fact, modern garbage just doesn’t fit in. Let’s keep the old garbage all by itself.  And no vandalism. 
It seems like people are often attracted to decay because of their own destructive urges. Please refrain or go find an underpass somewhere to spray paint. More people will see that anyway!
It’s also best not to trespass on private property if you can. Sometime its hard to know, but if there is a no trespassing sign posted then please do the right thing.
And be safe. Best to stick to secure ground because of old wells and other obstacles that might be weak with age or hidden in underbrush.


My Memento Mori Project

As of righting this article, I am currently undertaking a time-lapse project in rural Alberta and Saskatchewan. I am hoping to really capture through time-lapse the essence of a past in the process of disappearing.


I guess it’s a little dark as a project, but hopefully that’s okay.  I would love to have you follow along on my journey as I show you the behind the scenes of capturing this process.







More

Check out more of my photos from my visit to Esther and Loverna here!

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