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Post by hengest on Aug 9, 2021 18:44:43 GMT -5
I had the opportunity to be on a lake recently, not the sort of thing I do a lot or have any skill at. But I can basically control a rowboat and I finally got to go out alone for a bit. One very wild-looking and attractive island was posted: ecological restoration, leave the island alone til we tell you. So I left it alone, but it looked plenty cool. There were two quasi-islands close to each other with a little space between you could get the boat through. I don't mean quaking bogs. I'm not sure what they were, formally. There were reasonably tall trees and plenty of vegetation, but I couldn't quite see any proper "land" under them. I suppose they were some sort of mid-stage formation. Maybe someone on here could have told me. But beyond them there was another extremely wild-looking (at least to my eye) island. Solid vegetation right up to the water, no obvious place where people come ashore, no sign of human visitation. I'm sure humans do visit, but I mean no garbage, no clearing, no rusting hull or rotting oar. I hesitated and decided to give it a shot. I managed to squeeze the boat in up against some rocks. I moored it to some sort of plant that seemed stable enough. I stepped out of the boat onto what to me seemed like the least inhabited place I've ever been. It was awesome (in both senses), but I can't say I did much exploring. I couldn't even tell where to go. The vegetation was so thick. I mean, so thick. I have not spent a lot of time in proper wilderness but this sure was the closest I have seen to impassable. I could have forced my way through for a ways, but wasn't sure why. It seemed I could already see what I would be able to see from another twenty feel in. When I got back on the boat, I noticed it had taken on many more, and larger, insects. Large, fat spiders and at least one exceptionally hefty ant. Clinging to the oar was some sort of pretty dragonfly I hadn't seen before. These guys had boarded the boat, which was barely touching land, in just a couple minutes. There's no way I was the first person on that island in a long time. It isn't far from homes and vacation houses and I'm sure people check it out from time to time. But I would be surprised if anyone really did anything there. Not sure if it's public land or what. So, adventures large or small, urban, surburban, rural or wilderness, when have you stepped into another world? |
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Post by restless on Aug 9, 2021 19:11:39 GMT -5
My wife and I used to "ghost hunt," which was code for "let's get together with some weirdos on the weekends and stay out all night in creepy places." We did do a little poking around the inside of Jeff Davis Hospital before it was renovated into artist lofts, and went on a few other hunts in locations (including a group all-night visit to the Von Minden Hotel in Schulenburg). We've been to various Mayan and Aztec ruins in Mexico and Honduras, but that was on cruises so we didn't get to spend a whole lot of time, and of course you have a ton of people there, too. I can't call that adventurous, but while everyone is asking where the cenote for swimming is I'm looking at all the carvings and little chambers  |
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Post by hengest on Aug 10, 2021 22:00:13 GMT -5
My wife and I used to "ghost hunt," which was code for "let's get together with some weirdos on the weekends and stay out all night in creepy places." We did do a little poking around the inside of Jeff Davis Hospital before it was renovated into artist lofts, and went on a few other hunts in locations (including a group all-night visit to the Von Minden Hotel in Schulenburg). We've been to various Mayan and Aztec ruins in Mexico and Honduras, but that was on cruises so we didn't get to spend a whole lot of time, and of course you have a ton of people there, too. I can't call that adventurous, but while everyone is asking where the cenote for swimming is I'm looking at all the carvings and little chambers Both these sound awesome, but I think I am a little more envious of the hospital exploration. I dunno, in a way, going out of your way to visit the ruins of an ancient civilization seems pretty adventurous to me, even if it's a touristy situation. Or maybe it's just envy talking. It sounds awesome. I really can't imagine. |
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Post by restless on Aug 11, 2021 7:53:46 GMT -5
Steve Marsh of TSR fame thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail. That's pretty darn adventurous to me!
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Post by hengest on Aug 11, 2021 8:48:18 GMT -5
Steve Marsh of TSR fame thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail. That's pretty darn adventurous to me! We should get him on this forum, if only to hear about that! That is extremely adventurous. The thru-hikers are true adventurers, indeed! |
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Post by restless on Aug 11, 2021 9:46:14 GMT -5
We should get him on this forum, if only to hear about that! That is extremely adventurous. The thru-hikers are true adventurers, indeed! I am on a number of groups on Facebook about thru-hiking (once upon a time I thought I would like to do it); when I first saw the posting I was like, that's funny but surely it's not that Steve Marsh. Then I saw the same guy posting on the B/X group there and yep, that Steve Marsh. He was also a corporate counsel for a company my wife used to work for (but now she works for a competitor), so I guess he got several more acts after TSR. This pleases me somehow. |
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Post by The Semi-Retired Gamer on Aug 16, 2021 17:50:24 GMT -5
I like going on adventures and exploring in real life. I went to New Orleans a few years ago for a company function and that place was incredible! I stayed in the French Quarter - drove by Ann Rice's childhood home - and the atmosphere is just awesome! I went on a Ghost Walk Tour and did some taste-testing on the local beer. It was a great time! Oklahoma has a haunted Prison tour I would like to do. My understanding is they bus you to this place, feed you, and give you a tour and then let you stay the night. I need to get more information. It may be goofy but I would like to go to the Honobia Bigfoot Festival just to see what it's all about. Kind of like I would like to go to Roswell for the Alien stuff. |
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Post by The Semi-Retired Gamer on Aug 16, 2021 18:02:12 GMT -5
I forgot to mention one adventure I went on in college. I took a Comparative Religion class and one of the assignments was to go to a religious service of something different than what you grew up with or practice now. I said I would take what was left. I got Witchcraft/Wicca and I went to a few ceremonies with one of the local covens. It was pretty interesting and then they got naked for an Initiation Rite. I had to write an essay on the experience and I got a great grade.
I'm fascinated by religion so it was right up my alley. I've attended several different religious activities over the years out of curiosity. I was going to see if I could spend a weekend with some modern Monks at one time but I never really pursued it. There is a New Age community not far from here that I spent a little bit of time at. They were into crystals, reincarnation, astral projection, etc. and it was a hoot talking to them. Probably sounds crazy or boring to most people but it intrigues me.
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Post by restless on Aug 17, 2021 10:44:09 GMT -5
Kind of like I would like to go to Roswell for the Alien stuff. In 2006 my wife and I took a two-week roadtrip for vacation to New Mexico. Part of it coincided with one of the two days a year that both Ground Zero at White Sands was open and the Very Large Array was open for tours, so we did the morning visit to where the bomb was tested (that's somber, let me tell you) and then an afternoon tour at the VLA. I loved it! We did several other stops, including Roswell. It's kitsch, but fun. If you go to Roswell, you really ought to go to Carlsbad Caverns. They were amazing, but wear good shoes! (I learned the hard way) |
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Post by The Semi-Retired Gamer on Aug 17, 2021 18:02:19 GMT -5
Kind of like I would like to go to Roswell for the Alien stuff. In 2006 my wife and I took a two-week roadtrip for vacation to New Mexico. Part of it coincided with one of the two days a year that both Ground Zero at White Sands was open and the Very Large Array was open for tours, so we did the morning visit to where the bomb was tested (that's somber, let me tell you) and then an afternoon tour at the VLA. I loved it! We did several other stops, including Roswell. It's kitsch, but fun. If you go to Roswell, you really ought to go to Carlsbad Caverns. They were amazing, but wear good shoes! (I learned the hard way) That sounds absolutely amazing! I bet the bomb testing site was somber. I'll tell you what choked me up big time. I visited the Oklahoma City Murrah Federal Building that Timothy McVeigh blew up. At one point we are standing in a room listening to 90 seconds of audio from some sort of meeting that was taking place at the time. Then we hear the bomb go off. There are several - too darn many - glass cases with toys that small children would play with. Then the tour guide tells you the daycare for the workers in that building was close by that room and there are enough toys in those cases to represent each and every child that was killed in the blast. Man, it was like a kick in the gut. I haven't been back just for that reason so it's been about 13 years if I recall correctly. |
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Post by boarspear on Aug 17, 2021 21:50:33 GMT -5
I like to go to large parks and hike. I use a 6 feet long inch and a half diameter walking stick, almost a quarterstaff. Always been glad that I've never had to use it to fend off a bear or mountain lion, but kinda wonder if I could if I had to. Their noses are supposed to be a tender spot if you had to strike one. But it would likely just make them mad.
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Post by Traveroark on Sept 8, 2021 19:56:25 GMT -5
I used to love to explore caves, the awakened the Tom Sawyer in me I guess. Been through some, always wanted to own some land with some unknown caves on it.
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Post by hengest on Sept 8, 2021 21:46:21 GMT -5
I used to love to explore caves, the awakened the Tom Sawyer in me I guess. Been through some, always wanted to own some land with some unknown caves on it. My mom took me to a tourist cave once. I liked it, but I was completely unaware of what one could use a cave as inspiration for. I wish I could go on a tour of a cave now. I guess I did get to go to another cave, a mine, really, the Wieliczka salt mine. It is a way weirder experience than the site makes it look like. Surprised I never riffed on that for anything on my sub here. I love the idea of caves, would like to know more about them. Wish I had an opportunity to take a class about something like that, not that I can't read on my own, but a real class where you are aided by the instructor and forced to retain information you would not otherwise retain. |
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Post by The Bloody Nine on Sept 8, 2021 22:17:09 GMT -5
I used to love to explore caves, the awakened the Tom Sawyer in me I guess. Been through some, always wanted to own some land with some unknown caves on it. My mom took me to a tourist cave once. I liked it, but I was completely unaware of what one could use a cave as inspiration for. I wish I could go on a tour of a cave now. I guess I did get to go to another cave, a mine, really, the Wieliczka salt mine. It is a way weirder experience than the site makes it look like. Surprised I never riffed on that for anything on my sub here. I love the idea of caves, would like to know more about them. Wish I had an opportunity to take a class about something like that, not that I can't read on my own, but a real class where you are aided by the instructor and forced to retain information you would not otherwise retain. You should do a search for caves near you, depending on where you are, there may be some day trips you can take to one. |
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Post by restless on Sept 9, 2021 8:47:18 GMT -5
If you make it to NTRPGCon sometime there's a lot of caves around the Texas hill country if you want to add a couple days to your trip!
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Post by The Perilous Dreamer on Sept 9, 2021 10:22:23 GMT -5
I used to love to explore caves, the awakened the Tom Sawyer in me I guess. Been through some, always wanted to own some land with some unknown caves on it. I loved Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Two of my favorite books. |
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Post by The Perilous Dreamer on Sept 9, 2021 11:35:19 GMT -5
I used to love to explore caves, the awakened the Tom Sawyer in me I guess. Been through some, always wanted to own some land with some unknown caves on it. My mom took me to a tourist cave once. I liked it, but I was completely unaware of what one could use a cave as inspiration for. I wish I could go on a tour of a cave now. I guess I did get to go to another cave, a mine, really, the Wieliczka salt mine. It is a way weirder experience than the site makes it look like. Surprised I never riffed on that for anything on my sub here. I love the idea of caves, would like to know more about them. Wish I had an opportunity to take a class about something like that, not that I can't read on my own, but a real class where you are aided by the instructor and forced to retain information you would not otherwise retain. That is awesome and from the website this is a great starting point from which to create and layout a dungeon.  |
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Post by hengest on Sept 9, 2021 11:41:43 GMT -5
My mom took me to a tourist cave once. I liked it, but I was completely unaware of what one could use a cave as inspiration for. I wish I could go on a tour of a cave now. I guess I did get to go to another cave, a mine, really, the Wieliczka salt mine. It is a way weirder experience than the site makes it look like. Surprised I never riffed on that for anything on my sub here. I love the idea of caves, would like to know more about them. Wish I had an opportunity to take a class about something like that, not that I can't read on my own, but a real class where you are aided by the instructor and forced to retain information you would not otherwise retain. That is awesome and from the website this is a great starting point from which to create and layout a dungeon. It surely is, maybe a thread on that would be cool. |
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Post by The Perilous Dreamer on Sept 9, 2021 11:43:41 GMT -5
That is awesome and from the website this is a great starting point from which to create and layout a dungeon. It surely is, maybe a thread on that would be cool. Go for it!    |
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Post by Traveroark on Dec 27, 2021 22:04:02 GMT -5
I used to love to explore caves, the awakened the Tom Sawyer in me I guess. Been through some, always wanted to own some land with some unknown caves on it. My mom took me to a tourist cave once. I liked it, but I was completely unaware of what one could use a cave as inspiration for. I wish I could go on a tour of a cave now. I guess I did get to go to another cave, a mine, really, the Wieliczka salt mine. It is a way weirder experience than the site makes it look like. Surprised I never riffed on that for anything on my sub here. I love the idea of caves, would like to know more about them. Wish I had an opportunity to take a class about something like that, not that I can't read on my own, but a real class where you are aided by the instructor and forced to retain information you would not otherwise retain. I think exploring the caves with a guide would be more useful than a class. YMMV |
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Post by hengest on Jan 21, 2022 17:28:43 GMT -5
Traveroark Fair guess, I think. Exalt for the reminder!
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Post by The Perilous Dreamer on Jan 23, 2022 12:37:30 GMT -5
I had the opportunity to be on a lake recently, not the sort of thing I do a lot or have any skill at. But I can basically control a rowboat and I finally got to go out alone for a bit. One very wild-looking and attractive island was posted: ecological restoration, leave the island alone til we tell you. So I left it alone, but it looked plenty cool. There were two quasi-islands close to each other with a little space between you could get the boat through. I don't mean quaking bogs. I'm not sure what they were, formally. There were reasonably tall trees and plenty of vegetation, but I couldn't quite see any proper "land" under them. I suppose they were some sort of mid-stage formation. Maybe someone on here could have told me. But beyond them there was another extremely wild-looking (at least to my eye) island. Solid vegetation right up to the water, no obvious place where people come ashore, no sign of human visitation. I'm sure humans do visit, but I mean no garbage, no clearing, no rusting hull or rotting oar. I hesitated and decided to give it a shot. I managed to squeeze the boat in up against some rocks. I moored it to some sort of plant that seemed stable enough. I stepped out of the boat onto what to me seemed like the least inhabited place I've ever been. It was awesome (in both senses), but I can't say I did much exploring. I couldn't even tell where to go. The vegetation was so thick. I mean, so thick. I have not spent a lot of time in proper wilderness but this sure was the closest I have seen to impassable. I could have forced my way through for a ways, but wasn't sure why. It seemed I could already see what I would be able to see from another twenty feel in. When I got back on the boat, I noticed it had taken on many more, and larger, insects. Large, fat spiders and at least one exceptionally hefty ant. Clinging to the oar was some sort of pretty dragonfly I hadn't seen before. These guys had boarded the boat, which was barely touching land, in just a couple minutes. There's no way I was the first person on that island in a long time. It isn't far from homes and vacation houses and I'm sure people check it out from time to time. But I would be surprised if anyone really did anything there. Not sure if it's public land or what. So, adventures large or small, urban, surburban, rural or wilderness, when have you stepped into another world? Just read this again and it is a fantastic post, would love to go see this, although I cannot swim, nor have I ever rowed a boat ( do know how to row with one to keep it headed in the right direction, verbal instructions from a sister in law that is an expert at it and can make a canoe do magic. |
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Post by The Perilous Dreamer on Jan 23, 2022 12:43:46 GMT -5
My wife and I used to "ghost hunt," which was code for "let's get together with some weirdos on the weekends and stay out all night in creepy places." We did do a little poking around the inside of Jeff Davis Hospital before it was renovated into artist lofts, and went on a few other hunts in locations (including a group all-night visit to the Von Minden Hotel in Schulenburg). We've been to various Mayan and Aztec ruins in Mexico and Honduras, but that was on cruises so we didn't get to spend a whole lot of time, and of course you have a ton of people there, too. I can't call that adventurous, but while everyone is asking where the cenote for swimming is I'm looking at all the carvings and little chambers  I am going back and reading some things that I remember and I want to say, it is a shame a bunch of us could not take a couple of months off and got visit Mayan and Aztec and oter ruins in Mexico and Honduras and the rest of Central America. After that take another couple of months to explore the Inca ruins that stretch across several countries in South America. Taking notes, pictures and making some drawings. A real shame life only gives that kind of opportunity to a few. I always thought it would be great to live a really long time and work for five or six years, then be able to take a full year to explore a part of the world and then rinse and repeat over and over. |
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Post by hengest on Jan 23, 2022 12:45:44 GMT -5
The Perilous Dreamer Yes, people who know what they're doing make all the difference. I can handle a rowboat but not very well. I was thinking about this recently although I had forgotten about this post. I can still feel the feeling of uncertainty from when I stepped onto that strange island. To someone who does lots of outdoor exploration, it was probably nothing, but to me it was like going to the moon. Hard to say how I felt about it, but I remember that in the back of my mind I knew I would post about it on here.
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Post by hengest on Jan 23, 2022 12:49:21 GMT -5
My wife and I used to "ghost hunt," which was code for "let's get together with some weirdos on the weekends and stay out all night in creepy places." We did do a little poking around the inside of Jeff Davis Hospital before it was renovated into artist lofts, and went on a few other hunts in locations (including a group all-night visit to the Von Minden Hotel in Schulenburg). We've been to various Mayan and Aztec ruins in Mexico and Honduras, but that was on cruises so we didn't get to spend a whole lot of time, and of course you have a ton of people there, too. I can't call that adventurous, but while everyone is asking where the cenote for swimming is I'm looking at all the carvings and little chambers I am going back and reading some things that I remember and I want to say, it is a shame a bunch of us could not take a couple of months off and got visit Mayan and Aztec and oter ruins in Mexico and Honduras and the rest of Central America. After that take another couple of months to explore the Inca ruins that stretch across several countries in South America. Taking notes, pictures and making some drawings. A real shame life only gives that kind of opportunity to a few. I always thought it would be great to live a really long time and work for five or six years, then be able to take a full year to explore a part of the world and then rinse and repeat over and over. It is a shame and I agree it would be wonderful. There is a lot of inspiration at home in the US, too. Maybe not quite like those ruins, but there are lots of ghost towns and abandoned areas. Scarier when it's your home turf and culture (at least to me). Or a little farther afield, this abandoned atomic lighthouse on Sakhalin Island:  |
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Post by The Perilous Dreamer on Jan 23, 2022 12:50:40 GMT -5
My wife and I used to "ghost hunt," which was code for "let's get together with some weirdos on the weekends and stay out all night in creepy places." We did do a little poking around the inside of Jeff Davis Hospital before it was renovated into artist lofts, and went on a few other hunts in locations (including a group all-night visit to the Von Minden Hotel in Schulenburg). We've been to various Mayan and Aztec ruins in Mexico and Honduras, but that was on cruises so we didn't get to spend a whole lot of time, and of course you have a ton of people there, too. I can't call that adventurous, but while everyone is asking where the cenote for swimming is I'm looking at all the carvings and little chambers Both these sound awesome, but I think I am a little more envious of the hospital exploration. I dunno, in a way, going out of your way to visit the ruins of an ancient civilization seems pretty adventurous to me, even if it's a touristy situation. Or maybe it's just envy talking. It sounds awesome. I really can't imagine. My first job out of college, I "inspected" all kinds of businesses and buildings from a fire protection standpoint and I had the opportunity to thoroughly examine two large hospitals from sub-basement to roof. Spent about a week in each and wrote up a 60 page report on each. This was back in the 1980's. I don't recall, when the original sections were built, but they were a maze with the way all the sections were interconnected. The one was 17 total floors, not including the floors did not match up height wise. |
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Post by The Semi-Retired Gamer on Jan 23, 2022 12:53:02 GMT -5
My wife and I used to "ghost hunt," which was code for "let's get together with some weirdos on the weekends and stay out all night in creepy places." We did do a little poking around the inside of Jeff Davis Hospital before it was renovated into artist lofts, and went on a few other hunts in locations (including a group all-night visit to the Von Minden Hotel in Schulenburg). We've been to various Mayan and Aztec ruins in Mexico and Honduras, but that was on cruises so we didn't get to spend a whole lot of time, and of course you have a ton of people there, too. I can't call that adventurous, but while everyone is asking where the cenote for swimming is I'm looking at all the carvings and little chambers I am going back and reading some things that I remember and I want to say, it is a shame a bunch of us could not take a couple of months off and got visit Mayan and Aztec and oter ruins in Mexico and Honduras and the rest of Central America. After that take another couple of months to explore the Inca ruins that stretch across several countries in South America. Taking notes, pictures and making some drawings. A real shame life only gives that kind of opportunity to a few. I always thought it would be great to live a really long time and work for five or six years, then be able to take a full year to explore a part of the world and then rinse and repeat over and over. I'd be all over a trip like that! |
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Post by The Perilous Dreamer on Jan 23, 2022 12:57:34 GMT -5
The Perilous Dreamer Yes, people who know what they're doing make all the difference. I can handle a rowboat but not very well. I was thinking about this recently although I had forgotten about this post. I can still feel the feeling of uncertainty from when I stepped onto that strange island. To someone who does lots of outdoor exploration, it was probably nothing, but to me it was like going to the moon. Hard to say how I felt about it, but I remember that in the back of my mind I knew I would post about it on here. I grew up on a farm and I remember being out in the woods a lot from about 6 years old up, completely out of sound or sight of the house, out in the "wilderness" and how much I loved it and how much fun it was. When I was young, I always thought I would live on top of a mountain somewhere far from everything. I never get turned around as long as I can see the sun or enough light to know where the sun is. I have been in some large cities where it was so cloudy and raining that I lost direction and had to use two intersections and look at the map and then instantly oriented. If you into the wilderness, always take a good compass and a map if possible or at least have a map of the area fixed in your mind. I always wanted to be set down somewhere and see if I could find my way out. |
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Post by hengest on Jan 23, 2022 13:00:40 GMT -5
The Perilous Dreamer Both these hospitals were in use? I guess so, if they were abandoned they wouldn't have needed to be up to code, I guess. I do not have a great sense of direction, or undeveloped at least. I would love to practice some and learn a bit about this.
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Post by The Perilous Dreamer on Jan 23, 2022 13:01:27 GMT -5
Steve Marsh of TSR fame thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail. That's pretty darn adventurous to me! We should get him on this forum, if only to hear about that! That is extremely adventurous. The thru-hikers are true adventurers, indeed! My middle brother tries to hike a section of the Appalachian Trail. He would have loved to thru-hike it with me and our younger brother back when we were all physically able and did not have any responsibilities that prevent us from taking off that much time. My younger brother has joined him a few times, but mostly he does it by himself. I am hoping I can go with him, even yet, at least once. |
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