The location no longer exists.
It was already getting quite warm as we reached the mine site, spoke with the security guard and proceeded inside.  I was being granted one of the last looks around the Lockerby mine before it is demolished.  I get out of the car, don my work boots, high-viz vest, and hard hat, surveying the buildings around me to figure out how I want to tackle this.  I’m like a kid in a candy store.
While camping at an Ontario Provincial Park, we decided, as we often do, to take a drive and explore the surroundings beyond the park. Â On this particular day, the weather was being a little uncooperative, so we didn't mind spending the time in the truck.
On July 15, 1946, the 215-foot SS Norisle, hull #136, was launched at the Collingwood Shipyards and was put into service as a ferry on October 17 of that year. It was operated by the Owen Sound Transportation Company and ran between Tobermory and South Baymouth, Manitoulin Island. With a single 1,000 hp coal-fire steam engine and a gross tonnage of 1,668, the Norisle had a speed of 12 kts (22 km/h), and a capacity of 200 passengers and 50 vehicles. She was 203 feet in length, 36 feet across the beam, and had a 16 foot draught.
So my driving companion (pictured below, waiting patiently in the truck) and I were on our way back from a fairly substantial drive when I spotted this place on the side of the highway. It's rather unique, as abandoned houses go, in terms of its shape and layout.
History:Â
From what I've been able to piece together, this building was originally constructed as a dedicated observatory for the Canadian Astronomical Research Group in 1976. The equipment, apparently including a 24" telescope, was removed in 1997, and the building converted into a private home.
Source: Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Newsletter, Vol. 71, p.L7
History:Â
As a result of the constant lobbying and persistence of Dorothea Lynde Dix, a nurse advocating for better care of the mentally ill, the New Jersey State Lunatic Asylum was opened on August 18, 1876. A tract of land, 743 acres in size, was purchased in 1871 and 1872, and construction began on the new 673,706 square foot facility.
History:Â
The Regal Constellation Hotel is a 15-floor, 710-room hotel originally constructed in 1962. It featured a Chinese restaurant, and 90,000 square feet of convention space. In addition, a north wing, and east wing still exist, expanding the site significantly from its original size. Most recently, it had been renovated in 2001. It closed in July, 2004.
When I arrived at this place, my expectations were low. I had checked it out on Street View, and it appeared that everything was boarded up pretty tight. Still, I wanted to have a look just the same.
To my surprise, we were able to get a look inside after all. The kitchen remains fully equipped, the morgue was quite cool, and all-in-all, this was a great place to visit. So much so, in fact, that we went back a second time.
I had heard about this place through a fellow explorer although he wasn't entirely sure where it was. He had found it by accident after making a series of wrong turns while on his way elsewhere.
I was able to find it easily enough and it was quite worth the extra distance. Almost all of the rooms were open for inspection, though they really didn't yield much of interest.
