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"The good thing about driving westwards is, that you always see the sunset in front of you."

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

“The good thing about driving westwards is, that you always see the sunset in front of you.”

Driving through Virginia to Ohio

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Driving today was a blast! The US-50 winds up through mountains with thick forest to both sides and rarely seeing a car passing by. So I felt pretty much like the last man on earth - especially when I - out of the sudden - passed an abandoned Bar in the middle of nowhere. Man, I was thrilled and decided to turn around to take pictures over there. So I parked the car right in front of it, stepped out and got ready to shoot. That was an eery feeling wandering around that place, being afraid of getting jumped by an armed angry hillbilly. All my senses were on the alert and adrenaline pumped through my body. Weird, since I really seemed to be the only being around within the next 50 miles or something.

After I spent almost 30 minutes there (without any car passing by) I got all my shots I wanted and continued westwards. Just a few miles later I passed another abandoned house wich was left for decay. The irony here: It’s for sale! Now that would be a bargain!

When I left Virginia the region flattened and I finally arrived in Athens, OH which turned out to be a adorable little college town. I drove around a little and finally checked into my first “real motel” on this trip. The “Highlander” was just as I thought motels around Route 50 would be: Retro-Style!

An abandoned Bar along the route - in the middle of nowhere.

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

An abandoned Bar along the route - in the middle of nowhere.

Driving through Virginia on US-50.

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Driving through Virginia on US-50.

“For sale!” - now that’s a bargain! Strange,...

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

“For sale!” - now that’s a bargain! Strange, how many places are abandoned along the route. Probably because there’s like no traffic, so people seem to leave for jobs in the cities. This probably was a pretty cozy place wayback..

“Do Not Sit!” - I didn’t.. I promise!

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

“Do Not Sit!” - I didn’t.. I promise!

The windows were smashed, so I could peak inside. Looked like...

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The windows were smashed, so I could peak inside. Looked like this place has been abandoned months ago, while all furniture was still there, just covered with dust (pictures follow soon).

The Washington Monument. If you’re there, make sure to...

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:00:00 -0400

The Washington Monument. If you’re there, make sure to take the tour to the top - it’s worth it!

Another tourist shot: The Washington Monument. I didn’t...

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Another tourist shot: The Washington Monument. I didn’t know one can get up there even. Was worth waiting in line for 20 minutes and was free of charge!

The White House - I had to take a picture for tourist-reasons.

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The White House - I had to take a picture for tourist-reasons.

Washington, DC

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

When I arrived in Washington, DC I was pretty surprised since I expected it to be way bigger. Coming from New York City it was a completely different feeling driving there. Pleasant driving and you can see the sky everywhere without dislocating your head.

The next surprise was when I got into my King Studio room at the Donovan House Hotel. It was outstanding and I was stunned. So I spent like 20 minutes taking pictures of the room like a complete idiot.

Afterwards I went out to the streets to get to see some of Washington’s nightlife. I went to the White House by accident (because I got lost) and witnessed Marine One landing right in front of it - wooha!

Afterwards I stumbled upon some guy who was sitting in a tent in front of the White House. It’s part of a protest and they’re spending 20 hours a day in this tent facing the white house since 1987 - unbeliveable!

I took my camera the next day and went off for some sightseeing. One of the most impressing things was the Washington Monument! I didn’t know you can even get on the top of it - for free (almost all museums and attractions in DC are free - neat!).

I walked around for about six hours, said “Hello” to Lincoln at his memorial, visited some of the Smithsonian Museums (also free) and went to Georgetown in the evening for dinner. A perfect day!

I went to bed late, had some wine and watched the Military Channel until I fell asleep, leaving DC on the next day, heading westward on my road-trip to San Francisco, CA.

My room (King Studio) at the Donovan House Hotel in Washington,...

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

My room (King Studio) at the Donovan House Hotel in Washington, DC.

My desk at the Donovan House Hotel in Washington, DC.

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

My desk at the Donovan House Hotel in Washington, DC.

The bathroom at the Donovan House Hotel in Washington, DC.

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The bathroom at the Donovan House Hotel in Washington, DC.

The American Red Cross building in Washington, DC. I liked the...

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The American Red Cross building in Washington, DC. I liked the contrast and colors.

Day 2: Cape May Ferry to Delaware

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:51:00 -0400

I woke up early this morning since I had to catch the Ferry from Cape May, NJ to Lewes, DE. The passage accross the Delaware Bay took about one hour and was absolutely worth getting up early! Blue sky and lots of sun - what else do you want? Too bad, I didn’t see any dolphins - maybe next time.

When I arrived in Delaware, I headed to Ocean City, DE (was told it’s like a small version of Atlantic City - without the skyscraper casinos), which was quite nice - especially the Ocean Gallery at the boardwalk was whacky and worth a visit!

I had a yummy Hot Dog at the pier and continued on US-50 (which from now on will be my main-route on my way west) to Washington, DC where I’ll be staying two days for sightseeing.

The Ocean Gallery in Ocean City, DE

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 12:53:00 -0400

The Ocean Gallery in Ocean City, DE

A guy named Michelle feeding the gulls on the Cape May Ferry.

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

A guy named Michelle feeding the gulls on the Cape May Ferry.

Day 1: New York, NY to Cape May, NJ

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

I hit the road for the very first time, right after a quick stop at B&H Photo to get some Lee filter foil. Afterwards I tried hard to leave the city, but seemed to drive circles instead. It’s a shame, but even with the help of my car’s Neverlost GPS system, it took about 30 minutes until I figured the way out. Silly me!

I drove south along the New Jersey coast and had a beautiful snack-break in Long Branch, NJ right at the pier. Continued to Atlantic City, NJ afterwards and was a little disappointed, since the oldtown has been limited to the boardwalks. The rest of the city is scattered with anonymous Casino-Skyscraper-Hotels - not worth a visit unless you’re all into gambling.

So I left Atlantic City behind me and headed towards my final destination for my first day on the road: Cape May, NJ which was definitely a good decision, since this little town turned out to be beautiful! I spent some time driving around, looking for a place to stay at. Since it was late already, most of the motel offices were closed. Luckily the Seacrest Inn was still open.

The Pier Village of Long Branch, NJ.

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The Pier Village of Long Branch, NJ.