 |
|
|
UER Store
|
|
sweet UER decals:
|
|
|
|
Activity
|
|
740 online
Server Time:
2024-04-19 16:16:53
|
|
|
 FearAndLoathingInAustin
  
Location: Liberty Hill
 |  | Fear and Loathing in Taylor
< on 8/3/2009 2:31 AM >
|  | | | (I apologize in advance for this not being a more photo-filled thread. We were relying on TR's camera-phone, because mine broke when I fell into Barton Springs last week.)
It was just around 2 P.M. when we pulled into Taylor city limits. Despite the rain earlier in the day, it was stiflingly hot here. The drive up old Highway 79 in the Great Black Shark had taken longer than usual, due to traffic going through Round Rock. The first sign that we’d made it was the old Taylor meat company.
The main word that can be used to describe Taylor is ‘derelict’. The Wal-Mart just over 7 miles away in Hutto has made sure of that.
It’s a bad place for business to thrive. It’s a good place for urban explorers.
The majority of businesses, especially those near the tracks, are boarded up, and remain undisturbed. Unfortunately for us, they were boarded up extremely well. There was no graffiti to speak of on the buildings – only messages scrawled in the dusty windows. The train cars, however, were coated in it, but this may have been from their travels through other areas.
Near the railroad tracks, the roads are on the way back to nature. Grass grows up, and potholes dot the asphalt. Behind chain-link fences, in overgrown lots, the hulk of an old Corvette sits. And this was not the last dead vehicle we encountered.
There were few people out on the streets. The majority preferred to stay inside, out of the Texas heat. I can’t say I blamed them.
The buildings are, amazingly, in very good condition. Well, for abandonments. Here and there, broken windows, missing boards, bricks falling loose – antique bricks that brainless yuppies would gladly pay $5 apiece for.
(Whoops, I'm in the picture.)
There are very few ‘No Trespassing’ signs here. It seems they’ve given up on it, though we did notice many police cars roaming the streets – but only up by newer construction and the gas stations. It would appear that even they have given up.
While wandering by the tracks, we found Taylor’s bat bridge. Austin has one, Round Rock has one, and apparently, so does Taylor. You can hear – and smell – it. And we always say the same thing when we find one.
“We can’t stop here. This is bat country.”
We left after about two hours of wandering. So far, we have not seen any way to get into the abandoned buildings. They’re boarded up tight, and we’re not the kind of group that will do a B & E just to gain access.
It’s a strange little town, seemingly on the verge of death, but somehow, it still hangs in there.
And it never got weird enough for me.
[last edit 8/3/2009 11:16 PM by Opheliaism - edited 1 times]
|
|
RobertB
   
Location: Skeeterville, TX
Gender: Male
Maybe I shouldn't be using my real name...
| |  | Re: Fear and Loathing in Taylor
<Reply # 1 on 8/3/2009 3:17 PM >
| | | | My bunch swung through there on the way to Austin, hoping to find a cheap local motel to stay at. No luck -- everyplace was higher than just going to Motel 6.
But we did see that large swaths of downtown looked ready for UE.
It's an Amtrak stop, FWIW. I didn't see a station building though.
J'ai toujours fait une prière à Dieu, qui est fort courte.
La voici: "Mon Dieu, rendez nos ennemis bien ridicules!"
Dieu m'a exaucé. |
|
RevSM
Location: South Central Texas
| | | Re: Fear and Loathing in Taylor
<Reply # 2 on 8/3/2009 4:47 PM >
| | | | Nice writeup. The style you use is somehow familiar. ;)
I've been in a couple of those buildings. One of them on the corner used to be the First National Bank... Then became an Antique and Thrift store. The vault shone below was turned into the "Shoe Vault". Thank god it was abandoned.
Tetanus for Breakfast!
http://www.shatteredshutter.com |
|
FearAndLoathingInAustin
Location: Liberty Hill
| | Re: Fear and Loathing in Taylor
<Reply # 3 on 8/3/2009 9:22 PM >
| | | | Posted by RobertB
My bunch swung through there on the way to Austin, hoping to find a cheap local motel to stay at. No luck -- everyplace was higher than just going to Motel 6.
But we did see that large swaths of downtown looked ready for UE.
It's an Amtrak stop, FWIW. I didn't see a station building though.
|
It is an Amtrak stop. The station's sort of near an abandoned liquor store. (Honestly, I'm surprised that a liquor store would be abandoned.)
Posted by RevSM
Nice writeup. The style you use is somehow familiar. ;)
I've been in a couple of those buildings. One of them on the corner used to be the First National Bank... Then became an Antique and Thrift store. The vault shone below was turned into the "Shoe Vault". Thank god it was abandoned.
|
Everything we saw was boarded/bricked thoroughly. We didn't explore a huge area, because of the extreme heat. The next visit will be in winter, so we can freeze.
And that vault looks like a doorway to hell.
|
|
Allva
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Gender: Male
I have my moments.
| | | Re: Fear and Loathing in Taylor
<Reply # 4 on 8/3/2009 10:47 PM >
| | | |
And that vault looks like a doorway to hell.
|
Or a steampunk refrigerator door.
Life is hard, but it's harder when you're stupid. |
|
FearAndLoathingInAustin
Location: Liberty Hill
| | Re: Fear and Loathing in Taylor
<Reply # 5 on 8/17/2009 2:38 AM >
| | | | Posted by Allva
Or a steampunk refrigerator door.
|
I would buy a steampunk refrigerator, and I know other people that would, too.
How sad is that?
Once winter hits, and my classes are done for the break, I'll hopefully have a decent camera for a return trip. There's much more to Taylor than we explored.
|
|
AggiePhil
Location: College Station, TX
Gender: Male
Texas Aggie
| |  | | Re: Fear and Loathing in Taylor
<Reply # 6 on 12/28/2009 11:50 PM >
| | | | Did you pass up the abandoned nursing home that's on the main drag? I'm looking to arrange a visit to it here sometime soon.
|
|
FearAndLoathingInAustin
Location: Liberty Hill
| | Re: Fear and Loathing in Taylor
<Reply # 7 on 12/29/2009 4:09 AM >
| | | | You mean the old hospital with the historical sign in front? We didn't know about it when we went, but we're going back on Wednesday, so we'll find it then.
|
|
AggiePhil
Location: College Station, TX
Gender: Male
Texas Aggie
| | | | Re: Fear and Loathing in Taylor
<Reply # 8 on 12/29/2009 4:23 AM >
| | | | PM sent.
|
|
FearAndLoathingInAustin
Location: Liberty Hill
| | Re: Fear and Loathing in Taylor
<Reply # 9 on 1/3/2010 10:20 PM >
| | | | Edit: POST IS NOT PREVIEW. :<
Another trip, another failure to get into places. What can I say? We're consistent. (New Fear and Loathing motto: We're consistent, dammit!)
I'm tired. I don't feel like writing. Have some photos. If you want specifics, just ask.
[last edit 1/3/2010 10:35 PM by FearAndLoathingInAustin - edited 1 times]
|
|
AggiePhil
Location: College Station, TX
Gender: Male
Texas Aggie
| | | | Re: Fear and Loathing in Taylor
<Reply # 10 on 1/3/2010 11:42 PM >
| | | | Damn, lots of abandoned places there. I could probably get us into some of the others if any ones in particular struck your fancy. Oh, and no pics of the place that I directed you toward (the vacant nursing home)?
|
|
FearAndLoathingInAustin
Location: Liberty Hill
| | Re: Fear and Loathing in Taylor
<Reply # 11 on 1/4/2010 3:10 AM >
| | | | Posted by AggiePhil
Damn, lots of abandoned places there. I could probably get us into some of the others if any ones in particular struck your fancy. Oh, and no pics of the place that I directed you toward (the vacant nursing home)?
|
The town is more or less dead. We didn't get any photos of the nursing home, because we were driving around it, trying not to draw attention to ourselves. If the church lots next door had been full (or at least had ONE other car) we would have stopped to get outside photos. (And then inside ones.)
I'd love to get inside the old Landmark hotel. I'm currently free Monday through Thursday, until my classes start up again, so if you can get someone to let you in, just message me, and I'll probably be able to make it up there.
[last edit 1/4/2010 3:12 AM by FearAndLoathingInAustin - edited 1 times]
|
|
AggiePhil
Location: College Station, TX
Gender: Male
Texas Aggie
| | | | Re: Fear and Loathing in Taylor
<Reply # 12 on 1/6/2010 1:44 AM >
| | | | Posted by FearAndLoathingInAustin
The town is more or less dead. |
Yeah. Its only claim to fame now is its BBQ, which I argue is overrated. We once went to one of the two famous BBQ places there for lunch (apparently neither of them are open for dinner?) and they were out of half the shit on the menu. I was less than impressed.
[last edit 1/6/2010 1:45 AM by AggiePhil - edited 1 times]
|
|
FearAndLoathingInAustin
Location: Liberty Hill
| | Re: Fear and Loathing in Taylor
<Reply # 13 on 1/6/2010 2:23 AM >
| | | | Taylor's known for barbeque? I thought that was just Elgin. Yeah, there's not much in the way of dining in Taylor, unless you want to go to Dairy Queen.
|
|
Shockwave
Gender: Male
| | Re: Fear and Loathing in Taylor
<Reply # 14 on 1/8/2010 2:08 AM >
| | | | well shoot I wish I had known about this place when I was driving by...
don't talk shit about total |
|
RobertB
Location: Skeeterville, TX
Gender: Male
Maybe I shouldn't be using my real name...
| | | Re: Fear and Loathing in Taylor
<Reply # 15 on 1/8/2010 4:01 AM >
| | | | Posted by FearAndLoathingInAustin
 |
SWEET.
J'ai toujours fait une prière à Dieu, qui est fort courte.
La voici: "Mon Dieu, rendez nos ennemis bien ridicules!"
Dieu m'a exaucé. |
|
FearAndLoathingInAustin
Location: Liberty Hill
| | Re: Fear and Loathing in Taylor
<Reply # 16 on 1/8/2010 7:26 AM >
| | | |
Yeah, I love the slide. Except I think in this case, it's a fire escape.
Though I do wish they still made bad-ass metal slides and splintery wooden playground equipment.
|
|
Raticus
   
Moderator
Location: Tyler
Gender: Male
Ratus exploricus abandonae
| | Re: Fear and Loathing in Taylor
<Reply # 17 on 1/9/2010 3:18 AM >
| | | |
I see a way in right here.
Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools speak because they have to say something. |
|
FearAndLoathingInAustin
Location: Liberty Hill
| | Re: Fear and Loathing in Taylor
<Reply # 18 on 1/9/2010 5:29 AM >
| | | | Posted by Raticus
I see a way in right here.
|
There was no way to get to the top of the slide/fire escape from the ground. Unless, of course, one decided to physically go UP the sliding part (yay tetanus!), which would be pretty noticable.
This hospital is right smack in the center of a neighborhood, and next to a hair salon that was fairly busy.
|
|
txwader
| | Re: Fear and Loathing in Taylor
<Reply # 19 on 2/14/2010 3:03 AM >
| | | | Isn't Mikeska's BBQ still open in Taylor?
Nice pictures; I've not been there or in Hutto or Creedmore in a long time.
|
|
|
|
All content and images copyright © 2002-2024 UER.CA and respective creators. Graphical Design by Crossfire.
To contact webmaster, or click to email with problems or other questions about this site:
UER CONTACT
View Terms of Service |
View Privacy Policy |
Server colocation provided by Beanfield
This page was generated for you in 171 milliseconds. Since June 23, 2002, a total of 738515213 pages have been generated.
|
|
