CHICAGO, IL

ON THE ROAD

Heading toward Toledo, OH

WHEN THERE'S NO MORE ROOM IN MACON, GA, THEY WILL SEND THE DEAD TO DETROIT, MI

As someone who likes photographing all things abandoned, Detroit was to be my mecca. In the end, after finally arriving, I ended up with a case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. There was an annual event that included fireworks. All the hotels were booked, and downtown Detroit was overwhelmed by the largest gathering of urban thugs that I believe the world has ever amassed in one place. No matter. Had no plans to stay. This is a dying city. There is zero heart. It is beyond repair. I love running into an abandoned warehouse or a closed-down school but this city, once vibrant, was now beyond reproach. There is no fixing it. You have a population where half has no desire to work and the other half can't find any even if they did. I hated this city. I was ashamed that this much destruction could occur. That we allowed all of these beautiful structures, these works of art, to be left to rot. We see these commercials about how Detroit is back. paid for by car companies who have their headquarters in the region. The truth of it all is this: American car companies may be back, but the factories lie empty. And this city, which once held great promise, is nothing more than a senior citizen who is slowly dying of cancer. It was a shame to watch, and I left just as soon as I arrived.  Here are the few photos I took and I took them while I drove. This was no reason to waste time parking.

ONTHE ROAD

Heading toward Detroit, MI

CLEVELAND, OH

If Cleveland was a girl, she would be the one I should of married but instead cheated on with her first cousin, Toledo. It was a great city. So great, I stayed for two days. I was extremely drunk in Cleveland. Enough so that I took very few pictures, but in my mind, I have a photographic journal that tells a tale of unbridled decadence and depravity. On my second night there, I fooled around with a 21 year old from NJ. She ended up getting drunk and puking in the bathroom. Next thing I know, I'm outside fooling around with her aunt.

ROB: I think you should come back with me to my hotel room.
WOMAN: I'd love to, but I'm married.
ROB: I don't even know what that means.
WOMAN: It means I have a husband that I have to go home to.
ROB: I still have no idea what that has to do with coming back to my hotel and having sex with me.
WOMAN: I think you may be insane.
ROB: So I shouldn't bother reminding you that 'what happens in Cleveland stays in Cleveland?'
WOMAN: Probably not.
ROB: Okay then. Um, good talk.

Here is what I shot. The pyramid you see near the end is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum, which was wonderful. I loved this city. Truly loved it. And it's first cousin, Toledo, turned out to be an empty-shell of a city, with no life and very little substance. I drove through and didn't shoot a single shot. Onward to Chicago.