Whimsical Woodlands

From Dave Brigham:

I've spent a lot of time in recent years tromping through woods in the suburbs south and west of Boston. Most times, I go in search of ruins of one sort or another: a rifle range, a mill, a barn.

Thanks to the terrific Atlas Obscura, I learned about something completely different in the woods not more than 10 miles from my house.

Martini Junction sounds like the sort of joint you'd find hardcore alcoholics rattling off ribald tales of their younger days, while watching Fox News on the TV above a bar well-worn with spilled booze and broken hearts.

But it's not, fortunately. Rather, it's a whimsical place in the middle of the town forest of Needham, Mass. Built by a retired engineer who lives close by, the junction comprises loads of model train tracks and accompanying woodland scenes, such as fairy houses, water wheels and superheroes nailed to trees.

(The tracks)

(Depot Diner)

(Fairy houses)

(Train station)

I explored it one day and just got such a good feeling from this place. I spent quite a bit of time taking pictures and thrilling at each new discovery. The guy who built it named it Martini Junction, apparently, because he and his wife like to have picnics at the spot with a few adult beverages.

Evidently battery-powered trains run on the tracks, but I didn't get to witness that. I had such a good time that I brought my wife and kids here a few days after my initial visit. I refused to tell them what was going to be at the end of our hike, and after 15 minutes or so they began to think I'd lost my mind.

But once we got there, they were all just as enthralled as I was. If you ever get a chance, you should check it out, too!

Garden State Works

From Peter Arnemann:

Peter is quite the urbex guy, as regular Backside visitors know. He has two sets of a fascinating water works facility that he will only tell me is located somewhere in New Jersey. I'm amazed at how elaborate and beautiful these behemoth buildings are.

Here's an old set. And here's a new set.

Enjoy! -- -- DB

Cream City

From Pete Zarria:

Cookeville Ice Creamery. A nice little place for a cone. Cookeville, Tennessee. Seems it works, too.

Here's a video of the sign.

Roadside Art

From Heidi Waugaman-Page:

Summer was metal and rust for me. Some was even flowers.

Driving to Chester, VT, I would pass some of these structures daily, in both Walpole and Ashland, NH. Then when I explored, I found more on the side roads and behind buildings. I could not find anything that had a signature or plate that stated who the artists were on some of the rustiest pieces.

The giraffe and apple tree are by the same artist at Alyson's Orchard on Route 12 in Walpole, NH but I couldn’t locate the name.

These are in Ashland, NH:

Hacker's conference

From Lostlosangeles:

(Detroit, Michigan)

As I see these holes, these dark spaces, in my photos, I find myself wanting to exaggerate them. I discover that I want to darken the shadows and indicate this mysterious space, as if the decay was emanating from some mysterious space. A portal to another reality.

Retired

From Kristen Smith:

An old truck at sunrise in Paso Robles, CA - I just couldn't pass this one by.

Another Look at Sunrise

From James M. Surprenant:

In September 2011, we printed Mick Melvin's photos and write-up of the Sunrise Resort in Moodus, CT (see "Sunset on the Sunrise").

Here, we present James M. Surprenant's survey of the abandoned facility.

Snowmobile???

From Mick Melvin:

My wife and I visit New Hampshire a few times a year. We always see great backside photo opportunities. I thought of one such photo I took a couple of years back. This hybrid snow truck would have helped me in the recent snow storm in Connecticut. I took this shot in Troy, NH. I would have loved to see it in motion. Be safe out there Backsiders.