A-Ace Insurance/ Able Insurance

One of the exciting aspects of urban exploration is that often, places that initially looked dull can hold a surprise or two. Take this boring old insurance agency. They took the lame Yellow Pages alphabetical tactic of starting the business name with a bunch of A's. Like, way to have confidence in your services, Ace.

Only they couldn't decide which "A" name they wanted. This one doesn't exactly instill more confidence in their services.

Eh, they're just able. No wonder they went out of business. But I soon learned this place hasn't been completely abandoned...

It seems to be a popular drinking spot.

And Red Dog seems to be the preferred alcoholic beverage of those who hang around Baton Rouge's abandoned buildings (other than myself), although malt liquor is also a hit with this set.

The price is right, and it does get the job crunk. Let's take a peek inside:

Well, color me lavender-and-lattice delighted. Did I just walk onto the set of the 1980-1982 country variety television program, "Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters"? Is everyone wearing off-the-shoulder flouncy gowns and big feathered hairdos? In my imagination, yes.

Now let's take a walk around back.

Oh my! I believe that empty purse should be called "evidence." (Note to any law enforcement reading this: I didn't touch the evidence.)

Well, look at the time! Suddenly I feel like finishing up here. But first: that apparently abandoned RV out in the front lot.

Where I'm from, someone would have long since taken up residence in that RV, so I was scared to look in. Then I realized no mortal would survive inside that thing in this heat. So I took a peek.

Inside was the ghost of Hoz past:

Oh, Hoz Gone Wild!, where are you now?

Comments

[Kartek]

A good chunk of my field work involves sites that have abandoned or not so abandoned buildings. Just remember not everything is truly abandoned. I learned it the hard way when someone pulled up and went inside a dump of a house. Let's just say a tree was growing inside the garage.

[cokane]

I was wondering myself why no one was living in this place.

[Therese]

I wonder if the Barbara Mandrell Show is on DVD???

[cokane]

Oh it is...and I have it. We can watch it when you visit! Dolly Parton performs a sadly uninspired version of "9 to 5."

[Lioux]

'Abandoned Places' are the new 'Bars'.

[Meryl Sheep]

You know how when something's there all the time that eventually you fail to see it anymore? Thanks for the perspective with new eyes.

Ah yeah, and we'd gather in front of the TV every weekend to watch the Barbara Mandrell show, all six of us chitlins. Irlene was my favorite.