Natural Beauty
Pismo Beach in California is a popular spot for tourists and local surfers. There is a clifftop path that runs the length of the north side and ends at two swings with gorgeous views. Kayakers here are often treated to migrating and feeding whales. In the fall of 2020, one beach away in Avila, two kayakers were inadvertently tasted and ptoo-ied out by a humpback — likely exciting and confusing for all three of them.
Almost Heaven
Built for 250 patients, the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in the state of West Virginia in the USA housed more than 2,500 at the height of its capacity. Construction design was based on the Thomas Kirkbride plan whereby the building itself was meant to have a ‘therapeutic’ effect on patients. The institution opened immediately after the American Civil War. The doors closed on what had become the Weston State Hospital in 1994.
The Unraveling Traveler 