California

USS Midway

The USS Midway, an iconic aircraft carrier, has a rich history that spans nearly five decades. Commissioned on September 10, 1945, just days after the end of World War II, the Midway was the largest ship in the world at the time. It was named after the Battle of Midway, a pivotal naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II. The Midway was the first of a new class of carriers that were designed to handle the larger and heavier aircraft that were being developed during the war. Throughout its service, the Midway played a crucial role in various military operations and was a symbol of American naval power.

Abandoned Metra Cars

Blindly following the directions of my GPS, I found myself at a strange little intersection with a gas station. The GPS indicating that I should go straight onto a dirt road and so I complied. I could tell from the mounded earth on the sides of the road that it was periodically maintained by graders. I suspect some time had passed since the last grader, as my organs vibrated in time with the washboard ridges punching a staccato beat against the tires.

Salton Sea

I arrived in my nice, clean, white, rented Equinox. The windows were up, and the cool air was coming from the air conditioner. The sun was shining, and I was loving being away from the cold and snow of Canada. When I arrived, first at Salton City, I drove close to the beach and stopped. I looked out over the shimmering water, turned off the engine and got out... THE STENCH! Nothing had prepared me for the smell. Like seaweed and rotting fish, yet somehow much, much worse. I looked around, noticed that some of the houses were actually occupied and thought, "how do they live with the stench?".