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Bearings is an exploration of our culture, and how humans impact the surrounding environment. This is not an eco-blog, or a policy blog. It simply looks at the landscape around us, interprets its history, and offers commentary on the built environment — in all its beauty and ephemerality. 

Many of the buildings are abandoned, but some are not.  Each photo will tell us something about our culture. Most photos and stories come from the writer’s own experience, and thus originate from the West Coast of the United States. 

Questions & Answers

What are all the thumbnails in each entry for?
These are literal aerial snapshots of the location that is featured in the entry.  Sometimes, depending on the sensitivity of the location, the thumbnail is directly linked to Google Maps, so you can see the location in the context of its surroundings.

Why are all of your entries boring?
Not everyone thinks landscape architecture and geography is boring, but if you find it boring, you can always take consolation in the fact that most entries have photos, so you don’t even have to read!

Can you tell me where [insert photo name] was taken?
Some locations, I simply can’t — the land may be on private property, the building may be dangerous, or I just feel that the architecture is best kept secret so kids don’t go in and burn the place down. However, in many cases, the aerial thumbnail at the top left of the entry is linked to the satellite coordinates, so you input driving directions to the places that I don’t mind making publically available.

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