The Santa Ana Winds are clearly evinced using an inadvertent smoke dye in the sky. These hot, dry winds are the cause of some of California’s — and the world’s — most costly wildfires (courtesy NASA/BBC).
I am a child of Southern California. Though I feel more out of place there than anywhere else […]

The Longmont Sugar Refinery, once one of the Great Western Sugar Company’s largest factories — shuttered in 1978 (photo copyright Jon Haeber).
Editor’s Note: Yes readers! Once again, I’m bringing you a special series. This one’s about the sugar industry in Eastern Colorado. There are three parts. This is part one. Stay tuned for parts two […]

Eureka Valley Dunes, Death Valley National Park

My first experience at the Eureka Dunes was with a Geography field course in college. We learned the basics of the barchan dune, crescent dune, transverse dune… But what I remember most about it was its music.
These sand dunes literally sing. The cacaphonic wave resembles a far away […]