Thoughts on Los Angeles and Reno

In an earlier post on Twelve Mile Circle noted that east and west can be confused in our geographic perceptions. A similar condition exists with Los Angeles, California and Reno, Nevada. Los Angeles conjures up images of beaches, surfing and movie stars living on hillsides with expansive views of the Pacific Ocean. Most of us automatically think of the “West Coast” as being, well, west. However, due to the curvature of the California coastline, the southern portion of the state’s waterfront is actually further east than large chunks of Nevada, including the city of Reno.

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Once again, what by popular convention we think of east and west is turned on its head when natural features don’t conform to the neat lines and borders laid by humans.

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