Art
By the 2020s, the beach remained America's most treasured escape—a place to shed work stress, gather with family, and feel the sun. This photograph captures an ordinary June afternoon when thousands of Americans were doing exactly what their grandparents did: seeking refuge and joy by the water.
Art · Full story
The sand is warm beneath your feet. Around you, strangers and friends alike—some floating in the shallows, others stretched out on towels, a few just watching the waves. The air smells like sunscreen and salt. Someone's radio plays softly nearby. For a few hours, nothing else matters.
Reflect
What place do you return to again and again to feel like yourself?