Art
This 1899 painting captures Americans discovering leisure travel. By the 1890s, railroads and new wealth made coastal retreats accessible to the middle class. For many, a day trip to rocky headlands became an affordable escape from city life.
Art · Full story
You feel the salt breeze and hear waves breaking against dark rocks below. The figures in their high collars and hats move slowly along the cliff path, stopping to gaze out at the horizon. This is not work—this is time claimed for yourself, spent simply being present in nature.
Reflect
Where do you go to step away from daily life? How has access to that escape changed?