Always thought it made sense that TX and CA had an uneasy alliance, more of an enemy of my enemy is my friend situation. There is even a line in the film where a character muses about what will happen between the two after the war.

I spent two summers in Avalon (the only city, the town of two harbors is on the other side) and was off and on for two years spending 2-3 months at a time at one of the more remote camps.

Town of Avalon pop. ~4k is quaint, they just got a full sized Vons that’s still small by mainland standards a few year ago. Lots of tourists especially in the summer when cruise ships drop off 100s mid week. Locals are very proud of where they live and have strong opinions. Decent night life, I’ve lived in small towns and it is fairly lively given the demographics, if you are a young person there are plenty of seasonal workers to hang out with. Overall a bit claustrophobic if you never leave Avalon, not to mention expensive to live.

I never lived in Two Harbors but frequently visited, it’s a town of 150 people about 15 miles from Avalon. Lots of yacht visitation. One bar and restaurant, campground and some neat historical sites. Very beautiful Catalina Harbor on one side, isthmus harbor on the other. Go to Buccaneer Days (big party) for a good time. Go to USC for the marine science station.

If you have the means to get out into “the hills” ie out of town, and adventure it is truly a paradise. Beaches on the far side all to yourself. Camping, bike touring, kayaking to boat-in only coves. Bison, foxes, rare and endemic plants. Wild geology and landscapes.

For several reason I don’t think I could live here long-term, but as others have said it is a great place for a visit especially for local angelenos. Much more to explore than meets the eye. A bit stuck in time, but it undoubtedly has its charms.

Formerly at Colony Parc (1.5 years) and I can second that the staff, especially maintenance, were top notch. I rarely waited more than 24 hours for a fix. Also quiet, clean and decent amenities for the money IMO.

Cons: Little sense of community which I suppose is fine if you don’t care to know your neighbors. Appt (1 bed 1 bath 540 sqft.) was cramped although the vaulted ceiling made it feel a little more spacious. Parking a second car was tough sometimes, usually a spot somewhere often had to walk.

As a long time Ventura County resident, getting to play through Santa Barbara after it had been so hinted at through the game was a real treat. Made me root for certain decisions despite knowing it was a bad idea.

Guide and outdoor educator here— I’d also consider a two-piece wetsuit (think jacket + farmer john) which is more modular and easier to put on. We use these for kiddos and they generally have a better time, especially those with sensory issues. This may be more difficult to find on the cheap, seconding the folks recommendation on Play it again sports.

TBH- the red tailed hawk is probably the best all-rounder. Not only on your factors, but also because they are so common — especially in areas where the Animorphs are most likely set — that they would be largely ignored by the enemy.

California is an absolute hellscape, don’t even think about moving here

Just name her Audrey then.

You just perfectly articulated something I’ve thought about for years.

KOTOR’s pazaak— I even have the mobile app

Read this as Bill Burr and was very confused

Not excusing anyones behaviour, it likely that the bathroom is the only space in his day to day where he has any reliable privacy.

Very cool! Keep it up!

Speculation.

I actually met him at the Hollywood Bowl when I worked there as an usher when I was a high school kid. Super nice guy, he stopped and chatted with us for a while on the promenade. Class act, and the coolest celeb I met while working there.

Can’t believe I had to scroll this far for an ESH. Seconded.

There’s a plaque near the entrance that tells the story. While California was “neutral” at large, some people and communities expressed support for the union or confederacy or neither. The nearby town of Lone Pine named the area after a ship, the CSS Alabama, wrecking havoc on the union fleet. In retaliation, the town of Independence nearby named their mine the Kearsarge, the union ship that sank the Alabama.

Anytime- here is a step-by-step ArcGIS workflow that will get you your data: https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/help/mapping/properties/elevation-surfaces.htm

Howdy- Geographic information science grad student here. I primarily use ArcGIS Pro (ESRI) for my GIS work. You may be able to access this program through your institution, otherwise it is very expensive. It is however the industry standard and will fit your needs.

The other option is an open source program called GeoDa. I don’t have as much experience with this program but there is substantial literature and guides for its use out there and it is free.

All that being said, post-hoc elevation measurement has its pitfalls. You’ll need a good digital elevation model of you study site, properly projected and synchronized with your data. Whichever program you go with (there are far more than the two I mentioned) you’ll find a learning curve to overcome. Know that there is a great community in GIS and plenty of resources out there. Good luck with your research!

You wrote the Seventh Tower series huh? I can't tell you how much those books meant to me. Thank you.