America is not unique in having desolate shopping malls, but the sheer number of underperforming, closed, and abandoned malls—including the mammoth Century III Mall near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania—should give cause for alarm.
Dubbed the “ghost ship” by kayakers and explorers for years, the USS Sachem and USS Phenakite stand abandoned on a small creek just yards from the Ohio River in northern Kentucky. The story behind this unassuming vessel fascinated me, given its historical importance, it remains forgotten.
Back in April 2023, I was able to step back inside Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary in Tennessee. Formerly a prison, it has been transformed into a tourist destination.