Category: U.S. States
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Transcontinental Clip
I like to photograph unusual signs as I travel, either for my personal amusement of for future reference. One such occasion presented itself at the Union Station train museum during my recent visit to Ogden, Utah. It displayed a large map of the original Overland Route, the one known better as the Transcontinental Railroad. It…
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Strip Annexation in Arizona
Loyal reader Scott sent me a message recently related to towns studded with enclaves outside of their jurisdiction. That specific topic sometimes generates discussion on Twelve Mile Circle (e.g., Mmm… Doughnut and the Gaithersburg Doughnut Hole). So he wished to bring an even more interesting situation to my attention. He referenced the concept of Strip…
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Jackson Volcano
I’ve been inundated with search engine queries for the last several days about a city with a volcano and lots of brewpubs. They’ve been landing on the guest article that Marc Alifanz wrote about Portland, Oregon, which I think is probably the correct answer to the readers’ question. I’ve tried to find the source. Often…
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The Loneliest Road in the USA
What is the “Loneliest Road in America?” Life Magazine claimed that it was the stretch of U.S. Route 50 running through Nevada, in a 1986 article. I don’t know if anyone still claims that today, or if it was even true twenty-five years ago. Additionally, there are probably far lonelier roads in Australia and Canada…
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Utah Adventure, Part 4
Did someone say “Utah Adventures?” I focused our efforts primarily on northern Utah but I did slop across the borders of neighboring states. I will concentrate on some of those meanderings in this final installment. Nevada I wrote about my quick jaunt to Nevada earlier so I won’t rehash that story again (map). It wasn’t…
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Utah Adventure, Part 2
I’m now well into the Utah trip and we’ve shifted our focus from the mountains to the desert. Golden Spike National Historic Site The Golden Spike National Historic Site marks the point of completion of the first transcontinental railroad across the United States in 1869. It’s in the middle of nowhere. I am not exaggerating…
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Utah Adventure, Part 1
The hunt for geo-oddities in northern Utah is well underway. The family will want to visit more recognizable sights so I’ll have to mix in a few “normal” tourist activities along the way. I have to maintain a careful balance. Thus I need just enough to keep them entertained while giving me an opportunity to…
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Same Name Travel
As I prepare for my upcoming trip to Utah, I noticed that I will be collecting one of the counties named for a state, specifically Utah County, Utah. That’s the home county for Provo. I realize that I’ve called the counties named for states unimaginative and boring. Let my clarify that before I get a…
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Odds and Ends 2
Previously I composed of a collection of random thoughts, none of which merited an article on its own. It seemed to make sense to call it Odds and Ends. So I plan to do the same thing again today. Logically I should call this one Odds and Ends 2, like any good Hollywood blockbuster. Salt…