Twelve Mile Circle – An Appreciation of Unusual Places

Category: Water

  • Lake Pontchartrain Bridges

    I marveled at the sheer size of Lake Pontchartrain as I traveled between my brief stops in New Orleans, Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. There I crossed several miles of open water on a bridge. The water rolled beneath Interstate 10 as I drove in a stiff breeze. Twin Span Bridge The Twin Span…

  • Where West is East

    I’ve been on the road these last few days, at present in New Orleans, Louisiana. During this outing I’ve managed to collect another Strange Geography sighting. I would like to give the regular readers of Twelve Mile Circle a little preview today. Ultimately I’ll be adding it to my more comprehensive website in the coming…

  • Territorial Collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon

    At one time France controlled vast holdings throughout North America. They stretched far into the interior and all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. France had been a great colonial power in North America since the Sixteenth Century while jostling against the territorial aspirations of Britain and Spain. The other powers ascended, often…

  • South of Detroit

    Here’s an old one that most people probably already know, but I still enjoy it. What is the first foreign country you would reach if you traveled due south from Detroit, Michigan? Canada! A curve in the Detroit River, the narrow ribbon of water that joins Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie, creates a situation…

  • Northernmost Ferry in Canada

    The northernmost Ferry in Canada, and indeed for all of North America, is the Arctic Red River Ferry. It serves the Gwich’in settlement of Tsiigehtchic in the Northwest Territories. This is so far north that it’s actually above the Arctic Circle. Arctic Red River Ferry The ferry provides a vital link in the continuity of…

  • Lowest Elevation in England

    When one considers elevations below sea level, England doesn’t normally come to mind. Maybe someone thinks of the Dead Sea or Death Valley or parts of the Netherlands as natural choices. But England? Indeed, England’s lowest elevation actually sits below sea level by almost three metres. This spot exists at Holme Fen (map) in Cambridgeshire.…

  • Wollaston Lake’s Unusual Drainage

    Water flows downhill naturally towards the sea. At a continental divide, water on each side of the divide will flow towards a different sea. Sometimes the final destinations will be hundreds or even thousands of kilometres apart. Occasionally a divide will pass through a standing body of water such as a pond or a lake.…

  • Georgia Border Dispute

    Several news outlets have highlighted a resolution proposed by Rep. Harry Geisinger of the Georgia General Assembly’s House of Representatives. It would seek to move the Georgia border 1.1 miles further north. News media on both sides of the border took immediate attention. For example, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution covered it with”Border war with Tennessee gets…

  • Fraser Island – World’s Largest Sand Island

    Fraser Island is a remarkable natural setting. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) even recognized it as a World Heritage Site. In granting this designation, UNESCO said, “Fraser Island lies just off the east coast of Australia. At 122 km long, it is the largest sand island in the world. Majestic remnants of…

  • Double Landlocked Countries

    A landlocked country is one that does not have a coastline. Presently 43 landlocked countries exist so it’s not a particularly rare occurrence. However, two countries conform to “doubly landlocked” situations and that is much more unusual. Those occur when landlocked countries completely surround another landlocked country. Someone beginning a journey from a double landlocked…