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This is true? - Geographic oddities that defy conventional wisdom

Started by The Nature Boy, November 28, 2015, 10:07:02 AM

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JayhawkCO

Quote from: Rothman on April 02, 2025, 08:03:39 PM
Quote from: JayhawkCO on April 02, 2025, 03:49:48 PM
Quote from: bing101 on April 02, 2025, 03:45:57 PM
Quote from: JayhawkCO on April 02, 2025, 03:12:19 PMThere are six state capitals farther west than Los Angeles.
Yes I understand what you mean like Carson City, Sacramento, Honolulu, Juneau, Salem and Olympia are all state capitals located west of Los Angeles.

I think it's not intuitive to most people that Carson City and Sacramento are both west of LA.

The fact this geographic oddity has been repeated to me over the decades since I was in elementary school makes it quite intuitive. :D

Yeah. But you're very old. For the rest of us...


webny99

Quote from: kphoger on April 02, 2025, 09:28:33 PM
Quote from: vdeane on April 02, 2025, 08:56:37 PMSan Diego is east of Spokane.

San Diego is south of Spokane.  :bigass:

San Diego is further east than Spokane, for the pedants :sombrero:

kphoger

Quote from: vdeane on April 02, 2025, 08:56:37 PMSan Diego is east of Spokane.
Quote from: kphoger on April 02, 2025, 09:28:33 PMSan Diego is south of Spokane.  :bigass:
Quote from: webny99 on April 03, 2025, 09:44:23 AMSan Diego is further east than Spokane, for the pedants :sombrero:

How pedantic do you intend to get, while using 'further' instead of 'farther' for physical distance?  :hmmm:

He Is Already Here! Let's Go, Flamingo!
Dost thou understand the graveness of the circumstances?
Deut 23:13
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: PKDIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

webny99

Quote from: kphoger on April 03, 2025, 09:52:39 AMHow pedantic do you intend to get, while using 'further' instead of 'farther' for physical distance?  :hmmm:

You know I debated that before posting! but decided 'further' was acceptable for relative distance.

kphoger


He Is Already Here! Let's Go, Flamingo!
Dost thou understand the graveness of the circumstances?
Deut 23:13
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: PKDIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

PColumbus73

When I-80 reaches San Francisco, it's near the same latitude as I-64 in Virginia.

kurumi

This one got me: I-16 is longer than I-17. Combination of kinda knowing where Macon is, but not in detail, and assuming cities in AZ are further apart than those out east.
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Evan_Th

Quote from: kurumi on April 04, 2025, 04:25:02 PMThis one got me: I-16 is longer than I-17. Combination of kinda knowing where Macon is, but not in detail, and assuming cities in AZ are further apart than those out east.


Wow, that got me too.  I reflexively think "Arizona is bigger than Georgia," and forget to ask myself where in Arizona Phoenix and Flagstaff actually are.

bing101

Quote from: Road Hog on April 02, 2025, 07:20:54 PMThe first night I spent in LA I thought holy crap, the sun sets early here, and it was the middle of July on full PDT. The Pacific Coast curves way east in SoCal..
Yes in Northern California the Sun does not set until 8:30-9pm in June to July timeframe.

PColumbus73

Maybe not an oddity, but in Selmer, Tennessee, you could take US 45 to Metropolis, or US 64 to Bat Cave.

vdeane

Quote from: PColumbus73 on April 11, 2025, 09:42:11 PMUS 64 to Bat Cave.
Now I want some billionaire to change his name to Bruce Wayne and move there.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

english si

Quote from: vdeane on April 11, 2025, 09:49:34 PM
Quote from: PColumbus73 on April 11, 2025, 09:42:11 PMUS 64 to Bat Cave.
Now I want some billionaire to change his name to Bruce Wayne and move there.
I would say "don't give Elon ideas!", but he'd much rather be an X-Man than the Caped Crusader.

JayhawkCO

Quote from: english si on April 12, 2025, 08:58:31 AM
Quote from: vdeane on April 11, 2025, 09:49:34 PM
Quote from: PColumbus73 on April 11, 2025, 09:42:11 PMUS 64 to Bat Cave.
Now I want some billionaire to change his name to Bruce Wayne and move there.
I would say "don't give Elon ideas!", but he'd much rather be an X-Man than the Caped Crusader.

Maybe more like Magneto.

formulanone

Quote from: Evan_Th on April 10, 2025, 06:23:14 PM
Quote from: kurumi on April 04, 2025, 04:25:02 PMThis one got me: I-16 is longer than I-17. Combination of kinda knowing where Macon is, but not in detail, and assuming cities in AZ are further apart than those out east.


Wow, that got me too.  I reflexively think "Arizona is bigger than Georgia," and forget to ask myself where in Arizona Phoenix and Flagstaff actually are.

That, and Georgia is deceptively wide from Alabama's border to the Atlantic Ocean, from points south of Savannah. I think I tend to eyeball it using peninsular Florida and Alabama as a guide, and wind up being off by at least 100 miles.

vdeane

Quote from: english si on April 12, 2025, 08:58:31 AM
Quote from: vdeane on April 11, 2025, 09:49:34 PM
Quote from: PColumbus73 on April 11, 2025, 09:42:11 PMUS 64 to Bat Cave.
Now I want some billionaire to change his name to Bruce Wayne and move there.
I would say "don't give Elon ideas!", but he'd much rather be an X-Man than the Caped Crusader.
Pun intended?
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

english si


Mav94

I just finished 62 of the 81 pages of this thread and saw a lot of things I knew but I didn't see that, by road, Larchwood, Iowa is closer to Pierre, SD, St. Paul, MN, and Lincoln, NE than it is to Des Moines, IA.

Also while every state has its share of cities that aren't located in counties with very similar names, Iowa seems to have a plethora of them. Itstarts with Des Moines not being in Des Moines County.

jlam

Quote from: Mav94 on Today at 05:53:42 PMAlso while every state has its share of cities that aren't located in counties with very similar names, Iowa seems to have a plethora of them. Itstarts with Des Moines not being in Des Moines County.

Oh yeah, there are a ton of these. Colorado, for instance, has:

  • Dolores (in Montezuma County, not neighboring Dolores County)
  • Jefferson (in Park County, not neighboring Jefferson County)
  • Kiowa (in Elbert County, not the faraway land of Kiowa County)
  • Kit Carson (in Cheyenne County, not neighboring Kit Carson County)
  • Las Animas (in Bent County, not neighboring Las Animas County)
  • Moffat (in Saguache County, not the distant Moffat County)
  • Montezuma (in Summit County, not over yonder in Montezuma County)
  • Pitkin (in Gunnison County, not neighboring Pitkin County)

And likely more.

freebrickproductions

Cherokee, AL, is pretty far away from Cherokee County, AL.
It's all fun & games until someone summons Cthulhu and brings about the end of the world.

I also collect traffic lights, road signs, fans, and railroad crossing equipment.

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