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National Boards => General Highway Talk => Topic started by: Buffaboy on December 23, 2016, 07:53:48 PM

Title: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: Buffaboy on December 23, 2016, 07:53:48 PM
So this isn't a typical General Highway Talk thread, but I think it can go further.

When I was driving Northbound US 219 in Orchard Park, NY today, I noticed a building 11 miles away, which I assumed was the VA Hospital in Buffalo. I checked on Google Maps and confirmed this was the case.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FXdGNacUh.png&hash=eb5a8e6125d61be70d93290ee425ec4c36b2a9d6)

Another time I noticed a skyline was when I was driving on I-90 eastbound past Rochester. If you look right before the (I think) Genesee River bridge, you can see the skyline.

On a clear day you can see Toronto from Robert Moses Parkway in Lewiston.
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from peculiar vantage points?
Post by: briantroutman on December 23, 2016, 08:09:00 PM
One of my favorite examples of this: Crossing the summit of Camino Alto between Corte Madera and Mill Valley, you catch a brief but impressively complete glimpse of San Francisco's Financial District, Alcatraz, and the Bay Bridge. Coincidentally, this is also a distance of about 11 miles. It looks much more impressive in person than on GSV.

Street View: https://goo.gl/maps/HiV3hikxy6y

(https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/776/31023014043_87eefa463a_c.jpg)
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from peculiar vantage points?
Post by: jmd41280 on December 23, 2016, 09:34:32 PM
One of my favorite views is this view of the Pittsburgh skyline from 36 miles away.  This is the view from PA 31 as it descends Chestnut Ridge (the westernmost ridge of the Laurel Highlands).
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5442/9791571505_1bf1e057f2_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/fVfn5n)
Pittsburgh skyline from Three Mile Hill - Acme, PA (https://flic.kr/p/fVfn5n) by Jon Dawson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/jmd41280/), on Flickr
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from peculiar vantage points?
Post by: jwolfer on December 23, 2016, 11:50:27 PM
On a clear day you can see from Green Cove Springs,FL from the US 17 bridge over Governors Creek to downtown Jacksonville skyline up the St Johns River about 25 miles away.. Ill get a pic one day

LGMS428

Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from peculiar vantage points?
Post by: Max Rockatansky on December 24, 2016, 12:13:02 AM
On a clear day you can see downtown Orlando from FL 50 west of the city in Clermont at this point on an almost 300 foot ridge:

https://www.google.com/maps/@28.5466601,-81.7188599,3a,75y,97.15h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sXqz9MSgfGg-FvUZmNcusVQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

Considering that is almost twenty five miles west of downtown that is a pretty good sight line for Florida and pretty damn telling how flat the state really is.
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from peculiar vantage points?
Post by: empirestate on December 24, 2016, 01:40:33 AM
Quote from: Buffaboy on December 23, 2016, 07:53:48 PM
So this isn't a typical General Highway Talk thread, but I think it can go further.

When I was driving Northbound US 219 in Orchard Park, NY today, I noticed a building 11 miles away, which I assumed was the VA Hospital in Buffalo. I checked on Google Maps and confirmed this was the case.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FXdGNacUh.png&hash=eb5a8e6125d61be70d93290ee425ec4c36b2a9d6)

Not that this is in any way conclusive, but playing in Google Earth I have a hard time getting the VA hospital to be visible. I can, however, prominently see the ECMC (a little to the left of the rhumb line you've drawn).
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from peculiar vantage points?
Post by: Buffaboy on December 24, 2016, 03:00:55 AM
^^ I spoke with too much certainty in my OP. It actually could have been ECMC now that I think about it.

When I drive up the 219 again I'll try and keep an eye out for subtleties, but I'm not going to run off the road trying to examine it  :-D.

That Camino Alto is pretty cool as well.
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: slorydn1 on December 24, 2016, 05:16:04 AM
I'm kind of hamstrung because I don't know the lay of the land some 30 years later, but back in the 80's one could see the Chicago skyline relatively clearly from the eastern areas of Schaumburg, especially from 290/53, would be roughly 30 miles away.
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: kphoger on December 24, 2016, 10:50:21 AM
I grew up in western Kansas.  At night sometimes, if the atmospheric conditions were just right, the lights of a town beyond the horizon would reflect off the atmosphere such that the town appeared to be at or even before the horizon–i.e., the town appeared to be in a location where there was no town.

This was a pretty well-known phenomenon out there, and I personally witnessed it several times.  However, very few people out in this neck of the woods have heard of such a thing, and I can't seem to find any information about it online.  Does anyone know what this phenomenon is called?
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: pianocello on December 24, 2016, 11:34:44 AM
I'm pretty sure you can see the US Capitol straight ahead on SB New Hampshire Ave just south of the Beltway in Silver Spring, MD, 9 miles away. (Link to GSV (https://www.google.com/maps/@39.0137904,-76.9783962,3a,15y,190.25h,88.37t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_wdBI1LONXBj1zkE6BYmZw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656), although the image isn't as clear as it is in real life).

It seems too far away to be the Capitol, but I can't think of any other domed structures directly in line with that stretch of New Hampshire. Maybe a DC-area poster could confirm?
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: jmd41280 on December 24, 2016, 01:20:44 PM
Quote from: kphoger on December 24, 2016, 10:50:21 AM
I grew up in western Kansas.  At night sometimes, if the atmospheric conditions were just right, the lights of a town beyond the horizon would reflect off the atmosphere such that the town appeared to be at or even before the horizon–i.e., the town appeared to be in a location where there was no town.

This was a pretty well-known phenomenon out there, and I personally witnessed it several times.  However, very few people out in this neck of the woods have heard of such a thing, and I can't seem to find any information about it online.  Does anyone know what this phenomenon is called?

I think you're talking about a super refraction.  A good example of such an event has periodically occurred in Cleveland, OH when you can see the Canadian shore across Lake Erie under the right atmospheric conditions.

http://www.newsnet5.com/weather/weather-news/rare-weather-phenomenon-allows-northern-ohioans-to-see-canadian-shoreline (http://www.newsnet5.com/weather/weather-news/rare-weather-phenomenon-allows-northern-ohioans-to-see-canadian-shoreline)

http://www.newsnet5.com/weather/weather-news/more-sightings-of-the-canadian-shoreline-from-northern-ohio-thanks-to-super-refraction (http://www.newsnet5.com/weather/weather-news/more-sightings-of-the-canadian-shoreline-from-northern-ohio-thanks-to-super-refraction)
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: jeffandnicole on December 24, 2016, 02:04:10 PM
I always liked this view here, although it's much better at night.  This is Grove Road in West Deptford, NJ: https://goo.gl/maps/S2kDA5HsiTJ2 .  Perfectly in line with the road, between the streets, is a building that looks like it's slightly beyond the horizon.  It's actually the Cira Building along I-76 near I-676 in Philly, which is normally beautifully lit at night (and appears much closer than it is).  As the crow flies, the distance is a little over 9 miles away.

Another view of Philly from Mantua, NJ which I grew up seeing quite often, from about 12.5 miles away. https://goo.gl/maps/YENRnC8ywev

As I lived in that town growing up, after they built One Liberty Place which was then the tallest building in Philly, I could go out to the road in front of my house, and at a certain point thru the trees, see the very top of it.  I haven't tried looking again for many years to see if it's still visible.
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: ColossalBlocks on December 24, 2016, 08:51:48 PM
At the Eckert's in Millstadt, IL, you have a faint view of the St Louis arch.

https://goo.gl/maps/mZcnMLpcwWM2 (https://goo.gl/maps/mZcnMLpcwWM2)
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: Scott5114 on December 25, 2016, 04:00:09 AM
You can see the Oklahoma City skyline from SH-9 in McClain County, between Newcastle and Goldsby. A hair under 20 miles.
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: jakeroot on December 25, 2016, 05:11:37 AM
One that's always been interesting to me is downtown Seattle from near Manchester State Park. Manchester is across Elliott Bay from Seattle by about five miles, but it is incredibly difficult to reach either from the other. It's an hour's drive to and from the nearest bridge near Tacoma (2 hour drive total), or an hour ferry ride between Bremerton and Seattle, plus a 30/40 minute drive between Bremerton and Manchester. More interesting is that walking around Manchester, you feel like you're deep in the forest near no one else, but then you stumble out to the beach, and you're suddenly presented with this bustling metropolis mere miles away. Was a trip for me when I went camping there with Scouts five years ago:

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FTXetQ6K.png&hash=b1b2acc8481cb2e1a3231caf27b127e0145b5e78)

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FQtazo7n.png&hash=a0e17085d92d9d27882a9dfc9aa8b7edfd6dfd51)
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: epzik8 on December 25, 2016, 02:25:41 PM
From the I-895 Spur going north in between Baltimore city limits and Glen Burnie, Maryland, you can see much of downtown Baltimore's skyline and the purple seats of M&T Bank Stadium. I think the University of Maryland Medical Center, the home of Shock Trauma, is partly visible as well. The I-895 Spur is the connector between I-895, I-97 and Route 2.

And back in 2008 I spotted a McDonald's sign from a viewing station at Laurel Caverns near Uniontown, Pennsylvania.
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: noelbotevera on December 25, 2016, 04:22:53 PM
On PA 26 a couple miles north of Whipple Dam State Park, there is a vista where you can see State College, 10 miles away.
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: bulldog1979 on December 25, 2016, 06:01:32 PM
The Gateway Arch in St. Louis is visible from Lebanon Road in Shiloh, Illinois, east of Green Mount Road. You can also see it from the Chain of Rocks Bridge, although there you're looking at the northern edge, making it harder to see.
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: jmd41280 on December 25, 2016, 09:38:45 PM
Quote from: epzik8 on December 25, 2016, 02:25:41 PMAnd back in 2008 I spotted a McDonald's sign from a viewing station at Laurel Caverns near Uniontown, Pennsylvania.

You can also see the Pittsburgh skyline (47 miles away) from Laurel Caverns. 

Speaking of Pittsburgh, you can also see the skyline (22 miles away) from PA 56 as it crests a hill between Leechburg and Lower Burrell.
(https://c7.staticflickr.com/2/1603/25999632494_c4e98dc3dc_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/FBuUVL)
Pittsburgh Skyline from near Lower Burrell, PA (https://flic.kr/p/FBuUVL) by Jon Dawson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/jmd41280/), on Flickr
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: Bruce on December 26, 2016, 12:45:17 AM
This thread might be of interest: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=204074

Here's my contributions to the thread:

Seattle from afar, descending in distance (as the crow files):

Lakewood - 38 miles

(https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8792/16954080387_e72e0666f0_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/rQb6qP)
Seattle skyline, from above Lakewood (https://flic.kr/p/rQb6qP) by SounderBruce (https://www.flickr.com/photos/sounderbruce/), on Flickr

Zoomed in:

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Fk7qlfwY.png&hash=cde1363fd9b210dc28216b8abcfb871182f79de8)

Northgate - 6 miles

(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/455/19776216312_84673d95e6_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/w8yh7L)
I-5 looking south from NE 92nd Street (https://flic.kr/p/w8yh7L) by SounderBruce (https://www.flickr.com/photos/sounderbruce/), on Flickr

Eastgate (with Bellevue) - 9 miles (zoom in)

(https://c4.staticflickr.com/1/763/23542803411_11b0c03ea6_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/BSp2eD)
Seattle and Bellevue skylines from Eastgate P&R (https://flic.kr/p/BSp2eD) by SounderBruce (https://www.flickr.com/photos/sounderbruce/), on Flickr
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: Road Hog on December 26, 2016, 01:07:00 AM
From the top of the football stadium in Little Elm, which is about 25 miles out, you can see the Dallas skyline clearly with a set of binoculars.
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: Max Rockatansky on December 26, 2016, 02:45:05 PM
From the eastern end of SW 328th Street east of Florida City downtown Miami can be seen to the north.  SW 328th Street dead ends at the Biscayne National Park visitor center parking lot.
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: Buffaboy on December 27, 2016, 01:30:47 AM
Quote from: Bruce on December 26, 2016, 12:45:17 AM
This thread might be of interest: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=204074

Here's my contributions to the thread:

Seattle from afar, descending in distance (as the crow files):

Lakewood - 38 miles

(https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8792/16954080387_e72e0666f0_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/rQb6qP)
Seattle skyline, from above Lakewood (https://flic.kr/p/rQb6qP) by SounderBruce (https://www.flickr.com/photos/sounderbruce/), on Flickr

Zoomed in:

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Fk7qlfwY.png&hash=cde1363fd9b210dc28216b8abcfb871182f79de8)

Northgate - 6 miles

(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/455/19776216312_84673d95e6_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/w8yh7L)
I-5 looking south from NE 92nd Street (https://flic.kr/p/w8yh7L) by SounderBruce (https://www.flickr.com/photos/sounderbruce/), on Flickr

Eastgate (with Bellevue) - 9 miles (zoom in)

(https://c4.staticflickr.com/1/763/23542803411_11b0c03ea6_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/BSp2eD)
Seattle and Bellevue skylines from Eastgate P&R (https://flic.kr/p/BSp2eD) by SounderBruce (https://www.flickr.com/photos/sounderbruce/), on Flickr

As a fellow member I'll be sure to check that thread out.

That Cleveland this is pretty interesting...I wonder if it can be seen from the downtown area.

And to show that TO can be seen from Robert Moses Parkway, here is a picture from an escarpment:

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm5.static.flickr.com%2F4113%2F5194474350_5d21623992_b.jpg&hash=19117b33b697e7b82bf16550d7a2e3f27d2bc66a)
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: ColossalBlocks on December 27, 2016, 11:45:36 AM
Quote from: bulldog1979 on December 25, 2016, 06:01:32 PM
The Gateway Arch in St. Louis is visible from Lebanon Road in Shiloh, Illinois, east of Green Mount Road. You can also see it from the Chain of Rocks Bridge, although there you're looking at the northern edge, making it harder to see.

Well, i never been to Shiloh before, and they torn down the Chain Of Rocks years ago.
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: theline on December 27, 2016, 03:40:36 PM
Quote from: jmd41280 on December 24, 2016, 01:20:44 PM
Quote from: kphoger on December 24, 2016, 10:50:21 AM
I grew up in western Kansas.  At night sometimes, if the atmospheric conditions were just right, the lights of a town beyond the horizon would reflect off the atmosphere such that the town appeared to be at or even before the horizon–i.e., the town appeared to be in a location where there was no town.

This was a pretty well-known phenomenon out there, and I personally witnessed it several times.  However, very few people out in this neck of the woods have heard of such a thing, and I can't seem to find any information about it online.  Does anyone know what this phenomenon is called?

I think you're talking about a super refraction.  A good example of such an event has periodically occurred in Cleveland, OH when you can see the Canadian shore across Lake Erie under the right atmospheric conditions.

http://www.newsnet5.com/weather/weather-news/rare-weather-phenomenon-allows-northern-ohioans-to-see-canadian-shoreline (http://www.newsnet5.com/weather/weather-news/rare-weather-phenomenon-allows-northern-ohioans-to-see-canadian-shoreline)

http://www.newsnet5.com/weather/weather-news/more-sightings-of-the-canadian-shoreline-from-northern-ohio-thanks-to-super-refraction (http://www.newsnet5.com/weather/weather-news/more-sightings-of-the-canadian-shoreline-from-northern-ohio-thanks-to-super-refraction)

This phenomenon sometimes allows people to see the Chicago skyline from beaches in Berrien County, Michigan, from 45 to 60 miles away. I heard that the skyline sometimes appears upside down.
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: Mr_Northside on December 27, 2016, 03:48:44 PM
Quote from: jmd41280 on December 23, 2016, 09:34:32 PM
One of my favorite views is this view of the Pittsburgh skyline from 36 miles away.  This is the view from PA 31 as it descends Chestnut Ridge (the westernmost ridge of the Laurel Highlands).
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5442/9791571505_1bf1e057f2_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/fVfn5n)
Pittsburgh skyline from Three Mile Hill - Acme, PA (https://flic.kr/p/fVfn5n) by Jon Dawson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/jmd41280/), on Flickr

Admittedly, there is a lot of zoom in that picture (I'm originally from about 7 miles from here, also along the ridge, and while the USX & Mellon towers are pretty noticeable with the naked eye, it's a little harder to make out anything else without some zoom
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: jmd41280 on December 27, 2016, 09:54:44 PM
Quote from: Mr_Northside on December 27, 2016, 03:48:44 PMAdmittedly, there is a lot of zoom in that picture (I'm originally from about 7 miles from here, also along the ridge, and while the USX & Mellon towers are pretty noticeable with the naked eye, it's a little harder to make out anything else without some zoom

From the naked eye while driving down the mountain on PA 31, you can pretty much only see USX and Mellon.  I didn't notice any of the other buildings until I pulled off to the side of the road and took out the trusty old telephoto lens.
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: TheHighwayMan3561 on December 29, 2016, 04:25:34 AM
The farthest you can see Minneapolis is from about 15 miles out on I-35W northbound in Burnsville as you pass MN 13, which comes into view as the road prepares to dive into the Minnesota River Valley allowing the sightlines to clear enough to see it. You can make out all the city's most prominent buildings. I want to say this also applies to northbound MN 77, also as it crosses MN 13 but I'm less confident in that statement.
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: Rothman on December 29, 2016, 08:26:03 AM
And here I thought it was neat you could see the Willis (Sears) Tower from some places around Darien, IL.
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: GenExpwy on December 31, 2016, 03:19:45 AM
Back in the 1980s, you could catch a glimpse of downtown Rochester from I-390 exit 10 (US 20 / NY 5), 18 miles away.

Since then the trees have grown up to block the view.
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: The Great Zo on December 31, 2016, 07:55:58 AM
Here's downtown Tampa from the rest area on the south end of the Sunshine Skyway bridge. Distance of 27 miles. Picture is mine.

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CRRh_h3W8AAYjoT.png:large)

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F1B3QtjI.png&hash=efdb1cad653f159c87940e7e99eb75e18dd5aa6f)
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: jmd41280 on December 31, 2016, 08:33:49 AM
Not a very distant view, but there is a nice view of downtown Jacksonville from the top of the I-295 Dames Point Bridge

(https://c3.staticflickr.com/4/3646/3456734890_170304ee80_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/6gsERq)
Jacksonville, FL (https://flic.kr/p/6gsERq) by Jon Dawson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/jmd41280/), on Flickr

Here is a view of downtown Jacksonville from Palmetto Ave. on Fort George Island (about 15 miles away as the crow flies)

(https://c8.staticflickr.com/8/7096/7104465031_34b820cf50_c.jpg)
(https://flic.kr/p/bPNeWp)Jacksonville skyline from Fort George Island (https://flic.kr/p/bPNeWp) by Jon Dawson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/jmd41280/), on Flickr
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: jwolfer on December 31, 2016, 04:51:02 PM
Quote from: jmd41280 on December 31, 2016, 08:33:49 AM
Not a very distant view, but there is a nice view of downtown Jacksonville from the top of the I-295 Dames Point Bridge

(https://c3.staticflickr.com/4/3646/3456734890_170304ee80_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/6gsERq)
Jacksonville, FL (https://flic.kr/p/6gsERq) by Jon Dawson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/jmd41280/), on Flickr

Here is a view of downtown Jacksonville from Palmetto Ave. on Fort George Island (about 15 miles away as the crow flies)

(https://c8.staticflickr.com/8/7096/7104465031_34b820cf50_c.jpg)
(https://flic.kr/p/bPNeWp)Jacksonville skyline from Fort George Island (https://flic.kr/p/bPNeWp) by Jon Dawson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/jmd41280/), on Flickr
Nice views.. The Buckman Bridge( the west beltway over St Johns River is a nice view.. Especially with low humidity.. Which doesn't happen often in the Southeast. I need to get some pics

LGMS428
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: jeffandnicole on December 31, 2016, 06:28:37 PM
The (I-76) Walt Whitman Bridge from Brooklawn, NJ, 2 miles away.

The right tower (in NJ) was recent repainted, and you can see the tarp covering the side and underside of the bridge as they strip away numerous coats of paint, including the original lead paint.  They'll get to the PA tower on the left this winter or spring.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi225.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fdd144%2Froadnut%2F1231161200.jpg&hash=8549c78f7cfc9000243dc3efc86dc9e7f69a552b) (http://s225.photobucket.com/user/roadnut/media/1231161200.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: jmd41280 on January 04, 2017, 10:20:01 PM
Speaking of Philadelphia, its skyline can be spotted from I-476 near the PA 563 overpass (38 miles away)

Photo courtesy of Flickr user Ver Tryn...

(https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3067/2799690616_f55aa7f7ca_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/5gp9tS)
VERY Distant Philadelphia Skyline (https://flic.kr/p/5gp9tS) by Ver Tryn (https://www.flickr.com/photos/vertryn/), on Flickr
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: noelbotevera on January 05, 2017, 07:47:38 PM
You can see Atlantic City NJ from Ocean City NJ - 21 miles driving, but it's about 10 miles away. I measured this from NJ 52 in Ocean City (where you'd mostly likely enter Ocean City) to the casino area of Atlantic City.


https://www.google.com/maps/@39.2930871,-74.5369888,12z (https://www.google.com/maps/@39.2930871,-74.5369888,12z)
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: Roadrunner75 on January 05, 2017, 10:36:13 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on December 24, 2016, 02:04:10 PM
Another view of Philly from Mantua, NJ which I grew up seeing quite often, from about 12.5 miles away. https://goo.gl/maps/YENRnC8ywev
I always liked that spot too.

Quote from: noelbotevera on January 05, 2017, 07:47:38 PM
You can see Atlantic City NJ from Ocean City NJ - 21 miles driving, but it's about 10 miles away. I measured this from NJ 52 in Ocean City (where you'd mostly likely enter Ocean City) to the casino area of Atlantic City.

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.2930871,-74.5369888,12z (https://www.google.com/maps/@39.2930871,-74.5369888,12z)
Or see it from this spot, at the dead-end of Great Bay Blvd, looking south:
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.5106103,-74.3199677,3a,53.1y,208.28h,94.73t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sZt6mwsO7XMmSWC4Z1RoAlQ!2e0?force=lite (https://www.google.com/maps/@39.5106103,-74.3199677,3a,53.1y,208.28h,94.73t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sZt6mwsO7XMmSWC4Z1RoAlQ!2e0?force=lite)
This road is a great drive by the way, with two single lane bridges controlled by signals.  At one time this road was planned to complete its crossing of the bay as a northern approach to Atlantic City.
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: jwolfer on January 06, 2017, 12:11:31 AM
Quote from: Roadrunner75 on January 05, 2017, 10:36:13 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on December 24, 2016, 02:04:10 PM
Another view of Philly from Mantua, NJ which I grew up seeing quite often, from about 12.5 miles away. https://goo.gl/maps/YENRnC8ywev
I always liked that spot too.

Quote from: noelbotevera on January 05, 2017, 07:47:38 PM
You can see Atlantic City NJ from Ocean City NJ - 21 miles driving, but it's about 10 miles away. I measured this from NJ 52 in Ocean City (where you'd mostly likely enter Ocean City) to the casino area of Atlantic City.

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.2930871,-74.5369888,12z (https://www.google.com/maps/@39.2930871,-74.5369888,12z)
Or see it from this spot, at the dead-end of Great Bay Blvd, looking south:
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.5106103,-74.3199677,3a,53.1y,208.28h,94.73t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sZt6mwsO7XMmSWC4Z1RoAlQ!2e0?force=lite (https://www.google.com/maps/@39.5106103,-74.3199677,3a,53.1y,208.28h,94.73t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sZt6mwsO7XMmSWC4Z1RoAlQ!2e0?force=lite)
This road is a great drive by the way, with two single lane bridges controlled by signals.  At one time this road was planned to complete its crossing of the bay as a northern approach to Atlantic City.
When i first got my drivers licence at 17.. Damn NJ makes you wait til 17... I drove on Great Bay Blvd and hit a pothole that was so big it broke my front axle

LGMS428

Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: bulldog1979 on January 07, 2017, 03:48:43 AM
Quote from: ColossalBlocks on December 27, 2016, 11:45:36 AM
Well, i never been to Shiloh before, and they torn down the Chain Of Rocks years ago.

The Chain of Rocks Bridge is still there. You're probably thinking of the bridges carrying I-270 over the canal, which were imploded in early 2015. I'm talking about the bridge opened in 1929 that carried US 66 across the Mississippi River that is located just downstream from the New Chain of Rocks Bridge that carries I-270 over the river.
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: Buck87 on January 07, 2017, 04:46:54 PM
On a clear day, Cedar Point's Millennium Force roller coaster starts coming into view from US 250 just north of Avery, Ohio....from a distance of about 10 miles. This view is possible due to this being a long straight stretch of US 250, which just so happens to aim directly at Millennium Force. The even taller coaster Top Thrill Dragster is not visible from this spot as it does not line up with the road, and gets blocked by nearby objects on the horizon.

MF, TTD and the new Valravn are all visible from various points along OH 2 south of Sandusky, ranging from 5.5-7 miles away. The entire parks skyline can also bee seen from 7.5 miles away from OH's 2 Edison Bridge over Sandusky Bay, but that's a straight view entirely over water, so not all that surprising.
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: Rothman on January 09, 2017, 09:19:41 AM
Quote from: bulldog1979 on January 07, 2017, 03:48:43 AM
Quote from: ColossalBlocks on December 27, 2016, 11:45:36 AM
Well, i never been to Shiloh before, and they torn down the Chain Of Rocks years ago.

The Chain of Rocks Bridge is still there. You're probably thinking of the bridges carrying I-270 over the canal, which were imploded in early 2015. I'm talking about the bridge opened in 1929 that carried US 66 across the Mississippi River that is located just downstream from the New Chain of Rocks Bridge that carries I-270 over the river.

It better still be there.  I just walked across it recently! :D
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: Thing 342 on January 09, 2017, 04:09:57 PM
Columbia's skyline can be seen from the north end of the Lake Murray Dam, a distance of around 12 miles:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwesj.org%2Froads%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F01%2FIMG_0341.jpg&hash=637d147e6a2f46d9242e16a4c64d66d915579272)
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: ChiMilNet on January 10, 2017, 10:17:21 PM
Quote from: slorydn1 on December 24, 2016, 05:16:04 AM
I'm kind of hamstrung because I don't know the lay of the land some 30 years later, but back in the 80's one could see the Chicago skyline relatively clearly from the eastern areas of Schaumburg, especially from 290/53, would be roughly 30 miles away.

It's still visible from there. One of the best spots is from I-294 by the big rail yard just south of North Avenue, on a clear day, the entire skyline can be prominently viewed. Another cool view is from the Chicago Skyway when crossing the high bridge. There were times as a kid, back in the 80's, when I could make out the Sears Tower from the LaGrange Road (US 45) and I-80 interchange, which was basically cornfields at the time. However, when going through the large forest preserve just North of Orland Park, there are several trails that allow you to view the Chicago skyline from a bluff.
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: CapeCodder on January 19, 2017, 09:43:14 AM
You can see Edgartown and Oak Bluffs from the ferry to Nantucket, a good 20 miles away. Notable points that you can see are the water towers, Edgartown is white and OB is greyish. At night you can see Nantucket from as far as Great Island, which is in Yarmouth, MA. I'll post pics later.
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: hm insulators on January 20, 2017, 01:05:28 PM
California 2 heading south down the hill from I-210 has a terrific view of the downtown Los Angeles skyline. On real clear winter days, the skyline can actually be seen from westbound I-210 as far east as San Dimas.

Southbound Arizona 51 coming down Dreamy Draw has a nice view of downtown Phoenix.
Title: Re: Skylines/buildings/objects viewed from unusual vantage points?
Post by: Max Rockatansky on January 20, 2017, 07:30:24 PM
Quote from: hm insulators on January 20, 2017, 01:05:28 PM
California 2 heading south down the hill from I-210 has a terrific view of the downtown Los Angeles skyline. On real clear winter days, the skyline can actually be seen from westbound I-210 as far east as San Dimas.

Southbound Arizona 51 coming down Dreamy Draw has a nice view of downtown Phoenix.

There is a couple slopes before the southern turn on 2 where down town can be seen off to the side.  Really I don't think most people notice the skyline until they start that final descent southbound...eyes on the road tends to do that.