Twelve Mile Circle – An Appreciation of Unusual Places

Category: Roads

  • Hawaii, Part 11 (Oahu: Perimeter)

    Our time in Hawaii drew short. It was a wonderful two week with visits to Maui, the Big Island, and Oahu, and now only a couple of days remained. So we focused a little further-flung from Honolulu, around the outer edges of Oahu. I hadn’t spent much time out there on my previous trips and…

  • Hawaii, Part 6 (Big Island: Mauna Kea)

    Mauna Kea on Hawaii’s Big Island is a massive shield volcano that rises majestically 13,803 feet (4,200 metres) above sea level. By some calculations it’s also the tallest mountain in the world if measured from its base deep below the ocean. Mauna Kea formed over the Hawaiian Hotspot over the last million years, still an…

  • Hawaii, Part 5 (Big Island: Lava)

    The “Big Island” remains the most volcanically active of the chain, perched directly above the Hawaiian hotspot. Magma continues to bulge from the depths of the earth, ever increasing the size of this young island. Unfortunately we didn’t observe a lava flow in person because the volcanoes took a little break during our visit. However,…

  • Hawaii, Part 4 (Big Island: Kona)

    Maui was all about fun in the sun, and now now we transitioned to a more active phase of our adventure as we moved to the “Big Island” of Hawaii. The entire state is called Hawaii of course, and so is it’s largest island. But more importantly it was the island’s other designation, the County…

  • Hawaii, Part 1 (No Cigar)

    This was supposed to be the year I finally finished Hawaii, with my fourth trip to the islands. There are only five counties in the state and I needed three more: Maui County, Hawaii County, and Kalawao County. I should be able to capture that small remaining set for my County Counting list. This should…

  • Skyline Drive – North District

    Skyline Drive hugs the crest of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains for 105 miles (169 kilometres), down the length of Shenandoah National Park. I’ve traveled every section of it, in whole or in part several times, as recently as 2022. So it felt like I rejoined an old friend as we undertook a day-trip from our…

  • Finish Ohio & More, Part 3 (Swipe Down)

    Michigan was fun but now I needed to drive through Ohio for the last bit of unfinished business. Only three counties out of 88 remained unvisited in Ohio, aligned in a single contiguous row heading due south. It felt like bowling pins lined up for an easy spare. So look out Paulding, Van Wert, and…

  • Washington Co., Maryland; Day 2

    The pressure was off once I flipped the status of Washington County to “overnight” on my County Counting list. Officially it became Overnight County #205. Now I could concentrate on exploring beyond Hagerstown and further into the countryside. Hancock I’ve always loved driving through Hancock on the western side of Washington County. I’ve mentioned it…

  • Buc-ee’s Northernmost Outpost

    I’ve always been a sucker for a decent roadside attraction. It doesn’t even have to make sense, and in fact sometimes it’s even better when it doesn’t. So of course I added Buc-ee’s to my travel plans when they opened an outpost a few months ago in Mt. Crawford, Virginia (map). This chain of convenience…

  • Interior Alaska, Part 8 (Memorable Signs)

    I’ve discussed a range of attractions from Interior Alaska in the previous seven articles. Today I’m taking a more lighthearted approach. Oftentimes I encounter fascinating, memorable or amusing signage, and for some reason I like to take photographs of them. So here are some of the best examples that highlight and illustrate the trip. Alaskan…