Twelve Mile Circle – An Appreciation of Unusual Places

Twelve Mile Circle

  • Library of Congress’ Waldseemüller Map

    Reuters reports that the only remaining copy of the map that first used the label “America” will go on permanent display at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC (map). Martin Waldseemüller created the map in 1507 and it displayed unusual accuracy for its time. However, experts haven’t figured out exactly how Waldseemüller may have…

  • Highest Elevation in Portugal

    So the highest elevation in Portugal is not on mainland Europe. It exhibits an unexpected twist of Strange Geography. Actually, it sits on an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, some 1,500 kilometers (950 miles) from the Portuguese capital city of Lisbon. The island of Pico (literally “peak”) with its dominant stratovolcano of…

  • Google Maps Terrain Button

    I noticed that within the last few days, Google Maps added a “Terrain” button that shows general elevations by using different shades and shadows. Obviously it has its greatest impact where there are rapids changes in elevation such as mountain or canyons. I’ve had a lot of fun playing around with the feature as in…

  • Traffic Camera Mayhem

    The urban landscape increasingly features traffic cameras. One could argue whether they exist to control driving behavior or to fill city coffers. Either way, they are not going away. So it’s not entirely surprising that the Knoxville News Sentinel reported that a local resident went off the deep end and shot a camera three times…

  • Thoughts on Los Angeles and Reno

    In an earlier post, 12MC noted that we can sometime confuse east and west in our geographic perceptions. A similar condition exists with Los Angeles, California and Reno, Nevada. Los Angeles conjures up certain images. Think of beaches, surfing and movie stars living on hillsides with expansive views of the Pacific Ocean. Most of us…

  • Remote Southwestern Virginia

    Recently I posted an entry about a section of Virginia that is further west than any point in West Virginia. It’s an odd fact made quite interesting primarily because the founders of a state carved from an older one consciously chose to highlight the word “west” in describing their creation. At the same time it…

  • United States Ferries

    Twelve Mile Circle admits an unusual fascination with ferries. Perhaps it comes from crossing a body of water at a personal level. Maybe it comes from taking the slow route and enjoying the ride as much as the destination. Regardless, few things please me as much as standing on the deck of a ferryboat as…

  • Washington DC Area’s Last Phone Booth

    NOTE: Twelve Mile Circle originally posted this article in November 2007. Verizon has since removed this phone booth. Sometimes changing technology can impact the landscape around it. Twelve Mile Circle notes the looming passage of an era: The Washington Post reported today on the Washington DC area’s last public phone booth. Apparently none of us…

  • Thanksgiving Towns

    Those of you in the United States will be celebrating Thanksgiving on November 22nd, so in recognition of that happy occasion, Twelve Mile Circle offers you a guide for your holiday feast. No Thanksgiving is complete without Turkey, so we offer several choices on the menu: Turkey in Texas, North Carolina, Arkansas and West Virginia;…

  • Google Maps – “My Maps” Capability

    I’ve embedded a number of Google Maps on pages throughout my website using the API for a variety of different personal interests, including my Brewery Visit map and my Family Descendants in Dodge & Jefferson Counties map. They weren’t particularly difficult to put together. However, they did require at least a rudimentary understanding of HTML, XML…

Latest Comments

  2. what is the total population that lives now in the land given back to Virginia should it be part of…

  5. Park ranger at Chalmette (New Orleans) Battlefield let me pull up the Union Jack 20 years ago. My dad would…