Twelve Mile Circle – An Appreciation of Unusual Places

Twelve Mile Circle

  • Bermuda Shorts, Part 6 (Forts )

    Longtime readers of Twelve Mile Circle know that I love my forts, fortresses and fortifications. So I really loved Bermuda, a place practically custom-designed by Great Britain to be one giant fort. Its strategic placement and and heavy militarization led to its nickname the “Gibraltar of the West.” Maybe I should have included it in…

  • Bermuda Shorts, Part 5 (St. George )

    We spent our first three days in and around the Town of St. George and the surrounding parish of the same name. Bermuda didn’t have many actual towns per se. Hamilton seemed more like a small city. On the other hand, St. George actually felt like a town. Everywhere else just sort of sprawled across…

  • Bermuda Shorts, Part 4 (Bermuda Railway Trail )

    The Bermuda Railway Trail surprised me in a pleasing way. I saw it on a map before I arrived and I thought it sounded interesting. Actually, it far exceeded my expectations, becoming one of the most memorable parts of my visit. A Little Context Residents and tourists alike used horsepower or their own feet to…

  • Bermuda Shorts, Part 3 (The Outsider )

    As a complete outsider, I didn’t know exactly what to expect when we landed at L. F. Wade Airport on the far eastern end of the archipelago. Sure, I’d thumbed through the guides and scoured the Intertubes although that never truly compares to being there on the ground. I tried to avoid being overly touristy.…

  • Bermuda Shorts, Part 2 (Shoreline Scenery )

    Shorelines defined Bermuda, with no single spot on the archipelago more than a half-mile away from water. Throw in a bunch of hills and it seemed almost impossible to find a place without a spectacular view. This amazing scenery seemed like a fitting topic for the second article in this series now that I’ve gotten…

  • Bermuda Shorts, Part 1 (Follow the Leader)

    I’d never seen Bermuda. It simply never rose to the top of my travel list. I never thought much about it actually. I wanted to see so many other places. Nonetheless, the opportunity dropped into my lap so I took it. My wife the runner who worked for a race company went there on business.…

  • Counties in Maine that I have Visited

    There are 16 Counties in Maine – “The Pine Tree State“ Also be sure to see my United States County Counting Page for the rest of the states. I have visited 13 Counties = 81.3% of Counties in Maine Counties visited are colored-in; counties still needing to be visited are blank.  Map created using Mob…

  • Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory

    Prospect, Waldo Co., Maine (August 2009) The Penobscot Narrows bridge (map) did not exist the last time I drove along this stretch of U.S. Route 1 several years ago. I’d seen a brochure for it a couple of days earlier and decided to check it out. I set off from my base in Rockport destined…

  • Atlantic Puffins in Maine

    Muscongus Bay, Knox Co., Maine (August 2009) We left out of Port Clyde on an afternoon excursion to see an Atlantic Puffin colony. They live on nearby Eastern Egg Rock, a 7-acre island on the outer edge of Muscongus Bay (map). Puffins disappeared from the Eastern Coast of the United States for a long time.…

  • Parishes in Louisiana that I have Visited

    There are 64 Parishes in Louisiana – “The Bayou State“ Also be sure to see my United States County Counting Page for the rest of the states. I have visited 32 Parishes = 50.0% of Parishes in Louisiana Parishes visited are colored-in; parishes still needing to be visited are blank.  Map created using Mob Rule.…

Latest Comments

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

  4. Dr Howder delivered me Feb 20 ,1935. Also my two sons 1957,1960. He was also my family doctor. I lived…

  5. In April/May 2025, I took a trip from home (south-central Missouri) to the 100th Meridian on the “River Road” west…