Where am I? -- Volume I

[Mark Sedenquist]

I've never set foot (or any other body part) in a Kayak. The mere notion of doing an "Eskimo Roll," even in tropical waters (much less in the arctic), quite frankly terrifies me.

I never did enough, of course, but I did kayak a number of big rivers in my younger days and even (safely) made it down about a 15-foot waterfall. Blind, dumb luck and a massive fear-induced brace -- kept me from attempting an Eskimo roll in the middle of the waterfall. I was kayaking with a bunch of folks far more experienced than me and I was the only one who made the trip with nary a tip. Lots of crashing that day!

Mark

[Rick Quinn]

To me that looks like a canal barge, such as on the Erie Canal.
Donna

Yes, it's a canal boat (barges are for cargo; this old thing was for passengers).

I don't think anything between Buffalo and Albany is a major city with a famous downtown.

And yes, that's quite true. Nothing in that area fits the other clues. Surely there must be some other canal that's near a famous river, close to a major city etc. etc.? A couple more clues, coming right up:

This is one of the locks that was used to raise and lower the boats traveling up and down the canal, which was built for the express purpose of ferrying people and goods around that waterfall, which, then, as now, has always been considered an 'impediment to navigation.'



And this is the Tavern, for the benefit of travelers going to and from that major city with the famous downtown. (Then, as now.)



Rick

[glc]

You should have redacted the name on the boat. That's the Great Falls of the Potomac, near Washington DC. The canal is the C&O. I believe that's the Great Falls Tavern, which is now a visitor's center.

[Rick Quinn]

You should have redacted the name on the boat. That's the Great Falls of the Potomac, near Washington DC. The canal is the C&O. I believe that's the Great Falls Tavern, which is now a visitor's center.

Good job once again, glc! That's a Yes to Great Falls, a Yes to the Potomac River, a Yes to Washington D.C., a Yes to the C&O (Chesapeake and Ohio) Canal, and an extra big YES to the Great Falls Tavern! That's five in a row--I do believe you just got a Bingo! (And something tells me you probably would have sleuthed out those answers, even without the name of the Charles E Mercer, but it might have taken a few extra clicks!)

Washington D.C. wasn't always the urban tangle that exists there today. As recently as the 1960's, most of the surrounding area was forests and farms (with a little bit of swamp ;-). There are many traces of that legacy still intact, some of it surprisingly close to the city, but there's nothing else in the inner circle that's nearly as wild as the Great Falls of the Potomac.

The river in that area marks the boundary between the State of Maryland and the Commonwealth of Virginia, so there are separately maintained, separately accessed parks and viewpoints on each side. There isn't a bridge here, so even though you can easily see from one to the other, Great Falls National Park in Virginia and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park in Maryland are separated not just by the river, but by twelve miles of road. The Maryland side has more stuff to look at, so it's probably more interesting for families. The Virginia side has wilder views, (arguably) better for photographers:



Great Falls makes for a pretty Great day trip, from just about anywhere in the DC area. (With or without your kayak!)

Rick

[Rick Quinn]

I'm cruising down a major Interstate Highway, on the outskirts of a major U.S. City, when I see something unusual out of the corner of my eye. I take the next conveniently placed exit, and I get out of my car to take a closer look.

From up above, I'm still not sure. Teeny tiny grass-covered volcanoes, maybe?



So I walk down the embankment. Nope, not a volcano. Heck, I'm not even sure it's natural!



Could be some kind of landfill. Or maybe it IS just a plain ordinary hill, in bad need of a haircut?



Either way, Where am I?


Note: Any resemblance this photo might bear to any actual person in any prior historical era is entirely coincidental

[DonnaR57]

I'm going to guess somewhere in Illinois, because they appear to be native American mounds. The ones closest to a city are the Cahokia Mounds, near St Louis MO, but I haven't seen them in 27 years so I can't really remember (and the photos are slides packed away, not transferred yet to digital). That would be close to I-55/70.


Donna

[glc]

That's the first thing that came to my mind before reading your reply, Donna.

[Rick Quinn]

I'm going to guess somewhere in Illinois, because they appear to be native American mounds. The ones closest to a city are the Cahokia Mounds, near St Louis MO, but I haven't seen them in 27 years so I can't really remember (and the photos are slides packed away, not transferred yet to digital). That would be close to I-55/70.

Donna

I had one more clue all ready to go:



But you guys didn't need it! Cahokia Mounds is the correct answer, I-70 is the correct answer, and as for the city? Here's a closer view of the thing you see to the left of the skyline:



Yup! There's no mistaking THAT thing, so I'd say you nailed it: St Louis is the correct answer, and Cahokia Mounds is VERY close, right across the river from downtown. Cahokia was the site of a seriously impressive Native American city that once covered an area of close to six square miles. There were as many as 120 of the large mounds, and in its heyday, around 1100 AD, the place was home to as many as 15,000 people. It was the largest precolumbian population center in North America, and all that's left of it today are the mounds, which are protected as a National Historic Landmark that has also been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site (one of just 24 UNESCO sites in the United States). There's an interesting museum out there, but the mounds are the real attraction. They're everywhere. Try to imagine what that must have been like...

[glc]

Okay, where am I? No hints yet...........

[Rick Quinn]

It has to be somewhere on Route 66, in one of the towns that's trying to draw tourists with kitschy old cars and whatnot. Seligman, Arizona comes to mind; they have plenty of vehicles with eyeballs in their windshields parked here and there around the town, but I don't think your picture is in Arizona. I'm thinking it must be further east. Something like Galena, Kansas, maybe?

Rick