Something cool, unique, facts...about your area?

[paulspaddle]

Hi, I hope this thread will work.

I think I can safely say that if there is one thing all boaters have in common is the enjoyment of outdoors. In spending time outside we've gotten to know some interesting things about our various locations across North America and the World.

I'm hoping in this thread you'll share some of these geographically interesting tidbits of your locale that most people wouldn't typically know about. Keep it to earth and nature and mostly water related as this is iboats, not people. For example it may have been a cool experience that day Sally Fields came to your door because her snowmobile ran out of gas on your front lawn...but not for this thread.

My tidbit is we purchased a cabin two hours north of Winnipeg, Manitoba. (google Matheson Island, Manitoba if your curious) We thought it was so cool to see not one, but three bald eagles on our first visit to the cabin. Our neighbours said, "wait until the end of summer, you'll see a lot more than that!"

Turns out we are on a migratory path of bald eagles and every Sept-Oct the bay will be filled with them. The birds in the pic are almost all (a few crows) eagles. The pic doesn't do it justice but we counted over 50. The summer before we counted 23 in one tree which apparently is odd as they don't typically hang out in groups.

Looking forward to reading and seeing (pics and links are encouraged) about your locations!

 

[Tacklewasher]

Re: Something cool, unique, facts...about your area?

Not my current area, but close to where you are.

As a kid my family had a cabin on Wanipigow Lake about 300 miles north of Winnipeg.

Apparently on the migratory route for Pelicans. Used to see dozens land there. Also, the first solid evidence of intensive harvesting of wild rice and goosefoot in Manitoba by aboriginals was found at the Wanipigow Lake.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Something cool, unique, facts...about your area?

In my part of the world, we are currently marking the return of the Brown Pelican to a healthy population. We almost lost them, due to DDT use. Since the chemical was banned a long time ago, the problem with thin egg shells is no longer a threat to their survival and they are doing very well!

They are ugly birds in many ways, but watching them fly is amazing. They coast along the surface with grace and suddely "swoop" in an upwards direction, only to fold their wings and "crash" into the water to catch a fish.



???

 

[Skiuseme]

Re: Something cool, unique, facts...about your area?

La Crosse, WI

We are located in the Driftless Area. During the last glacial period we were spared from a flat landscape.

S&S Cycle held their 50th Annivasary Here and 50 of the worlds greatest bike builders were here in town for a week.

G. Heilman Brewing Company was founded in La Crosse in 1858. Brewing Great beers Like Old Style and Special Export. In its hayday it was the 3rd largest brewery in the Nation behind Anheuser-Busch and Miller.

Worlds Largest 6 Pack of beer is still standing tall and being used to age beer. Holds enough beer to fill 7,340,796 cans of beer.

I live here.

 

[FBPirate95]

Re: Something cool, unique, facts...about your area?

This is for Amelia Island, Florida:


Native American bands associated with the Timucuan mound-building culture settled on the island, which they called Napoyca, circa 1000. They would remain on Napoyca until the early 18th century.

Since then, the island has frequently changed possession and been under eight different flags - the only United States location to have done so!

 

[Brent S]

Re: Something cool, unique, facts...about your area?

We have the highest toll in the USA.
It costs us $12.00 one way on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel
($5.00 return if less than 24hrs) to get to the rest of the state of Virginia.

Virginia's Beautiful Eastern Shore is about 15 miles wide and 70 miles long with the atlantic ocean and barrier islands to the east and the Chesapeake Bay to the west.

Virginia Beach and Norfolk are a 20 ish mile bridge and tunnel $12.00 toll away.

The creek I live on has Channel markers.
It's a slower pace of life than when I lived in Philly but we gave up hearing traffic reports on the radio for tide reports. How cool is that?

Lots of trade offs, the Mall, 70 miles away, Wall mart 40 miles away but they are building one right near by. The verizon, can you hear me now?, guy has never been here..

It's like a small town people-wise but spread out over a large area.

I do love it here but I find I miss the mountains and good snow.

 

[thrillhouse700]

Re: Something cool, unique, facts...about your area?

In my neighborhood, if I leave anything out for too long it will get stolen!!!!

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Something cool, unique, facts...about your area?

We have the monarch butterfly. Amazing sight.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Something cool, unique, facts...about your area?

In my neighborhood, if I leave anything out for too long it will get stolen!!!!

Used to live in one of them myself back in England !!!

 

[642mx]

Re: Something cool, unique, facts...about your area?

We have a LST-325 sitting here in my town. Its actually sitting on the Ohio river...hahaha Some LST's where built here, this one still runs and cruises...

Other than that, I don't think there is anything special about Evansville, IN. Its a cool town with crappy boat ramps.

Now I do live about 2 hours away from the biggest man-made lake in the Eastern United States...... (Kentucky Lake/Lake Barkley). When the Ohio river is too high, this is where I go.

 

[paulspaddle]

Re: Something cool, unique, facts...about your area?

We have a LST-325 sitting here in my town. Its actually sitting on the Ohio river...hahaha Some LST's where built here, this one still runs and cruises...

Other than that, I don't think there is anything special about Evansville, IN. Its a cool town with crappy boat ramps.

Now I do live about 2 hours away from the biggest man-made lake in the Eastern United States...... (Kentucky Lake/Lake Barkley). When the Ohio river is too high, this is where I go.

Had to google that as i had no idea what you were talking about.
http://www.lstmemorial.org/

Anybody live near the Hunley?? North Charleston, South Carolina??
http://www.hunley.org/

 

[642mx]

Re: Something cool, unique, facts...about your area?

Had to google that as i had no idea what you were talking about.
http://www.lstmemorial.org/

Sorry boss... here is some more info about the big ole boat. Scroll down to the bottom for info about the Evansville shipyard. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_LST-325

 

[roscoe]

Re: Something cool, unique, facts...about your area?

I am located equidistant between the equator and the north pole, at 45* north latitude.

I am also located at 90* west longitude.

And we are located at the highest point in the state.

The eastern continental divide runs a short distance east of our home.
So if I pee in my yard, it will drain into the Gulf of Mexico. But if I pee in the woods at the boat landing, it will drain into the Atlantic ocean.

220 million frozen pizzas are made in my town annually.

Jack Link's meat jerky snacks factory is near by.
And his estranged son's Jerky Snacks Inc factory is just blocks away.

We are the "Mink Capitol of the World". Most of the mink pelts are sold to Russia.

 

[fjohn]

Re: Something cool, unique, facts...about your area?

eastern north dakota - right now we got nothin', could just as well be bumf$#&, north pole. It's a hateful place for about 7 months. No ocean, no lakes, no palm trees, no riff raff. Oh, and our all time record low temperature is right at about -43 degrees F. We weren't quite that today.. something like -15 F. You gotta love it! I don't.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Something cool, unique, facts...about your area?

Marble..... I live in a town where marble once was the money maker.

Here is a c&p short excerpt from wiki " contributed marble to the Washington Monument, United States Supreme Court building, Arlington National Cemetery, and Yale University's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library."

We still have the quarries but in my town they are all shut down

Adjacent areas have everything built from marble.... bridges, sidewalks, churches and 1/2 of my foundation is marble scrap too. I even have a marble wall along the front of my home next to the road.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Something cool, unique, facts...about your area?

Apparently on the migratory route for Pelicans. Used to see dozens land there.

Peoria, IL is on route for the white pelicans. There are hundreds of them in the river each fall. I'll try to find the pictures.

Also, we have bald eagles that live here. The first time I ever actually saw one, my wife and I were giving an impromptu boat ride to a perfect stranger, from Jordan, that we met at the city docks. He was very impressed, and said, "isn't that your national symbol?"

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Something cool, unique, facts...about your area?

We have a LST-325 sitting here in my town. Its actually sitting on the Ohio river...hahaha Some LST's where built here, this one still runs and cruises...

And to prove that, here are two pictures of it docked in Peoria, IL in August 2007:

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Something cool, unique, facts...about your area?

St Johns river is the second largest river that flows NORTH.

 

[angus63]

Re: Something cool, unique, facts...about your area?

We have a LST-325 sitting here in my town. Its actually sitting on the Ohio river...hahaha Some LST's where built here, this one still runs and cruises...

Other than that, I don't think there is anything special about Evansville, IN. Its a cool town with crappy boat ramps.

Now I do live about 2 hours away from the biggest man-made lake in the Eastern United States...... (Kentucky Lake/Lake Barkley). When the Ohio river is too high, this is where I go.

I sailed on LST-1196 Harlan County. Beware of the "Gator bites"!!

 

[alumi numb]

Re: Something cool, unique, facts...about your area?

And to prove that, here are two pictures of it docked in Peoria, IL in August 2007:

there's a good chance my dad worked on that boat.
during the war he was a welder in seneca.
i lived in sterling and our area is going to be known for something else.
thompson prison housing gitmo prisoners as most probably know by now.