COUNTY HIGHPOINTING

When checking with Andy Martin, County High Pointing Guru, about plugging this activity here, he offered: "It's a nice hobby if you like maps, navigating, geography, getting outdoors, hiking, bushwacking, and sometimes talking to landowners." Hmm...hey, Andy, how's this: Dude, you have to be eccentric or bordering on insane/foolhardy to do this stuff!  Like reaching 3142 counties in all 50 states?  Yikes!  See link HAZARDS photos of what you might encounter while engaging in this outdoor endeavor. Links:  County Highpointers   COHP egroup   COHP HAZARDS

PARIS WAYMARK

On our return from our Moscow to St. Petersburg trip, via Volga River, we managed to swing 3 nights in Paris before returning to the US. Had a very nice, affordable stay at the Hotel la Bouronnaise on Avenue de la Bouronnaise less than a mile from the Eiffel Tower, walking distance. Per the time we had, we covered Paris rather well:  the Tower, Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre/D'Orsay museums - the Mona Lisa/Impressionist art resp, a Seine River on-off tour boat gig, the same for a double-deck tour-bus take of the city, shops of Rue Cler, and several hits on cutsy French sidewalk restaurants. The fare was expensive and 'ok.' Avoid the Paris Metro unless you like more walking than riding. We didn't make the Paris high point, "Rue du Telegraphe," but bagged a WayMark in front of Notre Dame Cathedral, one we had no idea of until we arrived there. This marker is aprx 50ft in front of the ND entrance. Once we learned it existed, we had to squirrel around till finally locating it amidst the huge crowd there. It's designated POINT ZERO/DES ROUTES DE PARIS, a.k.a. The Center of Paris or the city's street layout focal point on Ile da la Cite, an island in the Seine.

While our stay was time-compacted, we did it free-lance and enjoyed the challenge. In France, English is a 2nd language, we're told, but approaching the French, and others - foreign tourists as us, was a tad frustrating since they were as clueless as we.  At times it seems the French were playing dumb (often indifferent) in the midst of lucrative tourist revenue.  Links:  Paris   Ile da la Cite   Paris HP

LARGEST EUROPE LAKES

When on a river cruise on the Volga between Moscow and St. Petersburg, the prospects for bagging geo-extremes are few.  Just go along with the group and don't fall overboard trying to be different. This trip was made last summer with Grand Circle Travel.  The upper-right picture is from the dock on Kizhi Island with a far view of the Transfiguration Church, the island's historical, dominating structure.  Kizhi is located on Europe's 2nd largest lake, Onezhskoye (Onega). Continuing NE on our sail, Lake Laatokka (Ladoga) was next, The Big Kahuna, Europe's Number One.  It was nearing dusk and no dockings were made.  The bottom-right photo is the definitive geo-shot, then, including a spit of southern lakeshore and a "sailer" at the bow of trusty Russian river-cruiser, Rossia.  Again, the question is asked: Is there a future for Lake-Pointing?  Links:  L. Ladoga ;  L. Onega ; Europe Lakes

U.S. NORTHWESTERN-MOST POINT

Of the contig 48, i.e...


This GeoXtreme aquisition was part of our U.S. NW trip focused on attending the OR12 HP Konvention.  We landed in Portland in advance of the meet date then rental-car-rolled CW along the Pacific coast covering this site and Mt. St. Helens via Seattle.

Reaching Neah Bay fishing village via Rt112 and beyond bordered on rustic though super-scenic. Destination:  Cape Flattery, a.k.a., The Point.  The 3/4 mile trailhead had a nice parking area plus clean toilets.  The trail itself was too-cool:  a wonderful forested  path much of which was a neat, well-maintained winding "boardwalk."  Once arrived at The Point, we enjoyed a non-pariel view of the Pacific and it's rocky-gnarly edging. Follow Cape Flattery Road out of Neah Bay about 4 mi. to the traihead.

A tad below The Point is Cape Alava, the western-most point of the 48 contiguous. It's just slightly more west than CF. Reach Ozette, also, via Rt 112: turn left 5mi west of Seiki and follow Hoko Ozette Rd. 21 miles to the Cape Alava trailhead.  This 3 mi trail, too, consists of boardwalks which lead to the Pacific coastline.  Links:  Cape Flattery ; Cape Alava   Of course, Google for more info.