Lykens, Pennsylvania, USA

Defining Main Street: The Train Station. Rail lines were lifelines for most small towns, where train depots served passenger and freight interests. Proof of their iconic status: All those 20th-century Christmas tree yards that featured Lionel or Bachman choo-choos always had a snap-together rail depot to authenticate the townscape. [2022]

Canal Winchester, Ohio, USA

Towering above all other buildings in the Canal Winchester Historical Complex is the cathedral-like grain elevator, a sign of agricultural prosperity. The rail line came in 1869, quickly diluting the importance of the Ohio and Erie Canal as a means of getting the crops to the market. Today, the canal is a memory perpetuated only by the town's name. [2017]

Georgetown, Indiana, USA

The new year begins a week after Christmas. It should begin a week after Easter. And, if it began even later, in May for instance, all of nature's decorations would be ready for the celebration of new life. For some, though, the new year – the first year – will begin soon. [2022]

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Here is an example of acculturation without assimilation. The Amish came to America in the early 1700s. Three centuries later, they are still visually identifiable as "plain people." Yet, they have borrowed from "English" culture. See the cell phones? What unites them with the muscular dude on the end? The American flag overhead. [2021]

Orange, Texas, USA

Concrete oranges, all painted by local artists, dot the landscape of Orange, Texas. They recall the city and county of Orange and the acres of orange groves that contributed to the area's economic base before the citrus industry shifted further south. This one greets visitors to the Southern Pacific Railroad Depot, which is now a museum. [2022]

White River Junction, Vermont, USA

If Vermont and New Hampshire ever merge, White River Junction will be the capital of the new state. Why? Because it is so centrally located. That centrality was initially provided by the junction of the Connecticut and White Rivers; then, it was reinforced first by the railroads, and then by the junction of I-91 and I-89. [2022]

Washington, DC, USA

A+ for cross-pollination of ideas! If you think the colors and geometric patterns of the desert Southwest are out of place in humid Washington, D.C., consider where you really are: Southwest DC! Why not bring the place-based hues of the sparselands to the urban landscapes of our nation's capital? See the capitol dome? [2021]

Lenexa, Kansas, USA

It's only a row of storefronts along the town's main street. What sets it apart? A passenger rail station that seems to serve no one, but proudly displays a clock and the town's name. It has the feel of a residence but seems new and a bit mysterious. Maybe Lenexa should add an explanatory plaque. [2021]

Prescott, Wisconsin, USA

The massive, industrial-strength, vertical-lift bridge in Prescott carries the BNSF rail line across the St. Croix River between Wisconsin and Minnesota. Information on the bridge, though, is hard to find. Why has some master's thesis not been done on this bridge? Perhaps because theses are no longer required for such degrees! 😬Bitter lament. [2021]

Cape May, New Jersey, USA

Cape May casts itself as America's original seaside resort. What's that have to do with this mailbox? Before railroads came into existence, there was no way for anyone to get to the seaside. However, when a rail line was built to connect Philadelphia to the New Jersey shore, patrons appeared and a resort for the elite was born. [2020]

Lenexa, Kansas, USA

Centenarians demand respect! Ergo, the defunct Lanexa Grain and Feed Elevator, which was built in 1917, demands respect. The problem is that the surrounding land no longer produces grain. It has been gobbled up by the urban expansion of Kansas City. Nevertheless, the BNSF train whistles a cheery 'hello' every time it passes. Now, that's respect. [2021]

Norfolk, Virginia, USA

Each day, two trains leave the Norfolk Station on their was to Boston. Amtrak calls the route the Northeast Corridor. Geographers call the region Megalopolis, with Norfolk as the southern anchor. Most of these folks, however, were getting off in Washington or before. For more details, head on over to Geographically Yours America. [2021]

Graz, Austria

The flow below is not water, but could this still be considered a covered bridge? Say yes: (a) It is a bridge. (b) It is covered. (c) It looks like it is built out of wood. Say no: (a) The wood is merely cladding. (b) 19th-century building rules were not followed. (c) There is no wooden truss to distribute the weight to either side. [2003]

Williams, Arizona, USA

Would you call this a covered bridge? Yes: It is a bridge and it is covered. No: It is neither wooden nor authentic. Remember how the National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges sees it. Real covered bridges must be built of wood using authentic materials and skills. This may be an authentic box car, but certainly not an authentic bridge. [2019]

Flagstaff, Arizona, USA

Amtrak's Southwest Chief (see it?) runs from Chicago to Los Angeles and still calls at Flagstaff, but the station isn't as busy as it used to be, so now it functions as a visitor center as well. And, no, you don't see it because that's a freight train, many of which still pass through town. [2019]

Koper, Slovenia

This is one of the reasons why European cities are "greener" than US cities. People have convenient access to intercity trains and they use them en masse. One engine gets everyone where they are going. In other parts of the world, every person must have a carbon-burning engine of their own. [2008]

Crossett, Arkansas, USA

Do you have your Christmas tree yard set up yet? Some of us remember the days when we would build a Christmas village from plastic snap-together buildings, add some miniature trees and ornaments, lay down the tracks and let Lionel liven up the holidays. Or maybe you just laid the tracks around the base of your tree. [2018]

Kingman, Arizona, USA

Maps on the Landscape: Here's one on a wall, just loving its position at the center of the Kingman city seal. Blank walls make such perfect tableaux for mural maps, miners, and steam locomotives. Mural maps are perfect for unleashing the power of place. [2009]

Glouster, Ohio, USA

How many bridges are required when a river, a road, and a railroad cross paths? Two: one to carry the railroad across the water, and another to carry the road. Such a convergence is not unique, but when you add a bright red covered bridge, you have taken a bland landscape and made it sparkle. [2017]

Meridian, Mississippi, USA

So faux: That's not a real locomotive, but it's probably inspired by one. The U.S. Postal Service does everything it can to standardize mailboxes across the country, then people show them how creative they can be anyway. [2005]