Marion, Virginia, USA

Hundreds of white crosses topped by American flags create a forest of honor on the Smyth County court house lawn. It's an annual Memorial Day tradition that helps the community remember veterans who lost their lives defending our country. The tradition persisted during 2020 and continues this year. [2019]

Henderson, Nevada, USA

"I love you this much," he says to summer, which he may see as Big Gulp season. Yes, summer begins this week end. Pay no attention to that June 20 date the astronomers call the first day of summer! Everybody knows that the three months of high sun (at least in the United States) begins on Memorial Day and ends on Labor Day. [2019]

Madison, Wisconsin, USA

Wisconsin's current capitol was built in 1917. Amazingly, it has always been a true capitol, serving as home to all three branches of state government: the governor, the legislature, and the supreme court. In other states, that is not always the case. On this date in 1848, Wisconsin became the 30th state to join the Union. [2019 and 1991]

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Does façade preservation qualify as historical preservation? It's sometimes the only way for cities to modernize without completely destroying the spirit of place. In this case, Baltimore's signature streetscape (can you find the street sign?) will offer some 21st century office and restaurant space while maintaining the city's historic character. [2021]
 

Washington, DC, USA

Inflatable tank at the International Spy Museum: "This phony tank is similar to what the Luftwaffe saw from the air. . . . to mislead Germany about the location and the date of the D-Day invasion of France. Later, on the battlefields of Europe, the phantom divisions and fictitious convoys . . . were amazingly effective at fooling the enemy." [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]

Williams, Arizona, USA

Next month, Williams will cash in on its location along Route 66 by using its annual classic car show to bring back some semblance of normalcy. Watching over it all will be a permanent fixture of the town's cultural landscape: an old Ford Bronco. [2019]

Freeport, Maine, USA

When we build models, they are usually smaller than the things they represent. Think: model cars and world globes. In the case of the L.L. Bean emporium, the model boot is larger than any boot you might wear on your foot. Think: Jack in the Beanstalk. Get it? [2019]

Lincoln, Nebraska, USA

Here's another state map on a street sign, but in this case the opus seems to be a public-private partnership. The public side: City of Lincoln. The private side: Nebraska Pork Producers. What if this idea took off in popularity? How would your community's cultural landscape look different? By the way, these two streets are in the state fair grounds. [2007]

York, Pennsylvania, USA

Every map needs a compass rose. So, thank you, York, for the appliqué. Now think about your county: What appliqué could you use to spotlight its place in the world? In the case of York County, your alternatives might be a barbell, a pretzel, or an animal cracker, all in the interest of enhancing everyone's sense of place. [2010]

Oxford, North Carolina, USA

Want to test your creativity? Look at the outline map of your state and turn it into something to be proud of in your local environment. Here's an example: Oxford is "Home to North Carolina's Hot Sauce Contest." Somebody has morphed the state map into a chili pepper. How creative! [2013]

Jonesboro, Georgia, USA

See the map? It's an outline of Clayton County. See the gateway to history? It says Historic Jonesboro, which is the county seat. How has your community branded its street signs? With a map? Its name? A historic silhouette? If you wanted to use a map, what would be your choice: state, county, municipality? [2015]

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]

Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

The flow below is not water and the stream bed is not rock. The stream of traffic under this covered bridge glides along on a veneer of macadam. Although not an authentic covered bridge, definitional boundaries are being tested since this one has been built to look a bit like the medieval wooden crossing in Lucerne, Switzerland. [2013]

Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK

Do inter-edificial passageways count as covered bridges if they are covered? Do glass tubes count as covered bridges even if they are not made of wood? Do elevated crossings count as covered bridges if the flow below is not water? Does an urban university have as much right to have a covered bridge as a rural countryside? [2009]
 

Versailles, France

Not only is Versailles a former royal palace, it is also a town. In fact, in the 1600s it was planned and built from scratch. Louis XIV's father had used the land, which was served by a small village, as a hunting ground. When the Sun King came to power, he asked his architects to build an entirely new town, plus a palace that would be the envy of the world. [2005]

Versailles, France

Louis XIV, the Sun King, held that the gardens at Versailles were just as important as the palace so he commissioned a major renovation in 1661. Why so much attention to the gardens? They were where the Kings of France could demonstrate their mastery of the land, and, by extension, their command of the earth. Florae are so much more servile than people. [2005]

Versailles, France

The Honor Gate serves as the ceremonial entrance to the Chateau de Versailles, residence of France's reigning royals from 1682 until the French Revolution brought down the monarchy in 1789. The Revolution also brought down the original "golden gate," only to be replaced by this one, and then a replica of the original in 2008. [2005]

Berlin, Germany

After the Berlin Wall was toppled in 1989, the Brandenburg Gate re-emerged as a symbol of unification rather than the division that had plagued Germany since 1961. The TV tower with its trademark sphere is one of the anchors of Alexanderplatz. Here you are, looking from west to east, five years after the wall came down. [1994]

Changhua, Taiwan

One of the most impressive gates in Taiwan leads on to the Great Buddha statue and temple, which occupy Mount Baghua, the highest point in Changhua. The entire site is a 20th century creation that appeals to tourists but, more importantly, provides a point of pride for the Taiwanese themselves. [2012]

Jerusalem, Israel

The walled city of Jerusalem is punctuated by eight portals (but one is closed). This is the newest and is therefore called the New Gate even though it is well over a century old. It was cut through the ramparts to provide easier access to the Christian Quarter from the outside world (where you see the traffic). [2010]

Europa Road, Gibraltar

Although it doesn't look very regal, Prince Edward's Gate was one of the main entrances into the British colony of Gibraltar. It was opened in 1790 through a defensive wall that was built in the 1500s. Prince Edward was Queen Victoria's father. [2015]

Dublin, Ireland

Dublin's triumphal arch (looking very Roman) was built as a war memorial to the Dublin Fusiliers, not as a gateway. Nevertheless, it does provide a ceremonial entrance to St. Stephen's Green from Grafton Street which is situated in the commercial heart of the city. [2004]

Munich, Germany

Isar is the name of the river on which Munich is located. Tor is the German word for gate. So, Munich's Isartor is the gate that led to the river Isar. The gate itself is flanked by two defensive towers. The superjacent fresco tells a story that dates from the 1300s: In other words, it's irrelevant, though it does add some much-needed color. [1994]

Spring Hill, Kansas, USA

To revitalize downtown, Spring Hill relocated the old city jail from a city park to a position of prominence on one of the town's main streets. It dates back only to the 1920s and was used mainly to take care of drunkards and troublemakers. Today, it provides a history lesson about local problem solving in the not-too-distant past. [2021]

Kansas City, Missouri, USA

Electric scooters have become common sights on city streets across the country. Compare the footprint of the electric scooters seen here with the footprint of the full-size automobiles across the street. Which mode of transit is more space consuming? more energy efficient? more calorie consumptive? more climate neutral? more winter worthy? [2021]

Hague, North Dakota, USA

North Dakota's state government takes the rules for surviving Covid seriously. South Dakota's state government flouts all the Covid rules, including mandates to wear masks. When the road from Pierre to Bismarck crosses the state line, North Dakota has erected a reminder that casts mask-wearing in a more favorable light. [2021]

Pierre, South Dakota, USA

"Pierre's first school house" goes back to 1881, pre-dating the establishment of the city's public schools. Its tenure as a school was short, but the building survived into the 1960s when it was moved by a group of preservation-minded citizens from a street in town to become a focal point of the capital city's riverfront park. [2021]

New York, New York, USA

What does the Central Park Zoo want you to know about the Red Panda? The Red Panda has a masked face and a ringed tail resembling that of a raccoon. This mild-mannered animal defends its territory by standing on its hind legs and using its sharp claws. If that doesn't work, the panda can release a strong odor from scent glands at the base of the tail. [2018]

Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA

What does ZooAmerica want you to know about the porcupine? A porcupine has no need to be quick since their barbed quills keep almost all predators away. About 30,000 quills cover the animal's body. When threatened, the porcupine turns its back and raises its quills. A porcupine cannot "shoot" its quills, but a flick of the tail can drive them into an attacker. [2019]

Bismarck, North Dakota, USA

What does the Dakota Zoo want you to know about the North American River Otter? ”Nature’s clown” is often observed sliding, swimming, jumping and playing with other otters. Once common in many North Dakota waterways, they were wiped out in the early years of the fur trade. Now, they are making a comeback in the state. [2021]