# A For Fun Geography Game
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [August 8, 2005, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121 "2005-08-08T15:56:55Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/21 "2005-08-08T17:56:03Z")
> [@tdn](#):
>
> Just for more fun, name the Northernmost state in the US.
> Easternmost?
> Southernmost?
> Westernmost?
North – Alaska (Minnesota in the lower 48)
East – Maine
South – Hawaii (Florida in the lower 48)
West – Hawaii (Washigton in the lower 48)
---
### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/22 "2005-08-08T18:02:01Z")
> [@Bearflag70](#):
>
> Northernmost: Alaska
> Easternmost: Alaska
> Southernmost: Hawaii
> Westernmost: Alaska
Correct!
---
### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/23 "2005-08-08T18:04:15Z")
I was almost certian that the Slough of Despond was a real place, but I can’t find any references I can trust beyond Pilgrim’s Progress, fictional.
Dismal Swamp is in SE Virginia and NE North Carolina, not far north of Nags Head
Glocca Morra is mainly a town in Ireland in a song title, but there are websites for places in Ireland by that name. Take your pick.
Halls of Montezuma – After the Marines participated in the capture and occupation of Mexico City and the Castle of Chapultepec, otherwise known as the “Halls of Montezuma,” the words on the Colors were changed to read: “From the Shores of Tripoli to the Halls of Montezuma.” (from [this link](http://hqinet001.hqmc.usmc.mil/HD/Historical/Customes_Traditions/Marines_Hymn.htm))
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### Author:  [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/24 "2005-08-08T18:29:31Z")
> [@tdn](#):
>
> Correct!
That’s one of my favorite trivia questions. I usually ask people what the southernmost state capital is. They sometimes guess Austin, TX or Talahassee, FL.
How about this…
Put these cities in order from west to east:
Seattle, WA
Boise, ID
Los Angeles, CA
San Francisco, CA
Reno, NV
FUN TRIVIA: Westernmost Florida is farther west that Easternmost Wisconsin
---
### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/25 "2005-08-08T18:32:42Z")
Which is further east, Atlanta or Quito Ecuador?
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### Author:  [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/26 "2005-08-08T18:34:24Z")
Which reminds me. Did anybody ever solve that infuriating order of states problem which was circulating on the net a year or so back? It was a list of US states, to which a few more were added from time to time. The question was to work out why they were in this particular order and the answer may have had something to do with sports (or maybe not). I think it was posted with some company at first, perhaps Microsoft.
---
### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/27 "2005-08-08T18:34:49Z")
> [@Bearflag70](#):
>
> That’s one of my favorite trivia questions. I usually ask people what the southernmost state capital is. They sometimes guess Austin, TX or Talahassee, FL.
>
> How about this…
>
> Put these cities in order from west to east:
>
> Seattle, WA
> Boise, ID
> Los Angeles, CA
> San Francisco, CA
> Reno, NV
>
> FUN TRIVIA: Westernmost Florida is farther west that Easternmost Wisconsin
I know L.A. is east of Reno, so the guessing part would be (from west to east):
San Francisco
Seattle
Reno
Boise
L.A.
(Now I’ll go look for myself.)
---
### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/28 "2005-08-08T18:36:25Z")
> [@Bearflag70](#):
>
> Put these cities in order from west to east:
>
> Seattle, WA
> Boise, ID
> Los Angeles, CA
> San Francisco, CA
> Reno, NV
Oh dear. Seattle, SF, LA, Reno?
You are travelling from the Atlantic to the Pacific via the Panama Canal. In which direction are you travelling?
---
### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/29 "2005-08-08T18:36:56Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#):
>
> Which reminds me. Did anybody ever solve that infuriating order of states problem which was circulating on the net a year or so back? It was a list of US states, to which a few more were added from time to time. The question was to work out why they were in this particular order and the answer may have had something to do with sports (or maybe not). I think it was posted with some company at first, perhaps Microsoft.
I just have a vague memory of it. No idea of a solution being posted.
---
### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/30 "2005-08-08T18:38:11Z")
> [@tdn](#):
>
> Oh dear. Seattle, SF, LA, Reno?
>
> You are travelling from the Atlantic to the Pacific via the Panama Canal. In which direction are you travelling?
Easterly
---
### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/31 "2005-08-08T18:39:58Z")
If you could drill a hole through the center of the earth and come out on the opposite side of the globe, where would you be (in general – will vary substantially based on where you are 😃 )
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/32 "2005-08-08T18:46:56Z")
> [@Zeldar](#):
>
> If you could drill a hole through the center of the earth and come out on the opposite side of the globe
Dead.
Or all wet.
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### Author:  [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/33 "2005-08-08T18:47:14Z")
> [@Zeldar](#):
>
> If you could drill a hole through the center of the earth and come out on the opposite side of the globe, where would you be (in general – will vary substantially based on where you are 😃 )
IIRC, if you are anywhere in the US, you will come out in the Indian Ocean.
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### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/34 "2005-08-08T18:49:08Z")
> [@tdn](#):
>
> Dead.
>
> Or all wet.
Bingo. Add: quite warm
---
### Author:  [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/35 "2005-08-08T18:51:13Z")
> [@Zeldar](#):
>
> I know L.A. is east of Reno, so the guessing part would be (from west to east):
>
> San Francisco
> Seattle
> Reno
> Boise
> L.A.
>
> (Now I’ll go look for myself.)
Close. The answer is:
San Francisco
Seattle
Reno
Los Angeles
Boise
---
### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/36 "2005-08-08T18:55:26Z")
> [@Bearflag70](#):
>
> Close. The answer is:
>
> San Francisco
> Seattle
> Reno
> Los Angeles
> Boise
Thanks. I had no sense of Boise in relation to those others.
Do you mind grading me on my wrong answers to your other list from earlier?
No need to report the correct ones, if any.
---
### Author:  [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/37 "2005-08-08T18:56:24Z")
Which is further south:
San Diego, CA
Dallas, TX
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### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/38 "2005-08-08T19:01:43Z")
> [@Bearflag70](#):
>
> Which is further south:
>
> San Diego, CA
> Dallas, TX
Without looking, I’ll say Dallas. Reasoning that even though SD is in the bottom left of CA and Dallas is in the upper half of Texas, I-40 goes almost due east from L.A. and passes through Oklahoma which is way north of Dallas. I’m guessing the SD is less further south of L.A. than Dallas is from Oklahoma. Also the Mexico border runs kinda southeast from California, which is another clue.
Plus it’s got to be a trick answer.
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### Author:  [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/39 "2005-08-08T19:31:04Z")
Folsom Prison: Near Sacramento, CA
London Bridge: Original is destroyed; 19th Century version is in Lake Havasu, AZ; current version is in London
Bay of Biscay: Just west of France and north of Spain
Victoria Falls: Southern Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia
Niagra Falls: near Buffalo, NY, between US and Canada
Silicon Valley: Southern end of San Francisco Bay Area (San Jose)
The valley referred to in the term “Valley Girls”: San Fernando Valley, Northwest of downtown LA, CA
Pike’s Peak: Central Colorado near Colorado Springs
Mt. Rushmore: Southwestern South Dakota
Geographic center of N. America: Rugby, ND
Geographic center of US: Butte County, SD; Lebanon, KS (lower 48)
Transylvania: Western Romania, Southeastern Europe
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### Author:  [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2005, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-for-fun-geography-game/316121/40 "2005-08-08T19:59:55Z")
ANSWER: Dallas is north of San Diego
San Diego, CA: 32° 44’ N
Dallas, TX: 32° 51’ N
* * *
QUESTION: Which is closer to El Paso, TX
Houston, TX
San Diego, CA
QUESTION: Which is closer to Amarillo, TX
Brownsville, TX
Pierre, SD
QUESTION: Which is closer to Houston, TX
El Paso, TX
Jacksonville, FL
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