# Tell me about your location - is it famous for anything? Does it hold any records? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 21, 2007, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-location-is-it-famous-for-anything-does-it-hold-any-records/419934 "2007-09-21T00:53:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-location-is-it-famous-for-anything-does-it-hold-any-records/419934/61 "2007-09-21T20:39:51Z")
I’m close to Lebanon, NH, one of the 100 best small towns in America. Middling praise indeed! I also stumbled across this [Money Magazine’s 2007 Top Skinniest Counties](http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2007/top25s/skinniest.html) with their BMIs. My parents just moved to Fort Collins; I’ll have to tell them they need to slim down. 😉 1 **Marin** Corte Madera, Larkspur, Mill Valley, Novato, San Anselmo, San Rafael, Tamalpais-Homestead Valley, Tiburon 24.14 2 **Blaine** Hailey 24.59 3 \*\*La Plata \*\* Durango 24.65 4 \*\*Teton \*\* Jackson 24.81 5 **Garfield** Glenwood Springs, Rifle 24.88 6 \*\*San Francisco \*\* San Francisco 24.92 7 **Boulder** Boulder, Erie, Gunbarrel, Lafayette, Longmont, Louisville, Superior 24.93 8 \*\*Los Alamos \*\* Los Alamos 25.02 9 **Summit Park** City, Summit Park 25.16 10 **Alexandria** city Alexandria 25.44 11 \*\*Sumner \*\* Gallatin, Hendersonville, Portland 25.50 12 \*\*Santa Fe \*\* Santa Fe 25.51 13 \*\*Gallatin \*\* Bozeman 25.52 14 **Douglas** Castle Pines, Castle Rock, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Parker, Stonegate,The Pinery 25.55 15 **Fairfax** Annandale, Bailey’s Crossroads, Burke, Centreville, Chantilly, Dranesville, Dunn Loring, Fort Hunt, Franconia, Great Falls, Groveton, Herndon, Hunter Mill, Huntington, Hybla Valley, Idylwood, Jefferson, Lake Barcroft, Lincolnia, Lorton, McLean, Merrifield, Mount Vernon, Newington, North Springfield, Oakton, Reston, Rose Hill, Springfield, Sully, Tysons Corner, Vienna, West Springfield, Wolf Trap 25.56 16 **DeKalb** DeKalb, Sycamore 25.60 17 \*\*Larimer \*\* Fort Collins, Loveland, Windsor 25.63 18 **Lincoln** Ruidoso 25.66 19 **Litchfield** New Milford, Oakville 25.68 20 **Cache** Smithfield 25.69 21 **Montgomery** Aspen Hill, Bethesda, Burtonsville, Calverton, Chevy Chase, Cloverly, Colesville, Damascus, Fairland, Forest Glen, Gaithersburg, Germantown, Kemp Mill, Montgomery Village, North Bethesda, North Kensington, North Potomac, Olney, Potomac, Redland, Rockville, Rossmoor, Silver Spring, South Kensington, Takoma Park, Travilah, Wheaton-Glenmont, White Oak 25.72 22 \*\*Arlington \*\* Arlington 25.72 23 **Martin** Hobe Sound, Jensen Beach, Palm City, Port Salerno 25.74 24 **Jefferson** Evergreen, Golden, Ken Caryl, Lakewood, Wheat Ridge 25.76 25 \*\*Silver Bow \*\* Butte-Silver Bow 25.78 ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-location-is-it-famous-for-anything-does-it-hold-any-records/419934/62 "2007-09-21T20:44:48Z")
**feppy** , Natchez is also the location of [Forks of the Road](http://mshistory.k12.ms.us/features/feature36/forks_of_the_road.html), which was supposedly the second most active slave market in the South, during the mid 19th century. I think there is a Civil Rights marker there, now. A lot of people can trace their ancestry to the Forks market. Jackson was also the site of the “world’s first heart transplanted into man” in [1964](http://www.umc.edu/hardy/). See? Mississippi isn’t always last in _everything_. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Tapiotar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@Tapiotar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapiotar)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-location-is-it-famous-for-anything-does-it-hold-any-records/419934/63 "2007-09-21T20:52:01Z")
[QUOTE=Terminus Est] Don’t let those folks in Wisconsin tell you otherwise; Ithaca, NY is the true birthplace of the ice cream sundae. There’s also some university here. [/QUOTE] Ithaca was also the home of US moviemaking during the silent film days. Then some upstart place in California where the sun shines more often than it does around here took over. Rod Serling of The Twilight Zone lived here in the 1970’s. ---
**Author:** ![wheelie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b4bc9f/32.png) [@wheelie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wheelie)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-location-is-it-famous-for-anything-does-it-hold-any-records/419934/64 "2007-09-21T21:12:19Z")
I live in the Houston suburb of Clear Lake, home to the [Johnson Space Center](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnson_Space_Center_Shooting) , [Andrea Yates](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrea_Yates) and [Lisa Nowak](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_Nowak). Maybe I should consider moving. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-location-is-it-famous-for-anything-does-it-hold-any-records/419934/65 "2007-09-21T21:17:05Z")
[QUOTE=Pygmy Rugger] Santa Fe- San Miguel Chapel is the oldest church structure in the US. I believe it’s the church that has a spiral staircase that doesn’t use any nails or a center post. It’s the highest state capital (7,000 ft), and is known as “The City Different”. [/QUOTE] Actually, Loretto Chapel has the spiral staircase. And according to Wikipedia, the San Miguel Chapel is not in fact the oldest one in the US, but I’ve also heard it is. State-wide, we’ve also got more government-concealed UFO crashes per capita than any other state, and a relatively famous hot air balloon festival race thingamabob. > [@twickster](#): > > Birthplace of the nation. Other than that, not much. In defense of my hometown, Philadelphia is also well known for cheese-laden greasy meat on a bun, really high crime rates, record-setting sports teams\*, and terrifying, drunk, belligerent sports fans.\*\* \*Most recently, my beloved Phils, who are the first ever MLB team to lose 10,000 games. \*\*You know, it’s possible that there’s a somewhat cyclical relationship between these last two items. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-location-is-it-famous-for-anything-does-it-hold-any-records/419934/66 "2007-09-21T22:10:10Z")
The boyhood home of John Muir is here. My uncle owns one of the adjoining properties. I got to roam the same areas he did. The whole area had lots of Scottish settlers. Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet crossed from the Great Lakes watershed to the Mississippi watershed here, between The Fox and Wisconsin rivers. Fort Winnebago was here. The Surgeon’s Quarters is what remains at the site. The cemetary is preserved a short way down the road. The Indian Agency house is at the end of the Portage canal. Wisconsin Dells is within 29 miles, and all that implies. There is one of the two existing Muir main modules in Tommy Bartlet’s Exploratory. The other one is not on public display. You can enter the module. There were of course three, before re-entry and burn up. There’s more but this is enough. [QUOTE=Terminus Est] Don’t let those folks in Wisconsin tell you otherwise; Ithaca, NY is the true birthplace of the ice cream sundae. There’s also some university here. [/QUOTE] Two Rivers beat you by years. You guys think you can claim it because you put a cherry on the top. Ha. ---
**Author:** ![NailBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecae2f/32.png) [@NailBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NailBunny)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-location-is-it-famous-for-anything-does-it-hold-any-records/419934/67 "2007-09-21T22:26:51Z")
[QUOTE=Enginerd] Half the message board posters on the internet claim to have committed murder here. Curiously enough, they all use the same syntax… “I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die.” [/QUOTE] _shaking fist_ Steal my joke, will you! ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-location-is-it-famous-for-anything-does-it-hold-any-records/419934/68 "2007-09-21T22:32:14Z")
Birthplace of both the Titantic and DeLorean DMC12’s 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![3acresandatruck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e79b87/32.png) [@3acresandatruck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3acresandatruck)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-location-is-it-famous-for-anything-does-it-hold-any-records/419934/69 "2007-09-21T22:46:19Z")
According to this, you might think we’re tops in meth… > [@](#): > > “Methamphetamine is a dangerous drug…,” stated Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-MO). Carnahan, a Science Committee member and bill cosponsor, represents Missouri’s 3rd Congressional District, which includes Jefferson County, Missouri, the number one county in Missouri for methamphetamine related arrests and seizures. Missouri tops all states for such arrests and seizures. from the House Science and Technology Committee ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-location-is-it-famous-for-anything-does-it-hold-any-records/419934/70 "2007-09-21T22:54:03Z")
[QUOTE=Harmonious Discord] Wisconsin Dells is within 29 miles, and all that implies. [/QUOTE] Can you explain the significance of Wisconsin Dells? Is it a shopping mall? A suburb known for lock-step conformity? A leprechaun preserve? ---
**Author:** ![SSG\_Schwartz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SSG\_Schwartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSG_Schwartz)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-location-is-it-famous-for-anything-does-it-hold-any-records/419934/71 "2007-09-21T23:00:41Z")
[Babe Ruth](http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/babe-ruth5.htm) hit his first professional home run here in Fayettville, NC. SSG Schwartz ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-location-is-it-famous-for-anything-does-it-hold-any-records/419934/72 "2007-09-21T23:02:46Z")
The valley in which I live is where the[49ers first found reliable water after leaving Death Valley.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Valley_'49ers) The spot is called Indian Wells. The springs are still there and are the site of a micro brewery. Indian Wells is at the foot of the Sierra Nevada range to the west and they entered the valley from the east. The distance they had to travel was about 20 miles. It took them 7 days. Not exactly famous, but … ---
**Author:** ![feppytweed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/feppytweed/32/4280_2.png) [@feppytweed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/feppytweed)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-location-is-it-famous-for-anything-does-it-hold-any-records/419934/73 "2007-09-21T23:19:01Z")
[QUOTE=NinetyWt] **feppy** , Natchez is also the location of [Forks of the Road](http://mshistory.k12.ms.us/features/feature36/forks_of_the_road.html), which was supposedly the second most active slave market in the South, during the mid 19th century. I think there is a Civil Rights marker there, now. A lot of people can trace their ancestry to the Forks market. [/QUOTE] Right you are. It is situated at the top of a hill at the start of Liberty Road, which leads to (not surprisingly) Liberty, MS. The marker is across from an auto glass shop and behind a Jehovah Witness hall. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-location-is-it-famous-for-anything-does-it-hold-any-records/419934/74 "2007-09-21T23:47:17Z")
[QUOTE=Sunspace] Can you explain the significance of Wisconsin Dells? Is it a shopping mall? A suburb known for lock-step conformity? A leprechaun preserve? [/QUOTE] Wisconsin Dells a town based on tourism, that was originally resorts and the trips for the unique landscape. It used to be dead for 6 months a year, but with the indoor water parks and Ho Chunk casino nearby, it stays busy all year. Lake Delton is next to Wisconsin Dells and it all gets called the Dells. A hundred years ago Baraboo and the Devils Lake resorts were included when referencing the Dells. Devils Lake is a state park with high granite bluffs. Some of the resort buildings still remain for park use, but most are gone. General attractions [http://www.dells.com/index3.html](http://www.dells.com/index3.html) Historical Society Bennett Material [http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/libraryarchives/hhbennett/index.asp](http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/libraryarchives/hhbennett/index.asp) Pictures of the Dells rock formations taken by Bennett. [http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/libraryarchives/hhbennett/dells.asp](http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/libraryarchives/hhbennett/dells.asp) This page has a picture of the Mir space module. > **[Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin](https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/6560)** > > An overdose of delights at the cheesy attraction and mega-water-park mecca of the Upper Midwest. We haven’t any leprechauns, but Mount Horeb is infested with trolls. Visit the main street Trollway. > **[Mount Horeb, WI - Troll Carvings Town](https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/1456)** > > Visit reports, news, maps, directions and info on Troll Carvings Town in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin. The International Crane Foundation is in Baraboo and breeds some of the rarest cranes from around the world. The ones they don’t breed they are consulted on. [http://www.savingcranes.org/about/history.cfm](http://www.savingcranes.org/about/history.cfm) ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2007, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-location-is-it-famous-for-anything-does-it-hold-any-records/419934/75 "2007-09-22T00:32:12Z")
Art Deco architecture. Virtually the entire city was wiped out in 1931 during an earthquake. There was a deliberate choice in the style to rebuild the city. Hastings (20km um, thataway) has fantastic ‘Spanish Mission’ buildings instead. During the 80’s, there was a concerted effort to bring the Art Deco buildings back to their past glory after decades of neglect. It’s still ongoing and brings thousands of tourists each year to Art Deco festivals and daily walking tours. Yes, I’ve danced in the main street in a flapper costume, what’s your point? Currently, there are efforts to have the City declared a world heritage site. And, in the interests of full disclosure - Miami has a greater number of Art Deco Buildings, but they’re spread out over a much wider area. ---
**Author:** ![MadPansy64](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@MadPansy64](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadPansy64)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2007, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-location-is-it-famous-for-anything-does-it-hold-any-records/419934/76 "2007-09-22T01:28:22Z")
Unfortunately, not my current location, but it was and will be again someday. > **[RubyValley.com is For Sale | BrandBucket](https://www.brandbucket.com/names/rubyvalley?source=ext)** > > Buy the domain name RubyValley.com and launch your business with a premium domain and a high quality logo. The Kentucky Derby winner “Spokane,” who holds an unbreakable record of some kind (because they changed the length of the track) was born there in 1886. Nothing particularly interesting has happened since. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Tapiotar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@Tapiotar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapiotar)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2007, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-location-is-it-famous-for-anything-does-it-hold-any-records/419934/77 "2007-09-22T01:29:00Z")
[QUOTE=Harmonious Discord] Two Rivers beat you by years. You guys think you can claim it because you put a cherry on the top. Ha. [/QUOTE] Nonsense! The Two Rivers claim is based on a story by Mencken, a hoax that has been[completely debunked!](http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-22-5185851.html) . The only hard evidence (a published newspaper ad) supports Ithaca’s claim. Besides, Purity ice cream is the best! Followed by the Cornell University dairy bar, which is even better than the University of Wisconsin dairy bar (and I say that as a UW alum). However, I will acknowledge that the UW-Madison Rathskellar on Lake Mendota is one of the best places for drinking beer. I know of no other college campus that has such a great beer joint. ---
**Author:** ![MadPansy64](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@MadPansy64](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadPansy64)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2007, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-location-is-it-famous-for-anything-does-it-hold-any-records/419934/78 "2007-09-22T01:38:37Z")
[QUOTE=enipla] The closest town to me is Alma Colorado. Highest town in the US. Well, Winter Park claims to be the highest, but the only reason is because they annexed the ski area. The only structures above Alma’s elevation are ski lifts and out houses. I think that’s cheating. [/QUOTE] Boo-hiss on Winterpark cheaters. Leadville is a thousand feet higher than the real town of Winterpark, and Alma is, what, 300 feet higher than Leadville? ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2007, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-location-is-it-famous-for-anything-does-it-hold-any-records/419934/79 "2007-09-22T01:40:59Z")
Monterey! Famous? Well, there’s Cannery Row & that Steinbeck dude. Records? Coldest place in the US in July? ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2007, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-location-is-it-famous-for-anything-does-it-hold-any-records/419934/80 "2007-09-22T02:00:30Z")
We have [the most polluting power station in the industrialised world](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazelwood_Power_Station,_Victoria). Oddly, it doesn’t generate the tourism dollars that you’d think it would. [Greenpeace break in (image 9) once in a while](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/4141758.stm), but they don’t tend to spend up big on accommodation and sightseeing. From the Wikipedia article: _“[snip] … Hazelwood now produces nearly 17.0 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, which is over 5 % of Australia’s total carbon dioxide emissions, and 9 % of Australia’s total CO2 from electricity generation.”_ It’s awesome, and for all the wrong reasons. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-location-is-it-famous-for-anything-does-it-hold-any-records/419934.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-location-is-it-famous-for-anything-does-it-hold-any-records/419934.md?page=5)