Unidentified Earth (Page 2)

Here we go! Last week’s UI 62 is as yet Unidentified, with one erroneous, but astute, guess. We’re looking at a place that holds a world record in that entry. UI 61 was identified, once we reached the “hint” stage, as Centralia, Pennsylvania, a town that no longer exists because the coal mines underground beneath the town caught fire years ago and have rendered the entire town unfit for human habitation. We actually drove through Centralia years ago, my family and I; it lay on one route we would occasionally take between WNY and the Philadelphia area where my grandmotherDown the rabbit hole….

First, the housekeeping. UI 59 was identified by Aaron as the Beartooth Highway, a road that winds through the alpine country between Montana and Wyoming in the vicinity of Yellowstone. Yay, Aaron! But UI 58 remains Unidentified, although Aaron is again on the right track. Perhaps what is throwing him off is the fact that the objects built here for the filming of the movie that was shot here are now no longer there? Anyway! And thus far, zero guesses on last week’s UI 61. I guess we’re not burning it up on that one, huh? And now for theDown the rabbit hole….

Time for this week’s puzzler! First, the usual housekeeping. UI 60 broke a streak of as-yet Unidentified entries, as Dave in Rocha pegged it fairly quickly as the giant letter ‘M’ that is maintained on the side of a mountain in Montana, overlooking the University of Montana in Missoula, MT. UIs 58 and 59 are still without guesses, though! Wow. I can imagine why no one would want to visit UI 58, as it is a place where one would find more cheer in a graveyard. UI 59 is rated as one of North America’s most scenic drives — whenDown the rabbit hole….

OK, after a week off last week, UI returns. As of yet, UIs 58 and 59 are without guesses of any kind! If you were to approach UI 58 on horseback, you might hear somewhere in the back of your head the playing of a Hardanger fiddle, while UI 59 looks like one of the most nail-biting drives in North America. Hmmmmm. And now, the new one: Where are we? Rot-13 your guesses if you’ve got ’em, folks! Share This PostDown the rabbit hole….

Well, I’m claiming victory on UI 55. This is a section of the Youghiogheny River in southwestern Pennsylvania, which is referred to locally as “the loop”, for obvious reasons. This is one of the most popular whitewater boating rivers in the northeast, and the run here begins just below the falls at Ohiopyle and then proceeds seven or eight miles downstream. Alternatively, boaters can park in Ohiopyle and do just “the Loop”, taking their boats back out at the far end of the Loop and hiking back up to their cars. Fun wow! And I have no guesses for UIDown the rabbit hole….

Well, we have two of three of the last installments Identified: UI 57 is the Matterhorn at Disneyworld (unlike the real Matterhorn in Switzerland), and UI 56 is a railroad bridge over Lake Britton in California. The bridge is more famous for appearing in a movie set in Oregon: fictional Castle Rock, Oregon, to be precise. This is the trestle where Gordy and Vern nearly perish under the wheels of a train in Stand By Me. UI 55, however, is still Unidentified! OK, OK, I made this one way too hard — although a good guess was offered on theDown the rabbit hole….

OK, so thus far we have no guesses for UI 55 or UI 56. So, more hints: UI 55 is in Pennsylvania, while UI 56 is more famous for appearing in a movie as being in a state other than where it actually is. And now for this week’s puzzler: Where are we? Rot-13 your guesses, folks! Share This PostDown the rabbit hole….

UPDATED: Link fixed. OK, I think I’ll be able to get back on schedule with Unidentified Earth now that life is seemingly (!) on the verge of returning to normal sinus rhythm here at Casa Jaquandor. As of this writing, there are exactly zero guesses for UI 55, so I probably made that one a wee bit too hard. So here’s hint number one: this location is in a state that borders New York. We’ll start narrowing it down, OK? And meantime, here’s the new puzzler: Where are we? Exact name isn’t required, but at least naming the state thisDown the rabbit hole….

I know, it’s been a few weeks since I got round to continuing this series, for which I apologize. Anyhow, UI 54 was the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, which was designed by that guy who likes to crumple a ball of aluminum foil and then tell his clients, “Yeah. Build it like that.” And now for the new puzzler. This one may be difficult! For full credit, I’ll need the local referent of this spot. Where are we? Rot-13 your guesses, please! Share This PostDown the rabbit hole….

Last week’s entry turned out to be pretty easy, apparently: it is Uluru, otherwise known as Ayer’s Rock, that really big, well, rock in the middle of the Australian Outback. Also, UI 52 was identified as the Cloud Gate sculpture in Chicago’s Millennium Park. Several incorrect guesses thought it was a pool of water, but a careful look at the relections reveals that the surface of the object is convex and not flat, as a pool of water would be. Anyway, congrats to the winners! And now for this week’s entry: Where are we? Rot-13 your guesses, folks! Share ThisDown the rabbit hole….