Planning our trip out west

[cpaharley2008]

So, anyone know which state(s) is/are the westernmost,easternmost, northernmost and southernmost in the US?

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Greggo

I've never understood exactly what "out west" meant. I'd have to drive east 3 long days to get to the west in Colorado!

Directions like that are all relative... to where the person is starting, or to the current "centre of the universe". That centre for Europeans is Europe, of course, which is why North America is and western Europe are "the West", Asia is "the East", and Arab countries are "the Middle East"... and we still use those terms for parts of the world even though they make no sense here. In common North American usage, the centre seems to be something like Washington D.C. In the U.S., the "midwest" is mostly east of the geographic centre of the contiguous 48 states.

One of the best examples that I've heard of this was from a waitress in Louisiana, who insisted that she didn't have a strong southern accent (although we could barely understand her) because she spent some time "up north". I was trying to imagine what she thought of some place such as North Dakota, but she meant Mississippi!

[Marry]

Northernmost? I wish it was us....

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

So, anyone know which state(s) is/are the westernmost,easternmost, northernmost and southernmost in the US?

Yes, now, but I didn't get either the southern or the western extremes right until I checked.

[Greg A]

If I recall Key West had a marker saying it was the southernmost point in the US so FL should win that.

[padlin]

• Most Northern Point: Angle, Minnesota, at 49º 23'N.
• Most Southern Point: East Cape, Florida, at 25º 7'N.
• Most Eastern Point: West Quoddy Head, Maine, at 66º 57'W.
• Most Western Point: Cape Alva, Washington, at 124º 44'W.

That was easy.

[gbaglo]

I recall my dad telling the story of a friend who moved to Ontario from Minnesota and how his mother was worried about him freezing to death in the winter. She shipped him sweaters and gloves.
She wasn't aware that he was actually living south of her.

It is the southernmost point of land in Canada, located at 41°41'N, 82°41"W (41.685,-82.684), or about 41.7 degrees north latitude. It lies in Lake Erie, just south of Pelee Island, and is part of Point Pelee National Park. It forms part of the province of Ontario.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Greg A

If I recall Key West had a marker saying it was the southernmost point in the US so FL should win that.

Originally Posted by padlin

• Most Northern Point: Angle, Minnesota, at 49º 23'N.
• Most Southern Point: East Cape, Florida, at 25º 7'N.
• Most Eastern Point: West Quoddy Head, Maine, at 66º 57'W.
• Most Western Point: Cape Alva, Washington, at 124º 44'W.

That was easy.

But Key West and three of the four in the list are incorrect. I find it interesting how often residents of the United States forget about any part of their country beyond the continguous 48 states (hint, hint) ... although of course Canadians don't know much about most of our country, either.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by padlin

• Most Northern Point: Angle, Minnesota, at 49º 23'N.

This one is an amusing result of a mapping error.

[cpaharley2008]

Alaska is our northern,western and eastern most state, while Hawaii is our southern most. The KeyWEst note was when there were 48 states.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Alaska is our northern,western and eastern most state, while Hawaii is our southern most. The KeyWEst note was when there were 48 states.

Yup, just on a cruise ship last month and that was one of the trivia questions. Lots of heated discussion on that one.

Ron

[Jim Bennett]

I don't see how Alaska could be the most eastern state. The only thing it is east of is Hawaii.

[rbryan4]

Finally someone got it right. Alaska is 3 of the 4, because of the Aleutian Islands. Easternmost is determined from the longitude line where the western hemisphere starts, and you have to go all the way around the world (from West to east) to the Aleutians that are Easternmost.

Of course, if you're just talking direction, and not where east and west meet, then Alaska would be only northernmost and westernmost.

[Greggo]

Originally Posted by dfandrews

And your closest approach to the Pacific Ocean is to drive due South!

Too bad geography is DOA in schools. We lived near the coast west of Santa Barbara in Lompoc, CA for many years. I got in the habit of telling people we lived 200 miles north of LA (which is really 1/2 way to Yosemite!) because if I told them 200 miles west, they'd get this look like we were on the road to Hawaii!

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by rbryan4

Finally someone got it right. Alaska is 3 of the 4, because of the Aleutian Islands. Easternmost is determined from the longitude line where the western hemisphere starts, and you have to go all the way around the world (from West to east) to the Aleutians that are Easternmost.

Of course, if you're just talking direction, and not where east and west meet, then Alaska would be only northernmost and westernmost.

Yes, if one chooses a nonsensical definition, one concludes nonsense. By the Prime Meridan-based logic, Maine - rationally the most eastern state of the United States of America - is still the easternmost, because you would have to wrap about 293 degrees around the globe (from west to east, starting in Greenwich) to reach it... and the whole country is east of England, as well as west of England, and north of the equator, and south of the equator. The planet is a ball, you know.

What I initially missed was that the Aleutian Islands extend west of Hawaii (so I had the western extreme wrong), and while I remembered to consider Hawaii I forgot that it is south of the Florida Keys (so I had the southern extreme wrong). I'll consider 50% a pass, for a foreigner.

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

I'll consider 50% a pass, for a foreigner.

Not bad at all Brian. Not only the Prime Meridian, but the Antemeridian comes into play.

[fudge_brownie]

OK, biking locations. I happen to know of a few. First some bias, Wisconsin has more rails to trails than any other state and pioneered the concept. The granddaddy of this is the Elroy Sparta Trail. Here is a link to the 30 state trails in Wisconsin. These are almost all rails to trails, some are paved some are crushed limestone and some are also ATV routes (avoid these). These will all be an easy ride. Connected to the Elroy Sparta Trail is the Lacrosse River Trail

Around Madison, the state capital, are a series of trails. All connected and designed for bike commuting. Madison and Portland OR are rated the top two bicycle cites in the US. Here is a secret recommendation, camp in Madison at the Dane County Park called Lake Farm. It is on the Capital City Trail and connects to four other trails. I would guess 125 miles of trail.

My all time favorite Wisconsin trail is not even on the maps. It is not named and is not a state trail, yet is a beautiful paved path though the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Starting in Manitowish Waters and continuing to St. Germain is 49 miles of lakes and streams. Camp at Crystal-Muskie Campground at the half way point. Here is another secret, I spend 4 weeks each summer at that campground. Everyone has a bike.

Not to belittle the competition, I have done many of the trails in Illinois, the Katy in Missouri, a fair number of Iowa trails and none are even close to the trails you will find in Wisconsin. The city I live in, Janesville, is 40 miles from Madison and we have 20 miles of paved bike paths in the city and are part of a 60 mile bike trail system.

After Wisconsin you can look west to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. I will let Leon, who lives in the Cities and has done extensive commuting and pleasure riding, make some recommendations. Without further ado here's Leon.

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by fudge_brownie

OK, biking locations. I happen to know of a few. First some bias, Wisconsin has more rails to trails than any other state and pioneered the concept. The granddaddy of this is the Elroy Sparta Trail. Here is a link to the 30 state trails in Wisconsin. These are almost all rails to trails, some are paved some are crushed limestone and some are also ATV routes (avoid these). These will all be an easy ride. Connected to the Elroy Sparta Trail is the Lacrosse River Trail
Not to belittle the competition, I have done many of the trails in Illinois, the Katy in Missouri, a fair number of Iowa trails and none are even close to the trails

Hey Paul, thats a good list of trails, we also biked the Root River Trail in SE Minnesota, thats a good one. the trail near Madrid Iowa, has some unique bridges, in SW Iowa, theres a good one running south out of Council Bluffs called the Wabash Trace Trail.

[Dave&Kathie]

Hi Ruthe,

Sounds like a great trip. Sorry we haven't been able to hook up in NY or Oregon, still hoping we can make it happen!

Anyway, here's a great website for bike trails across the US:
Bike Trails | Biking Trails and Trail Maps for Bicycles | TrailLink.com | TrailLink

We're hoping to do the Hiawatha Trail in Idaho (might be called the Milwaukie Road Rail Trail) this summer. We have some friends that did part of the Coeur d'Alene trail and loved it.

Happy Trails,
Kathie

[SpokanEscape]

You'll love the Hiawatha Trail Kathie! Especially the bus that takes you back up to the top where you leave your car. Wear warm clothes as it is quite chilly in the first long tunnel. You can also bike from Heyburn State Park to Harrison on the trail of the Coeur D'Alenes and treat yourself to an ice cream cone before cycling back!