100 incredible views...

out of airplane windows.  This is why I always try to grab a window seat, except on interminably long international flights.

Here are several of mine taken during recent travels, here, here and here.

A wilderness by another measure...

that's defined by the most remote point relative to a McDonald's.  The "McFarthest" spot in the 48 coterminous states:  Where The Antelope Roam.  There's a cool map showing the density and distribution of the restaurants at the link.

Can you guess where it is before following the link?

One can never get used to...

this fantastic view at the end of the day in Castle Valley, Utah, or at least it never goes unnoticed and unappreciated (click to enlarge). I just snapped these images, assembled the panorama, and added the geographic and geologic annotations just moments ago, at the time of this post.

That's why they're called...

the Cascade Mountains. Multnomah Falls, shown above (click to enlarge), is Oregon's highest waterfall, with water cascading 542 ft in the upper portion, and then plunging another 69 ft in the lower. I snapped this image early today on my return from an extended weekend trip to Portland, Oregon.

Good to know...

how to do: Find North Without a Compass.

Don't necessarily always depend on your GPS.

Aerial views of eolian systems...

in a photogallery at Wired.com: Sublime Sand: Desert Dunes Seen from Space.

The high resolution images are, well, sublime.

What I'm reading...

right now: Strange Maps by Frank Jacobs.

If you're a map lover then you'll appreciate this recently published and lavishly illustrated (full color) book. But beware, this is no conventional atlas. This description describes it best: "Brimming with trivia, deadpan humor, and idiosyncratic lore, Strange Maps is a fascinating tour of all things weird and wonderful in the world of cartography."

The author also writes a related blog. Check it out, especially if you love maps.

Thanks, RT, for the perfect gift!

Fall back...

to standard time early this morning (at 2 am). Don't forget to set your clocks back one hour, and enjoy the extra hour of sleep. Learn more about daylight saving time.

I'm conflicted about the change back to standard time. Being a morning person I certainly enjoy the extra hour of light early in the day, but at northern latitudes the darkness descends entirely too early. One big advantage is that the evening stars pop out earlier for observation.

Ten extraordinary and unique...

lakes in the world featured in a photo gallery at, of all places, WomansDay.com. Yes, you caught me, indulging my feminine side today.

An image of Earth...

from space showing Idaho, Montana and Wyoming (click to enlarge.) That's Yellowstone National Park anchoring the center of the image, and if you know your geography one can easily pick out the Spokane valley, lava flows at Craters of the Moon National Monument, the Teton, Wind River and Bighorn mountain ranges, and the Black Hills to name just a few landforms.

Image credit: Jacques Descloitres; MODIS team; NASA, 14 July 2004.

Tracking swine flu outbreaks...

using Google Maps. The map at the link updates regularly as new cases are reported. It even includes new suspected cases in New Zealand, France and Israel.

This is serious stuff, and a perfect example how GIS (Geographic Information Systems) can be used in real time to understand the spread of disease.

Link to previous related post.

Signs along the road...

in Yellowstone National Park.

Getting away from it all...

in the remotest places on Earth. Top spot to ditch the boss: the Tibetan Plateau (though Antarctica wasn't even considered, a big flaw, in my opinion.) Be sure to explore the various maps in the linked article.