All sights in Georgia

Google Sightseeing takes you on tour of the world as seen from satellite, using the free Google Earth program, or Google Maps in your web browser. Each weekday your guides James and Alex present new weird and wonderful sights as suggested by readers.

The editors: James & Alex

May the fourth be with you!

Posted by Alex Turnbull, Monday, 4th May 2009

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As well as being a holiday here in the UK, today is Star Wars Day (yes, simply because of the bad pun I’m afraid). So here’s a roundup of some Star Wars related sights!

First up is Star Wars Path near Atlanta, Georgia. There’s a road sign too, but it isn’t really legible on Street View. What I don’t know however, is how it got its name?

In the original Star Wars movie the spaceport of Mos Eisley was on the planet Tatooine, but in fact it was filmed here at Matmata in Tunisia. Some interior scenes were even filmed in the underground homes of the people who live here, who these days make good money from charging tourists to take pictures.

Last week on Twitter we just happened to see these rather unconvincing-looking portraits of some Star Wars characters, that form part of an otherwise impressive piece of French graffiti.

Does anyone know of other Star Wars themed sights that we can visit today?

Thanks to Keir Clarke and Virtual Globe Trotting.

St. Patrick’s Day in the USA

Posted by Alex Turnbull, Tuesday, 17th March 2009

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March 17th is St. Patrick’s Day, which was originally the annual feast of the best known of Ireland’s patron saints1, and today a worldwide celebration devoted to all things Irish.

Over here in Ireland and the UK, we have been known to celebrate with vast quantities of Guinness. Over in the US however, they like large scale annual celebrations involving crazy things like temporarily dying the Chicago River green (which sadly hasn’t yet been captured on Google Earth2).

But in today’s post we’ll be looking at some of the places that St. Patrick has found a permanent home in the USA.

This is St Patrick’s park in Indiana, where they have created a 400 metre long homage to their namesake, entirely in the medium of trees. Which is apt, given how much of the colour green gets bandied around on the 17th of March.

We’ve visited the original Dublin already on Google Sightseeing, but there are at least nine cities called Dublin in the USA alone!

See for yourself: Dublin, California; Dublin, Georgia; Dublin, Indiana; Dublin, New Hampshire; Dublin, North Carolina; Dublin, Ohio; Dublin, Pennsylvania; Dublin, Texas; and Dublin, Virginia.

In New York City we find St. Patrick’s Cathedral, a spectacular Neo-Gothic cathedral in midtown Manhattan that has become ingrained in Hollywood movie history, after being featured in several movies including 2002’s Spider-Man.

So, where else has St. Patrick and the influence of Ireland made a lasting impression around the world?

Happy Paddy’s day!

Thanks to Chris R.


  1. Despite the fact that he was actually Welsh

  2. Unfortunately I can’t even find an image of it in the historical GE imagery

Top Ten Confusing Place Names

Posted by Ian Brown, Tuesday, 10th March 2009

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Following the example of Alex’s Rudest Place Names post, I hereby present my top ten confusing place names.

For each of these sights, I picture a confused driver arriving in town, rolling down the car window and asking a passer-by  “Can you tell me where I am?”

10. Smile, KY

Smile

Driver: Can you tell me where I am?

Passer-by: Smile!

Driver: <grinning widely> I said, can you tell me where I am?

9.  Okay, OK

Okay

Driver: Can you tell me where I am?

Passer-by: Okay.

<pause>

Driver:  I said, can you tell me where I am?

Passer-by: Okay.

<pause>

… repeat ad nauseam.

8. Uncertain, TX

Uncertain

Driver: Can you tell me where I am?

Passer-by: Uncertain.

Driver: Oh, you’re lost as well?

7. Goodnight, TX

Goodnight

Driver: Can you tell me where I am?

Passer-by: Goodnight.

Driver: Huh? It’s 11 o’ clock in the morning.

6. Stop, GA

Stop

Driver: Can you tell me where I am?

Passer-by: Stop.

Driver: But I am stopped …

5. Nameless, TN

Nameless

Driver: Can you tell me where I am?

Passer-by: Nameless.

Driver: No wonder I can’t find where I am on this map.

4. Panic, PA

Panic

Driver: Can you tell me where I am?

Passer-by: Panic.

Driver: Aaaagh. Won’t you just tell me where I am, I’m totally lost and I can’t take it any more…

3. Halfway, Yorkshire and Halfway, OR1

Halfway Halfway

Driver: Can you tell me where I am?

Passer-by: Halfway.

Driver: Halfway to where?

Passer-by: No, you’re all the way to Halfway.

Driver: I’m confused….

2. Yell, TN

Yell

Driver: Can you tell me where I am?

Passer-by: Yell.

Driver: CAN YOU TELL ME WHERE I AM?

1. Why, AZ

Why

Driver: Can you tell me where I am?

Passer-by: Why.

Driver: Well, I’m lost. Where am I?

Passer-by: Why.

… repeat ad nauseam.


  1. Bonus trivia: Halfway, OR changed it’s name to Half.com in 1999 when it took an internet company’s sponsorship in a bid to improve the town’s financial situation. 

Um, Is Your Porch on Fire?

Posted by James Turnbull, Monday, 23rd February 2009

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Hanging around this property in Atlanta, Georgia, a group of young men appear entirely unconcerned about the fire that’s blazing away on their porch.

On closer inspection we can see that this guy is on the phone - so perhaps he’s calling the fire department? Although if he is, then he doesn’t look overly concerned.

The fire isn’t that big however, so why aren’t they trying to put it out? And what is it that’s burning up there anyway?

Thanks to Syl.

Miniature Castles Megapost

Posted by Ian Brown, Wednesday, 11th February 2009

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We’ve explored many castles in the past on Google Sightseeing - whether large, illegal or remote - but there are many more diminutive castles out there worth exploring.

Nunney Castle in Somerset may be historic, but is barely larger than many houses in the village that surrounds it.

Nunney Castle

Broadway Tower in Worcestershire may be tall, but it’s only large enough for one room on each of its three floors.

Broadway Tower

Burg Rabenstein is one of Germany’s smallest castles, again barely larger than nearby houses.

Burg Rabenstein

While an Englishman’s home may be his castle - that’s literally true for the residents of this home in Georgia, which is slightly less venerable than the castles mentioned above.

Constructed from local granite and marble, at around 140 square metres the castle is actually a fairly modest size compared to most suburban residences constructed these days.

The Street View car passed by under gloomy skies, giving the castle a brooding air as would befit a rather more historic castle in the old world.

No self-respecting castle would be complete without a moat, and here it even opens up into a swimming pool behind the house, visible on Live Maps. There’s even something resembling a gate house (which I assume is actually a pool house), and the whole property is also bordered by a suitably impressive fence.

There are tiny castles all over the world - let us know of any in your area!

Thanks to Alex Makarishev and Dennis.