How High, How Low

Found this meme through Merrie Haskell, who discovered it via Dichroic...

Longest distance ever traveled?
Not sure how to answer this one. Longest flight was Taiwan to Los Angeles in 1999. Longest distance covered in an extended trip was a Circle-Pacific backpack we took in 1998-99. Longest non-stop (except for gas, etc) road trip was about 1,200 miles from Denver to Houston to San Antonio on 9/11. I was driving home from a wedding in Denver, and my friend Trip was stranded (as was everyone) and needed to go to Houston.

Farthest north?
Reykjavik, Iceland, in 1988. Short layover between Chicago and Munich, I think.

Farthest south?
Dunedin, New Zealand, for New Year's Eve 1998. Saying goes something like: 10 sheep for every person, and that's how they like it!

Farthest east?
Tikitiki, New Zealand, in 2004. Closest we've been to the International Date Line on the eastern side. We were driving our camper van (Bucky) on a loop around the easternmost spur of the north island. Almost ran out of gas.

Farthest west?
Arorangi, Cook Islands, in 1998. Again, flirting with the International Date Line. Also with coconut scones topped with jam and clotted cream, which we found at a roadside stand after snorkeling. Unbelievable combo of awesomeness.

Highest mountain?
Switzerland's Jungfrau (4158 m; 13,642 ft) as seen from Jungfraujoch station (3471 m; 11,388 ft).

Lowest point?
El Centro, California (-12 m; -39 ft), in 2002 on the Big River tour. Awesome local crew of high school students. Band boosters grilled burgers and dogs for our dinner.

Hottest temp?
A tie between the desert in Arizona, in 1979, and Townsville, Australia, in 1999: about 115 - 120 F. Arizona was enjoyed in a family camper with no A/C; Townsville in an A/C hotel room and non-A/C diving boat.

Coldest temp?
Calumet, Michigan, in 2002: about 0 F, or -20 with wind chill. We were loading Big River into the Calumet Theatre, one of our favorite stop on the tour. Local crew treated us to pasties for lunch. Then they told us Calumet is famous for its Italian Hall disaster, when someone yelled "fire" in a crowded building, causing a stampede that killed 75 people. Part of the problem was that the doors on the building opened inward. Resulting laws: exterior doors must open outward; don't cry "fire" in a crowded building. After the show, local crew took us to a tavern down the street that boasts a gorgeous Tiffany bar-back; I bonded with them over my first-ever pickled egg. (Delicious.)

Most countries visited in one year?
16 in 1999: New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan, England, Wales, Ireland, France, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Germany, Czech Republic, and Austria.

Number of continents visited?
4: Asia, Australia, Europe, North America.

Imagine adding some questions for true explorers: How far into space? How deep undersea? How many planets? Worst alien infection?

Oooo, that gives me an idea for next week's travel post. Heh-heh. Ew.

[image via Nomads Unlimited]
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