Race Standings Week 9

After 9 weeks, the Happy Campers find themselves 310 miles away from the finish line. It seems likely that they will clinch their win this week. The Sharks furthered their lead over the other teams, and now that there is no longer a 30 mile maximum, seem likely to pull farther ahead. But, we shall see.

Here is where the teams currently stand.

Oh, just a side note: Last week, I reported that the Happy Campers were in Fremont, Ohio. Perhaps it was my love of Fremont that clouded my math skills, but in reality the team was closer to Buffalo, NY (recently named the “10th best place to raise a family in America.”)

But no matter, I am back on track with my arithmetic and mapping skills and this week, I can definitively say that team is in Mount Airy, North Carolina, a small town in North Carolina near the Virginia border that I would guess everyone has probably driven through on their way to the beach.

Mount Airy was the birthplace and childhood home of American actor Andy Griffith, and is widely believed to be the inspiration for the fictional community Mayberry, the setting of The Andy Griffith Show and its sequel, Mayberry RFD. To honor this legacy, the community holds an annual "Mayberry Days" celebration during the last weekend of September; 30,000 attended in 2009, and 50,000 were expected for the show's 50th anniversary in 2010. The University of North Carolina at Greensboro estimates the town receives $5 million each year as a result.

In 2nd place, the Sharks are near Milwaukee, the largest city in Wisconsin. The first Europeans to pass through the area were French missionaries and fur traders, but in the 1840’s and following decades, large numbers of German and other immigrants helped increase the city's population. Until very recently, Milwaukee as seen almost exclusively as a brewing and manufacturing powerhouse, but at least according to Wikipedia, Milwaukee's image has changed with the decline of industry in the region. (Although personally, I didn’t realize its image had changed; I had still had been associating it with beer and manufacturing…they should maybe get the word out more…)

Anyway, also according to Wikipedia, In the past decade, major new additions to the city include the Milwaukee Riverwalk, the Frontier Airlines Center, Miller Park, an internationally renowned addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum, and Pier Wisconsin, as well as major renovations to the U.S. Cellular Arena. In addition, many new skyscrapers, condos, lofts and apartments have been constructed in neighborhoods on and near the lakefront and riverbanks.

The Water Bugs, who were penalized 5 miles because not all of their team’s scores were reported on time (Sorry team! I felt like I had to penalize us…) Alexandria, Minnesota, the county seat of Douglas County, MN. According to Wikipedia, it was settled in 1858 and “named after Alexander and William Kinkead.” If this is true, I sure think William got shafted. The motto of Alexandria is “easy to get to, hard to leave” which actually seems more threatening to me than welcoming. (Maybe it reminds me too much of the Eagles’ “Hotel California”). But ominous city motto aside, the city is apparently known as a tourism center due to its many lakes and resorts. Tourism events include:

• a Grape Stomp hosted by the Carlos Creek Winery every September
  
• an Apple Fest in October
  
• the Douglas County Fair every August
  
• "Art in the Park" every July
  
• the annual Vikingland Band Festival parade marching championship
  
• A museum housing the controversial "Kensington Runestone," thought by some to indicate that Vikings had visited the area in the 14th century. Outside the museum stands Big Ole, a 25-foot-tall statue of a Viking originally built for the World's Fair in New York in 1964
  

The Triforce Ninjas, who seem to be steadily catching up, are in are in Glendive, Montana: population 4,935 (according to the 2010 census). Glendive, the seat of Dawson County, is located in South Eastern Montana and is apparently considered by many to be “the agricultural hub of Eastern Montana.” Having driven through Glendive, and being somewhat of an expert in agriculture, I am not sure exactly how it could earn this distinction, but I will try not to judge. The town itself is tucked between the Yellowstone River and the Badlands—an amazing part of the country named for its rugged terrain and jagged rock formations. I really love the Badlands. The Ninjas are very close to one of my new favorite places (just discovered last year): Theodore Roosevelt National Park—I hope they enjoy it (at least virtually) as much as I did.

Finally, the Gimps are in my VERY favorite National Park: Yellowstone. No matter how many times I visit Yellowstone I am still amazed by it. The only place I have ever been even remotely similar to Yellowstone is Iceland. By my calculations (which I would understand if you were skeptical of…) the Gimps are right by Old Faithful. Old Faithful was named in 1870 during the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition and was the first geyser in the park to receive a name, because of the predictability of the geysers eruptions. It was so faithful that in the early days of the park, it was apparently used as a laundry: “Old Faithful is sometimes degraded by being made a laundry. Garments placed in the crater during quiescence are ejected thoroughly washed when the eruption takes place. General Sheridan’s men, in 1882, found that linen and cotton fabrics were uninjured by the action of the water, but woolen clothes were torn to shreds.”

The time between eruptions has increases since the time the geyser was first discovered, but apparently has become even more predictable: with a margin of error of 10 minutes, Old Faithful will erupt 65 minutes after an eruption lasting less than 2.5 minutes or 91 minutes after an eruption lasting more than 2.5 minutes.

Great job teams! Just as a reminder, as I mentioned above from this point on there is no restriction on miles. This should make my mom very happy.