Saturday, January 31, 2015

Saturday fun activity: Where IS this?


    John McPhee once wrote an article about a geologist who could identify a particular stretch of beach, anywhere in the world, just from a handful of sand.
    And while it might seem unfair for me to expect you to be able to determine exactly where this lovely tropical scene is to be found—what island, or peninsula, or other locale—my faith in you is such that I know you can do it.
     Where is this sun-drenched tableau, which I thought might perk you up on this late January day, with snow on the way? There are lots of clues—the particular style of boat, the distinctive color of the water, the rocky beach, and of course those give-away palm trees in the distance.
      The winner will receive one of my brand-new 2015 posters, suitable for framing, certain, almost, to be a collector's item decades from now, complete with its own custom made container manufactured by Chicago Mailing Tube. Post your guesses below. Good luck. 

10 comments:

  1. I'm pretty sure that's in the Field Museum.

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    1. Right you are, Eric. Congratulations. I thought somebody would get it, but figured, with a little misdirection, I might stump people for a bit. Email your address to me at dailysteinberg@gmail.com and I'll mail you your poster.

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    2. I'm starting to think that if you showed a picture of your third cousin's basement in Cleveland, someone would come up with the right answer.

      John

      And probably way before most of us get up in the morning.

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    3. Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I'm tempted to post something truly impossible to get -- an expanse of brick wall somewhere. But what fun is that? To me, it has to be something someone CAN guess. I had great hopes for that dripping contraption at Chicago Mailing Tube. My goal is something someone gets at 10 p.m. Saturday.

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    4. I'd like to see you stump everybody with a photo from a unusual perspective of something all of us have seen.

      John

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  2. i've decided the winners here either stay up way too late for me or get up way too early.

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  3. the only thing that holds me back from competing (not) is that decades from now when the poster is a collector's item, i will not be here... guess which emotcon

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  4. Just checked out the F. M. website to see a version of this view there, and I noticed that it will be free for Illinois residents every day of February, so any locals can visit this tropical locale, for the cost of a CTA trip rather than airfare. Of course, the Vodou exhibit, which I'm gonna guess is what drew Neil, requires a separate charge...

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  5. Had I been thinking, I would have offered a free trip for two to the spot for the person who guessed correctly. Of course, my luck the person who guessed it would be in Bolivia.

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