Knickknacks and All That Trivia Quiz

Answer: Cusco, Peru

I traveled with my father to Peru in 2010. We started our trip in Cusco staying for just one day before hiking to Machu Picchu via the Lares Trek for about 56 km (35 miles). Along the hike I was able to marvel at the beauty of the Andes mountains and the marvelous ruins of Machu Picchu did not disappoint. Upon returning to Cusco we spent a few days in the city enjoying the food and atmosphere including a parade at the Plaza de Armas.

A unique site that we also saw near Cusco was the 'Cristo Blanco' statue which reminded me of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio De Janeiro which I would love to see one day.

The accompanying image shows some important Incan symbols like the condor, puma, snake, and sun.

Answer: Scotland

My wife and mother-in-law visited Scotland in 2017. They took a bus tour from Edinburgh to Glasgow but along the way they stopped at several cities and small towns as well as iconic castles and the rolling Scottish Highlands. Scotland has an area of 77,933 sq km (30,090 sq mi) which corresponds to 32% of the area of the United Kingdom.

While most of this area occupies the northern part of the island of Great Britain, there are more than 790 islands of Scotland including Skye and Mull.

Answer: Four Corners

Four Corners Monument is located at the exact point where the states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah meet. This is the only spot in the entire United States that has an intersection point of four different states. The area became a quadripoint in 1863 although it wasn't until 1912 that all four of the geographic divisions were officially states within the United States.

In addition to the shops in the area there are also flags of the four states, the Navajo Nation, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and the United States. My sister and I took a road trip out west in 2007 and stopped at Four Corners Monument where of course we took a picture while standing in all four states.

Answer: Saint Basil's Cathedral

Saint Basil's Cathedral was constructed under the reign of Ivan IV, aka Ivan the Terrible, and the building is officially known as the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat. On our visit to Moscow in 2017 we had the pleasure of seeing Saint Basil's Cathedral up close and it is absolutely breathtaking. We also had the pleasure of visiting the Kremlin of Moscow which interestingly contains the world's largest bell (Tsar Bell) and the residence of the President of Russia.

Another architectural marvel within Red Square that we loved was GUM Department Store famous for its glass roof.

Answer: Vatican City

I thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Italy and particularly the time we spent in Rome and Vatican City. St. Peter's Basilica awed me with its ornate Renaissance artwork as did the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums. St. Peter's Basilica
was completed in 1626 and by tradition it is the burial site of Saint Peter who was within the Inner Circle of the apostles of Jesus.

Answer: Flower garden

Keukenhof was one of the highlights of our journey to the Netherlands. With approximately seven million bulbs planted per year, Keukenhof is one of the world's largest flower gardens with an area of 79 acres. In 2017 more than 1.4 million people visited Keukenhof to view the tulips and other beautiful flowers on display.

Answer: Moab

The city of Moab had a population of just over 5,200 in 2015 but it had more than a million visitors that year. Many visitors take in the dry, reddish landscape of Arches National Park and the just as breathtaking Canyonlands National Park. Moab is conveniently located just five miles from Arches NP and 26 miles from Canyonlands NP.

The structure in the accompanying snowglobe is that of Delicate Arch which is one of the greatest landscape structures I have ever seen.

Answer: Borgata

The first legal casino opened in Atlantic City (and the entire eastern United States for that matter) in 1978 and over the next few decades the city became a popular tourist destination with more than 25 casinos. Competition from casinos in Connecticut and Philadelphia in the 1990s and 2000s caused a rapid decline in the profitability of Atlantic City's casinos and by 2017 there were only seven left. With more than 2,000 rooms, the Borgata opened in the Marina area of Atlantic City in 2003 and it featured more than 50 poker tables which is where I spent most of my time during my visit.

Answer: North and South Rim

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is accessible via the city of Fredonia whereas the South Rim is accessible via Tusayan. The South Rim is open year-round and it is generally more accessible than the North Rim. Of the 6.25 million (we were four of them) visitors to Grand Canyon National Park in 2017 more than five million visited from the South Rim. During my time at the Grand Canyon I hiked the enlightening Trail of Time that shows different rocks within the Grand Canyon and how they have changed over millions of years.

Answer: Key West

We visited Key West in 2010 and really enjoyed the unique culture of the city and particularly its identification as the 'Conch Republic'. The Southernmost Point Buoy was established in 1983 and it is the southernmost point in the continental United States. Due to its location the Southernmost Point Buoy has withstood several hurricanes including Hurricane Irma in 2017 which caused some exterior damage.