Border Hunting

From Thatsaabguy:

Yes, I love maps. But what I love even MORE is border hunting, and highpointing. I'll get to the latter in a future post, but first, let's talk about borders. Every country, city, county, parish, state, municipality and township has them. To some they are just lines on a map. To others, like Jan Krogh, and Jesper Nielsen, they are a passion.

Golfing between Finland and Sweden - one hell of a lie

Consider: Jan Krogh's GeoSite and Jesper's Borderbase.

Here you can find lists, links, photos and descriptions of weird border crossings, exclaves and enclaves, divided towns, tri-point markers from all over the world, a collection of passport stamps that brought a tear to my well-traveled eye, links to all manner of additional reading...the works. Jesper hails from my adoptive hometown of Harstad, Norway, so we're kinda like long-lost twins who've never met. Except I'm far better looking.

The tri-point map of Poland, Belorussia and Ukraine

As a border freak myself, I have gone to the farthest-flung points of the earth in order to "bag" another marker or border. See for yourself our summer 2008 expedition to FINORU, otherwise known as the tri-point between Finland, Norway and Russia. We also drove to, quite literally, the End Of The Road in Norway, where one must either turn back or find a way to drive north over the Barents Sea (our earlier attempt at the FINOSE tripoint having been thwarted by ice on the lake. In July. Oh, and zombies. Long story.) Fortunately, we also live quite near the US-Canada border, so every time we head north is like a slice of border-hunter heaven.

Looking due east along the 49th Parallel, with White Rock BC to the left and Blaine WA to the right

If you see what you like and wish to join the rest of the border freaks, feel free to join us on our Yahoo email group called BorderPoint, and tell us about your interesting border stories, or just listen in - you never know WHAT you might learn!