Take a Closer Look at Maps With Sad Topographies
With smartphone apps and GPS units making physical road maps more of an emergency essential than everyday tool, it can be hard to notice the cities surrounding routes to destinations. If you take a closer look at maps when consulting your GPS, though, you’re bound to find some pretty odd names attached to roads, towns, and other features that might not make it to highway signage. To see some of these beauties in one place, check out sadtopographies on Instagram.
True to its name, Sad Topographies posts screenshots of locations on Google Maps that have particularly dreary or morbid names. Following this account will reassure you that while things can be difficult where you live, at least you do not live on the Road to Nowhere or on the shores of Suicide Lake.
When scrolling through the locations featured on the site, a few trends emerge. Many of the more dour names seem to occur in the western United States, with charming places like Bucket of Blood Street in Arizona and Hopeless Pass in California. Many of the best names are also on islands, like Despair Island in Rhode Island and Lonely Island in Canada.
If you’re looking for an excuse to take a road trip, we suggest researching the destinations featured by Sad Topographies. Shades of Death Road in New Jersey and the neighboring Ghost Lake, for example, is reportedly haunted. If you do travel to see these peculiarly named places, please make sure to pack the essentials.
The News Wheel is a digital auto magazine providing readers with a fresh perspective on the latest car news. We’re located in the heart of America (Dayton, Ohio) and our goal is to deliver an entertaining and informative perspective on what’s trending in the automotive world. See more articles from The News Wheel.