With a hat-tip to GeoChristian, I am linking to an ad for the Atlas of True Names, which provides world maps with the names of features in their literally English translations. As can be seen by clicking the map above, it is a fun read.Looking at the map reminds me of the rather fascinating names for the towns and features where I live, places like Lard (Manteca), The Bathrooms (Los Banos), Salt (Salida), Modest (Modesto), Grizzley Valley (Yosemite), The River of our Lady of Mercy (Merced River), the River of the Land of Mountain Lions and Straight Up Steep (Tuolumne River).
I think my favorite literal name is actually over in Kim Hannula's territory in southern Colorado, the River of the Lost Souls (Animas River).
Some of our California towns are perfectly literal in their names; Weed, Weedpatch, Greenacres, Greenfield, Farmersville and Red Bluff come to mind. And at least one doesn't really have translation, at least from what I heard (I'm open to correction on this), but Yreka got it's name when someone saw a bakery sign backwards with the "b" missing. Who knows?
Any other great literal names out there?
BTW, this is my 200th blog entry. I appreciate all the support in my first (almost) year in the geoblogosphere!
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