United States Map

July 21, 2004 Juneau Empire Article Map project puts Alaska, Hawaii in their place 40- by 50-foot map is constructed entirely with nails hammered directly into wooden dock downtown The Juneau Map of the United States project is an interactive map of the 50 United States in their correct geographic locations. Many maps of the 50 states show Alaska and Hawaii off the coast of California or in the Gulf of Mexico. Often visitors to Juneau do not have a clear idea of exactly where Juneau is, in relation to the Lower 48 states, and how far Juneau is from their hometown. The 40-foot by 50-foot map is being constructed entirely with nails hammered directly into the wooden dock by school classes, volunteer organizations, local citizens and visitors. They will hammer in more than 50,000 nails to mark the latitude and longitude lines, the outlines of all the states, major rivers and other map features. The map will show Juneau at the center of a series of concentric circles that represent 500-mile intervals, so that people can easily calculate the distance from Juneau to anywhere. Everyone is invited to add a nail to the map for their hometown. Michael Orelove created this project to teach geography and science to the general public in interesting, practical and fun ways. Local groups or individuals wanting to get involved in the project should contact Orelove at 586-3034.

May 31, 2006 Juneau Empire Article Juneau makes the map Juneau residents, tourists and seasonal workers have the opportunity to brush up on geography by following the nails in the boards of the cruise ship terminal. The downtown dock closest to the tram is home to a United States map constructed to scale using more than 50,000 nails. The map's creator, Michael Orelove, started the Juneau Map of the United States project on the dock in 2004 after approval from the city. Orelove said he consistently noticed the positioning of Alaska and Hawaii on maps - off the coast of California. He wanted to give people a realistic sense of where Alaska is in relation to other states, he said. Over the years, tourists, school classes, volunteer organizations and community members have made their own additions to the map. The Coast Guard nailed the Great Lakes. Orelove has also spent time near the map handing tourists a nail to mark their hometowns. More than 400 visitors signed the log book and pounded nails into the dock, further delineating places. The map is a work in progress, Orelove said. He just drafted a letter to hand out to walking-tour operators, bus and taxi drivers asking them to carry a hammer and bag of nails and encourage visitors to add a nail to the map of their hometown. State quarters are also being added to the map as they are released. The quarters mark a state's capital on the map. The map combines science, education and fun, Orelove said. "I like the Texas tourists," he said. "The map puts Alaska in its right place. I step across Texas in two steps. I step across Alaska in six. It's the Texas two-step.