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Outdoor Activities ...As we travel, we like to pursue some of our interests (such as astronomy and bird watching). When in Ariton, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Ariton and the surrounding area. 
Astronomy & Satellites ...
Whether using binoculars, a small telescope or the naked-eye, the Heavens-Above 
website can help you to find your way around the night-time sky.  In addition to detailed 
sky charts, their website will help you find planets, asteriods, comets, satellites and their tracks across the sky.To give accurate results, Heavens-Above requires the latitude and longitude of your location.  As a starting point, when we link to Heavens-Above, 
we pass this GPS location for Ariton:31.600281, -85.717592Once you're on the Heavens-Above website, you can improve its accuracy by giving a more precise longitude and latitude as your actual position.The Heavens-Above Website, centered on Ariton 
Waymarking ...
Looking for somewhere out of the ordinary?  Find a unique place and want to share it with others?  Then it's time to visit Waymarking.com:Waymark.com Curious and Interesting Names Near Ariton ...As we travel, we always see a community with a name that gives pause.  While there are names which are interesting or familiar, some catch our attention or strike our fancy.  We always wonder about such a name.  If time permits and the community is not too far, we'll usually try to make a side-trip. 
Chestnut Grove(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
 
Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chestnut Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<1>  The coordinates still need to be verified.Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chestnut GroveChestnut Grove is located in Coffee CountyDill(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
 
Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dill have been provided by the GNIS.<1>  The coordinates still need to be verified.Jump to our Gazetteer entry for DillDill is located in Dale CountyElamville(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
Green Ridge(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
 
Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Green Ridge have been provided by the GNIS.<1>  The coordinates still need to be verified.Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green RidgeGreen Ridge is located in Pike CountyHillcrest(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
 
Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hillcrest have been provided by the GNIS.<1>  The coordinates still need to be verified.Jump to our Gazetteer entry for HillcrestHillcrest is located in Pike CountyJava(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
 
Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Java.  Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>Jump to our Gazetteer entry for JavaJava is located in Coffee CountyGoogle driving directions:From your current location to Java From Ariton to Java Marley Mill(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
 
Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marley Mill have been provided by the GNIS.<1>  The coordinates still need to be verified.Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marley MillMarley Mill is located in Dale CountyRoberts Crossroads(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
 
Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Roberts Crossroads have been provided by the GNIS.<1>  The coordinates still need to be verified.Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roberts CrossroadsRoberts Crossroads is located in Dale CountyRocky Head(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
 
Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rocky Head have been provided by the GNIS.<1>  The coordinates still need to be verified.Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rocky HeadRocky Head is located in Dale CountySkipperville(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
 
Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Skipperville have been provided by the GNIS.<1>  The coordinates still need to be verified.Jump to our Gazetteer entry for SkippervilleSkipperville is located in Dale CountyWindmill Hills(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
 
Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Windmill Hills have been provided by the GNIS.<1>  The coordinates still need to be verified.Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Windmill HillsWindmill Hills is located in Pike County How Far From Ariton to ...We spend a lot of time looking through Gazetteers & Almanacs that were published in the late 1800's and early 1900's.  Many of the Gazetteers include the distance from a town such as Ariton to various places of note, such as the White House. With a nod to our favorite Gazetteers, the straight-line distance<3> beginning in Ariton and extending to: 
Ozark, which is the Seat of Dale County, lies 10 miles [16.1 km]<3> to the south southeast.  If you could walk a straight line from Ariton to Ozark, with an average speed<4> of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour, it would take four to five hours to make the trip.  A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take a little over three hours.Montgomery, which is the State Capital of Alabama, lies 63 miles [101.4 km] to the north northwest (NNW).  Driving, with an average speed of 63 miles [101.4 km] per hour,  would take less than an hour, a buggy would take about three full days and walking would take most of three days.The White House (Washington, DC) is 701 miles [1,128.2 km] to the northeast (NE).  Driving  would take just about two full days, a buggy would take 28 days and walking would take 40 days.The shortest distance<5> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 6,596 miles [10,615.2 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<6>The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 7,294 miles [11,738.6 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<7>The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 5,174 miles [8,326.7 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<8> 
Footnotes ...
| <1> | The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).  While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required. |  | <2> | An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates.  That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location.  A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace. |  | <3> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance.  A straight line distance ignores  obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Ariton) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Ariton.  The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 31.6003, Longitude: -85.7176 |  | <4> | While we have tried to pick reasonable speeds, the rate of travel is very theoretical - obstacles like fences, hills, lakes, river crossings and rest stops have been ignored.  When we say 'Days' of travel, we're assuming 8 hours of travel per day. |  | <5> | The shortest line can be visualized by stretching a string on a Globe from Point A to Point B - this is known as a Great Circle Route.  Where you might expect the shortest route from Ariton to the Middle East to be East and South, the Great Circle Route actually lies to the North and East. |  | <6> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 312.908 degrees. |  | <7> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 308.134 degrees. |  | <8> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 310.276 degrees. |  |  |