Outdoor Activities ...
As we travel, we like to pursue some of our interests (such as astronomy and bird watching).
When in Thistle, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Thistle and the surrounding area.
- Weather ...
- Before heading outdoors, you should check the weather:
- The National Weather Service forecast for Thistle
- 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 Thistle:
- 39.253718, -76.766917
- Once 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 Thistle
- Bird Watching ...
- We enjoy finding new spots for bird watching and we use the eBird website for local sighting reports and to help identify hotspots.
- The eBird website is organized on a county-by-county basis. We have selected Baltimore County as the starting point when you click on the link below:
- eBird sighting report for Baltimore County
- Since Thistle is near Howard County and also Baltimore City, we have provided a link to their eBird sighting reports:
- eBird sighting report for Howard County
- eBird sighting report for Baltimore City
- 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
Communities Also Named Thistle ...
We found five communities that share the name Thistle.
Within Maryland, the name Thistle is unique.
Beyond Maryland, we know of another five communities that are located throughout in the United States and Canada. Of these five communities, four are located in the United States and one is in Canada.
- Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
- Montana
- Ontario
- This Thistle lies 394 miles [634.1 km]<2> to the north northwest of the Thistle that is located in Baltimore County.
- Utah
- Utah County
- This community is historic<3> and we have very little information. For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Utah community of Thistle [Utah County].
- Wasatch County
- This community is historic and although located in Wasatch County, we don't know where within the county.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Wasatch County community of Thistle.
- Virginia
Curious and Interesting Names Near Thistle ...
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.
- Asylum ‑ Historic
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast) - Bonnie Brae
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bonnie Brae have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bonnie Brae
- Bonnie Brae is located in Howard County
- Chapelview
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chapelview have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chapelview
- Chapelview is located in Howard County
- Chestnut Farms
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chestnut Farms have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chestnut Farms
- Chestnut Farms is located in Howard County
- Chestnut Hill
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chestnut Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chestnut Hill
- Chestnut Hill is located in Howard County
- Elkridge Heights
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elkridge Heights have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elkridge Heights
- Elkridge Heights is located in Howard County
- Frederick Village
(Less than 2 miles to the north)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Frederick Village have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frederick Village
- Frederick Village is located in Baltimore County
- Gray
(Less than 2 miles to the west) - Gray Rock
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west) - Grays Level
(Less than 2 miles to the northwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grays Level have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grays Level
- Grays Level is located in Baltimore County
- Harristown
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Harristown have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harristown
- Harristown is located in Baltimore County
- Hilltop
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest) - Continue List (19 more) ...
- Howard Heights
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Howard Heights have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Howard Heights
- Howard Heights is located in Howard County
- Ivy Hill
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest) - Jonestown
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest) - Lawyers Hill
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lawyers Hill
- Lawyers Hill is located in Howard County
- Long Reach
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Long Reach have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long Reach
- Long Reach is located in Howard County
- Orange Grove ‑ Historic
(Less than 2 miles to the southeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Orange Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orange Grove
- Orange Grove is located in Howard County
- Paradise
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast) - Phelps Luck
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Phelps Luck have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Phelps Luck
- Phelps Luck is located in Howard County
- Pleasant View
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pleasant View have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant View
- Pleasant View is located in Howard County
- Quail Ridge
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Quail Ridge have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quail Ridge
- Quail Ridge is located in Howard County
- Relay
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast) - Rockburn Commons
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rockburn Commons have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockburn Commons
- Rockburn Commons is located in Howard County
- Rockland
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest) - Timber Point
(Less than 2 miles to the northwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Timber Point have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Timber Point
- Timber Point is located in Baltimore County
- Timber Run
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Timber Run have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Timber Run
- Timber Run is located in Howard County
- Timberview
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Timberview have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Timberview
- Timberview is located in Howard County
- Toll House
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Toll House have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toll House
- Toll House is located in Howard County
- Wheatfield Way
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wheatfield Way have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wheatfield Way
- Wheatfield Way is located in Howard County
- Woodland Village
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Woodland Village have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodland Village
- Woodland Village is located in Howard County
- Howard Heights
How Far From Thistle to ...
We spend a lot of time looking through Gazetteers, Almanacs & Directories that were published in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Many of the Gazetteers include the distance from a community such as Thistle to various places of note, such as the White House.
With a nod to our favorite Gazetteers, the straight-line distance beginning in Thistle and extending to:
- Towson, which is the Seat of Baltimore County, lies 13 miles [20.9 km]<2> to the northeast. If you could walk a straight line from Thistle to Towson, with an average speed<5> of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour, it would take 6 hours to make the trip. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take four to five hours.
- Annapolis, which is the State Capital of Maryland, lies 24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast (SE). The buggy would take most of a day and walking would take just about two full days.
- The White House (Washington, DC) is 28 miles [45.1 km] to the south southwest (SSW). The buggy would take just over a day and walking would take just about two full days.
- The shortest distance<6> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 5,871 miles [9,448.5 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<7>
- The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 6,577 miles [10,584.7 km] and it lies to the east northeast (ENE).<8>
- The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 4,454 miles [7,168 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<9>
Off-the-Road Links ...
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Thistle. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.
The official website for Baltimore County: www.co.ba.md.us/
The official website for State of Maryland: www.maryland.gov/
Footnotes ...
| <1> | If we encounter the name of what might be a community, our methodology is to add that name to our Gazetteer as a placeholder. As we find more information about that community, it will be added to our Gazetteer. Just as a reminder: Our definition of a community is rather broad and includes those places (or areas) where several families lived and had a name which identified that place. For example, you might hear somebody say that they are going over to Rock Creek to see Pete ... Rock Creek is just a gas station and a couple of homes at the crossroads. While it might not be on the map, everybody in the area knows it by that name. Places of interest include buildings at a crossroad, several families clustered in a hollow or maybe the location of a way station. It also includes places like mines, lumber camps, ferry crossings, etc. The community might still exist, is now gone or only existed for just a short period of time. Also keep in mind that Thistle could have been on the original document by mistake, misspelled, the original/alternate name of a community that we've listed elsewhere or was placed in the wrong county. Sometimes a post office or train station would have a different name than the community where it's located, so two names might be referring to the same community - we're working to straighten it all out. |
| <2> | 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- Thistle) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Thistle. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 39.2537, Longitude: -76.7669 In this case, the coordinates for Thistle have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). |
| <3> | We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Thistle, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <4> | 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. |
| <5> | 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. |
| <6> | 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 Thistle to the Middle East to be East and South, the Great Circle Route actually lies to the North and East. |
| <7> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 307.706 degrees. |
| <8> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 303.286 degrees. |
| <9> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 304.462 degrees. |