Word: mile
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...there, we flew to Las Vegas and picked up a minivan for the 300-mile drive to Page, Ariz. Our girls--one nine and twins just shy of eight--took in the desolate landscape, with its red rock spires and stunning mesas, and fired off questions: "Are there dinosaur eggs buried here? Where are the Indians? Did you run over any rattlesnakes?" Gradually, the scenery turned flatter, less interesting and more relentless in its dull brown hues. Five hours passed, and then, without warning, a striking new color showed up on the horizon. An oasis of emerald blue-green water...
...water's edge, and eyed the 60 or so houseboats bobbing at anchor, ranging in size from the 36-ft. Standard class, which sleeps six, up to the 60-ft. Admiral, which can bed more than 10. All the rental boats and the five marinas scattered around the 186-mile-long lake are owned and operated by the Aramark Corp., the concessionaire for the National Park Service. Before turning in for the night, we had a little preparation to do. I gave the video on houseboat safety my undivided attention. And by the time I finished the paperwork--from insurance...
...amenities didn't stop there. Exploring the lake solely from a houseboat is too slow and costly, since the Admiral cruises at just 10 m.p.h. and guzzles 1.5 gal. of gasoline per mile. Most renters add on a separate speedboat, to be towed astern. Practical houseboaters tend to moor the big vessel on a secluded beach and use the faster, more fuel-efficient powerboat for recreation and exploration...
...unexpectedly due; the news from Britain about the pound, which had risen to around $2; yes, and the Kremer Prize. Why, he mused, had no one been able to claim the [pound]50,000 offered by British industrialist Henry Kremer for the first man-powered flight around a mile-long, figure-eight course? "Then a light bulb went on above my head," says MacCready. "It was a eureka moment." The Kremer Prize, he realized, would about pay off his debt. Sometimes inspiration is just that mundane. Necessity, invention's putative mother, comes in many guises...
Turning his eyes earthward, and in consort with General Motors, MacCready conceived the Sunraycer, a solar-powered electric car that averaged 41 m.p.h. in a 1,867-mile race across Australia, finishing two days ahead of its nearest competitor. It too became part of the Smithsonian's collection and was the forerunner of the AeroVironment-designed Impact, an experimental GM battery-powered electric car that in turn evolved into the electric EV-1 auto, which GM is leasing to customers in California and Arizona...