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My journey so far has taken me to the following cities in order: New York (where I started from), Baltimore, Cincinnati, Sioux City, Monroe (La.), and Columbus (Ga.). What's my next stop?

Hint:

I can never go back to New York.

Another hint, added later:

I can never go back to New York. That's not just because the route is determined and it happens never to lead back to New York — though that's true — but because there's some quality of New York's that implies that a route of this sort can never lead to it.

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  • $\begingroup$ Is it really a trip around the U.S. if it's primarily central/east U.S.? :P $\endgroup$
    – Adib
    Feb 4, 2020 at 22:44
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    $\begingroup$ @Adib Yes. If you say you went around town, it doesn't necessarily mean you went literally all over town. $\endgroup$ Feb 5, 2020 at 3:35
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    $\begingroup$ Maybe another hint would be nice...? $\endgroup$
    – Enigma
    May 3, 2020 at 15:41

2 Answers 2

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Jacksonville, Florida

Because:

Placing all locations on a map, you get an outline of the borders of the United States mainland(except Alaska), in approx. half size. This is hinted at in the title; «around the US» It seems as the cities are placed at locations where there is a major change in direction of the border. Jacksonville is located approximately where Brownsville, Texas would be.

See attached image

Around the US

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  • $\begingroup$ Interesting. Not my intention. And that image you included really doesn't outline the US in miniature: for example, you drew Washington State as farther north than the rest of the western half of the lower 48, but it's not. $\endgroup$
    – msh210
    May 3, 2020 at 15:32
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    $\begingroup$ @msh210 I just inserted all locations in Google Maps, and drive by car. Of course I understand that I could made a more elaborate drawing, but if isn’t correct, why bother? $\endgroup$
    – Enigma
    May 3, 2020 at 15:49
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Your next stop would be:

in Castle Pines, Colorado, since averaging all of the coordinates of the given cities results in this coordinate.

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    $\begingroup$ Welcome to Puzzling.SE! In the future try to add spoiler tags (use >! at beginning of line) around your answer so people can attempt the puzzles without possibly having the correct answer spoiled for them. Also check out the tour to learn more about the site and earn your first badge: puzzling.stackexchange.com/tour $\endgroup$
    – gabbo1092
    Feb 4, 2020 at 19:43
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    $\begingroup$ The sounds like a great answer if each location listed is the average of the previous ones. Alas, it's not the intended answer. $\endgroup$
    – msh210
    Feb 4, 2020 at 20:32
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    $\begingroup$ Come to think of it, I haven't tried averaging all the coordinates, but am pretty sure the answer isn't in Colorado, considering that all the places mentioned are east of Colorado. $\endgroup$
    – msh210
    Feb 4, 2020 at 20:57
  • $\begingroup$ I think the actual average would be somewhere near Louisville. $\endgroup$
    – Gareth McCaughan
    Feb 4, 2020 at 21:13
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    $\begingroup$ @msh210 For every location (other than the first, of course) to be the average of the previous ones, they would all have to be in the exact same place. $\endgroup$
    – Gareth McCaughan
    Feb 4, 2020 at 21:14

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