Contest #405: Mission Concepción, San Antonio, Texas, USA

The San Antonio Missions are a group of 5 Spanish frontier missions built in the early 1700s. The 5 missions are Mission Concepción, Mission Espada, Mission San José, Mission San Juan Capistrano, and San Antonio de Valero. The last one is better known as “The Alamo”.

Earlier this month (July, 2015), The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced additions to its World Heritage List. Among the additions was the grouping of the San Antonio Missions.

Misión Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de Acuña, known as Mission Concepción, was formed in 1716 at a location about 60 miles east of where it now sits, and was moved to its permanent home in 1731. Like the Alamo, the mission was the site of a battle in the fight for Texas independence.

The mission is open to the public and Catholic Mass is held there each Sunday.

Mission Concepcion San Antonio 1

We honestly did not expect this one to be as difficult as it apparently was. We aren’t quite sure what threw everyone off, but we had expected several quick answers based on it’s new UNESCO status and this contest’s long history with that illustrious list. There was only 1 correct answer before the hint. Congratulations to Phil Ower for finding it on his own.

After the hint, we had the following correct responses:

  • Steve Willis
  • Garfield
  • Steve J
  • Lighthouse
  • mehmet durmus
  • RicardPG

Contest #404: Platte Mound near Plattesville, Wisconsin, USA

1) it’s an “M”.
2) it stands for “Mining” — there is a large mining college there.
3) it is, although I have no idea how one might verify this fact, supposed to be the largest “M” in the world.

Platte Mound M.jpg
Platte Mound M” by Thatoneguy89Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Platte Mound M Plaque.jpg
Platte Mound M Plaque” by Thatoneguy89Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Found without additional assistance:

  • Lighthouse
  • LawnBoy
  • Garfield
  • Jesus Rodriguez
  • Phil Ower
  • steve willis
  • mehmet DURMUS
  • lelie
  • Steve J.
  • Farceur
  • Marisa Boraas
  • Maureen
  • steven simmons
  • Sarah G

With the hint:

  • Charley Seavey
  • RichardPG

Contest #403: Bawabet Dimashq (Damascus Gate) Restaurant, Damascus, Syria

Well, we went to prison and then took a trip down a water slide, now we gotta eat, right?

As of the date of this post, Bawabet Dimashq is the largest restaurant in the world (as recognized by the fine folks at the Guiness Book of World Records)

This place can seat over 6000 people at a time in the nearly 54,000 square meter dining area.

big-restaurant

plus-grand-restaurant-du-monde-3

biggestrestaurant

Those who made early reservations and got a 2-point table included:

  • Lighthouse
  • Paul Voestermanns
  • Phil Ower
  • steve willis
  • Farceur
  • Garfield

And the last minute additions (1 point) were:

  • JF
  • lelie
  • Steve J.
  • Luis Filipe Miguel
  • Mehmet DURMUS

Contest #401: Wooloroo Prison Farm, Western Australia

This is a minumum security prison near the town of Wooloroo. Wooloroo can hold up to 360 inmates and includes a large industrial complex, which produces goods and food for inmates and for external contracts.

Prisoners can work under supervision in the local community and take part in traineeships.

ABC News

ABC News

Those who avoided getting busted:

  • Lighthouse
  • Garfield
  • mehmet durmus
  • steve willis
  • RicardPG
  • Lelie
  • ndrqu
  • Phil Ower
  • Charley Seavey
  • Steve J

These needed parole with the help of a hint:

  • Ben S
  • Gillian B