Alice Springs, Australia

Alice Springs is in the middle of Australia, a bit north of the actual center of the continent. The Alice in the name comes from the wife of telegraph pioneer Sir Charles Todd. The catch is that Alice wasn't around when Todd was working on bringing new communication technology to the region; she was back home. There is some serious doubt about whether Alice ever even saw Alice Springs. 

Think of the town as something of a central trading post for the region. There are about 33,000 people in the area (10 percent of the Northern Territory), and there aren't many places for fast food in the neighborhood. There is a downtown of several square blocks. The neighborhood isn't the best, and tourists are told to be on alert. For what it's worth, several videos of the area on YouTube carry the theme of problems there - especially at night.   

And it can be hot. Really hot. The average high in the summer months approaches 100 degrees and frequently goes over that magic number. The record is 114, which would drive anyone on a search for air conditioning. There is a river in Alice Springs called Todd River. It's usually dry, although there is said to be some water flowing underground that can't be seen on the surface. Since the land is so shallow (half-inch of dirt), a good thunderstorm can cause some flooding quickly. There are serious warnings around about such conditions.

The Anzac Hill Memorial is one of the town's biggest attractions, if that's the right word. The tribute to those who died in the military is located on a good-sized hill overlooking the area. It opened in 1934, and it said to be a good spot to see a sunrise and sunset.