Hey, Answer Girl --

I was driving around Casper this evening and got to thinking about some of the longer roads in Casper. I was wondering if you know which road/street/avenue (excluding highways and interstates) is the longest within Casper city limits.

-- Joe E.

The longest street within city limits -- definitely excluding highways and interstates -- is none other than the infamous CY Avenue, which runs diagonal beginning at Ash and Ninth streets and goes all the way out by the west-side Wal-Mart, where it turns from a city street into a highway. At 49,058 feet, or 9.3 miles long, CY beats out East Second Street (5.3 miles long), East 12th Street (3.9 miles long), Southwest Wyoming Boulevard (3.8 miles long) and South Poplar Street (3.3 miles long).

Though I may sound smart for knowing this answer, I'd have had no idea whatsoever without the help of Peter Meyers, administrative analyst for the city of Casper, and Liz Hepp, the city's GIS coordinator.

Hey, Answer Girl --

Now that you've written about the "Seven Wonders of Casper," what are the actual Seven Wonders of the World? I'd heard they were changed in recent years from those I learned about in elementary school.

-- Bill F.

Whether the Seven Wonders of the World have been changed or not is up for debate. While some countries acknowledge a set of wonders voted upon in recent years, others thought the idea of letting the public decide what constitutes a "wonder" was ridiculous.

The Seven Wonders of the World are now categorized separately, as the "new wonders" and the "ancient wonders."

The "ancient wonders" are those you're familiar with from elementary school.

The Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt, still stands today, while the Colossus of Rhodes, Greece, was a rather short-lived wonder (it lasted for only 56 years, then was broken by an earthquake). The lighthouse of Alexandra, Egypt; the statue of Zeus at Olympia, Greece; the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Iraq; the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, Turkey; and the Temple of Artemis, Turkey, round out the list of the original Seven Wonders of the World.

Unfortunately, most of the original wonders are no longer in existence; hence, the need for "new wonders."

The "new wonders" include the 105-foot-tall Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Machu Picchu, Peru, a now-ruined 15th century mountain settlement in the Amazon region of the country; and Chichen Itza, Mexico, the most famous temple city of the Mayas.

The Taj Mahal in Agra, India, was named one of the "new wonders" as well, most likely for its architectural beauty, as was the Colosseum in Rome, the only European structure to make the list. And, despite country leaders' objections to naming new wonders, the Great Wall of China was named a wonder for obvious reasons.

Contact reporter Megan Lee at (307) 266-0589 or megan.lee@trib.com

Ask Answer Girl

Answer Girl tackles your questions about Casper, the universe and everything else. Submit your questions by email to megan.lee@trib.com, or call Megan Lee at 266-0589. You can also write to Answer Girl, Box 80, 170 Star Lane, Casper, WY, 82602.