Megrez Expedition

by Mike Selinker
Answer: TUCSON, ARIZONA

The red, white, and blue arrows each contain a fragment of a U.S. city name, always spanning the city and state. The direction of the word on the arrow indicates which direction the fragment goes in the name: if the arrowhead is to the right of the word, the fragment reads forward, while if the arrowhead is to the left of the word, the fragment reads backward. (If there is more than one city that can contain a fragment, the largest city is used, as per the "Most People" clue.) In left to right order per row, the first letters of the cities spell PLACE THAT'S BACKWARDS RANOS, with the question marks at the second T. The city containing "RANOS" backwards (that is, SONAR) is TUCSON, ARIZONA.

Peru, Indiana (RUIN)

Lexington, Kentucky (KNOT)

Alamogordo, New Mexico (GORDON)

Chattanooga, Tennessee (GATE)

Eureka, California (CAKE)

Tallahassee, Florida (FEES)

Helena, Montana (MANE)

Augusta, Georgia (STAGE)

TUCSON, ARIZONA (SONAR)

Seattle, Washington (WELT)

Buffalo, New York (ALONE)

Austin, Texas (STINT)

Charlotte, North Carolina (TENOR)

Kansas City, Kansas (SNAKY)

Waco, Texas (COTE)

Aurora, Illinois (LIAR)

Rochester, New York (STERN)

Dover, Delaware (VERDE)

Salem, Oregon (ROME)

Reno, Nevada (NONE, in either direction)

Akron, Ohio (HONOR)

North Platte, Nebraska (TENEBRA)

Ogden, Utah (TUNED)

San Francisco, California (COCA)