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Peoria, Illinois prides itself on being the most American of American cities. In fact, we have saying in the United States, "If it plays in Peoria," meaning that it something is liked in Peoria, it will be successful everywhere else because Peoria is a reflection of the country as a whole. Though Peoria, Illinois is the stereotypical, generic American city -- it looks just like where the Simpsons live -- I'm not sure if there is anything to do there. I'm sure you could watch a baseball game, go to a pumpkin patch or an apply orchard, but that's about all.
If you want to experience Americana, I would suggest renting a car and going from Charleston, South Carolina, through Nashville, Tennessee, and ending in Memphis, Tennessee. Along the way you could compare different styles of American barbeque, listen to live country and blues music, and explore the beauty of the Appalachian Mountains. Plus, who could resist
Dollywood Dollywood and Dollywood's Splash Country | Pigeon Forge TN?
The first two pictures were of typical 1950's roadside architecture. Although that era has long past (teenagers are more likely to go to McDonalds on their cruises, or not cruise at all because of gas prices), you can still go to preserved cafes, motels, etc. in many American towns and cities.
The picture of the county fair you posted is similar to the county fairs I've been to before. For more of an event, though, beyond agricultural exhibitions and mini-donuts, I would encourage you to visit a state fair.
A recommendation I would make to you, to witness "true American culture", is to go to a high-school football (or other popular high school sport, depending on the region and time of year) game. Most Americans watch pro sports on TV and only are there in the flesh rarely, if at all, but many are enthusiastic attendees of their local high school teams.
Thanking you all so much for your advise! I am liking the sound of a deep south road trip! However, I think the midwest is more what I am looking for. If you could sum up the feeling of each region of the US in a sentence or two could you please do so. I'd be more likely to find one that I think sounds right for me.
I post on another forum copy question and they advise me New Jersey
There are two things you need to know about New Jersey: there's a strong Italian-American culture and Americans love to make fun it. New Jersey is very suburban, which is very American, but it's more high-paced than the Midwest.
If you could describe the Midwest in one word, it would be "normal." The Midwest is politically moderate, and the people are very polite. With the exception of a few big cities, it's pretty safe. There's a strong German and Scandinavian flavor to a lot of the local customs. It's a nice place to live, but with the exception of some parts of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, it's not particularly beautiful. Very flat, not many trees, and a lot of corn fields.
The deep South is steeped with culture, but it's very conservative. People are extremely nice, but Americans could debate for hours on whether that niceness is genuine or if its phony. The South is beautiful though. Lots of pine trees.
The people who live out West are extremely laid back in their attitudes toward life. But there's not much culture, in my opinion, in many Western cities. Go to Phoenix, San Diego, Las Vegas, or Denver, and all you'll find will be a bunch of freeways, chain restaurants, and stripmalls. Though the mountains out West are amazing.
Keep in mind, Edwin, that the USA is HUGE. The state of Ohio, alone, is almost three times the size of The Netherlands, and each region is difficult to sum up in one sentence. No matter how people try to boil them down, they're just too big and varied to do that in any meaningful way.
No, I apologize, my tone with this post should have been POSITIVE but it wasn't. You are at no fault.
I was merely taking out my frustration with AMERICAN politicians taking this country in the wrong direction. I was merely taking out my frustration on how I had a bad experience in TORONTO,CANADA, my first visit to that country back in 2009, as an adult.
The same things that encouraged me to go to CANADA, like the TELEVISON shows and programs from CANADA, commercials, actually let me down when I visited CANADA.
One experience I had at the Toronto CN Tower was I was yelled at, by teenage girls working there no less, for taking a photo inside of the CN Tower, because THEY WANTED ME TO BUY a photo that they took with their CAMERA instead of the one I took. THEY YELLED AT ME ALL BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO MAKE MONEY OFF ME. I was a tourist to that country from America and I will never go BACK TO CANADA AGAIN.
You have pretty thin skin.
My family was chosen for inspection at the Canadian border simply because the idiot Canadian POE officer didn't understand a I-551 stamp was the same as having a physical US green card. We got to sit in the waiting area while six officers stood around with their thumbs up their butts talking about everything but immigration for an hour. Then they vaguely searched our car and took a two second glance at the passport again before giving us a moronic grin and saying 'oh yeah, this is fine...'.
I've been back to Canada several times since then and had a lot of fun. I think you need to see a doctor about your butthurt.
Canadians have a reputation of being "nicer" than Americans.
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