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Nevada vs Arkansas — I hear Lake Tahoe is real nice, but gambling has never had much appeal for me, and most of the rest of the state is pretty barren. The Ozarks, OTOH, are lovely country; I wish my late Mom had actually been able to build on the plot of land she bought in Bella Vista Village.
Tennessee vs Vermont — New England's least populous state has loads of charm (and some of the best cheese in the country; I prefer Vermont and New York State Cheddar to Wisconsin), but Tennessee has more varied scenery and more interesting cities.
Indiana vs Alaska — I know I tend to sell the Hoosier State short, probably because I have spent too much time crossing its middle on I-70, but it simply can't compete with the spectacular scenery and unique culture of Alaska.
Louisiana vs Hawaii — I like beaches, but I love great food even more, and in Hawaii, Spam is considered a delicacy. New Orleans' cuisine and culture make most of the rest of the state irrelevant when it comes to judging these two, but most of Cajun country is also interesting.
Alabama vs New Hampshire — The land of "Live Free or Die" has the smallest coastline of any U.S. coastal state, but they pack a lot into those 14 miles. And even though the Old Man of the Mountains now exists only on state license plates and state highway markers, there's still lots more eye-catching scenery and several charming small cities (I'm looking at you, Portsmouth) in the Granite State that give it the edge over Alabama in my book. (But I must give a shout-out to Mobile, another charming Southern port city, and I must visit one of those Northeast Alabama Q joints where chicken with a mayonnaise-based barbecue sauce is the order of the day sometime.)
Connecticut vs New Mexico — The "Land of Enchantment" lives up to its name, and I love habañero peppers. But the Land of Pleasant Living has a striking rugged coastline, lovely hills and cities that deserve better than they've gotten over the years, even New Haven despite Yale.
Wisconsin vs Delaware — One of these days I'll make it to Milwaukee and Madison. But I'll probably have spent many a pleasant weekend hanging out on the beach at Rehoboth Beach before that happens.
Oklahoma vs Nebraska — Oklahoma is a bit too conservative for my liking, and besides, Oklahoma City is not all that hot (did you all hear the story behind those "Metropolitan Area Projects" series of public-works programs there? They began when an airline decided not to build a maintenance base it had planned to put in OKC because it polled its employees, who said they absolutely didn't want to live there), and Tulsa still needs to atone for Greenwood, though it's moving in the right direction. Besides, my Mom was born in Omaha, which is a smaller version of Kansas City.
Colorado vs Rhode Island — Oceans trump mountains in my book, and Providence is a surprisingly lively and colorful city. Plus there are those Newport mansions and better seafood.
Iowa vs Mississippi — I note that there are several Southern partisans participating in this discussion. Even though it's partly true, I rankle when people call my native Missouri Southern. I'm a Midwesterner through and through, and Iowa is quintessentially Midwestern, with all the virtues Midwesterners possess (including an outgoing friendliness).
Massachusetts vs Wyoming — I attended college in Cambridge and the Bay State still holds a special place in my heart. But I will say that there's a certain beauty to Wyoming's wide-open spaces too.
Missouri vs North Dakota — I'm a forever Kansas Citian, and my hometown is one of the loveliest, nicest and most interesting cities in the country (don't believe me? Visit it sometime; I've yet to meet someone who has and didn't like it). Plus it shares the Ozarks with Arkansas.
Kentucky vs West Virginia — Two words: Louisville and Bourbon.
South Carolina vs Maine — This one is also a toughie for me. Charleston has few peers when it comes to charm, but frankly, Portland is a surprisingly lively little city, and I don't care if the water's cold, Myrtle Beach isn't as attractive as Bar Harbor, Boothbay Harbor and Ogunquit are, both individually and collectively.
Utah vs Kansas — While I like four seasons, I'm not a ski bum, so Utah's superior skiing means nothing to me. Again, Mom grew up in northeast Kansas, and about half the Kansas City metro area is located in the state. Plus, Midwestern college towns are cool pretty much by definition, and Lawrence is one of the coolest. Maybe one day I will take a stroll up "Mount Sunflower," the highest point in the state (~4,100 feet above sea level).
Maryland vs South Dakota — Baltimore deserves better than it gets. Ellicott City is also very charming (assuming it survives its next flood), and Annapolis is perhaps the most charming of all 50 state capitals.
Oregon vs Idaho — I'm really not that familiar with either state, and while I do want to visit Portland someday, I also recall that the first Oregonians wanted to make sure people like me never settled there by writing a ban on Black settlement into its original 1859 state constitution (and the state remains mighty white today). I also know that Idaho seems to be a magnet for white-nationalist types who find California a bit too multiculti for their liking. So I'll pass on this one.
Minnesota vs Montana — I really don't mind cold weather. Honest! And I don't quite get winterphobia either; I once saw a T-shirt bearing a legend I agree with:
"Those who cannot handle winter don't deserve summer."
Montanans and Minnesotans both deserve every second of their states' relatively short summers, but Minnesota gets the edge because Minneapolis.
How'd I do? Did I mess up the bracket any?
Last edited by MarketStEl; 06-26-2020 at 11:29 AM..
Nope, you did it completely right. What do you mean by mess up the bracket? The way it works is I am tallying scores for all the fixtures as to the number of votes each state is getting. As I said, deadline is a week from today, and at the deadline, the state with the bigger number of votes in each fixture goes to the next round, and like a bracket, the states keep facing each other until 1 State wins with the most votes. Stay tuned for the next Rounds, and be sure to vote in all Rounds! Each Round lasts a week, so Round 2 will start a week from today after Deadline, and so on, until the Final Round with 2 towns left!
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Danny K
Louisiana vs Hawaii: I HATE Hawaii, extremely liberal. Louisiana has New Orleans!!!
The very first time I've ever seen HATE and Hawaii in the same sentence. That's too bad. I really don't judge states by politics since there is so much more to life than politics. But anyway had to counter post as having visited the islands twice (Maui and the Big Island) I can say with absolute conviction that I LOVE LOVE LOVE Hawaii. Would go back in a heartbeat! Fortunately, there aren't any states from the 46 out of 50 that I've been to that I could say that I hate at all.
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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Nevada vs Arkansas - More partial to the West than the South.
Tennessee vs Vermont - Well I did move to Vermont many reasons. Love the verdant Green Mountains and valleys, Lake Champlain is beautiful with awesome sunsets. An ideal place for all four seasons and the best skiing in the East. Lots of local agriculture and farmers markets which I love. Away from the ratrace but also still very accessible to amazing cities (Montreal/Boston/NYC).
Indiana vs Alaska - I mean come on, Alaska is so superlative and Indiana is so average.
Louisiana vs Hawaii - New Orleans is one of my favorite cities in the US but I love Hawaii with a passion. The people, music, food, Polynesian culture, giant Pacific surf, volcanic mountain slopes, rain forests, the floral vegetation everywhere, and the Spirit of Aloha had me captive wanting to go back for more.
Alabama vs New Hampshire - NH is not my favorite New England state, but Mt Washington is impressive and Portsmouth is one of my favorite little coastal cities.
Connecticut vs New Mexico - Spent seven years in the Land of Enchantment, and I miss the food (Green chile) more than anything.
Wisconsin vs Delaware - Never been to WI but I really liked Rehoboth Beach in DE.
Oklahoma vs Nebraska - Very comparable and close, I actually enjoyed the night I spent in OKC, but I found Omaha to be a bit more charming.
Colorado vs Rhode Island - I really dig the Rhode Island coast and Newport, best beaches in New England IMO. But Colorado is one of my favorite places to hike and ski. Summiting a 14'er in the Rockies and skiing at Telluride are two awesome experiences that I hold close to my heart.
Iowa vs Mississippi - Only been to Biloxi which was alright. The thing with Iowa is I had low expectations and was surprised by how pretty and bucolic the rolling farmland was. Got off the interstate for a bit to take it in, it was quite nice.
Massachusetts vs Wyoming - well Mass is my original home state, I love the Cape and Islands, Salem, Ptown and the quaint towns out in the Berkshires. Wyoming well I never had the good fortune of seeing the Tetons (would love to) only been to the windy brown prairies in the east.
Missouri vs North Dakota - pretty unequal playing field here, I enjoyed the history and some of the neighborhoods in St. Louis with lots of intact historical buildings and great architecture. Add KC barbecue for the win.
Kentucky vs West Virginia - I like the windy country roads and lush green vegetation in WV, very pretty. Many towns there seem very frozen in time.
South Carolina vs Maine - Rocky shores and lighthouses, Acadia NP, Mt Katahdin, and skiing at Sugarloaf make Maine one of my favorite states in the Eastto visit. Hoping to get back there this summer.
Utah vs Kansas - Not a level playing here either, Utah has the Might Five National Parks with Arches being my favorite. Add skiing in the Wasatch range for the win.
Maryland vs South Dakota - Reminiscing horseback riding in the Black Hills, thinking how underrated the beauty of South Dakota is. This is where the plains and prairies are at their most scenic.
Oregon vs Idaho - Oregon Coast, Mt Hood, Silver Falls, and Crater Lake, all amazing. Idaho has some very nice lakes to in the north, but the Oregon Coast takes it for me.
Minnesota vs Montana - I do like Big Sky Country and have always been enamored by the wide open landscapes of the Mountain West. But I have a thing for swimming in freshwater lakes in the summer. Not really into man made lakes, I really like the natural lakes of the northern landscapes. Minnesota has 10K + lakes, and Minneapolis is home of the late great Prince.
Last edited by Champ le monstre du lac; 06-26-2020 at 04:56 PM..
Nevada vs Arkansas. Nevada wins for Las Vegas, the Hoover Dam and it's desert climate. Arkansas is appealing, but nothing I can think of there would top Las Vegas for me.
Tennessee vs Vermont. Tennessee wins for Nashville and Memphis. Music and hotels with duck marches - too cute. Vermont is pretty, but I prefer Tennessee.
Indiana vs Alaska. Alaska wins for natural beauty. A lovely place I hope to vacation to someday. Indiana is quaint, but Alaska is majestic.
Louisiana vs Hawaii. Hawaii wins for natural beauty, another wonderful place I hope to vacation to someday. Louisiana was close with New Orleans.
Alabama vs New Hampshire. New Hampshire wins by a tad bit here. Mobile, Montgomery and Birmingham bring Alabama to a close tie. However, I have many fond memories of many things in New Hampshire; Derry, Portsmouth, Old Man of the Mountain, Six Gun City, Clark's Trading Post, North Conway, Santa's Village, Story Land, etc... I want to emphasize how close this one was though - if Alabama were up against another less populated state, it would have won.
Connecticut vs New Mexico. Connecticut wins for Foxwoods, Hartford and Mystic Seaport. New Mexico is someplace I want to visit, but Connecticut is convenient for me.
Wisconsin vs Delaware. Delaware wins for it's close proximity to Philadelphia and Cape May, NJ. Wisconsin is nice and close to Chicago, but I am more interested in seeing Philadelphia and Cape May.
Oklahoma vs Nebraska. Hmm... Tie here. Oklahoma has Oklahoma City, but is closer to Texas. Nebraska has Omaha and Lincoln but Oklahoma has warmer weather.
Colorado vs Rhode Island. Rhode Island wins for Newport, Providence and Pawtucket - Newport especially. Colorado is picturesque, but I'm not huge on winter travel plans (skiing, etc).
Iowa vs Mississippi. Mississippi has Vicksburg, Jackson, Biloxi and Natchez. Iowa has Des Moines, Davenport, Dubuque, Sioux City and Iowa City. This one is a tie.
Massachusetts vs Wyoming. This one is tougher than I thought. Being from Massachusetts, I love the Colonial History, Boston, Cape Cod, North Shore Coastal towns, it's middle-ground connection to Northern New England, South New England and proximity to the other cities in the Bosh-Wash Corridor and 4 seasons. Wyoming has Yellowstone National Park, MUCH less congestion, Cheyenne, and all that open land to horse ride with beautiful scenery (I love horses). Hmm.. Massachusetts wins by a little bit here, but Wyoming was a worthy opponent.
Missouri vs North Dakota. Missouri has St. Louis, Kansas City and Jefferson City. North Dakota has Fargo and Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Tie here.
Kentucky vs West Virginia. Kentucky has Kentucky Derby and Louisville. West Virginia has Shenandoah National Park and is closer to Washington DC. Tie here.
South Carolina vs Maine. Maine wins for Portland, Ogunquit, Wells, Old Orchard Beach, Kennebunkport, lighthouses and lobster. South Carolina has Myrtle Beach, Charleston and Columbia, but I love Maine. This one was a toughie though.
Utah vs Kansas. Kansas wins because Dodge City is someplace I really want to visit someday. Utah is charming, but Kansas has more old west history I am interested in.
Maryland vs South Dakota. This one is a tie. Maryland has Baltimore and Annapolis and is close to Washington DC. South Dakota has Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial plus National Western Parks.
Oregon vs Idaho. Idaho wins for Boise - looks real pretty. Salem, Oregon looks pleasant, but Idaho wins.
Minnesota vs Montana. Montana wins for snow capped mountains - very nice. Minnesota has the Mall of America which would be cool to see, but I prefer Montana here.
Last edited by CinderFella7; 06-26-2020 at 04:56 PM..
The very first time I've ever seen HATE and Hawaii in the same sentence. That's too bad. I really don't judge states by politics since there is so much more to life than politics. But anyway had to counter post as having visited the islands twice (Maui and the Big Island) I can say with absolute conviction that I LOVE LOVE LOVE Hawaii. Would go back in a heartbeat! Fortunately, there aren't any states from the 46 out of 50 that I've been to that I could say that I hate at all.
In all honesty, generally I am not someone who judges states by politics. California is one of my favorites, if not my favorite, and for the last 20 years, much have it has been very liberal although not as much as people that know nothing make it out to be. Much of it is due to Los Angeles, and especially San Francisco. The rest of CA is pretty moderate, with a lot of other areas that shift liberal but not highly at all.
However, Hawaii is just an exception for me because that state is like liberal to the next level. Some of the laws and legislation there is ridiculous. I'm not going to get into too much detail because I really don't want this thread to turn into a political debate, but generally I agree that there is so much more to life than politics, but Hawaii is just way on the next level. The sad thing is that sometimes politics goes so far to a point where it's a matter of laws that can affect your everyday life, and then I have to involve politics.
Also, politics is not the only reason I am not a fan of Hawaii though. It is also quite far away and not in close proximity to anywhere and is vulnerable to a lot of natural disasters as well. Extremely expensive place to live as well. All of that together really makes me hate Hawaii. I am probably in minority on it, but all that Hawaii has is just really too much for me.
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
10,745 posts, read 23,804,636 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Danny K
In all honesty, generally I am not someone who judges states by politics. California is one of my favorites, if not my favorite, and for the last 20 years, much have it has been very liberal although not as much as people that know nothing make it out to be. Much of it is due to Los Angeles, and especially San Francisco. The rest of CA is pretty moderate, with a lot of other areas that shift liberal but not highly at all.
However, Hawaii is just an exception for me because that state is like liberal to the next level. Some of the laws and legislation there is ridiculous. I'm not going to get into too much detail because I really don't want this thread to turn into a political debate, but generally I agree that there is so much more to life than politics, but Hawaii is just way on the next level. The sad thing is that sometimes politics goes so far to a point where it's a matter of laws that can affect your everyday life, and then I have to involve politics.
Also, politics is not the only reason I am not a fan of Hawaii though. It is also quite far away and not in close proximity to anywhere and is vulnerable to a lot of natural disasters as well. Extremely expensive place to live as well. All of that together really makes me hate Hawaii. I am probably in minority on it, but all that Hawaii has is just really too much for me.
Well I'm sorry you felt compelled to actually go so far as to HATE such a lovely and exceptionally beautiful place (and people), that's rather unfortunate. But, haters gonna hate. If you don't want to turn a thread into a political debate then don't make it political. Which you just did and did from the outset of the thread.
Well I'm sorry you felt compelled to actually go so far as to HATE such a lovely and exceptionally beautiful place (and people), that's rather unfortunate. But, haters gonna hate. If you don't want to turn a thread into a political debate then don't make it political. Which you just did.
Well let me rephrase that. Maybe Hate takes it too far. I am just not a fan of Hawaii. No I wouldn't say that I HATE it or any state really. Not a hater at all, but really just not a fan of Hawaii at all. That's all.
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New Orleans' cuisine and culture make most of the rest of the state irrelevant when it comes to judging these two, but most of Cajun country is also interesting.
