Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Texas and California for sure, after that it gets murky for me:
Hawaii - distance from everything else, Polynesian culture, and tropical
Colorado - the center of the Mountain region
Massachusetts and PA - history, economic change, food, multiple large cities.
North Carolina or Tennessee - food, music (blues, R&B, Country) history, more than one large city.
It kind of depends on where you are. If I pull out New York when I'm in PA or Ohio or Michigan, generally nobody really bats much of an eye, but when I am in the non coastal south I get a reaction most of the time. Sometimes an awkward conversation about "not the city", other times I am met with utter shock at how polite I am for being from NY.
When I visit West Virginia I occasionally get an enjoyable conversation out of it. One time a young lady working at a Burger King was pleasantly curious why I had even come to that part of the state (this town was somewhere south/central, I cannot recall the name sadly). She told me they don't get a lot of people from up north there. It was a pretty nice time. Ended up chatting for a good twenty minutes or so. This is why you go off the beaten path and treat locals with kindness.
'm fascinated by the fact anyone ever found the Island chain before big ships or air travel was possible. Its 2000 miles from the US Mainland. Its 5 hours to Bora Bora, so also bout 2,000 miles away.
Hawaii. I was fortunate to have parents that could afford to take trips there every year or two. (Northwest Orient 747's SEA to HON in the 70's, but I digress). I always loved those trips. Just so unlike anything like that on the mainland. When I was younger, I considered moving there. Glad I didn't. Number one, too expensive, and Number two, I think I would be one of those who would have suffered from "Island Fever".
When I first moved from Louisiana to Oregon, I lived in a boarding house a few days and parked in the street, One day I heard the voices of two boys riding by on their bikes. "Hey, look! Louisiana!" I made his day. Now, in his 70s, I wonder if he still remembers that.
Hawaii. I was fortunate to have parents that could afford to take trips there every year or two. (Northwest Orient 747's SEA to HON in the 70's, but I digress). I always loved those trips. Just so unlike anything like that on the mainland. When I was younger, I considered moving there. Glad I didn't. Number one, too expensive, and Number two, I think I would be one of those who would have suffered from "Island Fever".
While I totally get what you mean and would probably feel the same way, I truly believe this is an overblown phenomena, as the vast majority of people I know do not stray far from their home, and mostly live a "9-5 and then home, go to the city/mountains on the weekend" lifestyle. Nothing wrong with that if that makes them happy, but I don't think many people travel all that much.
I think that New Jersey and New York have the most negative connotations for me while South Carolina, Texas, and Tennessee have the most positive. Alaska and Hawaii are obviously very interesting states. I find Texas very interesting too, its one of the most quintessentially all-American states, but also unique in its own way. I'm from Louisiana and many people elsewhere have a lot of misconceptions about here (people either think Cajuns in the swamps, or they think rednecks). Not that there's anything wrong with these two groups but that simplifies things a lot, and even Cajun country (which only covers a third of the state) has vast portions that are not swampy at all and Louisiana cooking has a lot that is not seafood.
California has the most mixed reputation for me. On one hands its known for ridiculous taxes, runaway crime, crazy liberal politics, illegal immigration, and homelessness but its also loaded with wonderful tourist experiences. The difference is that New Jersey has all the former but none of the latter. This is why New Jersey has the most negative connotation of all states. In addition New Jersey is known as a rude and unfriendly place, with ugly landscapes and lots of deindustrialization with boarded up cities.
While I totally get what you mean and would probably feel the same way, I truly believe this is an overblown phenomena, as the vast majority of people I know do not stray far from their home, and mostly live a "9-5 and then home, go to the city/mountains on the weekend" lifestyle. Nothing wrong with that if that makes them happy, but I don't think many people travel all that much.
A majority of people do not really notice or wonder about anything. There may be a sharp divide, between people capabable of curiosity, and those who are not. Visible even at pre-K level.
A majority of people do not really notice or wonder about anything. There may be a sharp divide, between people capabable of curiosity, and those who are not. Visible even at pre-K level.
That is a good observation. I think the desire to explore and try different areas is inherent, but probably influenced by parents. Mine were great world travelers and as I posted earlier took us along. This is incredibly educational for kids and makes them more curious about the world.
Half the country doesn't know New Mexico is a part of the US.
That's a silly statement !
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
