Minnesota has the Midwest's highest passport ownership rate! What do you think?

[plain and simple]

I like odd, miscellaneous trivia like this. Personally, I've been through two passports (good for 10 years each) but now I'm done. It's not that I don't enjoy traveling, because I really do. I just don't like the direction the world is going these days, not to mention government invasiveness of travelers (and in general). I haven't flown since July of 2001.

[snofarmer]

Thanks for the info on the passport statics.

As some have mentioned and It slipped my mind is all the folks running away from winter, the folks going to Canada for prescription drugs and to go fishing.

I don't see many traveling because of these reasons listed below.

" a highly educated population that travels extensively. large international corporations headquartered here where employees frequently travel around the world.(what would that account for 200-300 folks)
Many school groups travel internationally ( to Mexico? for spring break?)as well as many college kids doing study abroad programs
(Again that is a small population and they could be from a different state.). I would say for every family I know, at least ONE person in that family has traveled internationally. "

To Canada or Mexico?
Yea, some also go to Scandinavia.


Mpls is on average is 5yrs behind the east or west coast and rural MN is about 7yrs behind the coasts.
From my 45+years of observation.

The internet has helped the "hicks" in rural MN keep up with the Jones's.

I don't see how this statistic makes us more refined or lowers our "hick" rating?

Every state has, a highly educated population, large international corporations, school groups & college kids doing study abroad programs.

Maybe we are seen as hicks for trying to see our selves as wordily?

What's so wrong with not being in the fast lane of the rat race? Sometimes you have to slow down and smell the blue berries, put your feet up on the porch sit back and be a hick.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by snofarmer

Thanks for the info on the passport statics.

As some have mentioned and It slipped my mind is all the folks running away from winter, the folks going to Canada for prescription drugs and to go fishing.

I don't see many traveling because of these reasons listed below.

" a highly educated population that travels extensively. large international corporations headquartered here where employees frequently travel around the world.(what would that account for 200-300 folks)
Many school groups travel internationally ( to Mexico? for spring break?)as well as many college kids doing study abroad programs
(Again that is a small population and they could be from a different state.). I would say for every family I know, at least ONE person in that family has traveled internationally. "

To Canada or Mexico?
Yea, some also go to Scandinavia.


Mpls is on average is 5yrs behind the east or west coast and rural MN is about 7yrs behind the coasts.
From my 45+years of observation.

The internet has helped the "hicks" in rural MN keep up with the Jones's.

I don't see how this statistic makes us more refined or lowers our "hick" rating?

Every state has, a highly educated population, large international corporations, school groups & college kids doing study abroad programs.

Maybe we are seen as hicks for trying to see our selves as wordily?

What's so wrong with not being in the fast lane of the rat race? Sometimes you have to slow down and smell the blue berries, put your feet up on the porch sit back and be a hick.

Well-let's see, my son's high school band went to China for spring break, 10 days, 100 kids, 20 chaperones so that is 120 kids from one school program alone. There were 50 parents that did a side trip at the same time. The choir went to France that same year with over 100 students/chaperones and another 50 or so parents. The Spanish classes took 50 students/chaperones to Spain that same year and the German classes took about 75 people to Germany. So, for those 10 days there were over 450 people just from our high school overseas somewhere that I know of off hand.

In my husband's old company from "rural MN", there were regular flights for various executives to Europe, Russia, China and Japan. There were usually 20 or so people on these flights, corporate plane with at least one flight going each month. Corporations like Best Buy, Target, 3M, etc. with plants and business all over the world have 100's of people flying to those countries each month.

I know of at least 2 other band programs that are going to China and Europe this year, similar sized groups most likely...

This of course doesn't take into consideration the people that just go abroad for vacations..

[GBCommenter]

I would guess it's a combination of factors that all contribute a bit to a higher percentage of passport holders (of which I happen to be one too): major airport that has some international connections, proximity to Canada, large number of corporations relative to the size of our population, pasty people wanting to be somewhere warm in the dead of winter, and probably a relatively higher income that lends itself to more extensive travel, be it leisure or school groups.

It may be true there are a number of corporations in most, if not all, other states but I believe there are a larger number of corporations here relative to the size of population of the state. While this is admittedly quickly picked for stats and perhaps are entirely representative, MN has 21 F500 companies here as compared to AR's 4. Yes, we have a larger population than AR but not 5-6X the population. Again, I fully admit this comparison is perhaps twisting statistics somewhat out of context but the point remains we have a fairly large number of corporations here, which would skew the percentage in our favor.

[GBCommenter]

Originally Posted by snofarmer

I don't see how this statistic makes us more refined or lowers our "hick" rating?

Maybe we are seen as hicks for trying to see our selves as wordily?

What's so wrong with not being in the fast lane of the rat race? Sometimes you have to slow down and smell the blue berries, put your feet up on the porch sit back and be a hick.

I would somewhat agree having or not having a passport does not in and of itself make you hick/not-hick. People talk about how we should be like Europeans and have passports and travel. I would counter if I needed a passport to get to Wisconsin or Florida a lot more of us would have them.

As far as us trying to be seen as worldly? Hmmm...I suppose possible but that doesn't seem in line with the stereotypical self-effacing Minnesota culture.

[Mark_22]

Originally Posted by northstar22

Plus, Minnesotans and Wisconsinites have a more "Canadian" outlook than many Americans -- we're not afraid to travel to foreign countries, where many Americans would rather go to Disney World or Mt. Rushmore.

I'm not afraid to travel to foreign countries. But I'd still rather travel to Disney World or Mt. Rushmore.

[snofarmer]

stereotypical .
That's kind of my point the old stereo type does not apply anymore.

There was a time that on a job interview that when you said you were from MN they thought you had a good work ethic, now not so much.


It's a nice statistic that mn hicks have passports but that does not make greater MN any more worldly or elite.

Good point, If we need a passport to go to WI or to go to any other state like Europeans need one to go to the neighboring country all of us would be well traveled.

Originally Posted by GBCommenter

I would somewhat agree having or not having a passport does not in and of itself make you hick/not-hick. People talk about how we should be like Europeans and have passports and travel. I would counter if I needed a passport to get to Wisconsin or Florida a lot more of us would have them.

As far as us trying to be seen as worldly? Hmmm...I suppose possible but that doesn't seem in line with the stereotypical self-effacing Minnesota culture.