I Was Thinking... The Same and Different

For several years, the idea of going on a trip was put on the back burner. But finally, my wife and I decided to make a long-anticipated trip out east.

Our travel route took us through Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Iowa. We had various attractions we wanted to visit and by going through NC and SC, I would complete my bucket list of visiting all 50 states.

Since we headed into areas referred to as the South, I was looking forward to experiencing things that were vastly different than how it is up north in Minnesota. We found out that there are differences, but a lot of the things are also the same.

Traveling in October of an election year gave us a chance to see how campaigns differ in other states. What we found out however is that it is pretty much the same. The issues of taxes, inflation, abortion, and crime were front and center everywhere. The ads and attacks were much the same with just different names attached to them.

However, some areas elect more offices than here. Signs for clerk of court, probate judges, register of deeds, and magistrates added to the already slew of other political signs. One sign that caught our eye in NC was a bright green sign announcing Adrian “Sweet Pea” Tillet for register of deeds.

As Minnesotans, we know there are only two seasons, winter, and road construction. Apparently, this is not unique to our state. We encountered construction in every state we traversed. I’m looking into investing in the companies who make the orange construction cones and barrels. They must sell millions of them. Seeing deer dead along our highways is commonplace, but we found this to be true in every state we visited as well.

While interstate highways don’t differ a lot from state to state, the same cannot be said of secondary roads. When we can, I like to travel some secondary roads to get a better feel for an area. After driving rural roads in Kentucky, Virginia, and the Carolinas, I have a new appreciation of the roads of Dodge and Olmsted Counties. The topography in other states don’t allow for straight or level roads in some areas.

I don’t think Kentucky or Virginia have any roads without a plethora of curves and hills. These states haven’t learned the concept of a shoulder and don’t bother to remove trees or power poles from right along the roadway. Since they are much older states than Minnesota, they haven’t found it necessary to widen their roads since they were used for horse and buggies.

While every Minnesota knows what “up north” or going to “The Cities” means, we had to learn about other local descriptions.

After reaching Kitty Hawk in NC, we saw numerous signs with the designation OBX. We found this refers to the Outer Banks (we never learned what the X was for). The Outer Banks is the narrow strip of land along the Carolina coasts that are only connected to the mainland by bridges.

It is also the area where most houses are built on stilts or high enough so flood waters from hurricanes can pass through underneath. In the area around Charleston, SC the meteorologists discussed the forecast for the “Low Country.” This is the area along the coast with miles of scenic marshes, winding rivers, and estuaries where fresh and saltwater mix. When we visited relatives in Kentucky, we found things were just over yonder and they just threw their leaves over in the hollow.

When at the Outer Banks, we partook of the local cuisine at Dirty Dave’s Crab Shack. Many of our motel breakfasts had biscuits and gravy and most McDonalds offered “sweet tea” as a beverage choice. The only disturbing experience was when we had to share one of our motel rooms with a very fast little green gecko.

Traveling can be enjoyable and educational. You see some beautiful places, learn some new things, and broaden your perspective a little. But it also reinforces the line from the Wizard of Oz, “there is no place like home”.

Did You Ever Wonder? — How can you have a toll booth on a “Freeway”?

Photo:  I was thinking Ron Albright