Info on American States?

[rogueattorney]

As someone who lived near Chicago, and in south central Illinois, there's a funny map distortion that goes on in the minds of Chicagoans. They really can't fathom how long and big the state is. People from southern Illinois or St.Louis area are just outside the suburbs as far as they know.

Oh yeah. They think Kankakee is "southern" Illinois.

R.A.

 

[Galethorn]

Washington State: Half temperate rainforest, half inhospitable desert in which only brave fools and vicious mutants live (with lots of apples around the only river that goes through said desert).

Surprisingly, we don't really get all that much rain in the Seattle area, but everybody seems to get the idea that it's always rainy up here. To tell the truth, we've been having uncomfortably warm, dry, california-like summers for the last several years.

Culturally, we're...well, very diverse. I live on an island of yuppies and former hippies, right between the conservative military-family cluster around Bremerton, and the somewhat more mixed population of the Seattle/Tacoma area.

As for the food...well, we don't have anything 'local' really, unless you count salmon, but it's pretty much limited to special occasions, being so expensive and all. As a state composed entirely of 'immigrants' from other states (since we didn't really get populated until around a hundred years ago), we've got food from all over the rest of the country--and world--of varying quality.

In terms of vistas, I think we've got it pretty good; in the Seattle area, we've got the Cascade Mountains (including Mt. Ranier) on one side, the Olympics on the other, and Puget Sound right down the middle. In other parts of the state, we've got some very, very dense forest, the Columbia River (and its associated cataracts, islands, and gorges), and the deserts of Eastern Washington.

All in all, only the second best state/region I've been to in my life (I much prefer British Columbia); it's ahead of all of California, all of Mexico, all of Oregon, and...well, I don't travel much, but I know I wouldn't like the climate in most of the rest of the country...I particularly dislike places where it gets much over 80 degrees more than a few times a year.

 

[Aeson]

How can you live with such boring weather??

In tank tops, year round tan and girls in bikinis.

 

[Templetroll]

Florida is also a NORTHERN state. There are way more people from up north than from the south. But the nice thing is you can order a grinder, sub, hoagie or po boy and will get what you want.

Didn't read the whole thread, just wanted to post.

Key West, Fl was a northern held city through the (ACW, WBtS, WoNA - choose your appellation for it. ) There was Union Navy base there and it was not easily attacked. There was a woman back then who would run up the Stars and Bars every so often and get it down and hidden by the time Union troops could get over to her place. I think the Commander figured not dealing effectively with that small rebellion kept things from getting out of hand in the community at large. Key West has a way of making everyone just a little bit laid back.

Great place to visit but hell to live there... unless you have lots of money. The only undeveloped land is protected or owned by Federal, State or Local government; everything that is privately owned is built on. Key West imports sand. Don't buy a t-shirt on Duval. Do take the trip to the Dry Tortugas/Fort Jefferson, very worthwhile.

 

[Dingleberry]

Oh yeah. They think Kankakee is "southern" Illinois.

R.A.

I wish I still had it, but I remember clipping a Chicago Tribune article from the early 90s in which it reported that of polled Chicago residents, a ridiculously high percentage of them were not aware that they were also citizens of the State of Illinois.

 

[glass]

You went to work when it might snow? When there was even a CHANCE of flurries?Obviously not from Alabama.

Would I be right in thinking that there is a Coventry in Alabama?

Either way, I'm from the original

EDIT: To answer the question- On average, it snows a handfull of times a year in these parts, but it's rarely a big deal. Usually, it doesn't even settle, and the few times it does you just have to drive slower. Anyway, it's usually only for a day, then the roads get gritted.


glass.

 

[Darth K'Trava]

Key West, Fl was a northern held city through the (ACW, WBtS, WoNA - choose your appellation for it. ) There was Union Navy base there and it was not easily attacked. There was a woman back then who would run up the Stars and Bars every so often and get it down and hidden by the time Union troops could get over to her place. I think the Commander figured not dealing effectively with that small rebellion kept things from getting out of hand in the community at large. Key West has a way of making everyone just a little bit laid back.

Great place to visit but hell to live there... unless you have lots of money. The only undeveloped land is protected or owned by Federal, State or Local government; everything that is privately owned is built on. Key West imports sand. Don't buy a t-shirt on Duval. Do take the trip to the Dry Tortugas/Fort Jefferson, very worthwhile.

I haven't been to Key West since I lived in Homestead... that was back in the latter part of the 70s... I have friends who plan on going late this year and I hope to save up the $$ to go and be able to have a roomie there as I can't afford a room on my own... I'd love to see just how much it's changed since the more "barrenness" it was back then.... Granted all I really recall is some "stupid" fence with the sign "90 Miles To Cuba" stuck on it...

 

[Templetroll]

I haven't been to Key West since I lived in Homestead... that was back in the latter part of the 70s... I have friends who plan on going late this year and I hope to save up the $$ to go and be able to have a roomie there as I can't afford a room on my own... I'd love to see just how much it's changed since the more "barrenness" it was back then.... Granted all I really recall is some "stupid" fence with the sign "90 Miles To Cuba" stuck on it...

I got to KW in the early 90s and I saw construction all over until I left in 98. The big lot they used to hold the State Fair on was the last piece of land to go and it had houses way too expensive to consider. even there they built this two foot tall wall to seperate the row of houses actually on the water from the line of houses that were the next row. It was just weird.

I think that sign is still there. Some things don't change.

 

[MrFilthyIke]

My mom's family is from Key West, go there yearly (ie free crash pad). They're all in their 80+'s, and can remember riding Flagler's Train.

 

[Lhorgrim]

My mom's family is from Key West, go there yearly (ie free crash pad). They're all in their 80+'s, and can remember riding Flagler's Train.

Flagler's Train, yikes!

I saw a documentary about the hurricane that took out that train.