S/o: cultural differences that surprised you when traveling to other states

[Caroline]

I thought Florida got that distinction.... it starts right when you enter, on I-75!

 

Yes! And I think the same girls have been b@ring all for more than 20 years.

[Ibbygirl]

Yes! And I think the same girls have been b@ring all for more than 20 years.

 

ROFL :lol::lol: Dh and I have lots of fun laughing about those billboards when we pass them. Makes wonder what "trucker showers" really means. :001_huh: We also get a kick out of the "vasectomy on your lunch break" billboards and the "are you pregnant" billboards with the blonde lady holding up the pee stick to her face so it looks like she's smelling it. We're all just like. :confused: hehehe

[QueenCat]

Yes! And I think the same girls have been b@ring all for more than 20 years.

 

:lol:Glad I don't have a drink in mouth right now.

[Momof3Maidens]

I was born and raised in TN but have lived most of my adult life in KY. I love my Bluegrass State. I was shocked when we moved to West Virginia to find that you do not pull off to the side of the road in respect when you approach a funeral procession. We have always done that and I seriously cringed every time when I couldn't. I felt like I was killing a kitten or something.

Edited August 2, 2012 by Momof3Maidens

[Ibbygirl]

Oh I've thought of one. When I drove to BIL's house in Alexandria,Virginia from my mom's house in GA, the route we took had us drive the entire length of Virginia. I had never been to Virginia before that, but the thing that really stood out to me besides the perfectly mowed grasses with all the diagonal patterns in them, was the sheer amount of signage there was on the road. :001_huh: I am really curious how much money in taxes goes to road signs because never had I been in a state with so many. Dh and I got sick of the road telling us what to do. :lol:

[Excelsior! Academy]

I grew up on the Central Coast of California, in a town called Santa Maria...home of the Santa Maria style BBQ tritip. Every store parking lot has a booster club, church or school doing tritip BBQ fundraisers on Saturdays...makes the town smell amazing. LOL

 

DH was in the Air Force. He was transferred not long after we got married and I was thrilled to find tritip at the commissary in Montgomery, Alabama...but it was nothing like the triptip they sell in Santa Maria. In Santa Maria, they don't trim the fat and it makes for a very tender and moist roast. We have lived in many places and I have never seen tritip cut or cooked the way they do it in Santa Maria.

 

Right after we got to Montgomery, Dh had a potluck at work and asked me to make a potato salad. I tried to buy Best Foods Mayonaise because that is what my mom always used, but I couldn't find it. I even asked the manager and he had never heard of it. The Hellman's jar was the same color, so I picked it up and was happy to read, "West of the Rockies, Hellman's is known as Best Foods."

 

I have always found it interesting to learn what different areas call soda. Sweet tea is also very different from place to place. In California, sweet tea usually has a flavor with it...like Raspberry or peach. Very few places sell brewed sweet tea.

 

The style of churches is also different from place to place. In California, you will find a lot of non traditional structures. Everything from storefronts to converted wearhouses. As you head east you see a lot more of the traditional look. It is also harder to find a more traditional service in California. People also tend to dress for church in a much more casual way, compared to other states I have lived in.

 

Dh is from Pittsburgh and we own a house there. I love it there, but I have had to learn a whole new vocabulary. LOL They have a language all their own.

 

 

I have family near Santa Maria! I love tritip.

[Momling]

I was born and raised in TN but have lived most of my adult life in KY. I love my Bluegrass State. I was shocked when we moved to West Virginia to find that you do not pull off to the side of the road in respect when you approach a funeral procession. We have always done that and I seriously cringed every time when I couldn't. I felt like I was killing a kitten or something.

 

Actually, I've only ever seen the funeral processions on the east coast. I wonder if people here in the west are more likely to be cremated?

[QueenCat]

Actually, I've only ever seen the funeral processions on the east coast. I wonder if people here in the west are more likely to be cremated?

 

I grew up on the east coast (Maryland) and did not see it done there. I do see it in the southern states I've lived in (GA and TN). I didn't know why people were pulling over the first time. Sometimes it makes for really unsafe driving conditions when it's on a busy road or people don't know. They aren't being rude, they just don't know it's expected. Around here, there are so many people that don't know (Army base) as they aren't from an area that does it which can lead to "problems".

[Dmmetler]

We're at Hershey PA this week. I've been amazed at the b

Number of summer camp groups of conservative/Orthodox (I don't know enough to draw the line) Jewish teens at the park. And, having grown up in a Mennonite area of VA, This part of PA almost gives me déjà vu, because there's so much in stores and around that is familiar-yet isn't.

[ShannonS]

We moved to Hawaii (Oahu) in 1998 from Cali and NC. What initially surprised me was the skyline of Honolulu, it is massive. Something like 3rd or 4th largest in the nation.

 

White rice is a staple out here, you can even get a scoop of it with your breakfast at McDonalds.

 

It smells beautiful out here. When you step off the airplane, you smell plumeria on the breeze.

 

Traffic is HORRIBLE. We only go into town when necessary (once or twice a month) simply to avoid Honolulu traffic.

 

Everyone here is very laid back, it is common for professionals to wear aloha shirts and slacks rather than business attire.

 

I do not know if any other state has this, but Hawaii has ONE board of education that administers policy for the entire state education and library system. It is extremely centralized.

 

It snows on the Big Island sometimes, and people snowboard on Mauna Kea.

[Merry]

we were shocked to see young teenagers driving around smoking and drinking alcohol right out in the open. In California, smoking is rarer and so is drinking in the open. When we stayed at a relative's farm, we found that they would allow the teenagers to get drunk twice a week as a way to relax from their chores. Also we saw a lot of tattoos. Then when we moved down to the Midwest, we saw an awful lot of missing teeth and overweight people.

 

This is not a put down. We've grown to love it here in Missouri but it still was a culture shock when we first moved out here. Especially since tattoos were a big part of the gang culture in California.

 

We love our neighborhood. This is the first neighborhood since I was a child where we actually know the neighbors to talk to in the street and we look out for each other. Even the mailman is a friend. And as another poster said, we know where we live according to the names of the subdivisions.

[Kathryn]

I was born and raised in SC, but my parents were from New England. I went almost thirty years before I dared try a boiled peanut. Oh, how I regret that! They're awesome, especially cold.

 

Let's see...

 

Was surprised by how vividly green WI was--we don't get that melty snow greenness here.

 

Was surprised by how hilly eastern KS was.

 

Was surprised by directions given in western KS, in N, S, E, W etc., as mentioned, our roads in the east follow the landscape.

 

I'm always surprised when we are in New England how shopping and restaurants are much more locally owned than here. Everything here is big national chains.

[Ibbygirl]

Ay, I don't know if I have the courage to try a boiled peanut yet. hehehe Maybe I'll be brave when I go up to visit my mom in the fall. :p

[Wren5]

ohhh, boiled peanuts,:drool: Trying to teach my kiddos how to suck the juice out and crack the nuts was :lol:

 

My son requested chicken fried steak for a birthday meal and the family we had over was amazed. It was the first time they had eaten it and they :001_wub:

 

I've lived in the deep south and the NE and it's like two different planets! The main differences I've noticed are...

in the NE it's my way or the highway and the lifestyles are so busy they don't seem to have time for relationships.

in the south it's been much more "live and let live" and laid-back.

The bugs are smaller in the north (I don't miss the "water bugs" aka giant flying cockroaches of the south :eek:)

in the NE everything is so close together, I still have a hard time seeing how people stand to live in each others back pockets!

in the south it's almost a badge to be backwards sometimes, and that's a shame because there are so many smart people I've known who were caught up in that culture and didn't successes because of it. :glare:

In the south they are more "polite", "Yes, ma'am . No, ma'am"

In the NE there are lots more things to do, closer together. The mountains, and the ocean are day trips, and there are lots of museums and state parks to choose from.

 

Specific areas I've noticed:

Texans are fanatical about Texas, and sports.

Oklahoma has a really nice state park called Lake Murray, if you like outdoors stuff it's worth the stop, and the people are friendly too.

Be for-warned if the map says "scenic" route in Arkansas, believe it! We spent 4+ hours winding up and down mountains. Pretty? yes...but we were so dizzy it was difficult to enjoy the beauty :)

In rural Georgia, it's pretty, but not as friendly to "outsiders" as other places I've been.

Yes, the locals get tired of tourists, no it's not okay to be rude--from a former local of 2 very busy tourist areas.

Pretty much everywhere I've been, if you smile and act friendly, people respond in-kind

[ktgrok]

I've really noticed the attitude difference between Boston and the south. My best friend is from Boston, and if we are walking down a sidewalk or in a store and someone passes by and they are talking but we can't hear them she immediately assumes they are talking trash about us, and I immediately assume they could care less about us. She, and other's I've met, are just SO much on the defensive compared to people in the South.

[SKL]

Speaking of funeral processions - in my Midwest state, we always wait for the procession to go by even if, for example, the light is in our favor. It does not bother us here. I am not sure whether it's law here, but I've heard that it is in some states.

[Kathryn]

Speaking of funeral processions - in my Midwest state, we always wait for the procession to go by even if, for example, the light is in our favor. It does not bother us here. I am not sure whether it's law here, but I've heard that it is in some states.

 

I thought it was the law. This thread is the first I've heard of it not being. I thought the people I've seen not stop for them were just rude lawbreakers!

[LucyStoner]

In my area people seem to stop for funeral processions but they are rare. Usually the only big long ones are for fallen law enforcement officers or high profile crime victims. Cremation is the norm, even for Catholics.

[Jean in Newcastle]

And here I thought that boiled peanuts were a Filipino thing! I learn so much on this board!

 

We have tons of trees in the PNW - big over 50 foot tall trees in our front yard as well as smaller ones. Most are evergreens. We visited Tennessee for a possible move there and I couldn't figure out why I felt so vulnerable and unsettled. Then all of a sudden it hit me that it was winter and none of the trees had any leaves. I felt like a rabbit that might be swooped down on by an eagle!

[QueenCat]

I thought it was the law. This thread is the first I've heard of it not being. I thought the people I've seen not stop for them were just rude lawbreakers!

 

I should clarify.... in Maryland, you didn't break into a funeral procession. And they did have right away of lights. What you didn't do is pull over to the side of the road if you were traveling in the opposite direction of the procession. When I first encountered that when I moved to the south, I didn't know why people were pulling over. I kept looking for emergency vehicles, an accident, something........

[melissad2]

Mmmmmm....I LOVE boiled peanuts! I was surprised not to be able to get sweet tea in Nashville TN! Also, Michigan left turns :confused: who thought that was a good idea!

[Caroline]

I should clarify.... in Maryland, you didn't break into a funeral procession. And they did have right away of lights. What you didn't do is pull over to the side of the road if you were traveling in the opposite direction of the procession. When I first encountered that when I moved to the south, I didn't know why people were pulling over. I kept looking for emergency vehicles, an accident, something........

 

I remember the first and only time I drove in a funeral procession. I was very nervous driving through red lights, but I did it. It was in Maryland. No one broke into the funeral procession line, but oncoming traffic didn't stop.

[Mrs Mungo]

There have been good and bad things about various places that we've lived and traveled. *However*, the single biggest surprise to me? The massive emphasis placed on the Civil War in some states.

[ErinE]

 

• Native born Texans truly believe their state is the best and don't understand why you want to live anywhere else.
  
• NYC - If you live there long enough, you will experience a "Seinfeld" moment. Also, my kids are Southern raised and I was amazed at how many friends were upset when they said, "Yes, ma'am" or "No, sir." They also didn't like if my children added a Ms. or Mr. to their first name. On the flip side, the kids were praised by total strangers for their manners.
  
• Minnesota - Everyone is so friendly and yes, in many places, they talk like the characters in "Fargo."
  
• Massachusetts - People are very abrupt. I thought New Yorkers were brusque, but wow! it felt personal at times.
  
• Portland, OR - It's a very homogenous city and the people who live there brag about its diversity and multicuturalism. Having grown up in a large coastal city, I kept thinking, "I do not think you understand what those words mean."
  
• Florida - New York with grayer hair.
  
• Louisiana - Yes, everyone is related to each other.
  

 

[ErinE]

There have been good and bad things about various places that we've lived and traveled. *However*, the single biggest surprise to me? The massive emphasis placed on the Civil War in some states.

 

Yes, crazy.

[Just Kate]

I was born and raised in TN but have lived most of my adult life in KY. I love my Bluegrass State. I was shocked when we moved to West Virginia to find that you do not pull off to the side of the road in respect when you approach a funeral procession. We have always done that and I seriously cringed every time when I couldn't. I felt like I was killing a kitten or something.

 

Weird...cause I live in WV and we DO pull off to the side of the road when a funeral procession goes by.

[In the Rain]

nm

[foster_sk]

It's darn near impossible to find good Mexican food outside of Texas. ;)

[Renthead Mommy]

There have been good and bad things about various places that we've lived and traveled. *However*, the single biggest surprise to me? The massive emphasis placed on the Civil War in some states.

 

You mean a the "War of Northern Aggression"? That one threw me for a huge loop when I heard it. And the fact that the teacher was allowed to keep referring to like that was amazing! Especially in Charlotte, where it was growing so fast it was really hard to actually find adults who were actually from there and not transplants!

[PeacefulChaos]

I remember the first and only time I drove in a funeral procession. I was very nervous driving through red lights, but I did it. It was in Maryland. No one broke into the funeral procession line, but oncoming traffic didn't stop.

Wait... there weren't police cars at the lights to keep the other people from going? :001_huh: I haven't been in very many funeral processions, but at ones in IA, FL, and VA there was always a cop ensuring our right of way at lights. And for all of these, the procession was pretty huge...all the family, etc.

There have been good and bad things about various places that we've lived and traveled. *However*, the single biggest surprise to me? The massive emphasis placed on the Civil War in some states.

A friend moved from VA to WI - he was like, 'You know, in WI they say 'The North and the South - and we only go over it briefly. In VA it was The North and US - and it was a whole unit.' :lol:

[LynnG in Arizona]

It's darn near impossible to find good Mexican food outside of Texas. ;)

 

 

I'm sorry . . . you must mean Arizona, right? :lol:

 

That's one thing I would mention, the fact that "Mexican food" means different things in different parts of the country. I'm an Arizona girl, myself.

 

Things about Hawaii that surprised me:

 

1. Spam really is big here. You can get it on your breakfast platter at McDonalds.

2. Honking is considered to be extremely rude.

3. Giving other drivers who don't have the right of way is expected. So it's actually a backwards kind of place - if you think you have the right of way, you're *expected* to give it up to the person who doesn't have the right of way.

4. Kids ride around in the backs of pick up trucks, without any kind of seat belt or safety device. Not every family does this, of course, but it's definitely a common sight.

5. Kids go barefoot here. A LOT. Even in places like Wal Mart or Target. It is not necessarily a problem of being unable to afford shoes . . . it's just a choice. Kind of grosses me out, to tell you the truth.

6. If you child is on a team (say, a children's soccer team), you are expected to bring a small gift to the coach AND every member of the team on the last day of practice/class. I've had several friends from the mainland be really surprised and embarrassed by this one when they were the only ones who showed up empty handed.

[OLG]

Boiled peanuts. Seriously does anyone eat these things?? LOL

 

I find them disgusting (all that mold...) but dh LOVES, absolutely oves them. Last spring he scarfed down five pounds of the blasted things. Definitely a regional item!

[OLG]

You can't get good pizza outside of NY/NJ

 

I used to think this as well until I lived in Chicago for seven years! Equally good pizza there and maybe even better, dare I say:D

[Oak Knoll Mom]

 

The only other thing I find strange, happens to be a Southern thing which I've always seen growing up, but never understood. Boiled peanuts. Seriously does anyone eat these things?? LOL There are boiled peanut stands all over the place in Alabama and Georgia and yet I never EVER have seen a single person buying them. :lol:

 

Boiled peanuts are awesome and I eat them every chance I get. However, those stands are for tourists. No self-respecting southerner buys them from a stand. :D

[Cinder]

And here I thought that boiled peanuts were a Filipino thing! I learn so much on this board!

 

I grew up eating this in Hawaii and I thought they were a Chinese thing because we got them from the little Chinese store on the next block.

 

Things about Hawaii that surprised me:

 

1. Spam really is big here. You can get it on your breakfast platter at McDonalds.

2. Honking is considered to be extremely rude.

3. Giving other drivers who don't have the right of way is expected. So it's actually a backwards kind of place - if you think you have the right of way, you're *expected* to give it up to the person who doesn't have the right of way.

4. Kids ride around in the backs of pick up trucks, without any kind of seat belt or safety device. Not every family does this, of course, but it's definitely a common sight.

5. Kids go barefoot here. A LOT. Even in places like Wal Mart or Target. It is not necessarily a problem of being unable to afford shoes . . . it's just a choice. Kind of grosses me out, to tell you the truth.

6. If you child is on a team (say, a children's soccer team), you are expected to bring a small gift to the coach AND every member of the team on the last day of practice/class. I've had several friends from the mainland be really surprised and embarrassed by this one when they were the only ones who showed up empty handed.

 

I grew up with this as my norm. It was culture shock to me to move to the Mainland (upstate NY) and see brick buildings and leaves changing colors. And different bus fares depending on your destination. And being able to drive from one state to another. I used to think that when you crossed the state line to another state there would be big banners welcoming you to the next state. Um . . . nope. Just a little sign on the side of the road. The first time I crossed a state line with my now-dh I missed the sign and made him go back so I could see it as we crossed. :lol:

[Ibbygirl]

Boiled peanuts are awesome and I eat them every chance I get. However, those stands are for tourists. No self-respecting southerner buys them from a stand. :D

 

LOL THANK YOU!!! That really explains a lot. :D I'm from South Florida (family is latin culture) and although we do have some Southern foods and customs here (sir and ma'am) the boiled peanuts thing always made me go. :confused:

[shea]

Boiled peanuts are awesome and I eat them every chance I get. However, those stands are for tourists. No self-respecting southerner buys them from a stand. :D

 

:iagree:If the boiled peanuts from a stand is all a person has tried, well, no wonder they don't like them. Peanuts that come straight from the garden, washed, and then immediately boiled in salted water are delicious. They are seriously addicting. :001_smile:

[LucyStoner]

It's darn near impossible to find good Mexican food outside of Texas. ;)

 

If you are looking for TexMex. :tongue_smilie: Here all of the farming communities have at least one little place that serves up homestyle Mexican food from various regions. And the taco trucks? Some of them are flipping amazing! And I was born in Texas (San Antonio) so it's not like I am not partial to the food in Texas.

Edited August 3, 2012 by kijipt

[Carrie75]

Visiting Alabama from CA, I was so surprised at the lack of guard rails and off ramps for freeways. You are driving along a highway at 50mph and you have to slow way down in front of other cars just to skid out on the dirt on the side of the road for the random gas station along the highway. It just the road and dirt separating you from trees and stores along the highway!

[Carrie75]

And San Diego Mexican food is pretty darn good!

[Joker]

LOL THANK YOU!!! That really explains a lot. :D I'm from South Florida (family is latin culture) and although we do have some Southern foods and customs here (sir and ma'am) the boiled peanuts thing always made me go. :confused:

 

There are boiled peanut stands all over my area in North Florida. I've never been brave enough to try them though.:D

[Joker]

And San Diego Mexican food is pretty darn good!

 

I so miss living in California (Carlsbad)! It was the only state I've lived in that good Mexican and Asian food was easily obtainable. Whenever we go back for visits we seriously pig out! :tongue_smilie:

[Thea]

Oh boy. I think I could write a book!

 

I grew up in New England and now live in the PNW. Last year we took 2 months and traveled all over the country with the dc in our RV.

 

*East coast food rocks. There's nothing like a NY/NJ bagel and it isn't pizza if you don't have to blot it before eating it.

 

*Smoking in public (even under no smoking signs!) seemed prevalent in the south.

 

*Everyone, and I mean everyone, asked us how we liked the food when we were in Lafayette LA. (Loved it btw). I bought three 1lb shaker of Chachere's Creole seasoning for three dollars at WalMart in LA. Here in OR a tiny, tiny shaker is over $3.00.

 

*I see boiled peanuts were mentioned. We bought them and ate them--in MS at a gas station convenience store. They had them in crockpots. My ds loved them, I thought they were ok and everyone else thought they were gross.

 

*PA drivers do NOT know how to merge.

 

*We went to a buffet in GA and there was a whiteboard behind the cashier with Bible verses written on it. I've never seen that here in OR.

 

*The further NE you go, the less friendly people seem. I use to live there so I *know* people are friendly, but they don't make eye contact and say 'hi' to you like they do here (and in the south).

 

*If you are in W. OR or WA and carrying an umbrella, chances are you are a tourist.

 

*The PNW is super casual compared to the east coast. Jeans are acceptable attire everywhere.

 

*The WalMart in Utah had a fine jewelry section. That was weird. And the WalMart in Texas had a McDonalds in it. We have Subways in ours.

 

*Marshmallow Fluff can be found with the Baking goods, the canned fruit or with the peanut butter depending on where you are.

 

*I live in the land of Starbucks, but the coffee aisle shrinks noticeably the further east you go. Boy, did we miss our coffee. My little town of 6k has 4 drive through coffee shacks AND a Tully's inside our grocery store.

[Harriet Vane]

I used to think this as well until I lived in Chicago for seven years! Equally good pizza there and maybe even better, dare I say:D

 

Chicago pizza is the most superior pizza. I had NY pizza once and was not impressed.

[kubiac]

Smoking is a big one for me.

 

We live in coastal California where tobacco smoking pretty much makes you a social pariah, so visiting any other state, including neighboring Nevada (where people smoke indoors) is always a shock.

 

Of course, every sixth storefront around here is a marijuana dispensary, so it's not as if our state is completely smoke-free, LOL. :)

 

~~~

Oh, and I was shocked to discover that a deep country accent in Maine is as thick in its own way as any accent you'll ever hear in a movie about the rural South.

Edited August 4, 2012 by kubiac

[Hannah C.]

I've lived practically my entire life in the DFW area of TX.

 

Other states don't have their state flag everywhere.

No Sonic or Whataburger.

Most places don't have multiple skyscrapers.

The warning sign outside a Chili's in CA about how some of the things you eat there could cause cancer.

Strict crosswalk laws in CA - if a pedestrian is in the crosswalk and a car enters it, the car is in big trouble. Very much unlike here.

Bike lanes in CA.

Calorie counts posted next to item descriptions in a Starbucks in NYC. (This was before calorie counts being posted was made part of the ACA.)

The sidewalks in NYC were almost as wide as some of the streets!

The corner grocery store in NYC with extremely narrow aisles.

 

That's all I can think of right now!

[Stacia]

I've lived in many different states (esp. as a child), but most of them were along the East coast -- many of the states that made up the original 13 colonies.

 

I realize Washington state is named after George Washington, but the state route signs in WA state make me giggle because they have a silhouette of George Washington. It seems so strange to me to see George's silhoutte (something I associate w/ all the colonial locations/historic sites) all over the state. For me, George Washington + the Pacific NW = :confused: Seeing his silhouette around Washington D.C., Boston, Philadelphia, etc... = a-ok. Seeing his silhouette around Seattle = bizarre & like I entered the Twilight Zone. :lol:

 

Oh, and the first time I went to Denver, I was shocked at how flat it was. I always thought of it as the 'mile-high city' &, therefore, assumed it was in the mountains (which I think of as having trees). I had a definite *D'OH* moment when I realized why the Rocky Mountains are called the ROCKY mountains (they're a bunch of gigantic rocks, very few trees :tongue_smilie:). Guess you can tell I'm used to the older, much eroded, more green mountains of the East coast, huh?