This morning, we’re all (perhaps fairly, perhaps not) criticizing one state for how it handled certain things, and we’re probably going to spend much of 2020 doing the same. So today, I want you to choose four states — one from each time zone — that you van say one nice thing about. (States that are in two time zones can count for either, and lump AK/HI in with Pacific time.)
EASTERN: Despite all the crap that gets deservedly slung at those clowns in Congress (what a bunch of clowns), if you go past "Official Washington," DC is an extremely vibrant and diverse city with an excellent bar and restaurant scene and tons of excellent museums and attractions, many of which are free.
CENTRAL: Minnesota's got a lot going for it. The Twin Cities are an excellent city break , and cabin country is just so serene.
MOUNTAIN: what I wouldn't give to be in Colorado and have access to so many good ski areas close-ish to Denver.
PACIFIC: Between the coast, LA, and the desert, southern California's a great place that has something for everyone. Hiking (great hiking in ELLLLL AAAAYYYYY) from Los Feliz up to Griffith Observatory's an awesome experience.
Zion is incredible. I went as a surly #teen and was still amazed, I can't imagine what it's like as an adult with the capacity to appreciate things unironically.
can i just say lots of nice things about kentucky because i've never traveled further west than st louis and also i was born in kentucky and it has basketball and bourbon and horses and very almost criminally underrated scenery kentucky rules
I come from a long line of Southern Hoosiers/Northern Kentuckians. There is lots to like about that part of the world, and as you say problematic at times too.
We used to road trip from MI to FL in the summers and I always knew when we were entering KY because the Ohio river smells awful right around Cincinnati. Or it did then. The rest of the drive through KY was nice though!
Driving south of Louisville in November I was struck by how pretty that part of the country is. It's not spectacular like tall mountains or deep cliffs I had growing up in California, but it's beautiful in its own way, and I'm glad that I got to appreciate that.
I never understood the Old Bay hype and then i started dating a Marylander. It might be the Stockholm syndrome talking but now I think Old Bay is very, very good.
New York: It is easy to be cynical about NYC and the myopia of some it's residents, but being there really is an awe inspiring and electric experience full of possibility and adventure. I don't know if I could live there but I want to visit over and over again.
Texas: the best food in the country and a vibrant mix of cultures that is too easily ignored by the stereotype of it as nothing but a bunch of gun toting hicks
Utah: the single most beautiful place I've ever been. Without question my favorite state to drive through and I promise that's not meant as a backhanded compliment
California: a paradise in so many ways. Home to every sort of outdoors experience you could want: beautiful beaches, acres of pristine forest, gorgeous mountains, and desert. Incredibly food and culture. And also the nicest people I've ever met anywhere, which does not get talked about nearly enough. I moved there in my 20s after living my entire life in the Midwest, a place renowed for it's performative friendliness, and was blown away by how genuine and welcoming most of the people in California were.
EASTERN: Maryland. America's most deceptively hick state and I mean that with the utmost love and respect.
CENTRAL: Iowa (really!) Fall Saturdays in Iowa City are some of the most fun I've had in any college town ever. I saw Iowa demolish some plucky cupcake team called the Buckeyes there.
MOUNTAIN: Arizona. Get the Sonoran Dog at the El Sinaloense #5 food truck off Speedway and Alvernon in Tucson. Thank me later.
PACIFIC: California. I know very little about the Pacific, but San Diego is lovely because it means I'm almost done driving to America's greatest city, Tijuana.
EASTERN: New York. Has the most electrifying city in the world, even if some recent changes aren't the best.
CENTRAL: Driving north out of Oxford, MS in an early spring twilight fog makes you feel inside a Faulkner novel.
MOUNTAIN: Northern New Mexico easily has the most beautiful natural scenery of any state I've seen. Rio Grande del Norte is gorgeous. Also the best state-specific cuisine I've experienced.
PACIFIC: California is its own country with all the different regions. Some personal funding needs aside, it would be the perfect state to live in and not get tired of.
EASTERN: Maine, you have lots of untouched wilderness and the first rays of the sun on the continental US are absolutely beautiful things surrounding the state.
CENTRAL: Minnesota. Yeah, it gets cold, but the Twin Cities are a wonderful place to explore and all of your 10,000 lakes are lovely and serene.
MOUNTAIN: I dislike speed limits, too, Montana. You're wonderful.
PACIFIC, et al: Alaska, you might have picked up, I like nature. You have a lot of it. I hope we don't screw it all up for you and everyone else.
My cousins have a horse farm in New Jersey and it's amazing how much you can feel like you're in the country in the Garden State. Atlantic City is every last thing it's supposed to be and you can get there by train from Philly.
Central:
Driving across South Dakota is awesome. Beautifully underrated landscape. Blast the Dances With Wolves soundtrack for additional effect.
Mountain:
Chaco Canyon is a magnificent place, whether for the ancient ruins or the "let's shoot a sci fi movie here" landscape. They've improved the road in a lot since the mid-90s, too.
Pacific:
Rafting on the Deschutes River in Oregon when I was in high school was really fun and the state in general is a beautiful variety of scenery. The guide got my sister out of the river when she fell in and went under the boat.
(Yes, I reposted this to fix a typo. I don't do that on UDD cause when in Rome but I assume this place operates by Cincinnati rules.)
If you don’t feel moved or inspired seeing the rolling hills of West Virginia, I can’t help you in life.
I cannot and will not live in Louisiana solely because I’d be 500 pounds in eating the best regional food in the country.
The most beautiful part of the US is in Northern Arizona and it is criminally underrated.
Hawaii is Louisiana’s only rival for regional food in the US. Plus, it’s impossible to be mad in a state where the year-round weather is a high of 80 and a low of 70.
ME: The fact that you can get fresh lobster at road side stands is incredible, and Black Fly Season is a great time to visit as you can get very alone during it.
MO: Incredibly nice people, almost to the point that you know something is up, but you are very happy to have been visiting.
CO: Mountains, snow, outdoor environments that inspire. I don't know how anyone who could live here could have a bad attitude
WA: Only been on the Western side of the state, but it is incredibly beautiful. I found a sense of calm here that I've never experienced elsewhere.
Hawaii has great beaches. The Chicago dog from Illinois is a national treasure. Massachusetts looks great in the fall. Nothing can beat California weather year round
EASTERN: The forests and mountains of Maine delight me.
CENTRAL: The North Shore and Boundary Waters in Minnesota are dramatic, and a wonderful place to get away from everything. Beautiful part of the country.
MOUNTAIN: I've played a couple of ultimate tournaments in Colorado, and having the mountains in the background behind the fields makes for a spectacular experience.
PACIFIC, ETC: The Willamette Valley in Oregon is both beautiful and full of wineries making wonderful wine. One of my favorite places.
I met my wife at the University of Dayton in Ohio.
Family friends moved to Omaha and we used to road trip out there to see them when I was a kid. We'd listen to the song by Counting Crows each time we got close. I have fond memories of those roadtrips.
There is nothing anyone can say that accurately describes the scenery between Colorado and Montana.
EASTERN: Despite all the crap that gets deservedly slung at those clowns in Congress (what a bunch of clowns), if you go past "Official Washington," DC is an extremely vibrant and diverse city with an excellent bar and restaurant scene and tons of excellent museums and attractions, many of which are free.
CENTRAL: Minnesota's got a lot going for it. The Twin Cities are an excellent city break , and cabin country is just so serene.
MOUNTAIN: what I wouldn't give to be in Colorado and have access to so many good ski areas close-ish to Denver.
PACIFIC: Between the coast, LA, and the desert, southern California's a great place that has something for everyone. Hiking (great hiking in ELLLLL AAAAYYYYY) from Los Feliz up to Griffith Observatory's an awesome experience.
what's your favorite restaurant in DC? I'm living here for about 6 more weeks and want to try new places.
I love Jaleo
Tail Up Goat in Adams Morgan.
Tail Up Goat is very good, maybe a smidge better than the Dabney. Both are pricey, of course.
I'll start:
EASTERN: Vermont. Morning on the edge of Lake Champlain is beautiful.
CENTRAL: Louisiana. It's important to have such a strong, different culinary influence in the country.
MOUNTAIN: New Mexico. High desert and chiles? Sign me up.
PACIFIC/ETC: Alaska. I've never been, but it's just good to know it's there if I ever need to flee society and start a new life.
I almost went with NM for the chiles! One of the best meals I've ever had was in Santa Fe.
TN: The Smokies are wonderful
WI: Your cheese and beer diet is an inspiration, and the Driftless Area is pretty.
UT: Zion NP may be the most awe-inspiring place I've ever seen with my own two eyes.
Outside of visiting my brother stationed at Nellis AFB in LV, I have never been in the Pacific Time Zone, so...?
CA: I want to see the redwoods before I die. And maybe look at El Capitan.
Zion is incredible. I went as a surly #teen and was still amazed, I can't imagine what it's like as an adult with the capacity to appreciate things unironically.
Can we embed images here? Let's try:
<img scr=https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/xh1LCIke5Og1XS3vo0A494pM5oplMaBLC0tIxHaNkEsiU_f1z45vKWS2Wc5zNx_6trpvWDdJA93CJwS4LLGPgu__avXW5Rz98-GKt8NsX7xFzFTne4ubTsoSFUCi9O4NacNK0fidG2sEyeB6_kqi9GYy01LcyAP6sOUb_FkRrdEBo7ILRckFfhL_VPegM7PnHTKnVAzEKCk_sTbMaCUwF5Txwg6CPYC3cjZCFTj9m4xrCLCgh5t7PyhpKI7BvJRI2Q0CnZ2DiXCESTPcfXMHqktgQCuJBzQ1V6gFKqaFfnRSzJc9hV5Hp1VbUYZ22c9NE7ZTfDAC6ExCggMefrgDtN2_WmzEMIsxy7bewf5u4sHwWCxSws-JKZN506F83Dh3N4wUNUzCqr-T9zo5UunmjiN7opk0h-RFQInY2DsRuecWdY5ly8lF3YYPjy4Ir0klqm9RYQT-aBKlKckkC2E9S-SThiKxk95GQuNrlqoHDZP9U2rXguuokdxn4kForGNtj_Zle-Phja8wFDAYQFveJDAHHk9_n6zSjupBHjsFQ3eQxi_neJq7_p2DgOYIjUbEvFhOQ2_1A-Nouatnra7WcJASU1lIlwJYtMFhAAAgR5jjgicPd29wGxyFYFDvWFX78LuUl4X0_u6uTj4lo8me_ZHx1x0Vck6iD4KdCfUq0Kv130Ff09yXEHo=w684-h911-no" width="400">
I won a second place ribbon at the county fair for this.
you might have a typo in the img source (img scr instead of img src, i think?) line there. not sure if that'll solve it or not.
Oh, thanks Al. Should be "src". I also forgot my opening " before https Let's try again
<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/xh1LCIke5Og1XS3vo0A494pM5oplMaBLC0tIxHaNkEsiU_f1z45vKWS2Wc5zNx_6trpvWDdJA93CJwS4LLGPgu__avXW5Rz98-GKt8NsX7xFzFTne4ubTsoSFUCi9O4NacNK0fidG2sEyeB6_kqi9GYy01LcyAP6sOUb_FkRrdEBo7ILRckFfhL_VPegM7PnHTKnVAzEKCk_sTbMaCUwF5Txwg6CPYC3cjZCFTj9m4xrCLCgh5t7PyhpKI7BvJRI2Q0CnZ2DiXCESTPcfXMHqktgQCuJBzQ1V6gFKqaFfnRSzJc9hV5Hp1VbUYZ22c9NE7ZTfDAC6ExCggMefrgDtN2_WmzEMIsxy7bewf5u4sHwWCxSws-JKZN506F83Dh3N4wUNUzCqr-T9zo5UunmjiN7opk0h-RFQInY2DsRuecWdY5ly8lF3YYPjy4Ir0klqm9RYQT-aBKlKckkC2E9S-SThiKxk95GQuNrlqoHDZP9U2rXguuokdxn4kForGNtj_Zle-Phja8wFDAYQFveJDAHHk9_n6zSjupBHjsFQ3eQxi_neJq7_p2DgOYIjUbEvFhOQ2_1A-Nouatnra7WcJASU1lIlwJYtMFhAAAgR5jjgicPd29wGxyFYFDvWFX78LuUl4X0_u6uTj4lo8me_ZHx1x0Vck6iD4KdCfUq0Kv130Ff09yXEHo=w684-h911-no" width="400">
glad we got to the bottom of that lol
Well, I'm either an idiot or we can't embed stuff. haha
Guess not, but the link is clickable.
Clicked the link. Wow!
damn!
can i just say lots of nice things about kentucky because i've never traveled further west than st louis and also i was born in kentucky and it has basketball and bourbon and horses and very almost criminally underrated scenery kentucky rules
As someone who moved to Kentucky (by choice!) five years ago, I'm forced to agree. Problematic? Sometimes! Absolutely awesome in some ways? Yes!
I come from a long line of Southern Hoosiers/Northern Kentuckians. There is lots to like about that part of the world, and as you say problematic at times too.
there's certainly a lot more to love about the state than the reputation it gets from people who have never lived here
We used to road trip from MI to FL in the summers and I always knew when we were entering KY because the Ohio river smells awful right around Cincinnati. Or it did then. The rest of the drive through KY was nice though!
Driving south of Louisville in November I was struck by how pretty that part of the country is. It's not spectacular like tall mountains or deep cliffs I had growing up in California, but it's beautiful in its own way, and I'm glad that I got to appreciate that.
EASTERN: Maryland. Everybody focuses on DC but the actual state is nice and Old Bay is Good.
CENTRAL: Minnesota. Gorgeous lakes and lovely climate year round.
MOUNTAIN: Colorado. Some of the most gorgeous mountain views I've ever seen.
PACIFIC: Nevada. Desert at night is a cool view and i must respect the concentrated debauchery in one city.
I never understood the Old Bay hype and then i started dating a Marylander. It might be the Stockholm syndrome talking but now I think Old Bay is very, very good.
New York: It is easy to be cynical about NYC and the myopia of some it's residents, but being there really is an awe inspiring and electric experience full of possibility and adventure. I don't know if I could live there but I want to visit over and over again.
Texas: the best food in the country and a vibrant mix of cultures that is too easily ignored by the stereotype of it as nothing but a bunch of gun toting hicks
Utah: the single most beautiful place I've ever been. Without question my favorite state to drive through and I promise that's not meant as a backhanded compliment
California: a paradise in so many ways. Home to every sort of outdoors experience you could want: beautiful beaches, acres of pristine forest, gorgeous mountains, and desert. Incredibly food and culture. And also the nicest people I've ever met anywhere, which does not get talked about nearly enough. I moved there in my 20s after living my entire life in the Midwest, a place renowed for it's performative friendliness, and was blown away by how genuine and welcoming most of the people in California were.
Moving left to right across your radio:
Washington - because enthusiasm about tator tot nachos is exactly the kind of energy we need right now
Arizona - mad respect for refusing to observe daylight saving time, #ftp
Alabama - Huntsville has the highest number of PhDs per capita of any American city
South Carolina - being in Sparky's Fireworks and Gifts on 501 is the most American I have ever felt
EASTERN: Maryland. America's most deceptively hick state and I mean that with the utmost love and respect.
CENTRAL: Iowa (really!) Fall Saturdays in Iowa City are some of the most fun I've had in any college town ever. I saw Iowa demolish some plucky cupcake team called the Buckeyes there.
MOUNTAIN: Arizona. Get the Sonoran Dog at the El Sinaloense #5 food truck off Speedway and Alvernon in Tucson. Thank me later.
PACIFIC: California. I know very little about the Pacific, but San Diego is lovely because it means I'm almost done driving to America's greatest city, Tijuana.
EASTERN: New York. Has the most electrifying city in the world, even if some recent changes aren't the best.
CENTRAL: Driving north out of Oxford, MS in an early spring twilight fog makes you feel inside a Faulkner novel.
MOUNTAIN: Northern New Mexico easily has the most beautiful natural scenery of any state I've seen. Rio Grande del Norte is gorgeous. Also the best state-specific cuisine I've experienced.
PACIFIC: California is its own country with all the different regions. Some personal funding needs aside, it would be the perfect state to live in and not get tired of.
VA: the Shenandoah Valley in May is one of the most breathtakingly gorgeous places on earth.
AL: the best place in this country to take a peaceful, relaxing beach vacation.
WY: the vastness of the sky and the mostly empty land was amazing to experience.
CA: the drive between LA and Monterey on the Pacific Coast Highway is something everyone should do once in their lives.
Maine: Potato Donuts.
EASTERN: Maine, you have lots of untouched wilderness and the first rays of the sun on the continental US are absolutely beautiful things surrounding the state.
CENTRAL: Minnesota. Yeah, it gets cold, but the Twin Cities are a wonderful place to explore and all of your 10,000 lakes are lovely and serene.
MOUNTAIN: I dislike speed limits, too, Montana. You're wonderful.
PACIFIC, et al: Alaska, you might have picked up, I like nature. You have a lot of it. I hope we don't screw it all up for you and everyone else.
Eastern:
My cousins have a horse farm in New Jersey and it's amazing how much you can feel like you're in the country in the Garden State. Atlantic City is every last thing it's supposed to be and you can get there by train from Philly.
Central:
Driving across South Dakota is awesome. Beautifully underrated landscape. Blast the Dances With Wolves soundtrack for additional effect.
Mountain:
Chaco Canyon is a magnificent place, whether for the ancient ruins or the "let's shoot a sci fi movie here" landscape. They've improved the road in a lot since the mid-90s, too.
Pacific:
Rafting on the Deschutes River in Oregon when I was in high school was really fun and the state in general is a beautiful variety of scenery. The guide got my sister out of the river when she fell in and went under the boat.
(Yes, I reposted this to fix a typo. I don't do that on UDD cause when in Rome but I assume this place operates by Cincinnati rules.)
[to the tune of the Almond Joy/Mounds Jingle]
California has a lot of people in it
Wyoming doesn't
Texas is really big
Rhode island isn't
If you don’t feel moved or inspired seeing the rolling hills of West Virginia, I can’t help you in life.
I cannot and will not live in Louisiana solely because I’d be 500 pounds in eating the best regional food in the country.
The most beautiful part of the US is in Northern Arizona and it is criminally underrated.
Hawaii is Louisiana’s only rival for regional food in the US. Plus, it’s impossible to be mad in a state where the year-round weather is a high of 80 and a low of 70.
Eastern: NC. The mountains there are my favorite place on earth
Central: AL. just special to me because my family's from there
Mountain: Picking one state is tough, Zion, GCNP, and Bryce Canyon are all amazing spots, but I'll go with Wyoming. Awe-inspiring mountains and BISON
Pacific: I've never been to this time zone, but Washington seems pretty dang cool
Maine: The prettiest state east of the Mississippi. The whole thing smells like a pine tree air freshener. Lobster as far as the eye can see.
Minnesota: They love hockey there. They genuinely do.
Colorado: Rocky Mountain National Park is an underrated gem.
Oregon: If I were not irrationally afraid of the Cascadia Subduction Zone, I might honestly want to live here.
ME: The fact that you can get fresh lobster at road side stands is incredible, and Black Fly Season is a great time to visit as you can get very alone during it.
MO: Incredibly nice people, almost to the point that you know something is up, but you are very happy to have been visiting.
CO: Mountains, snow, outdoor environments that inspire. I don't know how anyone who could live here could have a bad attitude
WA: Only been on the Western side of the state, but it is incredibly beautiful. I found a sense of calm here that I've never experienced elsewhere.
And now I'm remembering everywhere I've been in the country and not doing work
My work here is done.
That's one of my favorite things to do
Indiana: Bloomington is the best college town in America
Louisiana: New Orleans is really fun and they have great food
Montana: Glacier NP is the most beautiful place I've ever been
Washington: Seattle, the Olympic peninsula and all of those islands are really beautiful
New Jersey - they gave us pork roll
Tennessee - the Titans spared us a Patriots super bowl and I respect that
Idaho - I like potatoes
California - best Mexican food I've tasted
*Taylor Ham
Hawaii has great beaches. The Chicago dog from Illinois is a national treasure. Massachusetts looks great in the fall. Nothing can beat California weather year round
EASTERN: The forests and mountains of Maine delight me.
CENTRAL: The North Shore and Boundary Waters in Minnesota are dramatic, and a wonderful place to get away from everything. Beautiful part of the country.
MOUNTAIN: I've played a couple of ultimate tournaments in Colorado, and having the mountains in the background behind the fields makes for a spectacular experience.
PACIFIC, ETC: The Willamette Valley in Oregon is both beautiful and full of wineries making wonderful wine. One of my favorite places.
I met my wife at the University of Dayton in Ohio.
Family friends moved to Omaha and we used to road trip out there to see them when I was a kid. We'd listen to the song by Counting Crows each time we got close. I have fond memories of those roadtrips.
There is nothing anyone can say that accurately describes the scenery between Colorado and Montana.
Frasier is from Seattle.
I had fun in the bay area when I visited SF.
MT and WY are nice. Isolated, no tall buildings, no obstructions of a beautiful landscape. Feels like time travel.
New Orleans is a grimy mess and I mean that in the best way possible. Great vibes.
FL kicks ass, it's hot and it's breezy and you're never far from a beach.
Also, did you know MI's west coast is covered in sand dunes? It's wild as hell.
California has very nice weather.
Arizona has the coolest waterfall in Havasu Falls.
Louisiana knows how to have fun.
Florida has incredible white sand beaches.