Best thing (IYO) about your state/province.

[JOE1977]

What do you feel is the best part of your state/province (Canucks).

For me, it's honesty in the people. Nebraskans are known for being nice and honest for the most part. Some say to a fault.
Also, being a "mid-plains" state, the sand hills are truly a desert of humanity. Also, we have a unique government in a unicamirial. Also the largest underground aquifer. Water is not an issue here. Water as much as u want!
And contrary to belief, NE is very hilly. Most people travel I-80, which runs along the Platte River Valley and it seems the entire state is flat. Travel 10-15 miles north or south and you will be in abundant hills and other river valleys.

 

[skychaser]

The best thing about Washington to me is also the people where I live. And that it is not California or Oregon. But there is little difference anymore. We are a very divided state. The worst thing about where I live is that I am not in Idaho. which is just over the hills from me. Imho, Idaho runs its state in a much batter fashion. Eastern WA is much like eastern Oregon in its climate, and in the general mindset of the people. The same is true in many parts of California. And like Oregon, who is ruled by the politics of Portland and Salem, we are ruled by the Seattle area and its politics with it's much larger population base. Here east of the Cascade mountains, many of us feel a much stronger kinship to you people in "fly over country" than we do with many of our neighbors to the west. But there is really no feeling of animosity towards anyone. It's a live and let live kind of attitude here. and most people are very honest and kind. Just much more of a prevalence of what I call common sense. Please understand I am speaking with much generality here! I am not taking a shot at anyone. I know many very good people in the western parts of both WA and OR, and through out California. I have spent a great deal of time there. And I know many people who may strongly disagree with me on some points. I completely respect that! We are still friends who all just want a better world, but may have different views on how we get there. A diversity of thoughts, opinions and ideas is an invaluable resource when united in working toward a common goal. But diversity just for the sake of having it brings nothing but more divisiveness. I truly wish we could find more common ground on some things here. That's my two bit opinion, for what its worth.

All three west coast states are incredibly beautiful places to see and well worth visiting at least once in your life. We have deserts, snow capped mountains, beautiful coastal areas and ocean beaches, rain forests, volcanoes, vast areas of fertile farm land, and everything in between. Overall, California probably tops the list. And contrary to popular belief, WA is not all rain forest. More than half the state is desert or semi-arid country. But who knew Nebraska wasn't all flat lands? lol

Thanks for your post Joe.

 

[GreenDragon]

So far, I've lived in three different states: Florida, Texas, and North Carolina

Florida (Northern)
The Good: If you like fishing, swimming, skiing, diving, boating, snorkeling, etc you are never more than a half hour away from a body of water. Good, fresh seafood is always available. The soil is very sandy, so it's easy to dig, drains very quickly.
The Bad: Hurricanes, mosquitos, humidity, lightning storms, love bug season, giant roaches and spiders, and of course "Florida Man" and "Florida Woman"! The soil is very sandy, so not very fertile and needs constant watering to grow anything.

Texas (Central)
The Good: People are friendly (Howdy!), awesome grocery stores (I miss you HEB!!!), shopping in general, great roads and infrastructure, beautiful scenery. Awesome Blackland Prairie soil - can grow anything!
The Bad: The HEAT, it's dry and brown 9 months of the year, and generally the huge distances between cities. Living in Austin everything was at least 3-5 hours away (San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, etc). Oh, and did I mention the HEAT????

North Carolina (Charlotte)
The Good: The people - everyone is super friendly and polite. The countryside itself - mountains, rivers, lakes, beaches, fall leaves, etc etc. Mild climate in the Piedmont area, all four seasons. Generally a more "relaxed" atmosphere.
The Bad: The roads are OK, grocery stores run on the smaller size, and the clay. Red clay everywhere! When dry it's hard as stone, when wet it's a horrible sticky mess and it gets everywhere. It's also acidic and needs lots of amending to grow crops well.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Alberta is sunny but not hot, and busy but not crowded. We've got mountains, prairies, many different ecological zones, urban life, true wilderness, drama, music festivals, proud football and hockey fans, and dinosaur bones. We have the highest number of entrepreneurs, and small businesses per capita in the country. We have wild game, fish and mosquitos and we don't have ticks or rats. Albertan earthquakes are all below 5.0, and most of the places that flood have the word river in their names. The cost of a home is still within reach, and there are jobs. Alberta is the least federalist of the English speaking provinces. Most of all, I could live anywhere and I would need to choose to be happy in any of them. The task is to have grit all winter and to be thankful.

 

[skychaser]

I have a friend who moved from Ohio to Florida 20+ years ago. He's on the east coast and does contract work for NASA. He doesn't miss winter and the snow at all. But he says the heat and humidity is so oppressive in the summer months it's like hell. He said you can watch wood rot. Everything has to be pressure treated and even then it doesn't last long. Hurricanes don't come every year but when they do, look out! Better to run and hope you have a house when you return. And there are bugs so big they can carry off your dog.

I have only been to Texas once. It was on a winter road trip that led me south and east to see new sights. I went to White Sands in NM and then on into west Texas. I remember looking at the map one morning from my motel. My plan was to keep heading east across Texas and to Louisiana. Never been there. I knew Texas was big but... wow. It's really big! Louisiana was nearly 900 miles away! I decided to head back west to Arizona instead. I really like Arizona for about 6 months a year. Been there many times. But I couldn't take the summer heat there.

We often say we have 4 seasons here. Winter, more winter, still winter and road construction season. But road construction season has been canceled in recent years. The roads used to be very good here. Now days you swerve down the roads like a drunk trying to dodge pot holes that can rip your wheels off. This year seemed like a never ending winter, but we actually have 4 definite seasons. That is another thing I really like. Winter makes you really appreciate spring. If you like out door activities we have everything you could want to keep you occupied. Very good hunting and fishing. You can water ski in summer and snow ski into May or even June some years. There are an abundance of places to go camping and hiking in every kind of climate and terrain. North Idaho and Montana are great too. I love western Montana. Very beautiful country. And Glacier Park is about 4 hours from here. It's awesome! But it's the opposite of Arizona. Head south in October and don't come back until April, unless you are part Polar Bear.

I've always wanted to see the Carolina's. I've heard it has some beautiful country and good people. I've been from north to south in Alberta. Even drove to Alaska once and went up that way and back down through BC. If I lived in Canada, it would be in Alberta. I liked the people. Tough and independent folks. And I like the elbow room there and the vastness of the province. But you do need some real grit to survive the winters. That's for sure. I'd probably head south to Montana where it is "warm".

 

[TigerTom]

Born and raised in California, Central Valley. The best part of it (for me) is the ridiculously long growing season. I begin sowing vegetable and herb seeds around Christmas, start transplanting them out at the end of February, and then the seasons take over. I usually pull my last tomatoes and peppers off in early November, though they aren't nearly as tasty as the summer-ripened fruit. Greens can be grown all winter and most root crops can be stored in the ground and dug when needed. It isn't all great, though. Summers feel like a furnace - very dry and very hot, though not Arizona hot. It is hot enough, however, that tomatoes and peppers often will not set fruit from late May to late August, so I must get them in early in order to get fruit during the growing season rather than just in fall.

Lived in Florida for three years. I agree with your buddy, skychaser. I lived not far from Tampa and everything he says about living in Florida is spot-on. When I stepped off the plane, it almost felt as if I'd jumped into a pool and taken a deep breath. Stepping out of an air conditioned building resulted in humidity condensing on my skin. There wasn't even time to sweat. Massive cockroackes would come out at night and crawl all over the sides of buildings. The rains are torrential and frequent. As a friend from France who now lives in Florida told me: "You could be standing outside in the rain under an umbrella and be sweating like a pig." I don't ever want to live in Florida again.

 

[GreenDragon]

Growing up in Florida I always kept one of those car windshield squeegee things you see at the gas stations in my car year round to wipe off the condensation from my car windows each morning so I could see to drive.

 

[jjb224]

Ohioan here and there is quite a bit I think is the best. First and foremost is the vast natural beauty we have. Lot of folks just write the state off as being flat and just corn but that could not be further from the truth. We have a lot of really interesting rock formations due to erosion such as Rockbridge, one of the largest and most accessible Glacial Grooves in the world, we have interesting caves like Rock House ,Old Man's Cave and Ohio's largest cave system Ohio Caverns. Which features the largest stalactite in the state. Then we have a ton of waterfalls such as Mill Creek Falls, Great Falls of Tinkers Creek, Dublin Road Falls and Hemlock Falls. Then we have Oak Openings Preserve Metropark which is hands down one of my favorite places and features some of the best biodiversity in the entire state. Last by not least is the Cuyahoga National Park which covers a lot of actives between hiking,biking, horseback riding. There is the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail which you can walk, run or my personal favorite biking it down to Akron and catching the Scenic Train Ride back as it offers the best experience of everything along the trail.

Then we have a ton of awesome museums from everything to Rock and Roll to Football. My favorites included Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, National Museum of the US Air Force, Pro Football Hall of Fame, Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, National Museum of the Great Lakes, Cleveland Museum of Art, https://www.achristmasstoryhouse.com/. Which my dad worked security for and If I can find the photos of the house during filming. I will post them down the line and The Sherman House There is more I am probably missing but this covers the majority of my favorite things I can think of

 

[JOE1977]

Taking notes on all of this. IF I get to retire in the next 25 yrs, I want to be south. Winters are quite cold and the summers can be sweltering.
I don't think I would like the Humidity of Fla. And definitely don't want to deal with snow. I always thought Texas hill country or the Carolinas. My personality probably fits Texas more though.

 

[skychaser]

Born and raised in California, Central Valley.

I grew up on a farm here where we raised wheat, lentils, grass seed, hay and cattle. I thought we did things on a pretty big scale here until the first time I traveled the whole length of the central California valley. Wow. It was rather astounding to me. More than half Americas food must be produced there.

I have family who lived in the Coachella Valley and still have family in Sacramento. When I was a teenager and after haying season was done here, they sent me down to stay with my aunt and uncle in Sacramento for my summer "vacation". My uncle had a fruit orchard about 40 miles away in the hills towards Nevada. I arrived right when the plum harvest started and ended up working in the packing house for a few weeks. We would leave before 6 and drive up there and work until about 1-2 pm. I remember it being a bit on the warm side most days too. Around 100-105f every day. Fun vacation. haha Then we would drive back and my uncle would head off to his full time job at the Safeway distribution warehouse there. I was just a dumb kid then and it was years later until it sunk in just how hard my uncle worked. I don't know how he did both things. He worked his ass off!

So how is the water situation there now? This years rains and snow should have put quite a dent in the long drought you have had.

 

[skychaser]

My personality probably fits Texas more though.

Same with me. But I am 5th generation here and have over 30 years invested in the place I live now. Too old to think about trying to pack it all up and move now. I'll be buried down the road in the little cemetery on the prairie next to all my relatives.

 

[jjb224]

I'll be buried down the road in the little cemetery on the prairie next to all my relatives.

Thats how it'll be for me as well. Instead of Texas it'll be the church cemtery in the small town in PA my grandmother grew up.

 

[TigerTom]

So how is the water situation there now? This years rains and snow should have put quite a dent in the long drought you have had.

Well, my house is now effectively sitting on a bog, complete with standing water. I joked earlier today that we should plant some Venus' Flytraps and Pitcher Plants in the front yard.

We've had more rain than we can really handle. There has been no time for the ground to dry out, and night time temps have remained lower than usual. Rivers are higher, reservoirs are fuller, the ground is mushy, the sky is cloudy. And it's "spring". Good times.

Transplanting has been delayed due to soggy soil and the low temps. Fortunately our season is long enough that a delay won't hurt us too badly. Our stone fruits managed bloomed through all this and set fruit, so despite the wet weather we'll still get something off them.

So we'll see how it goes. I'm concerned that if it warms up too quickly before the soil dries enough we'll be hit with blight.