State Impressions and Book Requests

I threatened to do this post awhile back, and since the thoughts aren't leaving my head, it simply must be written! Even though I fear it's going to be way way too long.

So, this past month when we drove back and forth across the country, I was extremely impressed with the different and unique personalities I felt as we drove through each state... even the ones that we did just that.. drove through. And so I thought it would be fun to write those thoughts out, especially since many of you are from those states, and it would be fun to get your reaction to my impressions. Don't you think? I may even figure out a way to make this a bookish post, just you wait!

Wyoming

Ah, I have to say this one boring state to drive though, at least along I-80. All brown and dead looking. This is strange since it's the state that has Yellowstone! One of the most beautiful national parks ever! BUT, Wyoming also has these:

There were hundreds, all over the place, and we called them windmill farms. I'm fascinated with them. They scream high tech space age science fiction to me! Oh, they are so cool and other worldly looking! Book I need for this state: something like cowboys and aliens! Or I know,  a cowboy space opera like Firefly! Ah, that would be one fun book!

Nebraska

Landscape-wise, not much better than Wyoming, though we now have grass instead of dirt. Lots and lots of grass. Nebraska is what I think of when I hear about the plains, or the prairies or the grasslands. It was also in Nebraska that we saw a beautiful sunset, then minutes later turned around and watched an impressive moonrise. I took a video: (beware the music, it was my son's turn to drive so he go to choose! You'll also see in this video that Nebraska wins the prize for most bugs killed on the windshield!)



We don't see stuff like that so much here where the mountains get in the way. Book I need for this state: a pioneer book for sure.... Little House on the Prairie for big people? With lots of romantic sunset scenes!

Iowa

Oh boy, this state seems to have the monopoly on beautiful farms! We wondered if there is a code between them all to have not a weed, or a piece of junk in sight. And all green and perfectly groomed! I loved driving through this state for sure. Book I need for this state: a farm story, but not a depressing one (Like A Thousand Acres), a happy one please.

Illinois

One of my good high school friends came to college here, and so we were excited to drive through Champaign Urbana so we could finally say we'd been there! And I also thought much about Ibeeeg while driving through Illinois, even though she was still far from where we were. Book I need for this state: a college/friends sort of book perhaps? One about enduring friendship/sisterhood, yes?

Indiana

Indianapolis gave us lots of traffic, construction and a wrong turn! But that wrong turn lead us right past the speedway, so that was cool.  And then today while watching John Green live on YouTube (dang that was fun!) I remembered he's from here so... Book I need from this state: a racing book by John Green! Ha! Maybe just a racing book then.

Ohio

This state was our destination for the weekend. It was fun to meet the Latino/Hispanic people that my son lived and worked with while he was here. I loved the state! I loved the people! Ohio also has lots and lots of trees! Book I need for this state: something about Latino people coming to the States to make a better life for their family.

Kentucky

Horses! Yes, we were thrilled that this state actually truly had miles of rolling white picket fences surrounding huge horse farms! And beautiful horse race tracks too! I don't know why, but it was so cool to see a horse race track. I'm not even into horses that much, but they are cool I must admit. Book I need for this state:  a horse racing book along the lines of Seabiscuit.

Tennessee

This is the state where we started to really notice the heat and humidity. Sorry Tennessee! And Gatlinburg was such a tourist trap that all I wanted to do was get out of there! But then the Smoky Mountains were cool and so was walking on that famous trail. Book I need for this state: An Appalachian Trail story perhaps? Like A Walk in the Woods. However, I also saw lots of signs about the Hatfields and McCoys, so I'd love a book about them too please.

North Carolina

After coming out of the park and trying to find our way back to the freeway, we drove through a lot of small quaint mountain towns in North Carolina. They looked like fun restful places to stop and stay awhile. It also made me think of back country Appalachian places and stories. Book I need for this state: A bed and breakfast story (think Lorelei Gilmore's inn) or a book about people living in the back country... remember that book Christy?

South Carolina

We experienced an awesome thunderstorm while here. I took some video:



Other than that, all we saw here were trees. The freeways were like a tree tunnel! That is so not like Utah! Book I need for this state: a good treehouse book! Or perhaps, a tornado book because that thunder storm made us feel like one was heading our way for sure!

Georgia

Ah, it was all about Savannah for us in Georgia. Savannah was hot, but cool. How can that be? But it was! Full of history.... including pirates, and the Civil War and something about some dude that killed someone? Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil! That was it! Book I need for this state: one on EACH of those subjects!

Florida

My impressions of Florida.... hot, humid, lots and lots of rain, very green, and Orlando which seems to be all about theme parks, you know? Book I need for this state: is there a novel set in a theme park? Please, let me know!

Alabama and Mississippi

We drove through the bottom teeny tiny bits of these two states, so they just sort of blended together, and FLEW by! We stopped for a moment near Mobile for a fast geocache, but it still wasn't even enough to give much of an impression. I feel bad about that. But these states for sure make me think of the deep deep south. I wish I could have experienced that a bit more. Book I need for this state: something about the deep deep south!

Louisiana

Here we had New Orleans and lots and lots of water. It was fun to walk around the French Quarter of New Orleans for an hour or two. Then, once we were back on the road, it was like one long never ending bridge! Were we crossing rivers? Or lakes? Or a bit of both? That was memorable. Book I need for this state: anything historical about New Orleans I would love. Then maybe a book about living on the water here?

Texas

We drove through Texas two different times... just before OK and just after. The first bit was mostly about the big city of Dallas. Yes, we survived it. It took us forever to go around that belt loop though, to start heading north and find our hotel in Denton. But even with the accident and traffic jam, we survived. The second bit was very desolate, and not any big cities in sight. It felt depressed and like something from The Grapes of Wrath. I'm not sure we had a very good first impression of Texas, though we did take this cool cloud/sun picture.

Book I need for this state: a BIG book! :) (No scratch that, I don't need any more of those!) It was after I got home that I remembered Friday Night Lights takes place in Texas, so I think I just need to read that book once and for all.

Oklahoma

All I could think about while driving through this state was cowboys cowboys cowboys! In fact I even had to look up where The Cowboys lived, and found out it was just a little way off our freeway. But, dang, we didn't go visit. Book I need for this state: a cowboy book of course! I'm a sucker for these, really.

New Mexico

Suddenly, the landscape turned deserty... and we were finally out of the humidity! Yeah! Things were brown, but beautiful. Very southwestern, and lots of Indian influence here. From cowboys in one state, to Indians in the other. This is what I loved so much! Book I need for this state: Something Indian, like an experience living on a reservation (An Absolutely True Diary etc. etc. type) or even a cowboy/Indian book. I like those too. Dances With Wolves or something.

Colorado

We went over the border, and bam, we had green mountains! Driving through these small Colorado mountain towns was lovely. I could retire here, except for the winters I suppose. Book I need for this state: something about a skiing trip perhaps? Or mountain cabin location?

Utah

Yay, home again! And things went from green to brown again. But a nice national park, cool formations sort of brown. Did you know Utah has tons of national parks? All that driving through the country and only one national park did we come across! Book I need for this state: hmmm... a national park experience? Aron Ralston had one here!

Well! I hope that was as much fun for you as it was for me! Did I drive through your state? Did I get a good impression of it? Or am I completely off? Do you have some good suggestions for books I can read about any of these states? Have you driven across the country and thought the same thing, how every state is so different? What was your favorite? Least favorite? Would you do it again?

I would so do it again!