Less than 4% of North America’s original tallgrass prairie is still standing, according to the National Park Service. Most of what survived is rolling across the Kansas Flint Hills. Oklahoma has nothing like it, and that’s not the only area Kansas comes out ahead. These are the things Kansas does better that Oklahomans won’t admit….
A University of Wisconsin field study on North Dakota’s settlement history found German-Russian families made up more than 40% of Stark County’s population by 1910. Families like those left North Dakota’s kitchens with dish names that still trip up anyone who didn’t grow up saying them. These are the North Dakota foods locals love that…
You don’t have to ask everyone at a New Hampshire town meeting how long they’ve lived there. Sometimes you can tell by how they handle the room. These are the town meeting habits that give away a lifelong New Hampshirite. 1. Demanding a Secret Written Ballot New Hampshire’s town meeting runs on voice votes late…
You see an Idaho property with open space and a view worth stopping for. An experienced ranch hand sees how much work it’ll take. These are the things Idaho ranch hands notice about a property in minutes. Note: This is general information, not legal advice. Property, water, and fencing rules are subject to change. 1….
Do you know anyone who’s never left the state they grew up in? In Allegany County, out past the ridges of Western Maryland, more than seven in ten residents are Maryland natives who stayed, according to the Census Bureau’s latest estimates. These are the Maryland habits that place someone within an hour of home. 1….
Florida has a vocabulary, and nobody warns newcomers before they land. These are the words Floridians say that stop Northerners mid-sentence. 1. Cracker “Cracker” is a word many families with generations of roots in the state call themselves, and they mean it as a badge. One theory in the state archives ties the word to…
You want your housewarming gift to say, “Congratulations on the new place.” But sometimes the receiver sees it and thinks, “Here’s one more thing to deal with.” These are the housewarming gifts Nutmeggers wish guests would stop bringing. 1. Brand-New Knife Sets A brand-new knife set is one of the more common housewarming gifts guests…
Nothing makes you notice a hometown habit faster than meeting someone who doesn’t share it. In Idaho, that person might have grown up just a few valleys away. Suddenly, something you’ve done your whole life needs an explanation you’ve never had to give. These are the Idaho habits that give away which valley someone grew…
Illinois taxes a home at more than double the rate Missouri does. That’s not the only gap between these two states. St. Clair County and St. Louis County sit across one bridge from each other, and if you live near either one, you already know which side treats you better. These are the reasons Illinoisans…
Can you name the only U.S. state that has to print the word “USA” on its license plate just to prove where it’s from? New Mexico has done exactly that since 1969, according to the state’s tourism magazine. That’s only the start. These are the things that confuse everyone who moves to New Mexico. Note:…
