For a lot of families, dinner out once meant a booth at Shoney’s. Tennesseans over 40 may still remember the desserts, the mascot and the nights the whole family piled in. Here’s a trip back to the details that made those visits stick. 1. Breakfast Bar Shoney’s brought in its all-you-can-eat breakfast bar in 1981,…
Living in Colorado for years doesn’t always make you sound like a native. Lifelong Coloradans pick up on little clues, from how you say a town’s name to which airport you remember. Here are the telltale signs that separate the newcomers from the natives. 1. Native Bumper Sticker The NATIVE bumper sticker lets many lifelong…
Ask someone in Charlotte about Raleigh, or the other way around, and you’ll likely get a grin and an opinion. North Carolinians in both cities have their talking points ready, and neither side is shy about sharing them. Here’s where the friendly feud tends to flare up. 1. Charlotte’s Bank Towers Charlotte’s banking reputation is…
Dinner in Montana doesn’t always start at the grocery store. Some locals cook with what they hunt, pick or find, and a few dishes come with stories that go back generations. These are the things Montanans eat that surprise people from out of state. 1. Butte Pasties Butte pasties came to Montana with Cornish miners,…
You say something perfectly normal at a get-together, and an out-of-state friend asks what it means. Some of what Hoosiers say doesn’t mean much a state or two away. Here’s the vocabulary that can give away an Indiana upbringing, and where a few of those words came from. 1. The Region The Region is a…
If you’ve been to a Georgia family reunion, you could probably list the menu with your eyes closed. A few of those dishes have more history behind them than you’d think. Here are the foods that show up at every family reunion in Georgia, from the main course to dessert. 1. Brunswick Stew Georgia’s version…
Grocery shelves are covered in little tags, and it’s easy to skim right past them. Floridians who shop at Publix may assume some of those labels mean more than they do. Here’s what a handful of Publix shelf tags really promise. 1. GreenWise Label Publix puts the GreenWise label on meats, nonfood products and more….
When a brass band comes down the street, a whole neighborhood can spill outside to follow it. Louisianans who grew up near a second line know the rhythm long before anyone explains what’s going on. Here’s a closer look at the traditions behind the parade. 1. Matching Parade Outfits Second line club members dress alike,…
Ask Kentuckians about summers as a kid, and an amusement park might come up fast. Some of those parks are still open, while others are long gone, remembered in old photos and family stories. Here’s a look back at the parks people still talk about. 1. Fontaine Ferry Park Louisville’s Fontaine Ferry Park opened in…
Some childhood memories are tied so closely to West Virginia that they’re hard to explain anywhere else. Kids in other states may never have had the same summer camps, fair days or school lunches. Here are the memories that came with growing up there. 1. Buck Season Break Kids in most West Virginia counties are…
