Arkansas’s two U.S. senators couldn’t agree on how to pronounce the state’s name. The General Assembly ended the debate in 1881 by writing the official pronunciation into state law. Out-of-staters still get it wrong, and Arkansans still correct them. These are the things that give an Arkansan away the moment they leave the state. 1….
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…
The Mississippi Delta’s Hot Tamale Festival is still almost two weeks away, but the smell already drifting downtown gives away what’s coming. Nobody hands over a menu, and the tradition runs on customs regulars rarely spell out. These are the Mississippi tamale rules nobody explains to visitors. 1. Tamale, Never Tamal Hot tamales go by…
Vinegar or ketchup isn’t the fight that separates a North Carolina barbecue regular from a first-timer at the counter. Something else gives a first-timer away. These are the North Carolina barbecue rules nobody writes down. 1. Outside Brown Order North Carolina’s Piedmont barbecue counters carry a request that never shows up printed on any menu….
Florida’s health department issues blue-green algae alerts for stretches of its rivers almost every year. That’s only one reason why locals avoid swimming in certain rivers. These are the Florida rivers people refuse to swim in. 1. Fenholloway River The Fenholloway River near Perry carries a distinction no other waterway in the state holds. In…
Think a bowl of gumbo tastes the same no matter which Louisiana parish it’s ladled in? Evangeline Parish gumbo runs on chicken and sausage. Cross into the bayou parishes of Terrebonne and Lafourche, and Louisiana’s coastal cooking leans on seafood instead, a pattern 64 Parishes traces back generations. These are the Louisiana dishes that change…
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….
Colorado reports the lowest rate of physical inactivity of any state in the country, with just 17.7% of adults skipping exercise altogether, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People log a lot of that movement on a wrist these days. These are the fitness tracker numbers Coloradans shouldn’t take at face value….
The Twin Cities’ first fall freeze is usually between October 1 and October 10, and central Minnesota often crosses that line even sooner. That window is closing fast. These are the signs the first frost is close in a Minnesota backyard. 1. Frost Advisories and Freeze Watches A frost advisory buzzing on a phone is…
