Think you could pass as a true Michigander in under a minute? Many transplants never pull it off, no matter how long they’ve lived in the state. These are the things that only make sense if you grew up in Michigan. 1. Vernors Cure Michigan parents skip the medicine cabinet for one fix when a…
A Georgian can tell you the day’s pollen count off the top of their head every April. Tourists just wonder why their black rental car turned green overnight. These are the habits that give away a lifelong Georgian. 1. Every Soda Is a Coke Ask a lifelong Georgian what they want to drink, and the…
A parked car in direct sun climbs about 19 degrees in its first 10 minutes, according to two decades of research out of San Jose State University. These are the things Floridians know better than to leave sitting in a car without shade. Note: This is general safety information, not medical advice. Medication storage limits…
The stools at Skeeter’s in Wytheville have held Virginians since 1925. The chili recipe hasn’t budged in all that time. The rest of the menu, at lunch counters and diners from the coast to the coalfields, has emptied out around it. These are the diner foods Virginians still love, even though many of the diners…
You exit for a Buc-ee’s, roll down the feeder road past a Whataburger and a tire shop, and swing back onto I-45 without a single red light. You’ve done it a hundred times. Yet that road running beside the freeway traces back to a choice Texas made and most states didn’t. This is the real…
By late August, a Florida newcomer’s front bumper wears a gray crust they can’t scrub off, and they have no idea what it is. Locals know on sight. Lovebugs are only the start of what nobody warns people about before they move to Florida. These are the habits that instantly mark you as a Florida…
Scrape tonight’s dinner plate into the kitchen trash, and in California you might be breaking a state law. Food scraps are only the start. These are the things you can’t legally throw in a California household garbage bin. Note: This is general information, not legal advice. Disposal rules and penalties vary by city and county…
Many Americans think Georgia food and drinks start and end with peaches and sweet tea. That’s the gift-shop version. What Georgians pile onto a plate can send a first-time visitor easing away from the table, from a gravy built on coffee to a cold loaf pressed out of a hog’s head. These are the Georgia…
Regular gas in California runs about $1.60 more per gallon than the national average, the widest gap of any state in the country. That kind of math rewires a person. These are the habits that mark a Californian as a Californian, wherever in the U.S. they land. Calling It “The 405,” Not Just 405 Southern…
A tourist pulls onto Florida’s Turnpike, hits a toll gantry three exits in, and digs for quarters the cashless lanes won’t take. A local would have had a SunPass beeping overhead and never tapped the brakes. These are the things Floridians are tired of explaining to everyone who visits. 1. Love Bugs, Not Mosquitoes Visitors…
