More than 810,000 Minnesotans claim Norwegian ancestry, more than any other state in the country. That number shapes more than a family tree. It’s why so many Minnesota kids grow up saying “uff da” before they even know what it means. These are the signs of a Minnesota upbringing, no matter where you live now….
North Carolina has over two million more residents than Virginia. That hasn’t slowed down the lecture a Tar Heel gets at a reception in Richmond, or in a tailgate lot in Charlottesville, or anywhere a Virginian spots an opening. These are the things North Carolinians are tired of hearing from Virginians. 1. Barbecue Started in…
Think you could find a Shoney’s in Georgia this weekend? You’d have two shots at it. The chain ran around 1,300 restaurants across 34 states at its peak in 1998, back when a Georgia road trip meant a breakfast bar and a slice of strawberry pie. These are the restaurant chains Georgians grew up with…
Anyone who’s moved states hauls a routine or two along. New neighbors and coworkers are quick to catch those of Wisconsinites. Here’s what gives Wisconsinites away the second they cross the state line. Note: This is general information. Alcohol and hunting rules vary by state and are subject to change. 1. Naming Roads by Letter…
Ever plan a midnight run to Meijer, assuming the doors are unlocked the way they’ve always been? That assumption alone trips up more Illinois shoppers than almost anything else on this list. Old habits die hard, and Meijer has changed more about the way it runs its stores than many regulars realize. These are the…
Seven Texas libraries send cardholders home with fishing gear, not just books about the sport. Few Americans grow up expecting that from a library card. Branches across the state have built up collections of equipment, passes, and tools that never sit anywhere near a bookshelf. This is what a library card can cover once Texans…
South Carolina residents will confidently correct a tourist’s pronunciation of a hometown road, then turn around and butcher the name of a town two counties over. Nobody’s immune. The state is full of names that look like one thing on a road sign and sound like something else entirely once a local says them out…
Think you know Ohio inside and out? Every history class says Ohio became a state in 1803, and Congress left a piece of paperwork on that unfinished for generations. These are the widely repeated “facts” about Ohio that turn out to be false. 1. First in Flight, Sort Of Ohio calls itself the “Birthplace of…
The U.S. Supreme Court settled a basic legal question back in 1988: trash left at the curb carries no reasonable expectation of privacy, full stop. California v. Greenwood is the reason a scavenger picking through a Los Angeles curb isn’t automatically breaking the law. That ruling ends at the curb, though. Everything past it is…
Florida doesn’t care how you fold your bedsheets. But it has plenty to say about how you wrap your mattress once you want to get rid of it. Skip the plastic bag and the tape on trash day, and Miami-Dade County can fine a resident $100 for setting a bare mattress at the curb. These…
