A burrito tumbling into a deep fryer at Tucson’s El Charro Café in 1922 is supposed to have given Arizona the chimichanga, curse word and all. Almost every visitor manages to order a chimichanga by name. Almost none order it the way locals do. These are the Arizona orders that trip up visitors every single…
Troopers cited more than 3,000 speeders in Virginia over last year’s Labor Day weekend. Virginia treats reckless driving as a criminal charge, not a routine ticket, no matter whose license plate is on the car. These are the Labor Day weekend mistakes tourists make in Virginia. Note: This is general information, not legal advice. Traffic,…
Sheetz hasn’t shut its doors in decades. Every Pennsylvania location runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, straight through Christmas. Wawa runs on a different clock, and Sheetz regulars don’t get what the fuss is about. These are the things Pennsylvania’s Sheetz fans refuse to order at Wawa. 1. Calling It a Hoagie…
New Jersey packs more people into a square mile than any other state, and somehow also splits them across 564 separate town governments. Two neighborhoods a mile apart can run on completely different trash days, tax bills, and rulebooks. These are the things that confuse everyone who moves to New Jersey. Note: This is general…
A rumor spread on a Charlottesville subreddit in January that the local Waffle House was closing ahead of a winter storm. An employee laughed it off when a reporter called to check. Waffle House stays open through storms across Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia, right up until the moment it can’t. Here’s what Virginians are…
Florida runs roughly 915 Publix stores, and every deli counter inside them works off the same set of unwritten rules. Regulars know they drill. As for tourists and new residents? Not so much, but they’ll get there. These are the mistakes that mark you as new to Florida. 1. Not Saying “Dressed” A single word…
A family pulls in for their first Alabama-Auburn weekend, cooler packed, chairs unloaded, with no idea the campus they just parked on runs by a rulebook longer than the game program. One wrong move on the grass or at the gate, and their gear gets moved, or they get turned away outright. These are the…
In 1776, a South Carolina fort built from spongy palmetto logs withstood a nine-hour British cannon bombardment without ever splintering apart. A South Carolina grandparent runs on the same principle: Bend, never break. These are the old-school South Carolina habits that have outlasted every argument grown kids have ever tried. 1. Boiled Peanuts on the…
0.05% is enough to trigger a DUI arrest in Utah. That same blood alcohol reading wouldn’t raise an eyebrow on an Ohio traffic stop. These are the things Ohio drivers do that would get them a ticket in other states. Note: This is general information, not legal advice. Traffic laws and fines are subject to…
A kid in South Carolina learns early that the giant flying bug in the carport gets the name “palmetto bug,” never “cockroach.” Say that word in Ohio, and you get a blank stare. These are the things South Carolinians assume every American grew up doing. 1. Boiled Peanuts South Carolina made the boiled peanut its…
