I’m surprised your main gripe with places like LA or NY are that they’re too big and sprawling and not that they’re dirty and full of unseemly things like homelessness and drug use (though I feel those issues are blown out of proportion by the culture war and deserve actual help). That’s par for the course for many big cities, though.
I’d agree that most large cities have the same problem with travelling any large area in that you could live there for years and still not see everything. Any big city will have cool places to check out, but you’ll definitely get an authentic USA experience visiting places like the ones you’ve been: blue-collar workers enjoying a beer after their shift at the local dive bar; small town events and celebrations; regional gatherings like rodeos, etc.; tiny, greasy, 50-year-old eateries with the best burgers or BBQ around, etc. Simple living. It’s not all so romantic, though. There’s a fair amount of poverty in those parts of the country and substance-abuse is quite common in some parts, too. People tend to be very friendly, though, which isn’t always the case in larger cities.
Appalachia ought to be on your list for seeing rednecks as well. It has the same problems, but also many of the same kinds of draws. It also has a lot of natural beauty. Totally different kind of redneck. Another kind still, are the bayou rednecks.
Can’t blame you for wanting to stay away at this point, though.
I’m surprised your main gripe with places like LA or NY are that they’re too big and sprawling and not that they’re dirty and full of unseemly things like homelessness and drug use
Oh it is as well but I was trying to be somewhat positive.
I think my real main gripe with LA is the immense social fracture between rich and poor. You can see an homeless man with his feet turned black for not having shoes and right next to him a fucker trying to impress girls with his Lamborghini.
Getting to the country side to see normal life and normal people was exactly my goal, just getting to a bar in a small town and making friends because of my obvious French accent. I was there for the social part and the nature sighting (and it was very nice!)
I’m surprised your main gripe with places like LA or NY are that they’re too big and sprawling and not that they’re dirty and full of unseemly things like homelessness and drug use (though I feel those issues are blown out of proportion by the culture war and deserve actual help). That’s par for the course for many big cities, though.
I’d agree that most large cities have the same problem with travelling any large area in that you could live there for years and still not see everything. Any big city will have cool places to check out, but you’ll definitely get an authentic USA experience visiting places like the ones you’ve been: blue-collar workers enjoying a beer after their shift at the local dive bar; small town events and celebrations; regional gatherings like rodeos, etc.; tiny, greasy, 50-year-old eateries with the best burgers or BBQ around, etc. Simple living. It’s not all so romantic, though. There’s a fair amount of poverty in those parts of the country and substance-abuse is quite common in some parts, too. People tend to be very friendly, though, which isn’t always the case in larger cities.
Appalachia ought to be on your list for seeing rednecks as well. It has the same problems, but also many of the same kinds of draws. It also has a lot of natural beauty. Totally different kind of redneck. Another kind still, are the bayou rednecks.
Can’t blame you for wanting to stay away at this point, though.
Oh it is as well but I was trying to be somewhat positive.
I think my real main gripe with LA is the immense social fracture between rich and poor. You can see an homeless man with his feet turned black for not having shoes and right next to him a fucker trying to impress girls with his Lamborghini.
Getting to the country side to see normal life and normal people was exactly my goal, just getting to a bar in a small town and making friends because of my obvious French accent. I was there for the social part and the nature sighting (and it was very nice!)