Brits need help with those "place names"

[UK-RV]

Hello All,

Please forgive our ignorance, but we could do with some help in identifying the many "areas" of the US.

We often hear of the "deep south" - what areas are covered by this ?

What about "mid-west" ?

There are many, many terms you guys use for different regions of the US - would anybody like to list a few please (with the towns, cities or even states covered by that term).

As we are planning our 6 month tour, this would really help.

Many, many thanks.

 

[Karl]

Hi UK-RV!

Ignorance? no way. Many of us have lived here all our lives and still have trouble with 'regional' names. I'll do a couple; then let the experts add to the list:

Midwest: Actually not the 'middle of the west' as you would expect, but the central states including Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri.
Deep South: Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina, Mississippi.

Here are a few others, but I'll let someone else fill in the details. Ohio River Valley, Mid-Atlantic states, Appalachia, Southwest, Desert Southwest, Rocky Mountain states - just for starters.

Actually, it our way of getting back at you Brits for having place names that have six or more words to them. I'm sure you know what I mean.  ;D ;D

 

[blueblood]

Hello All,

Please forgive our ignorance, but we could do with some help in identifying the many "areas" of the US.

We often hear of the "deep south" - what areas are covered by this ?

What about "mid-west" ?

There are many, many terms you guys use for different regions of the US - would anybody like to list a few please (with the towns, cities or even states covered by that term).

As we are planning our 6 month tour, this would really help.

Many, many thanks.

There is no concensus on exact meaning of these terms. A search on Google for each term will provide a sample of what are generally meant by any one of them.  Type in - define xxxxx e.g. define midwest  The top entry will be a dictionary definition which will probably meet your needs but also it will provide other sources.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

A map will give the easy ones, geographic references such as "The Southeast" or "The Northeast".  They are, as the others have said, approximate rather than defined areas with boundaries.  Some regions, however, are cultural as well as geographic. "Deep South" is one of those, encompassing an area whose predominant culture was established early in US history and generally encompassing Georgia, North & South Carolina, Mississippi, & Alabama. Some people would include Arkansas, Tennesee and Virginia in that area too. 

"Midwest" is another term that was established before the US was settled from coast to coast, so it does not refer to the geographic middle-west but rather a vague area around  Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa,  Missouri. "New England" is the extreme Northeast, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, & Maine.

 

[Tom]

I see you're having as much trouble with place names across the Atlantic as you do across the Severn Bridge 

I see some folks have provided some examples. We've lived here 25 years, travelled the U.S. extensively over the years and, as the others have suggested, came to the conclusion that there was no consensus that provides a precise answer, except in a few cases. Having said that, geography was never one of my strong subjects when we lived in the UK. (Anything north of Newport is London, right?)

Further west than the other examples, and close to home for us:

Pacific Northwest: Oregon and Washington states, possibly including northern California.

 

[blueblood]

"Midwest" is another term that was established before the US was settled from coast to coast, so it does not refer to the geographic middle-west but rather a vague area around  Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa,  Missouri.

This part of quote reminds me of the plan by the Dekotas to put together a national advertising campaign because no one remembers them. They are part of mid-west by many accounts.

The whole discussion reminds me of my Financial Manager at Cummins who was from Scotland who took every opportunity to remind me that "you Americans don't speak English"  ;D

 

[Tom]

Financial Manager at Cummins who was from Scotland who took every opportunity to remind me that "you Americans don't speak English" ;D

Did you tell him that s/he didn't speak any intelligible English? 

 

[BruceinFL]

Here's a partial list:
Beantown = Boston
Cigar City = Tampa
Dumpsville = New York City area
La La Land = Los Angeles
Land of Fruits and Nuts = California
Lost Wages = Las Vegas
Left Coast = West Coast
Motor City = Detroit
Mouseville = Orlando
Right Coast = East Coast
;D

 

[Ned]

This part of quote reminds me of the plan by the Dekotas to put together a national advertising campaign because no one remembers them. They are part of mid-west by many accounts.

The Dakotas are an area you go through to get from the midwest to the west ?In all honesty, South Dakota has some very nice scenery like the Black Hills and the Badlands. ?Worth a visit. ?North Dakota, on the other hand...

 

[Tom]

LOL Bruce. You forgot one very close to you:

Sunshine plywood state: Florida (click here for illustration).
[edit]Link no longer valid.[/edit]

 

[Ned]

Why do Floridians buy new plywood for every hurricane?  Don't they save it?  Do they think each storm is the last?  Why do they continue to live there?  All these imponderables

 

[BruceinFL]

LOL Bruce. You forgot one very close to you:

Sunshine plywood state: Florida (click here for illustration).

Very good Ned. It can also be called the Blue Roof State. 

 

[Smoky]

The Midwest is also often referred to as The Heartland.

 

[edjunior]

And then we have Texas, the Lone Star State, the United State of Texas, the only state that can have all four climates going at once!  Snow up north in Amarillo, jungle heat and monsoons in the south, dry desert heat in El Paso, and spring or autumn type weather in the East Texas piney woods.  The only state that takes two days to drive across, unless you're one of those masochistic marathon drivers.  Man I love this state!

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

>>The only state that takes two days to drive across, unless you're one of those masochistic marathon drivers.  Man I love this state!<<

Only state?  Try driving across Alaska.  There isn't even a road that goes all the way across! 

 

[Jim Dick]

Why do Floridians buy new plywood for every hurricane?  Don't they save it?  Do they think each storm is the last?  Why do they continue to live there?  All these imponderables

In many cases they probably have no place to store it.

 

[Terry A. Brewer]

>>The only state that takes two days to drive across,>>

Did you forget California...almost 900 miles North to South. Plus you get interesting scenery to view.<G>


Terry
At Moab, UT

 

[Ron]

The only state that takes two days to drive across, unless you're one of those masochistic marathon drivers.

Not the only state that it takes two days to drive across just the only state that is the most boring two days driving across.  Alaska is much more beutiful and you can't drive across in two days. ;D ;D ;D

 

[Jim Godward]

Ron,

It takes a couple of LONG days to go east/west in MT if you do I-94/90!! 

It takes me 3 but we drive slow and for short times.  Texas is 4 and boring on I-10!

 

[Smoky]

Long days for Nebraska and Wyoming as well.  and Idaho north to south.

But yes Texas will put you to sleep.