What I seen

Being in the mid-west-southern region of the U.S. was awesome and I loved experiencing a new climate, culture, and topography. Here are my general observations about this area that I saw.

1. It is so GREEN!
Things grow naturally here. People in AR don't have sprinklers and they mow every week. There are trees, bushes, plants, shrubs, ground cover, etc. everywhere in this area. For a girl from the west, living in the desolate desert,  it is amazing to see so many living plants.  Can I say Garden of Eden...




2.  It is humid.
Humidity is death. It makes you sticky. You feel like you're breathing through a towel. It zaps your energy. It doesn't go away. It is what allows the trees to live like they do. It spares you from using lotion for dry skin. It is something I apreciated experiencing and enjoyed leaving.

3. It is quaint.
The cities I visited all had a home-town feel to them and you felt safe. There were neighborhoods then fields, then stores, then farms, then churches,  etc. which made it feel more like a small town than a sprawling metropolis. I loved the interspersion of nature with the homes and wished there were more open spaces in our neck of the woods.


4. There are cemeteries, churches, and donut shops everywhere.
At least along my route I saw 9 cemeteries, 15 donut shops, and I-can't-even-begin-to-count how many churches. There is a real church going population in these towns and you can tell that you're in Bible belt country. I loved the cemeteries on random street corners and knowing that people had inhabited those parts for many many years. And as a true connoisseur of donuts, I was so happy to sample some of the local mom and pop dount fare. I have to say they make a good donut in Tyler and I loved the originality of each store.

Picture taken while driving...not to be recommended

5. "People speak funny"
We were in a store and a sweet woman called my girls "lil darlins" in an awesome southern drawl and Lauren couldn't get over how what she said sounded so funny. We then spent a fun time talking in accents and discussing how people from different places often speak differently. It was an awesome learning experience that is one great benefit of travel with kids- exposure to different kinds of life.

6. Walmart headquarters looks like a high-school. 
For real, when you think of Walmart, the corporate giant of America with market power to command the little guys, you think they would have a corporate office to show it. But no, in Bentonville, AR they are housed in a 1970s looking building that resembles your run of the mill high school. It is amazing how this corner novelty store is now the biggest business in the world.



 

7. Southern homes are unique.
Although there are newer subdivisions of homes that look alike, the majority of homes I saw are old, original, and amazing. I am not a lover of our cookie-cutter looking neighborhoods and relished the chance to drive through neighborhoods of beautiful old homes that are each a sight to behold.

8. Southern hospitality is real (as are confederate statues)
The people I interacted with were all so genuine and helpful. They called me ma'am and were always quick to smile and give a a patient look as I was traveling alone with my girls. I appreciate the slower paced life that exists there and how people seem to relax.



9. Tyson chicken farms are out there.
After watching Food, Inc. and being shocked by the living conditions of our meat, it was crazy to drive by multiple farms with the "Tyson" chicken sign outside their front porch and realize that those are the places where our cheap chicken comes from.

10. Water towers rock
Maybe because there are no mountains to give you perspective Southerners invented water towers so that you'd know it when you moved from one city to the next. Again, being a westerner it is strange not being able to see for more than a mile around you at one time.  You almost feel boxed in by the trees and rolling hills. I guess if I were ever feeling smothered in one of those towns I'd climb the water tower to have a vantage point and see for miles around.



All in all I loved the mid-west-southern region of the country and the new experiences it had to offer.

And in honor of my pops and D&C, no trip would be complete without a picture in front of a STADIUM! Woooooooo. Pig. Sooie. Razorbacks!