A stereotypical state of mind

When I was about 10 years old, my family piled into our 1997 Ford F-250 with a 1,000-pound camper on the back of it and took off to Yellowstone. To this day, I remember driving through the national park and thinking “wow, I could totally live in Wyoming.”

About eight years later, I remembered that trip when I chose to go to University of Wyoming. I thought it would be great to go to school in the shadow of the great Teton Mountains.

But when my plane landed in Laramie for the first time, I noticed it looked just a little bit different than Yellowstone.

“Not a whole lot of trees,” UW freshman Mike Dunn said while looking out across the Laramie Valley.

Obviously, I love southeastern Wyoming, because I still live here. But I when I came home to Washington for break, I remember all my high school friends friends asking, “So, you must go to Yellowstone like all the the time?”

“Yes,” I would say, “All the time. We all pack into a car, and drive seven hours across dangerous terrain in the winter to go hang out in the small portion of Yellowstone National Park that is open.”

(I enjoy my sarcasm.)

As astonished as people in the Evergreen State were that there is an entire other part of the state besides Yellowstone, it made me think of all the states I’ve been to and how they break their stereotypes.

I have not been to many states back east (my family always drove for vacations) so my knowledge on our states is limited to the western part of the country.

Arizona- Yes, most of the state is a really hot desert, and its a great place to spend your spring watching pre-season baseball, but Northern Arizona is actually home to one of the more impressive ski resorts in the Southwest at Sunrise Park. The place gets like 250 inches of snow every year. In Arizona. Crazy, right?

California- Southern California is a fun place to visit (key word visit, not stay) with Disneyland, Hollywood and San Diego, but I have to say the most impressive part of the state is the northern part. The Siskiyou mountains, along with Mount Shasta, are some of the more incredible mountains you will see. I recommend a trip up there.

Colorado- Okay, most people hear Colorado they think of the gorgeous landscape of the Rocky Mountains. But you go south or east of Denver, it seems you are in a different state. South is mainly desert, east is flat farm land.

Idaho- The state with the “Famous Potatoes.” Even though they put that sad statement on the license plate, there is a lot more to Idaho than potatoes. The northern panhandle, on the foothills of the Rockies, features some amazing lakes and pristine mountains.

Montana- Almost the entire state is amazing. It lives up to the Big Sky name. Especially when you get to the eastern part of the state. It’s so flat, you can look east and see Minnesota.

Nebraska- Not only is it flat and full of corn, Nebraska is home to the most overrated college football team in the nation. (Sorry. Not sorry. Go Pokes!)

New Mexico- Haven’t spent too much time here, but other than deserts, New Mexico has some of the cheapest gas in the nation. That and most movies supposedly based in Colorado or Wyoming are filmed here.

Nevada- Vegas and all the casino towns are a fun place to play, but go anywhere outside of these towns, you will see nothing. Really. Nothing. Just miles and miles salt flats and desolate country. If it was not for the gambling industry, no one would live in Nevada.

Oregon- Western Oregon is known for its pacific coastline which is very impressive. But you go to the eastern part of the state, and it looks more like Southeast Wyoming than anything in the Pacific Northwest.

South Dakota- Black hills: Awesome. Mount Rushmore: Awesome. Eastern part of South Dakota: flatter than Nebraska, and more humid.

Utah- One of my favorite states. Yes you have the great Salt Lake and Temple Square with the LDS settlements, but the major cities have the most comfortable traffic of any major city in America. Why? Wide roads.

When Brigham Young was designing Utah settlements, he wanted to make the roads wide enough to where a wagon could do a U-turn in one swoop. Those wide roads still exist, making some of the largest vehicles drivable through the bigger cities.

Washington-My home state. There are two parts of Washington, separated by the majestic Cascade Mountains. On the west side, you have Seattle, Starbucks, Grunge music, extremely liberal people, Bigfoot, etc. But the side where I grew up on, which is by far the better side of the state, there is the largest wheat producing region in the nation, vast deserts, massive lakes for great boating, gorgeous mountain peaks and one of the most conservative voting regions in America. And it literally changes as soon as you cross the Cascade Mountains.

And finally… Wyoming- Eh, I don’t know. I still tell my friends most of it looks like Yellowstone …