We are back in Cali ... and it’s a mix of reverse culture shock and a feeling of comfort all at the same time. There are some real positive aspects of the South: the slower pace and the more courteous drivers came to mind as we exited the baggage claim area at LAX, quite possibly the antithesis of what we experienced on our trip.
It’s totally impossible to generalize the culture of the South after a quick visit like we had, but we can point out what we immediately noticed. As mentioned, we enjoyed many positives: food, low gas prices (we paid $1.99 on average; the least expensive we saw was $1.83), hospitality, friendliness, green landscapes, woods (and more woods), nice highways and great rest stops ... did we say food?
We enjoyed it enough that we’d definitely like to explore more. We would really like to explore more off the beaten path, similar to what we did a few times in Georgia (the Native American mounds).
It’s totally impossible to generalize the culture of the South after a quick visit like we had, but we can point out what we immediately noticed. As mentioned, we enjoyed many positives: food, low gas prices (we paid $1.99 on average; the least expensive we saw was $1.83), hospitality, friendliness, green landscapes, woods (and more woods), nice highways and great rest stops ... did we say food?
We enjoyed it enough that we’d definitely like to explore more. We would really like to explore more off the beaten path, similar to what we did a few times in Georgia (the Native American mounds).
We didn’t really have any serious negatives, and again, we don’t think that a six-day road trip gives us the right make any final judgements. We will point out that there were a handful of things we noticed, that when put together, added up to some uneasy feelings.
While we didn’t experience or witness one bit of overt racism, there were times when we could see the remnants of racial segregation and racist attitudes still hanging on. And while it did seem that efforts are being made at official levels to bridge the racial divide, as outsiders we think we noticed a culture that grew out of racial division and that still needs to accept and address its shortcomings in order to move forward more positively.
If we have the opportunity to talk in person we’d love to share more about this. Thanks for following us on this adventure. It was fun and educational.
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