Wonderful post. Growing up out west, I alsways considered the Rockies the dividing line -- at least culturally. I am ALMOST as proud of being a westerner as I am of being an American. Especially as an Oregonian, with the history of Lewis & Clark and the Oregon Trail as my heritage. I never understoond the Southern/Yankee thing, as to me, they were all easterners.

You can probably draw the line at the 100th meridian, the point at which the rain ceases to fall. East of that you can put stuff in the ground and make it grow. West of that point, you better have a few cows or some river water or you will be hungry. Texas doesn't count in this case, its sui generis.

You can probably draw the line at the 100th meridian, the point at which the rain ceases to fall. East of that you can put stuff in the ground and make it grow. West of that point, you better have a few cows or some river water or you will be hungry.

*BZT* Wrong answer, thank you for playing. Why do you think people followed the Oregon Trail here? The Willamette Valley's some of the lushest farmland around -- dark fertile land full of vocanically-produced nutrients, washed out of the mountains and deposited by the rivers, replenished every year -- and rainfall that rivals the wettest parts of the east. Not to mention California's Central (San Joaquin) valley, as well as the huge agricultural tracts in Eastern Oregon, Washington's Palouse region, Idaho, and California's Imperial Valley, all rendered very fertile with the help of irrigation.

er volcanically. Preview is my friend.

When I was a kid, magazine adds would frequently say "Prices higher West of the Mississippi."
I always wanted to sell something and advertise Prices higher East o the Mississippi.

"I never understood the Southern/Yankee thing, as to me, they were all easterners."

Personally, I never understood how anyone could not understand the Southern/Yankee thing as traveling south to north presents cultural shock second only to traveling from south-east to the mid-west.) I lived in the mid-west for years, longing to return to the Carolina mountains. The closest to home Unca Sam would send us was Kentucky and then finally home for good after another handful of years, and at the oddest times I find myself longing for windy Kansas along with that awesomely beautiful horizon that seemed to never end. America is a georgous country from east to west, north to south.

In my opinion, north begins where people stop saying "hey ya'll" and taking offense if you won't sit on the porch and have a glass of sweet tea (no matter how busy you may be!)West begins where the horizon seems to never end.

Glad your trip went well.

Wish I could go on one...

Personally, I never understood how anyone could not understand the Southern/Yankee thing as traveling south to north presents cultural shock second only to traveling from south-east to the mid-west.)

The east-to-west culture shock was always the biggie for me.

See, to me, anyone who can watch the sunset while facing the rockies is Back East.