Questions for Northerners by Southerners or vice-versa in the USA?

[nighttowll]

Have any Southerners never visited the North before?

About to say I never had but then I remembered a work trip to Buffalo in a snow storm. I think I blocked it out.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Who drives better?

Going out on a whim and saying the south seeing as all of the insanely bad drivers in Florida are the snowbirds from northern states.

 

[nighttowll]

Who drives better?

Someone in a country where they actually enforce the rules. I think American drivers are universally bad everywhere.

 

[Skippy918]

Have any Southerners never visited the North before?

I grew up in the north but have been living in the south for the last 20 years.

 

[barkley]

Killer bees exist here in AZ. There have been a couple of times where a swarm attacked a hiker in Saguaro National Park near Tucson but that was like 5-6 yr ago.

we have murder hornets in washington state (they are hopeful they've now been eradicated)-up to 2 inches long with a 3 inch wingspan

It always amuses us when we're in Florida in December, we're walking around in shirt sleeves, and we see people bundled up in Winter coats and boots!

our last trip was in a month of december-AWSOME!!!! we were in shorts and tshirts during what the local weather people were calling 'a bad cold snap'. lifeguards at the resort pools in long pants, puffy michelan man style coats and ski caps

Who drives better?

noone in my state (esp. in parking lots).

 

[rangerxenos]

Who drives better?

Anyone who doesn't live in Massachusetts. Most everyone in New England will agree that MA drivers are horrible, LOL!

 

[PollyannaMom]

We also have modified year round which gives a maybe 6-7 weeks summer, a 2 week fall break, 3 weeks over the holiday season, and 2 weeks spring break.

That actually sounds really good!

 

[firefly_ris]

Another Maryland question here - thoughts on Old Bay seasoning? Personally I think it's gross but I'll tolerate it on crabs. Anything else, no thanks. I saw someone buying Old Bay honey butter at the store today so that made me think to ask.

Also I've seen Old Bay flavored vodka in liquor stores around here to which I'm like no thank you.

I love Old Bay. I put it on tuna fish, french fries, seafood boil, etc.

However it's JO Spice for crabs. I don't live in MD anymore so I stock up on both and I steam our own crabs when we are in Outer Banks so I make sure I have JO with me. A lot of people assume when they go out for steamed crabs in MD they're eating Old Bay but it's JO.

 

[firefly_ris]

Northerners - what do you think about sweet tea?

I like it.

 

[firefly_ris]

Northerners: are you bored during winter? I don't think I'd ever leave my house if it was snowing lol.

I am NOT a winter outdoor activity person. I've tried. I've been here 18 years this coming August and my hands and toes still go numb -- I don't know if I have poor circulation or what. I get chilled pretty quickly. Meanwhile my son wears shorts in the middle of winter. He's got that Buffalo blood.

I do keep myself occupied with indoor hobbies such as watercolor painting, reading, trying new recipes. It's also a time for house touch-up work like paint touch-ups, purging/organizing, so by spring it's all done and I can enjoy outdoor stuff and not worry about inside stuff.

I have heated gloves, a heated vest, good boots -- if I'm outside doing a lot of shoveling I can stay out a bit more, but I don't really love it like my husband's family does. They do pond hockey, cross country skiing, snow shoeing, broom ball, stuff like that. My FIL goes to every Bills game and gets there at like 7am and is outside all day. My kids love going sledding. I just prefer the fireplace and a blanket.

On the other hand I can handle humidity and heat better than they can.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

Schools in the South have a different school year schedule compared to our northern schools correct? In the North, our school year runs September to June.

As others noted, it depends on where you are and can even vary in your area.

My older one is set to graduate high school on May 25th. School will start back up for my younger one on August 7th. Our graduation date is comparable to other districts in our area, but we start a couple of weeks early because we get two extra breaks during our school year and a longer Christmas break. Most kids in our area also get the full week off for thanksgiving while up north, I recall only getting 2 days. I have friends in Alabama and Georgia that usually start school in late July, so again, it just depends on where you live.

 

[Stratman50th]

Formerly from MD, now Florida about 7 years now. Truth in advertising though, my family is from Florida so we've been here a lot over the years.
Old Bay. Love it on crabs and seafood. To those who like their steamed crabs and are considering relocating- they just don't get the proper preparation of crabs here. They boil everything or use it as bait. There are blue crabs here but just not popular. We buy canned lump from Phillips at the local seafood market about once a month. Don't know how friends and neighbors would even react if we sat them down at a table covered in brown paper and dumped a pile of freshly steamed crabs in front of them and said "start pickin".
Weather. Never going back up there. Can't stand the frozen white stuff! I brought a snow shovel with me to remind me regularly why I moved! This is my Florida snow plow:


Finally on Florida weather, I leave you with this:

 

[TiggerTrigger]

Love this idea! Let's kick things off with a fun one: sweet tea vs. unsweet tea! As a Southerner, I'm all about that sweet tea life, but I know Northerners have their own take on it. What's your go-to?

I have an alternative preference.... the Long Island Iced Tea Scratch that...a Texas Tea...and not the sweet tea so many Texans love. There's this place we used to frequent in our younger years that prides itself on the most potent (yet tasty) teas I have ever consumed. Back in the day, it was just regular and raspberry, but now they have lots of flavors.

https://marquis2.com/

 

[WarEagleFan]

Nooo! No bad weather, just bad clothes. We are outside sledding, disc golfing, etc when it snows. Just put on layers and go.

Southerners: how do you not panic every day at the thought of snakes or scorpions or spiders creeping around?

I live in the south and my neighborhood has a wonderful paved walking trail through the woods that I walk my dog on everyday. It is that time of year when I have to keep my eyes peeled for Copperheads. Have only seen 1 so far this year. If it was just me walking it wouldn’t be so nerve wracking, but since my miniature schnauzer loves to go over to the side of the trail and sniff everything and get off the paved part, I’m terrified he’s going to come face to face with one of the copperheads, they blend in so well with the leaves.

 

[WarEagleFan]

Who drives better?

Don’t know for sure the answer to this. I have lived in Alabama all my life, and hate to say it but so many drivers here are clueless on how to merge( will come to a complete stop while in an acceleration lane) or absolutely refuse to allow another driver to merge into oncoming traffic. Does this happen a lot in the North, too?

 

[WarEagleFan]

Northerners - what do you think about sweet tea?

Southerner here and my beverage of choice is definitely iced tea! I’ve gotten lazy and don’t brew my own anymore, I buy gallons of Milo’s sweet and unsweet tea. Do grocery stores sell Milo’s tea up north? My husband drinks the straight sweet tea, but I can’t. Waaay too sweet for me! I fill my glass mostly with unsweet and then add a splash of the sweet and put lots of lemon in my tea.

 

[nighttowll]

Southerner here and my beverage of choice is definitely iced tea! I’ve gotten lazy and don’t brew my own anymore, I buy gallons of Milo’s sweet and unsweet tea. Do grocery stores sell Milo’s tea up north? My husband drinks the straight sweet tea, but I can’t. Waaay too sweet for me! I fill my glass mostly with unsweet and then add a splash of the sweet and put lots of lemon in my tea.

Yep, Milos is the closest substitute to the real stuff. Most other bottled sweet teas are gross, especially the single serving ones.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Southerner here and my beverage of choice is definitely iced tea! I’ve gotten lazy and don’t brew my own anymore, I buy gallons of Milo’s sweet and unsweet tea. Do grocery stores sell Milo’s tea up north? My husband drinks the straight sweet tea, but I can’t. Waaay too sweet for me! I fill my glass mostly with unsweet and then add a splash of the sweet and put lots of lemon in my tea.

I've seen Milo's at various stores in Maryland. I've tried it and it's not my thing. Don't think this counts but if I'm buying a sweet tea I'll go with Turkey Hill.

 

[BrianL]

Yep, Milos is the closest substitute to the real stuff. Most other bottled sweet teas are gross, especially the single serving ones.

Milos is the good stuff indeed.

 

[LoveDaisy]

I live in CT I have never seen the Milos brand.

I don’t drink sweet tea but I do drink unsweetened ice tea with lemon.

I like old bays seasoning, there is a bottle on my spice rack.

I prefer cold weather to hot weather.

I like that a winter freeze helps to keep the bugs in check

My DH and I have started to talk about retirement someday and at this point we are more likely to go north (Vermont or Maine) than south.