Where I've Been, Including Tamarack

Okay, I totally stole this whole idea from Kate, but the website is pretty neat. It's a little more high-tech than the little map I have hanging at my desk, on which I color in each state with my highlighter as I visit them. Feel free to make your own!

In any case, this sparked a discussion about what counts as "visiting" a state- I say that you clearly can't count ones that you only drove through, dinner/comfort stops or no. This is why I called shenanigans on Kate. I don't count West Virginia, which I've driven through a million times, and I even stopped at Tamarack! I've also driven through Massachusetts a couple of times- once to go skiing for Daniel's bachelor party, and once because Carly and I left the Hartford airport going the wrong way and didn't notice until we saw the basketball hall of fame.

Tangent- I don't know if you've ever driven through the heart of West Virginia, but there are signs for this Tamarack everywhere. And I don't mean the occasional advert, I'm talking "You're only 250 miles from Tamarack- the Best of West Virginia!" Then later "You're only 225 miles from Tamarack- the Best of West Virginia!" and so on. By the time the signs were declaring that something remarkable was only 5 miles away, we had to stop. And how was it? It was okay. It's basically a glorified tourist shop, about twice the size of your average Ohio rest stop (but to be fair, the rest stops in Ohio are the best in the country, and you can quote me on that). Don't get me wrong, had we come expecting a simple restroom/snack machine stop we would have been pleasantly surprised. But I can't see how it justified all the hype. Plus, it was basically a really expensive chotchkie store. I remember seeing a little five-inch tall wood carving of a mouse standing on a piece of cheese, and it was thirty bucks! Oh dear God- you can actually see their catalog online! I don't see the mouse, but this carved bunny will run you $90. And check out the Bronze Squirrel Bookends, for the low, low price of $2,640! The website makes the place seem like a legitimate tourist destination, but make no mistake: it's a rest stop/tourist trap in the middle of nowhere.

So back on topic- my biggest conflict is whether or not to include South Carolina. I've never visited the state per se, but I did go to Carowinds, which is an amusement park that's actually in both North & South Carolina. Does that count? Oh, and I also included Louisiana because in two weeks I'll be making my first visit there for work. I've heard a lot about New Orleans (which is where I'll be), but the thing that really sticks with me is Jim describing it as "The only time in my life I've felt truly unsafe." Today Ramya told me that they stopped there when she was 13, and she remembers thinking "This place is dirty." So...sign me up!

I realize this is the first time I've mentioned Ramya, but don't worry- you're going to be hearing a lot more about her. More later!