Comments on all U.S. States
Washington State (went to Kerry). State in the Northwest, not to be confused with the capital of the USA, Washington, D.C., which is 5,000 kilometers away in the East. The city of Seattle is surprisingly considered the coffee city of the USA. The coffeehouse chain "Starbucks" also started in Seattle, and quite modestly at that. Legend has it that a Starbucks guru traveled to Italy and was so impressed by the Italian espresso bars that he wanted to bring them to America. And since Americans tend to go "all or nothing," tourists can now find a "Starbucks" everywhere in the country. Ahhhhh!!!!!
Oregon (went to Kerry) Historical mistake by O'Reilly to move the Perl Conference from sunny San Diego, California to sleepy Portland, Oregon. According to our own surveys, the suburbs of Portland seem to have the highest concentration of the coffeehouse chain "Starbucks." In Oregon, voting is done exclusively by mail.
California (went to Kerry) The most populous state in the USA, which belonged to Mexico until 1847 and is now home to a diverse mix of people, so that soon whites will be in the minority. Californians tend to elevate actors to political offices, such as Ronald Reagan (former Governor of California), Clint Eastwood (former Mayor of Carmel), and Arnold Schwarzenegger (current Governor of California). And, of course, San Francisco is located here, one of the most beautiful and liberal cities in the world.
Alaska (went to Bush)" Located high in the north, separated from the rest of the USA by Canada, it only became the 49th state in 1959. A harsh shortage of women, home to mostly lonely oil drillers with high salaries. On the map, it was only drawn at the bottom for space reasons (like Hawaii). Alaska is at the top of our "Must-Visit" list.
Hawaii (went to Kerry) The seven islands were only added as the 50th state in 1959. A paradise where people speak English and pay in dollars. Since Hawaii is only a 5-hour flight from San Francisco, it is a popular travel destination for many Californians (including us).
Idaho (went to Bush) Potato State.
Montana (went to Bush)" Until 1999, there was no speed limit in Montana. However, the roads are so bad that any car would simply desintegrate if you drove faster than 65 miles per hour. Posh Hollywood stars buy huge properties there with vacation homes in the mountainous area.
Wyoming (went to Bush) Why... should I care about this?
Nevada (went to Bush) Allows widespread gambling, prostitution, and people smoking like chimneys. A fitting movie: "Leaving Las Vegas" with Nicolas Cage. In the car rental company "Brooks Rent-A-Car" in Las Vegas, a historic event took place in 1987: Angelika and Michael met each other for the first time.
Utah (went to Bush) Mormon stronghold. Despite the persistent prejudice that the Mormon Church allows polygamy, it was abolished as early as 1890: a key requirement for Utah's admission into the United States. However, it is true that in the vast expanses of this state, a small group of religious fundamentalists are living the illegal lifestyle of polygamy.
The claim that there isn't a drop of alcohol to drink in Utah is not true. In "liquor stores" (wine and spirits shops), which are closed on Sundays, as well as in bars and restaurants, you can certainly enjoy a drink. However, supermarkets are only allowed to sell low-alcohol beer (3.2% alcohol content). Utah is also the state of gigantic national parks: Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Zion, Monument Valley. Stunningly beautiful.
Arizona (went to Bush) Home of the Grand Canyon: A highlight of any trip to the American West. Recently, a book titled "Grand Canyon - A Different View" was on sale in the national park's tourist shop. The author, Tom Vail, is a so-called "Creationist," meaning someone who takes the biblical account of the creation of the Earth literally. He believes that the Grand Canyon was formed as a result of Noah's Flood. There are things that are just unbelievable.
Colorado (went to Bush)" In Colorado lies the college town of "Boulder." In 1987, I (Angelika) went there with my travel companion and a few Americans to eat pizza. My friend greeted the staff at the pizzeria cheerfully: "Hi, gays!" This caused them to burst into loud laughter because "gays" means "homosexuals," as the Americans in our group immediately explained to us. Of course, she meant to say: "Hi, guys!" (= Hello, folks!). We laughed so much!
New Mexico (went to Bush) The state of New Mexico is increasingly developing into an artist hub, particularly the city of Santa Fe, which is on the travel itinerary of many art enthusiasts, photographers, esotericists, and old hippies.
North Dakota (went to Bush) North of South Dakota.
South Dakota (went to Bush) The cult movie "Fargo" is set here. Middle of nowhere. Winter as cold as in Russia, and the people say "Jaa" instead of "Yes".
Nebraska (went to Bush) I never know if that's an American state or a Canadian one. Now I know.
Kansas (went to Bush) The journalist Thomas Frank attempts to explain in his recently published book "What's the Matter with Kansas?" why the people in his home state of Kansas have sided with Republicans, essentially voting against their own economic and social interests. Recommended reading!
Oklahoma (went to Bush) Timothy McVeigh became known for building bombs, blowing up the federal building in Oklahoma City, being captured, and executed.
Texas (went to Bush) Home of George Bush I and II, BBQ, and ZZ Top. However, neither Bush I (born in Milton, Massachusetts) nor II (born in New Haven, Connecticut) were born in Texas; they are true East Coast elites who were drawn to the cowboy state by the oil industry. Texas allows loaded guns in the glove compartment.
Minnesota (went to Kerry) The hometown of the artist formerly known as "Prince," who comes from Minneapolis (St. Paul). Otherwise, there's not much going on there.
Iowa (went to Bush) appears to be a mix of English and One of my former employers, Softlab, had a major client in "Des Moines, Iowa." While business trips to America were generally very popular, people came up with creative excuses to avoid having to go there a second time.
Wisconsin (went to Kerry) Too cold in the winter and too warm in the summer. There is actually a place called 'Tomahawk'.
Illinois (went to Kerry) Chicago is here. And also, as attentive viewers of the cult film "Wayne's World" know, the city of Aurora. I still remember a scene from the film: Wayne grabs a Gibson in a guitar store and starts to strum a famous Led Zeppelin tune on it. The salesman yells, "Hey!" and points to a sign that actually says "NO STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN."
Arkansas (went to Bush) It has a "foolish image," similar to East Frisia. Bill Clinton was born in Hope, Arkansas. Contrary to popular belief, it's not pronounced "Ar-kan-sas," but (no joke!) "Ar-kin-saw" (emphasis on the first syllable).
Louisiana (went to Bush) Fun city New Orleans in a highly conservative former slave state. By the way, Americans don't say "New Orliiins," but "New Ohhhrlins."
Mississippi (went to Bush) Important to write it with two 's's and two 'p's.
Missouri (went to Bush) Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn's adventures take place here.
Tennessee (went to Bush) In Graceland, Tennessee, Elvis is buried.
Indiana (went to Bush) Hardly any Native Americans here.
Michigan (went to Kerry) From a place called Flint, Michigan comes the enfant terrible of the Oscars, Michael Moore. He always apologizes in Europe for how stupid Americans are.
Alabama (went to Bush) "Sweet home Alabama ... Where the skies are so blue ... Sweet Home Alabama ... Lord, I'm coming home to you." (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
Georgia (went to Bush) Except for the airport in Atlanta, the hub of Delta Airlines, nothing to report.
Ohio (went to Bush) Columbus, Ohio is the location of "Compuserve". By the way, "Oha-yo" means "Good Morning" in Japanese.
West Virginia (went to Bush) The well-known country song "Take Me Home, Country Roads" contains the line "West Virginiaaaa ... Mountain Mamaaaaa ... Take me Home ... Country Road". Yeee-haw!
Virginia (went to Bush) In "Dulles" is the AOL headquarters. Many completely interchangeable small suburbs. A haven of horror for fans of international cuisine. Very close to Washington D.C.
North Carolina (went to Bush) North of South Carolina.
South Carolina (went to Bush) South of North Carolina. Both Carolinas are major tobacco producers.
Kentucky (went to Bush) Kentucky girl, you lived in the tobacco field ... you rolled yourself a few leaves and soon you were as stoned as Mr. Armstrong on the moon ...". Unforgettable lyrics by Udo Lindenberg that has influenced us both. In general, the entire album "Der amerikanische Traum" (The American Dream) from 1979 is a masterpiece that anyone interested in America should listen to. However, as I found out many years later, many songs were stolen from Billy Joel!
Pennsylvania (went to Kerry) Boring state, but in the big city of Philadelphia, there's the famous Philly Cheese Steak, a long roll filled with thinly sliced beef and cheese. Philly Cheese Steak. Mmmmh.
New York (went to Kerry) Anyone who says, 'I jetted to New York' and means the city is mistaken, because the state is much larger than its capital, New York City. The cities of Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse are also located in the state of New York.
New Jersey (went to Kerry) So close to New York City that many people commute there. If you're unlucky, flights from Europe end in Newark, and you have to pay exorbitant amounts to get into the city.
Delaware (went to Kerry) Tax haven for companies. Many (including Yahoo!) have their headquarters there for tax reasons, even though their true company headquarters is located elsewhere.
Maryland (went to Kerry) I don't know (him/her/it).
Maine (went to Kerry) When we traveled through New England as tourists back in the day, I discovered "scallops" on the menu and chose them as my new favorite dish, without knowing exactly what "scallops" were. In Maine, we finally encountered a waitress of German descent who kindly explained to me that they are a type of shellfish. I still don't know what they look like in the wild, but I still enjoy eating them today.
Massachusetts (went on Kerry) The pronunciation of this state's name requires acrobatic exercises with the tongue. Even when writing it, one might wonder: Where do the "S" and "Ts" go? Home to two world-famous universities: MIT and Harvard. The first state to allow same-sex marriage. John Kerry serves as a senator here.
New Hampshire (went to Kerry) When I hear New Hampshire, I always think of the completely bizarre book by John Irving (who, by the way, is from this state) titled "The Hotel New Hampshire," which is about bears, a somewhat eccentric family, and other oddballs. I read the book in my early teenage years and still haven't fully understood it to this day.
Vermont (went to Kerry) Tiny federal state on the East Coast that comes across as quite liberal. For several years, it has been fighting the widespread expansion of the low-cost store and giant "Wal-Mart," to the extent that the organization "National Trust for Historic Preservation" placed the entire state on its list of the most endangered historic sites.
Connecticut (went to Kerry) Hardly anyone writes that correctly. It is pronounced 'Connetticut.'
Rhode Island (went to Kerry) Tiny East Coast state, the Liechtenstein of America.
Florida (went to Bush) The destination for many American retirees and washed-up German soccer and tennis players. The residence of Florida-Rolf. The brother of George Bush, Jeb, is the governor here. Florida's capital has the funny name Tallahassee.
