Gifts are an expression of feeling, but not necessarily the recipient's. According to Dr. Julian Givi, an assistant professor of marketing at West Virginia University who has extensively studied the subject, we often give gifts that reflect our own desires and motivations.
Similarly, Hawaii presents visitors with a lei, aiming to create a memorable first impression and foster a sense of connection and appreciation for its culture and hospitality.
Interested in the tradition, Reddit user Wolf805 invited people to try and come up with what the rest of the US states would hand out as welcome tokens. Here are some of the most interesting answers they received.
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Canada (not US but we want to play too) - A poutine and a “hey bud”.
Mmmm poutine, it's a dish of french fries and cheese curds topped with a brown gravy. 🤤🤤🤤
You mean normal gravy. That white stuff is white sauce and should call itself as such 😂
Load More Replies...Poutine is a must-try meal and I’ll be surprised if you don’t come to love it!
Except if you come to Manitoba. You'll get the "Winnipeg handshake", skunk weed and an unsolicited dunk in the river. (I know, I know. Not all of Manitoba is Winnipeg.)
Every time I see "poutine" I think of the Jawa from Star Wars. getting all excited and adding a long sounding E to the end of it.....Yes, something is wrong with me, It is early and I still haven't had coffee.
You are getting cheese curds. Welcome to Wisconsin.
Been there once, and had a fantastic time. We went to a restaurant, where they played and danced to the tunes of Polka. Good times.
Exactly! Otherwise they're just second-rate cheese nuggets. 😁
Load More Replies...i moved to wisconsin 17 yrs ago. until then i didn't know cheese curds existed. i came from california (don't ask why). it was quite the culture shock. the other thing i noticed is that this state seems to have some of the tallest people i have ever seen. it's kind of the norm to see 6 footers and a bit taller where i came from but i am talking close to 7 ft. and not just the men -some very tall woman as well. then again, maybe it's because i am shrinking.
Can confirm. I go to a small convention in Milwaukee once a year. Anytime a newcomer comes to the con they are taken to the pub attached to the hotel the cons hosted at and given curds :) unless you have allergies you arent allowed to decline xD i did this myself last year n my newcomer friend fell in LOVE with the curds 😁
Beer, cheese and camping are the best parts of the state. My families been here for 9000 years.y'all welcome to visit
ALL HAIL THE CHEESE CURDS! Pro tip for any non-Wisconsinites out there: there are several chain fast food stores that sell cheese curds, try to avoid them, the best ones are usually at Biergartens or fairs, but do NOT get cheese curds from Culver’s, they’re fine but don’t taste anything like real cheese curds.
Pub curds are fire along with local eateries (like AJ Bombers) but yea fast food places or national eateries arent true Wisconsin curds
Load More Replies...Just over the line from Illinois, there's the Wisconsin cheese castle. All things cheese, including cheesy gifts.
It's the Mars Cheese Castle! (Wisconsinite here)
Load More Replies...We got in touch with Wolf805 and they agreed to have a little chat with us. "Just before I thought of asking this question on Reddit, I was watching a prank video on YouTube by That Was Epic, where Juan was in Hawaii asking girls if they wanted to get 'laid' or if they could do it to him," the person behind the now-viral post told Bored Panda.
"It was intended to sound sexual until he pulled out a lei and clarified he meant getting 'leid' as a joke. This funny prank inspired me to think about what other states might give visitors if they had a similar tradition, leading me to post the question."
California: A Prop 65 warning.
Proposition 65 requires any product sold that contain ingredients known to cause cancer be labeled as such. Not sure how effective it is but, for example, we have the lowest rate of smoking, second only to Utah (due to religious reasons).
Load More Replies...Oh ya, we're obsessed. That one's kind of old news, though. *squints at label* Is it sustainably sourced and compostable?!?!
Ha! I was just in California and the parking garage we parked in had a Prop 65 sign that basically was like "If you're in this building reading this sign, you might be getting cancer right now" 😅
Maple syrup in Vermont.
Oh I love maple syrup. I have always carried a small bottle in my bag at all times. And this was before I saw Elf.
I don't like maple syrup very much. It's just too strong for me.
A blunt and a Patagonia puffer jacket - Colorado.
A blunt is like a joint but bigger and in a different wrapper.
Load More Replies...Love Colorado, such a beautiful place. Hiking up Pikes Peak is on my bucket list!
Colorado is beautiful but Californians and the like have ruined it.
Load More Replies...Ahem... More like, "Welcome to Colorado! Have an Edible (just 1) and we truly hope you're here on vacation... Oh, you're not? What Insurance do you have? Oh, sorry... We no longer accept your insurance carrier. You're going to have to pay more for health coverage here. And forget about any Mental health. Colorado won't provide you with any mental health services. Unless of course, you're military, it's covered then, well, maybe... "
Colorado: goes on 12 mile hike on a mountain absolutely off my tits high, has a magical experience. Home: smokes a blunt, goes for a 5 minute walk, thinks that cow is looking at me funny, runs back home, paranoid the next 4 hours.
"In the answers I've received, I've noticed recurring themes that align with popular stereotypes of each state," Wolf805 said.
"For example, many people suggested Texas would give visitors a barbecue or a gun, which reflects common perceptions of Texan culture. These recurring themes highlight how people often associate specific items or experiences with certain states based on cultural stereotypes."
Welcome to Kentucky, here is a shot of bourbon.
Saw more ham than chicken on menus down there... darn near everything was "ham fried".
Load More Replies...I was thinking something to do with horses (Kentucky Derby) or gold bars (ft. Knox)
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In New Jersey you’d get a “who invited this a*****e” and a pork roll, egg, and cheese bagel.
Proud former Jerseyite here. North Jersey is to south Jersey what the North Pole is to the South Pole. In that whichever you visit, be damned prepared.
You forget those of us in Central Jersey, who consider both the north and south seperate species. Living in NJ is like a mini microcosm of the world. There is so much biodiversity in such a small area. Its a shame when people fly in take the turnpike and never experience our state. I'm always amazed at what we have here. The cities , the shore, the mountains, the farmlands, all in under one hour. Plus a little longer to nyc or Philly.
Load More Replies...Oh, please. This person hasn't really been to Jersey. It would be Taylor ham with egg and cheese on a Kaiser roll, not a bagel.
"On a Kaiser Roll" is only for those that aren't fortunate enough to live near a good bagel shop. It's sad really
Load More Replies...Be prepared to hear people go to verbal wars over whether the popular meat of choice is a pork roll or Taylor Ham. I had a former friend from New Jersey who called it Taylor Ham.
🎶So Mama if you please/Pass me the pork roll egg and cheese/If you please, on the Kaiser bun...🎶
In Mississippi, a gun, a welfare check, and an unwanted pregnancy.
And a criminal record. Mississippi is the arrestingest state I've ever been to.
yeah my cousin did 4 years in Mississippi for the same crime i didn't even get booked for just a ticket cost me 40 hours community service and $100 fine i could not believe him till i read his paperwork
Load More Replies...Mississippi's MAGA culture is the biggest enemy of its economy. Business do not move there because they can't get employees to live there.
There are many ways to slice up the United States, but author Colin Woodard argues that it can be divided into 11 sub-nations. He mapped out the regions in his renowned book American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America.
Recognizing the distinct values of each region is critical to understanding the US, Woodard said.
"The country has been arguing about a lot of fundamental things lately, including state roles and individual liberty," Woodard, a Maine native, explained.
"In order to have any productive conversation on these issues, you need to know where you come from," he said. "Once you know where you are coming from, it will help move the conversation forward."
Florida: Bug spray and .38 Special.
Some of those skeeters you have to shoot twice to make sure.
Load More Replies...Go to Florida and find out. Monster "skeeters" everywhere plus drop gators, 90-100% humidity, and the all too famous Florida Man...seriously though, do not go to Florida.
Load More Replies...I live here, unfortunately... I think you need a total lack of sanity.
They didn't say "a" .38 Special, and I think the band comes from FL, so that's what I thought
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Welcome to Pennsylvania here's your flat tire.
Every time we drive to visit family in western PA, we know when we hit the state line because of the miles of orange cones and no workers in sight 🫡
Load More Replies...This is a lot less comprehensible than the OP assumed. What does it mean? Is Pennsylvania populated by armoured hedgehogs or something?
Potholes. In NJ we used to refer to Philly as the City of Brotherly Potholes
Load More Replies...I live in southeast Pennsylvania. I go into Maryland sometimes, as we're right on the state border, and even without signs, I can always tell the moment I cross over from Maryland into Pennsylvania. The roads are that bad.
Opps, ditto. Said same before i read all the comments.
Load More Replies...Welcome to Pennsylvania. Here's your authentic Amish-made funnel cake with powdered sugar sprinkled on top. OMG, that is Heaven right there.
I was going to write an annoyed comment to the effect that "our roads aren't that bad" but no. Our roads are awful.
Arizona: A miniature of a coloured sediment rock, such as jasper or turquoise.
You forgot the sunblock. If you come here, I strongly recommend sunblock.
Too bad they couldn't find a single photo of the elusive Arizona - that photo is Canyonlands in Utah. Arizona is apparently very shy and dashes away before you can get your camera up, so I get it.
Our state is so beautiful, Canyon de Chelly, Monument Valley, White Mountains, and the big hole, the Grand Canyon. Plus, all the history. Love living here.
Load More Replies...I hate hot climates but I could 100% live in Sedona Arizona. Incredibly beautiful and chill place.
Seriously? No. Howling coyote anything, the best Mexican food this issue of the border, soccer moms, sports teams where the fans don't show up until the game is 1/3 over and leave with 1/3 to play, drivers who mistake the road name for the speed limit (looking at you 101) , heat that melts cacti, and "at least it's a dry heat" .
Arizona and Nevada have the most beautiful sunsets I have ever witnessed.
Why not "Arizona: HOT! Everything is HOT! Rocks, steering wheels, water in swimming pools. And forget that BS: "but it's a dry heat." Yeah, dry like a convection oven! I've stood in the rain just to get some relief from the HOT! Summer is a series of dashes between air conditioned places. Don't walk your dog on pavement from 10 AM to 8 PM - maybe later. But a more beautiful state is hard to imagine.
Nah, more like "Welcome to Arizona here is your free case of sunblock and don't forget your AC! "
while there is turquoise jasper its not real Turquoise. Turquoise jasper is a type of jasper that contains turquoise minerals. It is different from turquoise, which is a specific mineral. Jasper is a sedimentary rock. not sure Turquoise would be called a sedimentary rock as it is a specific mineral just my 2cents
His proposed map of the country consists of:
- Yankeedom;
- New Netherland;
- The Midlands;
- Tidewater;
- Greater Appalachia;
- Deep South;
- New France;
- El Norte;
- The Far West;
- The Left Coast;
- First Nation.
Baked potato in Idaho.
I quick-read that as ‘wedgies’ and was like damn, that sounds painful.. 🤦🏻♀️😆😂
Load More Replies...Cause they are Jojos. They call them that in Idaho too. (as someone who grew up 6 miles from the Idaho border)
Load More Replies...I remember looong ago when working at HP in the netherlands, some co-workers that came from Boise managed to have potato spuds shipped here and shared them with all of us. That's good stuff!
Do you mean Idaho Spuds, the candy? Idaho Spuds are chocolate and coconut around a chocolate marshmallow center.
Load More Replies...*grabs a wedge and dashes under the sofa to eat it*
Washington makes better potatoes. Sorry Idaho. You still have blizzards and militias of white supremacists so that's something...
Don't forget we are also called the Gem state. We can hand you a potato,ruby star Garnet and huckleberries
In the U.S.V.I. they give you a shot of Cruzan rum after you land.
The rim tour of the Cruzan factory on St Croix is nice (and free drinks for locals)
Love me the Cruzan rum! Too bad it’s so hard to get here. (Victoria, Canada)
I wonder how they got the name virgin island. It's it named after the Virgin mary?
No. St Ursula and the 10,000 virgins because it looked like ten thousand islands to Columbus
Load More Replies...Washington: A latte, cosmic crisp apple, and a joint.
Have you tried a Lucy apple? I have not but want to. They look delicious but idk if you can find them outside Washington yet.
Load More Replies...Washington (specifically Yakima) is the largest apple producer in the US. 🤤🤤
Honestly, I don't feel like joint culture is that big here. Sure, there are plenty of places to buy, but public smoking and visibly high people aren't more common than most other places I have been, and generally less common than some. Smoking of any kind, in public, is generally frowned on here for the same reason there is a large contingent of anti- umbrella folks here: basically, there's a strong culture of "keep your stuff to yourself, especially in public" here.
Load More Replies...Or Columbia, or a black hoody (ideally at night, in the rain, next to a busy road), though that's dropped off in the last decade.
Load More Replies...I'd say you forgot the umbrella but nobody uses that s**t here anyways lol #seattleite
Cosmic Crisp isn't the only apple that Washington State University has bred. They have been on the front lines of apple combinations for decades.
Well they do grow the best apples and cherries in WA, although I'm partial to Fuji.
"I believe that US states can retain their individuality without causing too much division and hostility among themselves," Wolf805 added.
"While each state has its unique culture and traditions, these differences can be celebrated and appreciated rather than leading to conflict. Embracing diversity within the country can strengthen the sense of unity and mutual respect among states."
North Carolina, a Cheerwine, a bbq sandwich and a firearm permit. .
But now the lawmakers have outlawed wearing medical masks in public, even if you have cancer or COVID.
Yes, in the infinite "wisdom" of the NC lawmakers, they have now *banned* wearing a mask in public. Immune compromised? Too bad. Got Covid? Oh well, go ahead and spread it around! But hey, you can openly carry a gun wherever you like, so that makes it all better! 🙄
Load More Replies...For y'all in PA who have Southern blood like me, they sell Cheerwine at Sheetz.
Cheerwine?(It's basically cherry cola) I would have gone with sweet tea. A barbeque tray with hush puppies and slaw is also a bit more accurate. But pretty good for a notherner 😉
As a native Tarheel (a nickname for a native North Carolinian, but not necessarily a fan of UNC-CH) who dislikes Cheerwine, it is a soda made in Salisbury, NC. To me it tastes like an off brand cherry coke mixed with a really bad off brand doctor pepper and a no-name flat root beer. As you can tell, I do no care for this soda. And that photo is not of NC BBQ - eastern, vinegar base is the only kind to eat.
Eastern barbecue sauce goes on sandwiches and is good for pulled pork, Western is for other meats in my opinion
Load More Replies...I have lived in Orange Co NC my whole life and have never liked Cheerwine. I'll take the BBQ sandwich as long as it's not Eastern style loaded with vinegar and I do not have or want a gun permit or gun. So whoever wrote this doesn't know what they are talking about.
Coming back from a deployment, we had a stopover in bangor maine. they gave us cookies and fear.
Many years ago, I was on a military charter flight to Germany which had to turn back to Bangor. We were allowed off the plane and the airport brought to the gate several kiosks so we could get more snacks. I still remember that from 1978.
Book of Mormon in Utah.
Yeah, I opened the nightstand drawer in a hotel and it had that and a Bible.
I'd like to point out something other than Mormans. The "dirty soda" stands. They are EVERYWHERE and are really good
Claim Satanism and they'll run for the hills. I told tons of Mormons we weren't interested and it did nothing at all. Claim Satanism once and it's blasted to every Mormon church in a 100 mile radius. I ain't good people but at least I get left alone.
Is Mormon only a few states in the US only over anywhere else? Or is it also elsewhere like other countries. I spent time in religion. I question a lot now. 🤔 Been through a brain washing cult. It was fundamentalist. It always just seems like Power & Control to me. Scare tactics also. Money too.
A plate of brisket in Texas.
Sounds a bit chewy and my teeth aren't that strong, I'll just have the brisket please
Load More Replies...I'm from Texas and thanks to all the brisket I've eaten, I'm extremely picky when it comes to brisket or ribs. Those ribs better fall off the bone! Also, we're not all bad over here. A lot of us will give you the shirt off our backs. It's just the...loud idiots that you hear over us.
Been to Texas many times. Have family there. People are friendly and welcoming. It’s not perfect in parts , where is? I feel softer in Texas than I do in the UK. And the the food is amazing.
Thank you, I hate hearing how bad Texas is when the people probably have never been there, even though it is a great place.
Load More Replies...Gay Texan here. A) we aren't as racist as people think, but there are some pockets of small minded people who believe the fearmongering from the red news platforms. But more importantly B) it should be known for brisket, tacos, highways, prickly pears, gasoline, possum roadkill, stickers (grass burrs), hot dusty weather, fire ants, and world class truck stops
Also A Gay Texan, I second all of these statements. Additionally, be aware of the cities you stop in if you are black or queer in anyway.
Load More Replies...Absolutely love brisket. Texas on the other hand is a whole other story for a different day.
Yeah, it went from boiling like normal to freezing which is rare, what the hell would you expect otherwise?
Load More Replies...In NH, a rock. Because you can't take it for granite.
I'd say NH - where the state has to rescue people from their own stupidity at an alarming rate. From motorcyclists with no helmets roaring down mountain roads and smashing their heads to idiots ill prepared attempting to climb mountains in flip-flops and no coats and getting lost.
Actually a lot of the rescuing is because of people from Massachusetts come up and get lost or hurt in the white mountains, or because they rent atvs and not know a single thing about them and wreck em,
Load More Replies...Asked if I could smoke in a bar in No Conway many years back. Bartender just looked at me and said "Live free or die". Since then I've called it the live free and die state. Just kidding neighbor, from Maine ;)
"Live free or die" is the state motto and featured on the license plates.🙂
Load More Replies...Yes, very rocky. Tons of stone walls from when people cleared their fields to farm. Great place to live. Really low unemployment. However, the housing market is so tight there is no where to live...and houses are grossly overpriced, so no one can move here to fill any open positions (specifically in food service). Beautiful and diverse scenery though.
Too bad they can't hand out 2 extra brain cells and a dose of common sense
And did you know in NH—in 2021, legislation was passed requiring children under the age of 2 to be secured in a rear-facing child restraint system, effective from January 1, 2022 . What took them so long???
Yeah, they really seem to take issue with road safety standards in general over there 😬
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A little container of Old Bay. Not gonna bother saying the state.
MD represent! Edit: old bay is a seasoning often used on crab, that originated in Maryland. And we put that stuff on everything, old bay French fries are pretty good. From Wikipedia, The seasoning is a mix of celery salt (salt, celery seed), spices (including red pepper and black pepper) and paprika. Some of the other spices that may be used are laurel leaves, mustard, cardamom, cloves and ginger as listed in the original product in the Baltimore Museum of Industry. It is regionally popular, specifically in Maryland, as well as in the Mid-Atlantic States, the Southern States, parts of New England and the Gulf Coast.
My favorite is shrimp and Old Bay, then dipped in lemon butter
Load More Replies...I love going to Cantlers (in MD just past the Bay Bridge) for fresh crabs with Old Bay. Must have hush puppies and corn on the cob too. Soooo good!
Just here to say that when I moved to Maryland, two separate people gifted me a container of Old Bay. I also got a crab shell with the state flag on it and various other crab-themed paraphernalia.
I have a container on my kitchen counter... Here in the Netherlands!
Yup. If you come to the Baltimore-Washington area especially , we’ve got a lot of history, pride in our baseball teams (Go O’s!), natural features and mineral resources, family-friendly activities galore, etc. If you’re looking more for anything to do with natural resources, there are plenty of places to go camping, take in history, and take hikes, such as as in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian Trail, Monocacy Trail, Rockburn Park, centennial Park, Ilchester, Saint Michael’s, Annapolis, North East, Leonardtown, etc.l Maryland has been called “America in miniature” for our geography and topography especially! We’ve also got a lot more of which to be proud because we are the home of the National Anthem, have the coolest flag in the union, are one of the most culturally diverse states here, will indeed offer America’s best crab cakes and Old Bay to guests (unless they don’t eat crabs for religious or dietary reasons otherwise), and more! Come on down!
Go O's is all you had to say! But Old Bay is awesome. I love my Old Bay mashed potatoes the best.
Load More Replies...How about making it clear for the dozens of people around the world who don't live in the USA?
Yankees to be exactl. They say they hate where they come from but insist on saying their new state of N.Carolina is the worst ever. Don't like NC, find somewhere else to lay your head
Washington, specifically SeaTac, we'd huck a salmon at ya.
Imagine getting off a plane i n Washington and getting a salmon like you get a lei in Hawaii.
Except, it's NOT "at SeaTac"(the airport OR neighborhood!) It's DOWNTOWN Seattle, at PikePlace Fish Market, Lol..Nobody hucks salmon, in Washington, aside from the O.G Pike Place Fish Market, AT Pike Place,in downtown Seattle. But,it's an AMAZING show,that newbies really shouldn't miss!!
*grabs the salmon and dashes under the sofa* MINE!
And bàstard deers that will decimate your beautiful garden...but they're so cute so I let them do whatever they want.
True story and we love them,for it!! Many have multiple generations of deer family, that visit them,like my friend, who has made friends with the deer that live on her huge property, and will sit out on her patio, while the adults graze and the fawns play & nap!!
Load More Replies...I lived up there for 12 years and I tried so hard to like salmon but I just dont.
They only toss sammon (the way it should be spelled) At Pike Place Market, everywhere else they toss Fentanyl pills cause they're only 40 cents each on the street...
75% of people who claim they don't like Salmon, have never had fresh caught, cooked within 2hrs of catching it. A whole different experience and flavor!!
Load More Replies...Welcome to Montana here’s your cracked windshield.
We get a lot of those in AZ too. Glass coverage is the most economically sound part of car insurance. We replace a windshield at least twice a year (3 cars, so maybe the average per car is once a year or 18 months).
I had a cracked windshield and a busted rear window last Fall all thanks to the huge nuts that fall from the trees in Virginia. My father refers to it as "nut season". :)
Spring time before they have cleaned the roads is the worst. There is gravel everywhere from snow plowing in the winter.
That's common here in SD too. Think it may have to do with all the roads being made of concrete instead of asphalt.
I don't know about now but 40 years ago, a busted windshield was accepted as a valid Alaska license plate
Montana makes me crazy in terms of natural beauty and comportment. From Canada, you drive across empty prairies in Alberta and get to Montana where the plains turn into beautiful rocky territory with mean spirited people. They got all the beauty, we got all the common decency. It's amazing to travel 2 hrs and hear some a*****e b***h about f*****g foreigners just walking by, not even interacting with them.
In Mississippi you’d get a plate of fried catfish.
"they've got catfish on the table, there is gospel in the air. the reverend green will be glad to see you, when you haen't got a prayer.....
When I first heard of that, I thought it was an abomination. Then I tried it.
Faygo and a tire repair kit (Michigan, specifically SE Michigan).
I live in SE Michigan. Faygo is a local soda pop brand. Vernors is where it’s at. Local brand of ginger ale, but better. You’ll also get a Sanders Bumpy Cake.
I live in NC Indiana. I didn't know Faygo and Vernors were "local." I assumed they were everywhere.
Load More Replies...Can confirm. Im in Oakland Country (Metro Detroit), but we need to add Lays chips, coneys, Vernors and the inevitable compliant about the roads, weather and construction (road repairs). Oh and the Can you believe how much gas is question lol. Welcome to Michigan and the Motor City, we are not as salty as our roads.
A sad city: Detroit (in some parts) and a fantastic museum (Ford Museum.)
Tite repair kit for sure. It's a tossup between Vernors and Faygo. Vernors if you're sick, but Faygo red pop for flavor.
Indiana: pork tenderloin sandwich, sugar cream pie, directions to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Also crazy weather. One day it's 80, the next 40. (Fahrenheit, obviously)
Sugar cream pie? I've never heard of that, but it sounds delicious.
I've lived in Indiana my whole life. (More than four decades, but don't tell anybody.) Aside from the speedway, I've never heard of a sugar cream pie, nor eaten a pork tenderloin sandwich or associated it with Indiana. Must be a southern Indiana thing. Once you get past Indianapolis, it's basically the south, with all those hicks.
When we moved here, I soon found out that Indiana is the northernmost Southern state.
Load More Replies...Indiana is great but it has an identity crisis. Part of it thinks it is Illinois/Chicago part of it thinks it is Kentucky/the south and part of it I'm not sure what it thinks it is. But when you can't even get a state to settle one one time zone (other than like TX or AK) you have to ask questions Pork tenderloin sandwiches are the best
Lived in Indiana since I was 7. I'm now 65. I agree completely with dinner-plate sized pork tenderloins and the Indy 500. I have never seen a sugar cream pie, even when I worked in a restaurant.
An IPA in Oregon.
Hey awesome! Just like here in Melbourne, Australia! 😎🤘🏻😂❤️
Load More Replies...Back in the day we'd give you a wave goodbye. For a long time Oregon was the Pacific wonderland that was kept secret from the rest of the US, with travel brochures deliberately making it sound like it rains here constantly and there's nothing to do. One of our mayors, Tom McCall, famously told people "come visit, but don't move here".
How long to Ireland from Oregon just so we can drink guinness instead? (Asking for a friend)
We have stouts too. Lots of fantastically varied beer options in the northwest.
Load More Replies...Columbia raincoat. I'm decently certain you're not allowed to leave PDX without one.
Load More Replies...We have lots of bridges and bikes here! Plus a famous rose garden! And dark horse comics is amazing! They also produced Buffy the vampire slayer
We also have the other half of the state which is wide open high desert that many valley folks tend to forget about.
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Philadelphia is now its own state and you get a punch in the face from Gritty.
The scrapple is not to be slighted, either. (For those of you non-Philyites who are wondering what's in scrapple, doesn't the name tell you that you really don't want to know?)
Load More Replies...Philadelphia is.... different. It possesses levels of both Crazy and Chaos that really cannot be matched anywhere else. I both loved and hated living there.
I thought of “the city of brotherly love.” My dad‘s entire family is from Pennsylvania, more or less.
In New York, you’d get a bagel with cream cheese.
They named it Philadelphia because Philadelphia was considered to be a very fashionable city at the time.
Load More Replies...Ugh I live in butt-a*s nowhere, Midwest, and you cannot find a decent bagel ANYWHERE, I swear.
Same, except high desert Nevada. Store bought is just so disappointing since having tried some fresh NY bagels when I visited years ago.
Load More Replies...That's downstate. New York is a lot more than NYC. I wish people would add "state" when New York is mentioned and "city " when their referring to that terminus at the end of the Hudson River.
Thank you! I'm from Rochester and get a little tired of people thinking "NYC" when New York State is mentioned. Up here you'd get apples, lilacs, and a snow shovel!
Load More Replies...NY state has so many local foods and many of them are so local people from other parts of the state don't know them
Forget the cream cheese use a little bit of butter instead and some CHEESECAKE
Tennessee... a ticket for a minor traffic violation. Or a bottle of Jack Daniels so they could get you on a not so minor violation.
Fun Fact, the county where they distill JD is a dry county. So no alcohol sales.
Really, you could have gone for the gorgeous scenery, the bar-b-que, or the music, and you go for minor traffic violations?
It’s accurate though. I’m from Tennessee and I used to get pulled over all the time for things being wrong with my car. Since I moved away and have lived in different states, the only times I’ve been pulled over have been when i was back in TN. Last time I was there I was pulled over and given a lecture for following a semi too closely.
Load More Replies...Ohio…a buckeye (the candy kind).
I grew up in ohio. More accurate would be buckeyes, a trip to see the Amish, and directions to the local d**g dealer located at the nearest middle school.
Well for Illinois it would be an ear of corn and a handful of soybeans. But since you're actually flying in to Chicago it'll be a broken lawn chair for your dibs and a Chicago hot dog.
Hey, thin and crispy crust, or stuffed, or Chicago style, the pizza is the best, and I still love Gibsons for a great steak. So did Frank Sinatra who used to have Gibsons delivered to him wherever he was in the country. (FYI: the folks in Chicago with firearms will only give you the bullet part of their guns. They keep the rest of the gun for themselves.)
Native from the Chicago burbs, here. Some of the best pizza is thin crust at a local pizza place. No chains. However, best deli is Augustino's in Carol Stream or West Chicago.
Load More Replies...I love soybeans! Its an incredible food. I live in California and keep my cabinets stocked with them.
Beads in Louisiana.
For real beads and stones and other such jewelry, you want the craft fairs on the West Coast.
Load More Replies...What ab a real crawfish boil, gumbo and jambalaya?? Or swamp kittens? We're more than just beads damn it lol
Hey! Didn’t someone buy the state with these? Look at how their investment has grown.
Minnesota you get the deed to a lake.
Depends on the season. Winter: better have a hat and gloves. Summer: bug spray. August: something on a stick from the state fair
I went there in April and needed a coat. Mackinac Island was beautiful though.
Load More Replies...In Minnesota, you get 6 months of winter and 6 months of road construction.
Spoiler though, 99% of the "lakes" are ponds by normal people standards.
As a Minnesota, I can confirm that I have a lake in my backyard and this is pure facta
Arkansas would hand out Jean shorts.
Minnesota: Half a pan of tater tot hotdish and a grainbelt.
I freakin love hot dish! I use hash brown patties instead of tots. So good.
Lobster Bib- Maine.
Lol, lived in Maine nearly my whole lifei, hate lobster. I call them ocean roaches.
Load More Replies...When you land in Connecticut, you’ll get a tax bill…and maybe some pizza….
Don't forget spending most of your waking life sitting in traffic.
Realistically, a shot of bourbon, but it’s fun to imagine giving each visitor a full-size Thoroughbred….
In Iowa you’d get a Busch Light and a Casey’s pizza.
I agree. Only place that can make taco pizza right now is
Load More Replies...I had Casey's yesterday on my drive down to Iowa. Although I got it from a Casey's in Minnesota.
Bag of boiled peanuts in Georgia.
Georgia should be known as the Peanut State. It is the #1 producer of peanuts, only #4 or #5 (depending on what source you check) for peaches.
Peaches are prettier than peanuts. Marketing matters.
Load More Replies...Sunflowers Kansas.
Really? I was going to say a rundown of what the procedures are for that location during a tornado.
Maybe your own pair of ruby slippers and a little doggy named Toto 😉
Load More Replies...What you really get is pulled over by a hypo once you cross the state line looking for weed smugglers coming from Denver.
Winter coat- North Dakota.
And thermal underwear...and polar snow gloves...and a wool scarf...and a fur-lined hat with those ear flaps...and thick wool socks...and snow boots...
-40F (conveniently -40C) keeps the riff raff out.
Load More Replies...And tie-downs, crampons or anchors. Anything that will keep you from blowing into South Dakota.
Y'all have crampons there!? Hardly anybody I've met in the USA has ever heard of crampons, admittedly I don't know anyone from North Dakota. :)
Load More Replies...Washington you’d get coffee.
Coffee, craft beer, debate on which side of the Cascades is better. Eventually told "Seattle is not the only godamn city!"
Nevada you'd get a bag of casino chips.
You also get swept away in flood waters (lousy infrastructure), rudest drivers in the nation and scorpions from Arizona
Virginia: Vanity license plate.
Pepperoni rolls here in WV.
I would have thought Tudor's Biscuit World with a side of abject despair.
Rude. Not everyone here is inbred and they ask at the courthouse if you're related before they issue the license.
Load More Replies...Alabama, an STD.
Fun fact. Incest is illegal in Alabama. It's not illegal in Ohio except if it's a parent or guardian.
Load More Replies...If you're referring to Deliverance it was a banjo and was set in Georgia...
Load More Replies...
Massachusetts: dunks.
I think the OP meant dunkin donuts, not what is represented in this pic...
They very much meant Nike Dunks, the shoe in the photo, which I’d say they’re in competition with Philly for having an obsession.
Load More Replies...Boston: "Hey, look at this moron with out-of-state plates" "LEARN HOW TO DRIVE YOU F UCKING MORON!!! *beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep* (revs engine behind you)
How sad for Massachusetts that it's claim to fame is s****y swill pretending to be coffee.
Texas: a gun.
Oh, c'mon! This is such BS! I used to live in Texas, and we didn't give guns to all visitors. We usually waited until your second visit. No, I'll tell you what Texans give every visitor: a "history" lesson. They'll tell you all about The Republic of Texas (but not mention it only existed for 10 years), or how it's the "only state in the Union that can legally secede if they want (not true), or how it was home to the first European settlement in America (Also not true. The Vikings had a permanent settlement in Newfoundland 500 years earlier). etc etc etc.
So.....Texas where the lies are as big as the racism?
Load More Replies...How unoriginal. How about a longhorn skull for your car and rattlesnake boots instead? 😉
Do they still do this in Hawaii? The last time I landed there, about 10 years ago, I didn’t get one. Now I’m thinking I got shafted. Anyway, when arriving in Duluth or Minneapolis, you’d be given a tater-tot hot-dish.
Haha ya like do what?! I assume it's a lei also but could be anything!
Load More Replies...Poor guy couldn't even get lei'd in Hawaii. (Sorry, I know, I know, I'm leaving....)
That is absolutely dreadful Bruno, you have won the internet today
Load More Replies...A lei? No we don't give them out when you land. We use them mainly for events and celebrations.
Came to say this. Tho, I’m an old enough ha’ole’aina that I remember when Aloha & HawaiianAir and especially PSA used to provide them for all passengers when they landed.
Load More Replies...Delaware would send you off with a loaf of scrapple.
This one's easy because it's true: A bill for using their highway. The Eastern megalopolis is more populous than any EU nation except Germany, but right in the middle is a 12-mile passage through Delaware that even though it's a federal road ("interstate"), charges you more than a dollar per mile to use it. Delaware functions as a bridge troll.
I was going to say a US map with Delaware boldly outlined and multiple arrows pointing to it, as people tend to forget Delaware exists. I do and I lived there for quite a long while.
I keep an open mind and try everything...really wish I had not tried scrapple. It's horrible.
Load More Replies...Colorado: a Nalgene bottle with craft brewery stickers.
I moved to Colorado a little over a year ago and best decision I've made for my mental health. :)
Load More Replies...Washington, DC will ask what do you do for a living.
Our license plates say taxation without representation. And it's true. DC has no voting representatives in Congress. Which makes NO sense!
A miniature Boston Baked Bean can for **Massachusetts**.
Moose poop jewelry for Alaska. Usually earrings.
West Virginia. A lump of coal.
New Mexico: steal your bag.
I was thinking something more along the lines of hatch chiles, but I suppose this is accurate. 😂
Should be “Christmas chile” but they just had to go with petty theft
Cowboy hat in texas.
*The* reason the US will never go metric. Texans will never trade their 10-gallon hats in for 37.85412-liter hats.
Quahogs for everyone!
Man I thought we were gonna get left out. #60 out of the 50 states seems about right 😂
Land in Maryland and you get shot with a confetti cannon full of Old Bay.
Add lots of Old Bay to the breadcrumbs when you fry (or oven fry) some chicken. Yummy
Land as in when you get there you get the old bay not that they are giving away land lol! To be fair I can see how you might have read it like that first.
Load More Replies...Food: A runza We dont really have a clothing or other item thats specific to nebraska I don't think.
Nebraska has an astounding number of bugs dive-bombing the gas station lights at night. Why not give those away? Never saw so many bugs in my life, lol.
Willa Cather. That's where most of her books are set. "My Atonia" is one of my favorites.
I suspect a lot of these are written by people who have never set foot in the state.
Load More Replies...Interesting! One of these days I'm going to start a post on Bored Panda challenging people to say something about the USA without mentioning guns, health insurance, or fast food.
What I expected. Missouri left out again. You'd get flood insurance that actually covers nothing, dead armadillos, and a Cardinals hat. Or a Royals/Chiefs hat if you go to KC instead of STL. There is nothing in between. Don't try.
Hey, we have corn AND dead armadillos in between I'll have you know 😆
Load More Replies...We already do this in the UK. However you arrive, we make you stand in a queue before you are officially let in. I suppose we ought to give everyone a cup of tea to drink while they stand in it, and tell them to talk about the weather…
I suspect a lot of these are written by people who have never set foot in the state.
Load More Replies...Interesting! One of these days I'm going to start a post on Bored Panda challenging people to say something about the USA without mentioning guns, health insurance, or fast food.
What I expected. Missouri left out again. You'd get flood insurance that actually covers nothing, dead armadillos, and a Cardinals hat. Or a Royals/Chiefs hat if you go to KC instead of STL. There is nothing in between. Don't try.
Hey, we have corn AND dead armadillos in between I'll have you know 😆
Load More Replies...We already do this in the UK. However you arrive, we make you stand in a queue before you are officially let in. I suppose we ought to give everyone a cup of tea to drink while they stand in it, and tell them to talk about the weather…
