Share something odd/interesting about your state/province/country

[usnuzuloose]

You can tour some of these tunnels

. Did you know that Sacramento is actually two cities in one? There’s a large abandoned network of tunnels underneath the foundation of the city. That network was once the actual city of Sacramento, until the new city was raised up to avoid flood damage.

 

[RedAngie]

Delaware has an unusual curved northern border with Pennsylvania. It's the arc of a circle 12 miles in radius from the courthouse in the town of New Castle as the center point of the circle. There are two bits of Delaware physically attached to New Jersey, yet separated from the rest of the state by the Delaware River. The southwest corner of Delaware, bordered on both sides by Maryland, is not a 90 degree right angle. It's actually a tangent line from the northern circular boundary and makes about a 91.5 degree angle with the southern border.

 

[Sanchez]

We were just in NJ driving back from my husband's family's house in NY (we live in TN), it was so incredibly bizarre to me to see people at gas stations and the attendant who pumps your gas for you. Lol. I asked Bill, but he couldn't give me a good reason - WHY can't you pump your own gas? What's the reasoning?

In New Jersey it absolutely for safety reasons. Most people do not realize that in the late 1970's and early 1980's, when other states were converting to self-service, New Jersey conducted numerous studies and found that hairspray usage among its citizens was much higher than the national average. Hair samples produced a near toxic level of hairspray (when measured in PPM.) In simulations, self-pumping New Jerseyans were spontaneously exploding. On a side note, Aquanet was found to be the largest selling hairspray product and the most flammable.

It could be argued that these studies are dated as they were performed at the dawn of the big hair and mullet era. Even though hair size is reduced across the country it remains comparatively large in New Jersey and therefore such laws are absolutely necessary. Exploding New Jerseyans are not good for the state economy.

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

Texas:
Dr. Pepper
Shiner Bock Beer
Bluebell Ice Cream

The Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley had its beginnings in my current hometown
Texas still owns all of its public lands. If the federal government wants to create a park or cut a stand of timber, it must first ask the state’s permission.
Texas was an independent nation from 1836 to 1845. When it was annexed in 1845, it retained the right to fly its flag at the same height as the national flag.
Camels were imported into Texas twice in the 1850s by the U.S. War Department in the belief that they would be handy animals to use during the Indian Wars--The came into the state in Indianola..close to where I live.

Along with these -

• Big Red was invented here.
• There is only one natural lake in the state (Caddo Lake) but Texas has a total of 6,300 square miles of inland lakes and streams, second only to Alaska.
• The Amarillo airport has the 3rd largest runway in the world and is designated as an alternate landing site for the space shuttle.
  
• We have an official state sport. It's rodeo and the world's first rodeo was held in Pecos on July 4, 1883.
• The hamburger was invented in Athens, TX.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Along with these -

• Big Red was invented here.
• There is only one natural lake in the state (Caddo Lake) but Texas has a total of 6,300 square miles of inland lakes and streams, second only to Alaska.
• The Amarillo airport has the 3rd largest runway in the world and is designated as an alternate landing site for the space shuttle.
  
• We have an official state sport. It's rodeo and the world's first rodeo was held in Pecos on July 4, 1883.
• The hamburger was invented in Athens, TX.

Can you say Caddo is "in" Texas? Partly in though (it'S gorgeous, isn't it? I lived on Caddo lake as a young child and my dad and his sisters still have property there---such a beautiful place)

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

In New Jersey it absolutely for safety reasons. Most people do not realize that in the late 1970's and early 1980's, when other states were converting to self-service, New Jersey conducted numerous studies and found that hairspray usage among its citizens was much higher than the national average. Hair samples produced a near toxic level of hairspray (when measured in PPM.) In simulations, self-pumping New Jerseyans were spontaneously exploding. On a side note, Aquanet was found to be the largest selling hairspray product and the most flammable.

It could be argued that these studies are dated as they were performed at the dawn of the big hair and mullet era. Even though hair size is reduced across the country it remains comparatively large in New Jersey and therefore such laws are absolutely necessary. Exploding New Jerseyans are not good for the state economy.

The fact that you posted this below RedAngie with that picture in her signature cracked me up. I was reading your post about hairspray and people spontaneously exploding while seeing that hair out of the corner of my eye. Pretty amusing.

 

[Diznotyzed]

Oregon is the other state where we can't pump our own gas. We are a hardy people, but why get out of your car in the rain if you don't have to.

Our state flag is the only one with a different design on the back than the front.

We vote entirely by mail.

Almost all the hazelnuts grown in the US are from here, although a true Oregonian calls them filberts.

 

[bcla]

There is the legend of the "Hangtown fry", an omelette made with oysters and bacon that originated in Placerville, California (aka "Old Hangtown"). The legend goes that a condemned man was given his choice for a last meal, and he wanted a dish of eggs and oysters, knowing that it would take at least a day to obtain all the ingredients from San Francisco. Another legend is that a gold prospector hit it big and asked a restaurant what was the most expensive item they could make, and eggs, bacon, and oysters were expensive.

Supposedly the martini was invented in Martinez.

The hottest (accurately) recorded temperature in the world was in California.

There's a school in Pennsylvania that calls itself "California University".

 

[tvguy]

Missouri provides most of the oak used for wine & whiskey barrels in Europe. Specifically, there is an area South of Cuba, MO roughly 40 miles across that is said to produce the absolute best white oak on the planet.

LOL. Some of the best oak for U.S wine making comes from Europe....usually France.

 

[tvguy]

Texas:
Dr. Pepper
Shiner Bock Beer
Bluebell Ice Cream

The Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley had its beginnings in my current hometown
Texas still owns all of its public lands. If the federal government wants to create a park or cut a stand of timber, it must first ask the state’s permission.
Texas was an independent nation from 1836 to 1845. When it was annexed in 1845, it retained the right to fly its flag at the same height as the national flag.
Camels were imported into Texas twice in the 1850s by the U.S. War Department in the belief that they would be handy animals to use during the Indian Wars--The came into the state in Indianola..close to where I live.

The State Capitol faces South in Texas, in honor of the Confederacy.

 

[tvguy]

Prior to the energy crisis of the 1970s, California was one of the few states where a right turn was allowed on a red light. Someone figured out how many gallons of gasoline were wasted waiting for a green light to turn right, many states adopted the same law.

 

[bcla]

Pennsylvania is not a state. It's a Commonwealth.

Then someone needs to rename Penn State, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania State Capitol, etc.

At least Virginia got it right.

 

[Meriweather]

The country's first barrel of tequila came out of Nogales in 1936.

The roof of the Capitol building of Arizona has a copper roof equivalent to 4.8 million pennies.

Possibly Arizona's most famous criminal, Ernesto Miranda, is the man responsible for mandated Miranda laws.

The sun shines in Phoenix and Tucson 85 percent of the year, even more than Florida and Hawaii

 

[bcla]

The country's first barrel of tequila came out of Nogales in 1936.

The roof of the Capitol building of Arizona has a copper roof equivalent to 4.8 million pennies.

Possibly Arizona's most famous criminal, Ernesto Miranda, is the man responsible for mandated Miranda laws.

The sun shines in Phoenix and Tucson 85 percent of the year, even more than Florida and Hawaii

Florida and Hawaii are subtropical and have a lot of rainy days. I've been stuck in that rain before. However, it was t as bad as a rainy day in Phoenix, where nobody seemed to have clue about how to drive in the rain.

 

[Aladora]

Victoria, BC has the oldest Chinatown as well as the oldest surviving synagogue in Canada.

BC has about 40,000 islands.

The coldest temperature recorded in BC was -58.9C (-75F)

About half of the province's population lives in the Vancouver Metropolitan area.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

The original Magic Kingdom is here.

But that's too easy.

During the spring and summer fish come out of the ocean and lay their eggs on the beach, then go back into the ocean. This is done at night during new moon and full moon. It's against the law to use a bucket or net to catch them. You can only catch them with your hands. They are about the size of anchovies.

 

[eliza61]

Philadelphia is considered one of the most "haunted" cities in America and has one of the highest density of haunted houses

 

[Meriweather]

Florida and Hawaii are subtropical and have a lot of rainy days. I've been stuck in that rain before. However, it was t as bad as a rainy day in Phoenix, where nobody seemed to have clue about how to drive in the rain.

Isn't that the truth. I have only lived in AZ for 5 years coming from WA state where it rains a lot and can't believe how people drive......we do have monsoons and you don't want to be out with people driving in that

 

[Gumbo4x4]

LOL. Some of the best oak for U.S wine making comes from Europe....usually France.

Ironic, eh?

 

[mnrose]

Minnesota has more miles of land next to water than any other state, including California and Florida. All lakes and rivers, of course.