It’s my unprofessional opinion that those in the Southeastern US are GENIUSES. I mean, these folks are pretty much amazing. I am not being hyperbolic or sarcastic/facetious/snotty. I believe this with all my heart. Proof? Street signs.
You see that sign to the left? That’s supposedly one from Asheville. I don’t think I EVER saw a single cross street sign like that (with streets shown for both directions). Not once. At major street intersections, I sometimes saw a cross street sign, but we Californians are seriously directionally-challenged. I didn’t know this until this trip. I mean, I’ve traveled all over the Western and Midwestern US and we didn’t have trouble finding street signs, but in NC, TN, VA, and WV… I somehow didn’t get lost even without street signs telling me that my reams of Mapquest directions were really sending me in the right direction. I think my husband would have had a coronary if he’d been driving. He doesn’t do well with that kind of thing.
I’d like to send a call out to governors of every state that I visited. North Carolina , Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Please. Find money somewhere—even raise taxes for a year or two—maybe on poor, helpless visitors like me. Charge us an extra 50 bucks to get in the state or something, but you see, there are these helpful little things called street signs. And when you’re going somewhere and trying to get from one place to another, and your instructions say, “turn right on Sugar street” it would really help if when you got to the street you actually found something that told you you’d arrived. It’s usually just this little green thing with some white lettering—nothing fancy or anything. It just says “Sugar Street” and then you know that’s the street you’re supposed to turn on. But without them, you don’t really know what street it is. Even the town that occasionally had cross street signs—the main drag wouldn’t have them so you didn’t know if you were on the right street to begin with or if it’s three streets west! I seriously recommend street signs. It would make things a whole lot easier. And who knows, maybe those parts of towns that you complain tourists never visit? Well, maybe with street signs, they’ll be able to find them.
Then again, maybe that’s the secret that they don’t want anyone to know. They do it to keep out the tourists. They like their privacy. THAT I can understand. Regardless, I’m still astounded that this sign-dependent Californian managed to toodle all over these states, without the every 200 feet reminder of where I am, and not get lost.
And… bonus points. These states all had mile markers… sometimes to the tenth or HALF tenth of a mile. I think I know where the street sign budget went!
(note: in case my post appears to be bashing these places, that is not my intention. I’m just poking a little fun at myself and the differences in cultural experience. No malice intended!)
You have traveled well. I’m impressed. The very worse state is Pennsylvania. Why, you ask? Street sights are non existent. My directions were not even able to come from the GPS, as it was in deep, deep country. I was told to drive down the road. Turn left at the blinky light. Yes, you read right. I was deep in Hickville; I am a country girl to boot but this, this is new territory. Ok, enough rambling. Blinky light. Go down the road and when it gets curvy, then count the roads. Take the third road on the left. It’s by the big rock. And to top it off, there are no street lights to even notice the big rock. Oh, and somewhere along the way, the roads changed into gravel, to chip n seal, and concrete and back to gravel. Yup. PA, one of our original 13 colonies, so influential in government, is the worst for travel. I just shake my head.
While this isn’t a problem in my town, my kids have witnessed me ranting and hyperventilating while trying to make split-second decisions as I’ve driven downtown in Asheville and Charlotte. The street you’re actually driving ON often isn’t labeled, though cross streets usually are. If you don’t look before you turn onto the street, you’re toast.
And streets veer off, split mid-turn, and if you don’t know which way you’re supposed to follow, you can be sure you WERE on the right street to begin with, but you may end up on the wrong.
It freaked me out. I only got lost when I got help, but man I don’t know how! Every single time I thought I was doing something wrong… things went much longer than I thought they should or whatever… BAM. Ended up in the right place, somehow. My directionally challenged husband might not have fared so well. Thankfully, I have a pretty good sense of direction.
Funny! We moved to Asheville this summer and my husband and I are constantly commented on how they are NO STREET SIGNS!!!
HA! Vindication!!!
😉
We have street signs in NC. However, we don’t have traffic light posts, at least in my area of NC. Street signs are usually hanging on the line next to the stop lights. I’m guessing you should have traveled a bit more into NC. Ahem.
Always fun to read other perspectives on life.
Line next to the stop lights=traffic light posts. 🙂
Chautona, I am a Virginian born and raised – so I can’t speak for NC, TN, or WV but, in VA, we DO have street signs…you just weren’t looking in the right place…you have to take your nose out of the Mapquest (who uses Mapquest anymore? You traveled without a GPS?) and look up. The signs like in your photo are only found in neighborhoods. Most of the signs where I live are no longer on the corner – where kids can steal them or cars can run them over – but have been moved up to the light posts (a much better use of my tax dollars) – some of them are even illuminated, which is great for night driving.
Street signs aside – I’m sure you would have to admit you can’t beat Southern Hospitality. Or Southern cooking. Am I right?
As with you, I’m just poking fun. I hope you enjoyed your time in our neck of the woods. I love your books – keep ’em comin’.
That was the problem, Kathy! I didn’t find them on streetlight posts or traffic light posts. (where most of ours are too). There just weren’t any. That said, I’m not sure I got off the Interstate in VA (aside from a few minutes at a rest stop where I terrified my friend). So I need to visit towns to be sure.
And yes, I didn’t bring a GPS. Don’t own one. I also amused my friends by keeping my pre-paid cell phone (purchased in case of emergencies such as not being able to find the sign signaling the street I needed to turn on) kept on vibrate only. “How will you know if you get a call?”
Um… I’m only using it to get out of a mess, not as a conversational piece, thank-you-very-much. Thanks to a lovely lady at Cracker Barrel, mine got charged and not left behind as I ate with two readers in Princeton WV. The sad thing is I doubt I’d have missed it until I hit Morgantown and called my friend Michele to be sure I’d turned on the right street (major) because there were no signs to tell me if I had. Snicker.
I’m well familiar with Southern food and hospitality, and aside from hotel employees and directions (upcoming post) both were as expected. 😉