FrankS
Registered User
Seriously: From the limited amount of travelling I've done in the southern US, I've met only friendly, nice folks. I'm sorry that my attempt at humour has side-tracked the OP's thread.
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The United States from an European point of view
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Gumby
Veteran
Ah... you must have traveled the interstates and ate at Cracker Barrel!
JohnTF
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Right, Midnight Express is another Hollywood Documentary. Never let the truth get in the way of a story.
And, New Yorkers, are you not stepping over bodies every day? ;-)
Best experiences in France for me were by car and or train and a a set of vague directions.
Regards, John
And, New Yorkers, are you not stepping over bodies every day? ;-)
Best experiences in France for me were by car and or train and a a set of vague directions.
Regards, John
FrankS
Registered User
Actually, one of the coolest road trips I've done was when I was returning someones car from Florida. (they were flying) I simply meandered northwards, not on interstates, often not knowing exactly where I was until I bumped into a larger town that I could find on a map. At the very beginning of this trip, I side-tracked to New Orleans because I was somewhat close, and I'd been interested in seeing it.
popstar
Well-known
I grew up in Georgia (south Georgia before spending many, many years in Augusta) and agree with what others have said with regard to the amount of land you're trying to cover here. I would suggest perhaps narrowing your focus down to two or three states and visit them. I've lived in both the Carolinas as well, so could easily see a project of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Alabama and Mississippi have interesting parts too, but one could easily spend an entire month in each state and not experience everything.
One other factor you may need to consider with regard to your conditioning and preparation is the heat of August. I know August is when European holidays take place, but you are thinking of visiting in the hottest, most humid part of the year. I worked for a few years with a chef from Bayonne, and Philippe was constantly amazed at the sweltering conditions every year. Just be prepared to pace yourself, which again points to trying to focus your trip and perhaps not cover quite so much territory.
Hope this helps!
One other factor you may need to consider with regard to your conditioning and preparation is the heat of August. I know August is when European holidays take place, but you are thinking of visiting in the hottest, most humid part of the year. I worked for a few years with a chef from Bayonne, and Philippe was constantly amazed at the sweltering conditions every year. Just be prepared to pace yourself, which again points to trying to focus your trip and perhaps not cover quite so much territory.
Hope this helps!
sooner
Well-known
At the risk of stepping on a landmine, the better movie than Deliverance would be Easy Rider, for a glimpse of the south of thirty or forty years ago. I saw a documentary about rock and roll once where a famous musician commented that he nearly got shot in a southern diner for using a swear word in front of the man's wife. But hey, that was a long time ago.
Every town in American has its fast food and Office Max side, and then its real, unique side. If you decide to come as far west as Oklahoma, you can stay with me and see buffalo roaming free.
Hope you post pics from the trip! --John
Every town in American has its fast food and Office Max side, and then its real, unique side. If you decide to come as far west as Oklahoma, you can stay with me and see buffalo roaming free.
Hope you post pics from the trip! --John
popstar
Well-known
I thought frank made it clear he was kidding. Besides, it was a book before it was a movie. Even though I'm from the south I didn't have a problem with the comment.
charjohncarter
Veteran
Get an abridged copy or a paperback of Alexis-Charles-Henri Clérel de Tocqueville's Democracy in America . Your countryman wrote this in the early 1800s, and he traveled in some of the same areas you will be traveling. His observations of our country will be greatly different from what you will see today. But I still think you will find the comparision interesting. He said: "Among a democratic people, where there is no hereditary wealth, every man works to earn a living...Labor is held in honor; the prejudice is not against but in its favor."
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RayPA
Ignore It (It'll go away)
Most Americans view the rest of the country in the same fashion as those perspective-compressed New Yorker magazine maps. It all depends on your geographic location. It sounds like a wonderful trip. You'll get a lot of the south, a lot of southern hospitality, and a lot of great photos.
mbisc
Silver Halide User
Larry,
Back to your original question -- my suggestions would be to get a 30-day pass for the Greyhound bus system (which you need to buy outside of the US, it's cheaper) -- if they still have those -- and criss-cross the rural areas and small towns. Talk to the people on the bus and in the stations and you will get a very unique perspective on folks and life, and lots of unique photo opportunities.
Enjoy!
Back to your original question -- my suggestions would be to get a 30-day pass for the Greyhound bus system (which you need to buy outside of the US, it's cheaper) -- if they still have those -- and criss-cross the rural areas and small towns. Talk to the people on the bus and in the stations and you will get a very unique perspective on folks and life, and lots of unique photo opportunities.
Enjoy!
Al Patterson
Ferroequinologist
Well, I did have some trouble in rural Georgia in the 1970's, but maybe I should have cut my hair and not driven a car with NJ tags. Everywhere I went, I was greeted with a friendly? greeting of "damnyankee"...
Now on later trips to Atlanta and Raleigh, I had a much better experience. 😉
kshapero
South Florida Man
Damn good idea for a photo trip.
Jonas
Established
By a General Lee and tank it up.
dan denmark
No Get Well cards please
i lived and worked for many years between Europe and the US... in Georgia for a few years (Augusta, Savannah) and found the culture there quite compelling and the strip of land from Charleston, S.C. down to Savannah particularly "old south" and fit for a camera as well as the soul. but i also lived and worked in Texas the last years before leaving the Europe/US job market permanently.
in 1980-81, after i left Denmark i took six weeks to drive (camping) with a 5x4 colour and an M3 bw from Charleston to L.A. and stayed to the very bottom of the states until Texas. then i went up through San Antonio, an amazing city, and then on through the backblocks of New Mexico, hiked the Grand canyon (whew!)....all in the first five weeks... and then pretty much scooted straight over to LA (la la land) and that was it, flew to Oz.
i travelled extensively with a camera across the South and while i think Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana are similar (but not in all cases the same and there will be disputes here, no doubt) and except for the deep south of Louisiana, Texas is diametrically a different culture altogether. in South Louisiana, i had three people stop to offer help when the Harley is was touring on threw a chain. and in Texas i blew a tyre and a truckie re-inflated it and followed me limping to the next town so i could get it repaired. no issues at anytime. but that was 1981. no one tried to "deliverance" me. but one lady in a station wagon in south Louisiana was very helpful, indeed... ah, youth.
sorry, back on tack. Texas is a "State of Mind" moreso than a State of the US. many if not most Texans see themselves as almost another country. this is as much a compliment as it is an observation. it was my favorite part of the south part of the US but it is not technically "the South." west Texas is amazing in its hold on old western culture...dance halls and menudo cook-offs.
the South is certainly an incredible and very often untravelled part of the US. as for Deliverance Country...it is and it isn't. this is possibly why it is so untravelled as a "tourist" route, can be scary if you are the scary type. this also means it is a great experience. and you can try out your French against the Cajun/Creoles and even some of the S.C./Georgia 'Geechees. as a pale-skinned northern european i didn't exactly blend in, and i had no issues, never thought of them...and i had seen Deliverance, by the way.
very friendly and warm people across there but also very protective and stand-backish until they sniff you out.
do it and do it bravely and with a smile and optimism. i'd do it again in a heartbeat...at 63. maybe not on a bike, though.
i keep thinking i'll scan those negs and put together some stuff as a memoir. i look at the contact sheets and they are a truly revealing account of a (then) fairly unrecorded part of the US. now i'm all nostalgic.
have a great trip. -dd
in 1980-81, after i left Denmark i took six weeks to drive (camping) with a 5x4 colour and an M3 bw from Charleston to L.A. and stayed to the very bottom of the states until Texas. then i went up through San Antonio, an amazing city, and then on through the backblocks of New Mexico, hiked the Grand canyon (whew!)....all in the first five weeks... and then pretty much scooted straight over to LA (la la land) and that was it, flew to Oz.
i travelled extensively with a camera across the South and while i think Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana are similar (but not in all cases the same and there will be disputes here, no doubt) and except for the deep south of Louisiana, Texas is diametrically a different culture altogether. in South Louisiana, i had three people stop to offer help when the Harley is was touring on threw a chain. and in Texas i blew a tyre and a truckie re-inflated it and followed me limping to the next town so i could get it repaired. no issues at anytime. but that was 1981. no one tried to "deliverance" me. but one lady in a station wagon in south Louisiana was very helpful, indeed... ah, youth.
sorry, back on tack. Texas is a "State of Mind" moreso than a State of the US. many if not most Texans see themselves as almost another country. this is as much a compliment as it is an observation. it was my favorite part of the south part of the US but it is not technically "the South." west Texas is amazing in its hold on old western culture...dance halls and menudo cook-offs.
the South is certainly an incredible and very often untravelled part of the US. as for Deliverance Country...it is and it isn't. this is possibly why it is so untravelled as a "tourist" route, can be scary if you are the scary type. this also means it is a great experience. and you can try out your French against the Cajun/Creoles and even some of the S.C./Georgia 'Geechees. as a pale-skinned northern european i didn't exactly blend in, and i had no issues, never thought of them...and i had seen Deliverance, by the way.
very friendly and warm people across there but also very protective and stand-backish until they sniff you out.
do it and do it bravely and with a smile and optimism. i'd do it again in a heartbeat...at 63. maybe not on a bike, though.
i keep thinking i'll scan those negs and put together some stuff as a memoir. i look at the contact sheets and they are a truly revealing account of a (then) fairly unrecorded part of the US. now i'm all nostalgic.
have a great trip. -dd
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Tuolumne
Veteran
Perhaps you should read "Gone with the Wind" (or watch the movie) and read "Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War" by Tony Horwitz, a wonderful book about Civil War re-enactors in the South. It will also give you a good overview of the ethos of the South and places to visit that haven't already been photographed to death.
/T
/T
pesphoto
Veteran
Ive travelled across the country...one word of advice, its a lot bigger than you may realize! ENjoy the trip!
wgerrard
Veteran
Elude, first of all, have a good time.
Staying off the Interstates is good advice. Use them only when you need to get from A to B as rapidly as possible. They are exactly the same as Motorways in the UK and whatever-they-are-called in France.
Do not underestimate the size of the U.S. Make sure you have an accurate underdtanding of the miles between where you are and where you want to be.
Much of the territory you are interested in is rural, some very, very rural. Don't count on being able to find decent overnight accomodations in the little town you just happened to drive into in the early evening. My recommendation: Book one day ahead. That is, each evening, decide where you want to stay the next night and get on the phone or the laptop and make reservations. (But, don't count on Wifi or another internet connection being available. Rent a U.S. cellphone with coverage for the area and carry maps and hotel/motel directories.)
B&B's exist in the U.S. -- not really noted for their economy -- but few independent or family-managed hotels exist. Almost certainly, you will stay at instances of chain hotels and motels, typically located at Interstate exchanges, in resort areas, or in the downtown areas of cities.
If it was me, I'd focus on the coastal areas of Lousiana, Mississippi and Alabama, then the mountains of east Tennessee and North Carolina (check out Asheville on the web) and the farm and horse country of central Kentucky around Lexington. Do go to at least one horse farm.
Meeting people: Be an extravert. Open your mouth and talk. People will talk back. Very likely, they will be surprised and happy to see a French tourist in their town. Buy the local newspapers in the little towns you visit. (They be in racks along the street, etc.) See what's going on. Expect to see lots of activities centered on local schools and clubs. In August, you will be in prime high school and amatuer baseball season.
Speaking of baseball, minor league teams will be in several of the cities on or near your itinerary. The major league Braves are in Atlanta. A very good minor league team is in Louisville, and Cincinnati in Ohio is home to the Reds, the oldest major league team in the country. (Cincinnati is about two or three hours north of Lexington, Kentucky, on the northern shore of the Ohio River.) Game tickets should be available at the gate except in the most unusual of circumstances.)
Where to eat: Many, many franchise and chain places are located pretty much everywhere. If you want to eat elsewhere, you may need to do a little research. Independent restaurants simply do not exist in many small American cities.
Do not be put off by stories of alleged American disdain towards the French. Most Americans have never met someone from France. We're really a pretty friendly bunch of folks.
Staying off the Interstates is good advice. Use them only when you need to get from A to B as rapidly as possible. They are exactly the same as Motorways in the UK and whatever-they-are-called in France.
Do not underestimate the size of the U.S. Make sure you have an accurate underdtanding of the miles between where you are and where you want to be.
Much of the territory you are interested in is rural, some very, very rural. Don't count on being able to find decent overnight accomodations in the little town you just happened to drive into in the early evening. My recommendation: Book one day ahead. That is, each evening, decide where you want to stay the next night and get on the phone or the laptop and make reservations. (But, don't count on Wifi or another internet connection being available. Rent a U.S. cellphone with coverage for the area and carry maps and hotel/motel directories.)
B&B's exist in the U.S. -- not really noted for their economy -- but few independent or family-managed hotels exist. Almost certainly, you will stay at instances of chain hotels and motels, typically located at Interstate exchanges, in resort areas, or in the downtown areas of cities.
If it was me, I'd focus on the coastal areas of Lousiana, Mississippi and Alabama, then the mountains of east Tennessee and North Carolina (check out Asheville on the web) and the farm and horse country of central Kentucky around Lexington. Do go to at least one horse farm.
Meeting people: Be an extravert. Open your mouth and talk. People will talk back. Very likely, they will be surprised and happy to see a French tourist in their town. Buy the local newspapers in the little towns you visit. (They be in racks along the street, etc.) See what's going on. Expect to see lots of activities centered on local schools and clubs. In August, you will be in prime high school and amatuer baseball season.
Speaking of baseball, minor league teams will be in several of the cities on or near your itinerary. The major league Braves are in Atlanta. A very good minor league team is in Louisville, and Cincinnati in Ohio is home to the Reds, the oldest major league team in the country. (Cincinnati is about two or three hours north of Lexington, Kentucky, on the northern shore of the Ohio River.) Game tickets should be available at the gate except in the most unusual of circumstances.)
Where to eat: Many, many franchise and chain places are located pretty much everywhere. If you want to eat elsewhere, you may need to do a little research. Independent restaurants simply do not exist in many small American cities.
Do not be put off by stories of alleged American disdain towards the French. Most Americans have never met someone from France. We're really a pretty friendly bunch of folks.
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elude
Some photographer
Very wise remarks have made this thread a most interesting piece. I have read all these posts, but I need to digest this and make some research before I get back to you with worthy answers.
Thank you all VERY much. I'm going to sleep on it for one night and discuss it with my lady friend who's also coming along. (We're both "intimate photographs" enthusiasts working with RFs)
Thank you all VERY much. I'm going to sleep on it for one night and discuss it with my lady friend who's also coming along. (We're both "intimate photographs" enthusiasts working with RFs)
wgerrard
Veteran
Elude, it seems that every time someone from Europe asks for suggestions about traveling in the American south, a lot of people who don't live there dredge up a lot of ancient memories and cliches about the place. Just ignore them and make up your own mind.
Please, do not read or watch "Gone With The Wind" or other American fiction about the Civil War. Most American movies, and many novels, give a very unrealistic impression of life in this country. (After all, judging from the French movies I've seen, all French people are thin, beautiful chain smokers who are awash in angst.) If you are interested in the history of a place, read some history.
Please, do not read or watch "Gone With The Wind" or other American fiction about the Civil War. Most American movies, and many novels, give a very unrealistic impression of life in this country. (After all, judging from the French movies I've seen, all French people are thin, beautiful chain smokers who are awash in angst.) If you are interested in the history of a place, read some history.
mwooten
light user
Everything you have read in this thread about the South is true. It is a land of contradictions. When I saw the time of year that you will be here I thought, "That poor boy. He just don't know how hot it gets in August." Once, I was talking to a woman who had moved to Columbia, SC from the western state of Montana. When she experienced her first summer in Columbia she thought she was ill because of all the sweating she was doing. Make sure the air-conditioner in both your rental car and hotel room work, and work well.
Cell phones don't always work where you want/need them to. As others have written, many of the areas you want to travel are rural, and most cell coverage is in cities and along the Interstate Highways.
I've always liked the DeLorme Atlas & Gazetter for a map. (LINK) They are very detailed. Get one for each state you plan on traveling through. Also, Michelin has its North American headquarters here in my town. You could possibly contact one of the French folks there for advice. I'm not sure who, but if you're interested let me know. I'll make a phone call or two, and see if I can come up with somebody.
If you make it to the upper part of South Carolina, let me know. I'll buy your supper.
(If you get yourself into trouble...my brother is an attorney in Atlanta.) 🙂
I hope you have a good time. It is always interesting to hear how visiting folks see what you've seen all of your life.
--michael
Cell phones don't always work where you want/need them to. As others have written, many of the areas you want to travel are rural, and most cell coverage is in cities and along the Interstate Highways.
I've always liked the DeLorme Atlas & Gazetter for a map. (LINK) They are very detailed. Get one for each state you plan on traveling through. Also, Michelin has its North American headquarters here in my town. You could possibly contact one of the French folks there for advice. I'm not sure who, but if you're interested let me know. I'll make a phone call or two, and see if I can come up with somebody.
If you make it to the upper part of South Carolina, let me know. I'll buy your supper.
(If you get yourself into trouble...my brother is an attorney in Atlanta.) 🙂
I hope you have a good time. It is always interesting to hear how visiting folks see what you've seen all of your life.
--michael
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