It is rare for people to leave the beaten path in their own country
“The United States, as I have before observed, comprehend an immense extent of territory, with a population running from a state of refinement down to one of positive barbarism; and although the Americans travel much, they travel the well beaten paths, in which that which is peculiar is not so likely to meet the eye or even the ear. It does not, therefore, follow that because what I remark is new to many of them, that therefore it is false. The inhabitants of the cities in the United States, (and it is those who principally visit this country), know as little of what is passing in Arkansas and Alabama as a cockney does of the manners and customs of Guernsey, Jersey, and the Isle of Man.”
–Captain Frederick Marryat, Diary in America (1839)
October 3rd, 2011 at 6:09 am
Less true today than when this was written nevertheless many travellers who adventure overseas have not explored their own country.
October 3rd, 2011 at 8:44 am
People think they already know what goes on in Flyover Country and you are not going to impress anyone with your visit to Keokuk. There is no snob value in seeing your own country.
I was once that way myself, until I had to spend a week entertaining myself in southeastern Iowa and found what an amazing place it was, in addition to everyone speaking English and the water being safe to drink.
October 3rd, 2011 at 11:38 am
The United States is blessed with lots of wilderness areas to explore-we should take advantage of it.
October 5th, 2011 at 8:37 am
@Sage. Good point. And while you’re at it, talk to the people who live around there full time. Even if you went to see the wolves, it might be interesting to talk to some ranchers, too. (A good way to do that might be to never drink coffee any place that serves lattes.) You might, of course, wind up deciding that everyplace is interesting, which introduces problems of its own.
October 5th, 2011 at 4:00 pm
I do think this is still true today. Just look at all the people crowding the same tourist spots in NYC year after year – in a huge city like that, although it’s not wilderness, there are still hundreds of corners that both international and American travelers (and even some New Yorkers) haven’t seen. We just wrote a blog post about this exact topic – going off the beaten path in a tourist city!