Last year I took one of my “detour” trips. We’re still on our RV trip, but I needed to go to California for business. I guess you could call that, a “trip within a trip.” And since I was already off to CA, why not add in some sightseeing too? So it turned into a “trip within a trip within a trip.”
I flew from New Orleans to Los Angeles, spent a couple days there, and drove the Pacific Coast Highway North to San Jose.
While I was in LA, I took a city tour with some Australian tourists. When hearing I was from Northern Virginia, one asked “So, are you a tobacco farmer?” He asked with a totally straight face, which was answered by a totally confused look on my face. It got me thinking: What do others picture when you tell them where you’re from?
He equated “Northern Virginia” with “tobacco farming.” I looked it up – tobacco was definitely produced all over Virginia although it was mostly towards the South in the Piedmont area. I can kill a plant by just looking at it. I’ll stick to computers.
Northern Virginia Perception “Tobacco” by Brian Sterling |
Northern Virginia Reality “Traffic after the fireworks” by Elvert Barnes |
As a Northern Virginia native, I think of technology, government contracting, wine, horses, ham, and even peanuts before I think of tobacco.
I can understand it though; I’ve traveled many places and often what I expect isn’t even close to reality. I’ll share my most embarrassingly incorrect perception so you won’t feel silly about any of yours.
The first time I visited Arizona:
Arizona Perception “Erg Chebbi Dunes” by Scott Presly |
Arizona Reality “Sonoran Desert” by Rachel Wright |
What were your incorrect travel misconceptions?
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