World's biggest ball of yarn! The snuggie! The cronut! Yes, I'm talking about the good ol' US of A, the land of the free and the home of the whopper.
This great country of ours is known for some truly amazing things; We were the first to fly an airplane, the first to land on the moon (we really took that flight thing seriously), we cured Polio and invented the computer, but there are also some facts about our great nation that are more odd than extraordinary, such as:
- Alabama boasts not one, but two "lighting portraits", that is, pictures of people that were etched in glass when lightning struck. I wonder if this feature will be available on the IPhone 7?
- While it is perfectly legal to shoot bears in Alaska, it is illegal to wake a sleeping bear for the purpose of taking a picture. Of course, if you woke a sleeping bear, odds are, you'd have to shoot it…
- For $700 a night you can stay in a hotel room under the Grand Canyon in Peach springs, Arizona. Seems odd, but then again, how else would you convince people to vacation in Peach springs?
- Arkansas is the only state where you can mine your own diamonds. You know, in case Tiffany's is closed.
- In California (and three other states) ladies' night is illegal on the grounds of gender discrimination. See? This is why I don't live there anymore…
- It's easier to get drunk in Denver, Colorado on account of the thin air. Legal weed? Fast acting alcohol? Something tells me Colorado is about to experience a population boom…
- In Connecticut, it is illegal for imbeciles (their word, not mine) to marry other imbeciles. Who do I talk to about making this a national law?
- Delaware's state color is buff. And Delaware has a state color because…
- In Florida it is illegal for unmarried couples to live together. Brendan Freeman (my cousin who lives in FL) be advised!
- The city of Atlanta (Georgia) has 55 streets named peach tree. Type that into your GPS, I dare ya.
- The big island of Hawaii (the main island) is getting bigger due to volcanic eruptions. Too bad this isn't happening in NY, we could really use the space!
- In 2004 the mayor of Wallace, Idaho declared Wallace, Idaho the center of the universe. If you think about it, it makes sense that the center of the universe would be Idaho, it's the last place anyone would think to look…
- Illinois has the only river that flows backwards. So it's not just their pizza that's backwards?
- Indiana has a state poem. I'm guessing this is an attempt to out do Delaware's "state color" thing…
- Iowa hosts the annual hobo convention. I could not possibly make that up…
- That ball of yarn mentioned above? It's in Kansas. Wonder if they also have giant knitting needles?
- Middlesboro, Kentucky is the only city in the US to be built inside a meteor crater. Wouldn't this be a better location for the Air and Space museum?
- In Louisiana, you can be fined $500 for having pizzas delivered to someone without their permission. So if you're planning a prank, stick to whoopee cushions.
- In Maine, you can be charged a fine for leaving your Christmas decorations up past Jan.14. Now, if they have a law about not starting Christmas music until Dec. I'm moving!
- Jousting is the official sport of Maryland. Well, maybe if the Orioles made the World Series more than once every other decade…
- In Massachusetts, it is illegal to make clam chowder with tomatoes. It should be illegal to make clam chowder with tomatoes everywhere.
- Michigan is home to the world's only floating post office. Imagine how often they lose mail!
- Minnesota's state nickname is the "hipster" state. That should tell you all you need to know…
- Mississippi's state beverage is milk. Okay, a state color? fine. State poem? whatever, but a state beverage that isn't alcohol? Be serious…
- Richland, Missouri is the only place in the US with a restaurant in a cave. Hmm, underground hotel, cave dining…I'm sensing a theme here…
- In Montana, it is illegal for a wife to open her husband's mail. Is this true the other way around?
- In Nebraska, a common title of places (movie theaters, etc) is "Nebraska" backwards (Aksarben). Because when you live in Nebraska, you have time for stuff like that…
- If you add all of the numbers on a standard roulette wheel in Las Vegas (Nevada) you get the number 666. Hey, they don't call it "sin" city for nothing!
- The potato is New Hampshire's state vegetable. This is getting out of hand…
- In New Jersey, police officers are allowed to give out "get out of traffic tickets free" cards (known as PBA cards). This is the only good reason I've heard of to live there…
- In New Mexico, it is illegal to dance while wearing a sombrero. Why else would you wear a sombrero?
- New York City was once the nation's capital. Just sayin…
- The box turtle is the state reptile of North Carolina. Give it a rest people…
- In Fargo (North Dakota), it is illegal to wear a hat to a party. Naturally.
- The largest comical burial ground is in Ohio. What's so funny about it?
- It is illegal to get a tattoo in Oklahoma. Remember this if you're planning on moving to Oklahoma…yeah, right, who moves to Oklahoma?
- The world's largest log cabin is in Oregon. Perhaps this is where maple syrup is stored?
- Centralia, Pennsylvania has been on fire since 1962. And there are 10 people still living there! Now, that's what I call hometown loyalty!
- The official state bird of Rhode Island is the chicken. Enough people!
- In 1969 it rained nondairy creamer on the town of Chester, South Carolina due to a problem with the manufacturing plant's exhaust system. Coffee drinkers throughout the town rejoiced.
- South Dakota hosts an annual mashed potato wrestling contest. Whoever wrote the rhyme "baby, baby, stick your head in gravy…" was most likely from South Dakota.
- In Tennessee, it is illegal to post anything on your Facebook wall that might cause "extreme emotional distress". So, I'm assuming no one in Tennessee under the age of 25 uses Facebook?
- The world's largest parking lot is in Dallas/Fort Worth (Texas). Funny, I thought that was highway 405 in LA…
- Jell-o is the official state snack of Utah. What'd you expect from a state that was dry until, like, yesterday.
- Vermont's state insect is the honey bee. Really? State insect? Sigh.
- In Virginia, the academic calendar is largely determined by theme parks. As long as they have their priorities in order…
- Washington state (D.C is not a state folks) contains the world's largest car collection. Presumably owned by Jay Leno.
- West Virginia is both the southernmost northern state and the northernmost southern state. Wait, what?
- The spelling capital of the world is said to be Bonduel, Wisconsin. Which explains why I don't live there…
- Wyoming's state dinosaur is the triceratops. A state dinosaur? Now that's badass!
