I grew up in Saskatchewan Canada but now live in the US- am amazed at how many Americans have no clue where that is - or even what country it is- had one person who thought it was in Sweden-another who actually said that she had a friend who lived in Canada but she didnt remember what street she lived on. -

That there's nothing to do in Cleveland. That Philly is one ugly city everybody's trying to get out of.

Both these places had time to improve by the time I actually checked these places out. There is quite a diverse array of activities Cleveland offers, and Philadelphia's Center City is one of the best downtowns I've walked.

As a native New Orleanian, I've met at least two visitors who had this idea we are surrounded by swamps, and have to get everywhere by boat.

New Jersey is much nicer than most people imagine. Lots of antique stores, farmer's markets etc.

Montana is much bigger when driving through than expected

I was once on a U.S. cross-country bus trip and was subjected to a very long conversation in which the man behind me was trying to explain to some other travelers (late teens/early twenties) that Washington State and Washington D.C. were not the same place

While in college, I did a half-cross-country Amtrak trip.

Somewhere in Colorado a guy who appeared to be of normal intelligence and likely to have had an adequate education meets me in the train aisle and says: "I've been looking at your sweatshirt. How do you pronounce that?"

I look down at my shirt to make sure I wasn't dreaming. My university-boosting shirt said "Iowa State."

I missed a beat. Then I said: "Sound it out. It's a state."

He says: "Oh, Iowa - they grow potatoes there, right?"

I kid you not.

I don't think he was looking at your shirt.

Did no one see the sad irony of BelleReve's August post? How are things going for you, Belle?

Hi Cassandra, I noticed the post regarding NO last night. It made me feel so bad. I too hope BellaReve is alright.

Came across the postings about geography. Can't believe people are so ill informed (read ignorant). But the true stories you tell convince me.

I am reminded of a conference attended where around the breakfast table we were trading Prairie Home Companion jokes, and one man who was from Minneapolis had never heard of the show...and he was a Lutheran pastor, too!

Yes, I did notice the posting about NO and thought of the irony. Wow.
ozarksbill

It happened to me again this morning.

I'm in San Diego for a few days on a combination business and pleasure trip. At breakfast in the hotel this morning I noticed a couple at the table next to me looking at a local map. Since I know the area quite well, I asked them if I could help them locate something.

This was a well-dressed, well-spoken, apparently intelligent couple in the late 50's or early 60's from the Boston area. They spoke English without accent so I assume they are native to the country. The man pointed out the windows to the low (500-700 feet) coastal hills and asked me, in all seriousness, "Are those the Rocky Mountains?". They were both amazed when I told them the Rockies were 800-1500 miles away depending on where in the Rockies was being considered.

You don't have to be an extensive traveller to know about geography and history of a certain location or country. My late g-ma got me into the habit of reading her 1950s encyclopedias to gain knowledge of different places and subjects. That made me get excellent grades in geography. I haven't been to San Francisco but know it is colder than LA. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that.

While in college I worked at an ocean view restaurant in Santa Cruz. Twice I had people ask me if the distant mountain range was Hawaii. I swear this is true. For those who don't know the distant mountain range is the Santa Lucias above Monterey and make up the Big Sur coastline.
It would be nice if Hawaii was that close tough.

On a business trip to our head office in Chicago, I opened my wallet and the people that were with me were astonished at the "pretty" Canadian money I had. They thought it was fake although why I'd be carrying around fake money, I don't know....

Then they asked me if we had Christmas in Canada.

viamar: sometimes the view of a verdant Mt. Umunhum from Los Gatos resembles something Hawaiian.

I remember once being in the company of an induhvidual through Europe who believed that talking slower and louder = better comprehension by the locals of his English.

This happened with an aunt of mine that was visiting us from Hungary. She arrived into JFK where we picked her up and drove her to our home. We live near Syracuse, NY, which is approx. 4 1/2 drive from JFK. She asked if we were still in the US or another country.

In Seattle, the folks who work in the Space Needle supposedly get asked on a regular basis, "Is that Japan over there?"

A friend of mine in California was asked by his English mother, traveling in Washington DC, if it would be OK if they drove over to see him that afternoon.

I've heard (probably apocryphal) stories of folks from the States showing up at Canadian border crossings in August with skis on the roof rack.

An aunt of mine once expressed a conviction that California and New Jersey shared a border. She also thought Israel was a city in the US.

Funniest of all was when I was walking in the North End in Boston, and the driver of a car asked me how to get to the Museum of Fine Art (which is way over in Fenway). Anyone familiar with Boston street patterns will appreciate how hard I laughed.

Nothing to do but pahk the cah and hop on the Green Line!

Fnarf, your aunt was right, there is an Israel in US in West Virginia. Now, calling it a city may be an overstatement, but there is such a place...

Yes, but she thought it was in South Virginia.