Tampa: A Brave New (Low-Cost) World

I’m from Massachusetts, which is located in New England, so by default I have this inexplicable disdain for all things southern. We northerners think of ourselves as superior to our neighbors to the south, and we also fear southerners for their guns and confederate flags and pickup trucks. To a Yankee like me, the South is truly a terrifying and exotic place.

But then there’s Florida, a state which confuses northerners (myself included) because it’s not only the southern-most state in the US – and likewise home to numerous toothless hillbillies – but it’s also a huge colony for Octogenarians from New Jersey, as well as Cubans, who probably intended to move to New York but Florida turned out to be closer and more convenient so they just stayed. It’s also a major tourist destination for Northerners, and (since the tourists come for the weather and the theme parks and not to celebrate southern cultural achievements) the state does a good job of hiding the hillbillies and taming their drawls, giving many the impression that they’re not in the South at all, but rather in an unusually warm part of Long Island.

Something Fishy in Atlanta

The Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta is pretty sweet. It’s got whale sharks, beluga whales, and lots of other marine and freshwater animals that are just begging to be stared at. Chris and I had a great time there (even though it cost us a devastating $27 each to get in). We spent hours staring through the massive glass walls that stretched for dozens of feet and even curved up over our heads so we could look at the underbellies of various swimming beasts. It also has a few river otters, and we’re total suckers for river otters.