Come join us on this adventure
October 23, 2015 6:52 PM Subscribe
Rus (from Ukraine) and Alla (from Russia) just spent six months travelling the US in a Subaru and took lots of pretty pictures. They visited: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada
, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
If anybody needs a picture of squirrels humping in Bemidji, GOOD NEWS!
posted by Wolfdog at 7:19 PM on October 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Wolfdog at 7:19 PM on October 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
They hardly saw any of Oregon; pretty much only what they could see out their windows on I-5.
They missed their chance to go out to the Gorge!
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 7:36 PM on October 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
They missed their chance to go out to the Gorge!
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 7:36 PM on October 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
...looks like a Ford, not a Subie.
posted by leotrotsky at 7:37 PM on October 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by leotrotsky at 7:37 PM on October 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Lol at them calling people in Duluth, MN the most cold-intolerant people because they have skyways connecting the buildings to protect them from the frozen hellscape of winter that is northern Minnesota*.
*regularly colder than Siberia (country) and sometimes colder than Mars (distant planet)
posted by triggerfinger at 7:38 PM on October 23, 2015 [11 favorites]
*regularly colder than Siberia (country) and sometimes colder than Mars (distant planet)
posted by triggerfinger at 7:38 PM on October 23, 2015 [11 favorites]
One of the most beautiful lakes in America – Lake Tahoe, with water so clear that from pier you can easily see the lakebed.
posted by growabrain at 7:39 PM on October 23, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by growabrain at 7:39 PM on October 23, 2015 [5 favorites]
When did Niagara Falls move to Michigan?
--
Beautiful pictures, and jealous they've seen much more of NA than I have + wherever else they've lived/visited. But what's the longest they stayed in one area? Cos that's a fair amount of driving, and a lot of us are going to have similar thoughts: "But hey, the passed through so quickly, they missed so-and-so."
posted by NorthernLite at 7:40 PM on October 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
--
Beautiful pictures, and jealous they've seen much more of NA than I have + wherever else they've lived/visited. But what's the longest they stayed in one area? Cos that's a fair amount of driving, and a lot of us are going to have similar thoughts: "But hey, the passed through so quickly, they missed so-and-so."
posted by NorthernLite at 7:40 PM on October 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Idaho looks damn beautiful, doesn't it?
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 7:41 PM on October 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 7:41 PM on October 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
A Russian and a Ukrainian watching a native American show a Japanese tourist how to take a photo of an Arizona canyon. I've got nothing to add...
posted by jim in austin at 7:51 PM on October 23, 2015
posted by jim in austin at 7:51 PM on October 23, 2015
Something about the not-quite-perfect English makes these utterly charming. For example, in Chicago: A nice backside of an elderly skyscraper.
posted by shakespeherian at 7:56 PM on October 23, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by shakespeherian at 7:56 PM on October 23, 2015 [4 favorites]
WHAT NO ARKANSAS?
posted by echocollate at 8:19 PM on October 23, 2015
posted by echocollate at 8:19 PM on October 23, 2015
Their enthusiasm for the TV show Fargo bleeding into the North Dakota and Minnesota portions of the trip was adorable.
The description of Englewood in Chicago less so (I'm guessing that the fire hydrant was 'busted' because it's a good way to cool off in the summer, guys)
posted by dinty_moore at 8:23 PM on October 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
The description of Englewood in Chicago less so (I'm guessing that the fire hydrant was 'busted' because it's a good way to cool off in the summer, guys)
posted by dinty_moore at 8:23 PM on October 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Idaho looks damn beautiful, doesn't it?
This hot spring looks like a great place to soak.
posted by homunculus at 8:43 PM on October 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
This hot spring looks like a great place to soak.
posted by homunculus at 8:43 PM on October 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
How'd they visit NH and ME without going to either VT or MA? (Or maybe the list in the post isn't comprehensive).
(Oops, missed VT on the list. Carry on).
posted by AwkwardPause at 9:18 PM on October 23, 2015
(Oops, missed VT on the list. Carry on).
posted by AwkwardPause at 9:18 PM on October 23, 2015
I'm always sad when the "South Dakota" portion of a roadtrip photo-set includes nothing but a swing through the far edge of the badlands and a trip to Mount Rushmore. Like that one corner is the whole state. Especially with the one person being Ukrainian, South Dakota's iconic flat horizon of corn with blue sky is literally the same thing as the inspiration for their flag (well, replace corn with wheat. You get the picture.). My grandparent's families moved there from Ukraine on the strength of a letter that said as much.
posted by neonrev at 10:23 PM on October 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by neonrev at 10:23 PM on October 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
I clicked Oregon first, and was surprised to see Lynnwood and several Seattle pix, a shot of Portland from the I-5 bridge, and a bunch of shots from, yes OK, a really neat little place in S OR, and then N CA. They were in a hurry so they skipped a large, beautiful state entirely.
I'm not sure how the rest of the comments went as they traveled but this bugged me: "50. What will become of the children who grow up here? Will they become like their parents – alcoholics and druggies? What do they have here, apart from this old damn bar?" A bar they found charming enough to hang in and the proprietor happy to have them? Yes I know there's more context but it seemed sorta mean.
The other linked I clicked was Washington, and was delighted to see and hear nice things about my home. Apparently his parents live nearby. They seemed to have managed to pass through the north central part of the state when the wildfires were at their worst, so the photos give a good idea of what was going on here during that time. Spokane was far from the fires and the smoke drift there was very dense. The Washington thread was really disjointed chronologically, but worth looking at nonetheless, especially Rus' charming mother preparing a sumptuous meal. I want to eat there and ogle the draperies.
posted by wallabear at 10:32 PM on October 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'm not sure how the rest of the comments went as they traveled but this bugged me: "50. What will become of the children who grow up here? Will they become like their parents – alcoholics and druggies? What do they have here, apart from this old damn bar?" A bar they found charming enough to hang in and the proprietor happy to have them? Yes I know there's more context but it seemed sorta mean.
The other linked I clicked was Washington, and was delighted to see and hear nice things about my home. Apparently his parents live nearby. They seemed to have managed to pass through the north central part of the state when the wildfires were at their worst, so the photos give a good idea of what was going on here during that time. Spokane was far from the fires and the smoke drift there was very dense. The Washington thread was really disjointed chronologically, but worth looking at nonetheless, especially Rus' charming mother preparing a sumptuous meal. I want to eat there and ogle the draperies.
posted by wallabear at 10:32 PM on October 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Also, if you're ever considering a trip to SD to see Mt. Rushmore, let me save you a trip. It sucks and it's not worth it. I'm not saying don't come to South Dakota, please do, we have many things to do and see (and we need those tourist dollars), I'm just saying don't go to Mt. Rushmore. Don't even take the quick way and see it from the road. Stay away from it. Go to Sylvan Lake, it's nearby, it's stunning, and it's a trail head for both Harney Peak, the highest summit east of the Rockies and the Needles, another great hike. Go to Deadwood, it's actually Deadwood, that's a real town and not made up, I promise. They have casinos and it's real touristy, but it's still the actual town of Deadwood. There are fossils of Mammoths to see, fantastic caves, a burgeoning wine community and I'm only talking the Black Hill so far. Come visit us on the East side of the river and I'll show you places to stand where the horizon is due to the curvature of the earth more than hills or trees. It's actually not all that boring.
Just don't fucking go to Mount Rushmore. Think about what it is for a second. The Black Hills are a pretty sacred area to the local Sioux folks. They sit pretty much at the center of the territory that was stolen from the Sioux. There was a treaty explicitly stating that the lands were theirs forever. They got taken over piece by piece until they ended up with what they got now. About a decade and a half later, the people who took that land decide to carve up one of the mountains into some faces. After seriously considering 'Western Heroes" like Buffalo Bill, they settled on American Presidents. Then the sculptor, best known for working on the Confederate carving on Stone Mountain got to work sloppily blowing up a mountain for two decades. Mount Rushmore is a gigantic middle finger to the Sioux in particular and every native person in general. I really hate it. Don't go there, don't help make it more popular.
Mount Rushmore is only a symbol of successful oppression and genocide. I'm depressed every time I click on a set of photos of SD and one of the primary is of that. It's embarrassing. Stop going there, non-South Dakotans. We certainly don't, it's also incredibly boring. It's some fucking faces.
posted by neonrev at 10:59 PM on October 23, 2015 [15 favorites]
Just don't fucking go to Mount Rushmore. Think about what it is for a second. The Black Hills are a pretty sacred area to the local Sioux folks. They sit pretty much at the center of the territory that was stolen from the Sioux. There was a treaty explicitly stating that the lands were theirs forever. They got taken over piece by piece until they ended up with what they got now. About a decade and a half later, the people who took that land decide to carve up one of the mountains into some faces. After seriously considering 'Western Heroes" like Buffalo Bill, they settled on American Presidents. Then the sculptor, best known for working on the Confederate carving on Stone Mountain got to work sloppily blowing up a mountain for two decades. Mount Rushmore is a gigantic middle finger to the Sioux in particular and every native person in general. I really hate it. Don't go there, don't help make it more popular.
Mount Rushmore is only a symbol of successful oppression and genocide. I'm depressed every time I click on a set of photos of SD and one of the primary is of that. It's embarrassing. Stop going there, non-South Dakotans. We certainly don't, it's also incredibly boring. It's some fucking faces.
posted by neonrev at 10:59 PM on October 23, 2015 [15 favorites]
'Papa with his two daughters are observing the aftermath of papa’s inattentiveness in the town of Belleville'
posted by clavdivs at 11:54 PM on October 23, 2015
posted by clavdivs at 11:54 PM on October 23, 2015
the aggressive glares of young loafers surrounding our car, and a homie in blue shorts, who just jumped on our car hood – Englewood – one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Chicago.
Going to write that one off to english as a second language, but driving around shitty neighbourhoods for a thrill, taking pictures of people on the street (I'm assuming without asking first), then writing that....
and trying to fly their camera drone on Michigan Avenue.....the FAA can't rule on that one fast enough.
Otherwise, lovely to have some nice pictures from some of Putin's subjects
posted by C.A.S. at 12:00 AM on October 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
Going to write that one off to english as a second language, but driving around shitty neighbourhoods for a thrill, taking pictures of people on the street (I'm assuming without asking first), then writing that....
and trying to fly their camera drone on Michigan Avenue.....the FAA can't rule on that one fast enough.
Otherwise, lovely to have some nice pictures from some of Putin's subjects
posted by C.A.S. at 12:00 AM on October 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
> This hot spring looks like a great place to soak.
Here's another group's trip to Goldbug Hot Springs if anyone's interested (nsfw).
posted by homunculus at 12:47 AM on October 24, 2015
Here's another group's trip to Goldbug Hot Springs if anyone's interested (nsfw).
posted by homunculus at 12:47 AM on October 24, 2015
Just so everyone is aware, this is not a quick visit:
About us
Rus, born and raised in Ukraine, and Alla, born and raised in Russia, are the authors of the Our Home World project. We have lived in Washington state for the majority of our time in US (Rus – 19 years and Alla – 16) and spent the last four years living in Hawaii.
posted by nevercalm at 7:02 AM on October 24, 2015
About us
Rus, born and raised in Ukraine, and Alla, born and raised in Russia, are the authors of the Our Home World project. We have lived in Washington state for the majority of our time in US (Rus – 19 years and Alla – 16) and spent the last four years living in Hawaii.
posted by nevercalm at 7:02 AM on October 24, 2015
Some lovely photos, thanks for the post! (But what have they got against Massachusetts? We've got great scenery too!)
> Otherwise, lovely to have some nice pictures from some of Putin's subjects
One of them is from Ukraine and probably wouldn't appreciate being called "Putin's subject." Also, do we have to drag politics into everyfuckingthing?
posted by languagehat at 7:22 AM on October 24, 2015 [4 favorites]
> Otherwise, lovely to have some nice pictures from some of Putin's subjects
One of them is from Ukraine and probably wouldn't appreciate being called "Putin's subject." Also, do we have to drag politics into everyfuckingthing?
posted by languagehat at 7:22 AM on October 24, 2015 [4 favorites]
What they're doing has some charm. They have some interesting photos especially from the camera drone that are different angles on some things not normally seen that way.
Despite the good parts and fascination of seeing things from Russian/Ukrainian outsider's viewpoints, reading over the a month or so of random posts makes me ambivalent to read more.
It makes it obvious to me that I prefer staying in a place for at least a little time--and understanding a bit more--rather than having to do drive-bys on entire states they "visit" (Oregon, for example). Oh and bothering with Apple or any tech company's HQ is mostly a waste of time unless you have an office building fetish, though I suppose they do have a store.
Btw, I believe they also offer a completely wrong "information" tidbit about SLC and Utah venues serving alcohol. Utah does not require you to "sign in" if you go someplace serving alcohol so they can track you (unless something changed since I lived there). It is most likely they went to a private club rather than a public bar. There are limited numbers of liquor licenses given out by the state and they can be difficult to get right away, so my understanding is many venues desiring to serve alcohol go the "private club" route to use a legal loophole. Private clubs require signing up for membership (sometimes for a fee or require someone to nominate you--usually on the spot, some other customer already there). In any case, still messed up, but they probably just signed themselves up for "membership" in some "private club" when they went to a bar.
Btw, for the person who asked, it looks like they went back to Boston just recently. The navigation between entries, at least on the mobile version isn't good. I had to manually change the Url with different dates to see things. Their intro piece didn't load for me and the first section directly jumped to week 4 or something without good nav to adjacent entries. It's another reason I gave up after a little while.
posted by clickingmongrel at 7:46 AM on October 24, 2015
Despite the good parts and fascination of seeing things from Russian/Ukrainian outsider's viewpoints, reading over the a month or so of random posts makes me ambivalent to read more.
It makes it obvious to me that I prefer staying in a place for at least a little time--and understanding a bit more--rather than having to do drive-bys on entire states they "visit" (Oregon, for example). Oh and bothering with Apple or any tech company's HQ is mostly a waste of time unless you have an office building fetish, though I suppose they do have a store.
Btw, I believe they also offer a completely wrong "information" tidbit about SLC and Utah venues serving alcohol. Utah does not require you to "sign in" if you go someplace serving alcohol so they can track you (unless something changed since I lived there). It is most likely they went to a private club rather than a public bar. There are limited numbers of liquor licenses given out by the state and they can be difficult to get right away, so my understanding is many venues desiring to serve alcohol go the "private club" route to use a legal loophole. Private clubs require signing up for membership (sometimes for a fee or require someone to nominate you--usually on the spot, some other customer already there). In any case, still messed up, but they probably just signed themselves up for "membership" in some "private club" when they went to a bar.
Btw, for the person who asked, it looks like they went back to Boston just recently. The navigation between entries, at least on the mobile version isn't good. I had to manually change the Url with different dates to see things. Their intro piece didn't load for me and the first section directly jumped to week 4 or something without good nav to adjacent entries. It's another reason I gave up after a little while.
posted by clickingmongrel at 7:46 AM on October 24, 2015
So I guess Utah liquor laws are more complicated than I thought and have changed for places serving food in addition to mainly alcohol. http://www.sltrib.com/themix/ci_12721457 Now they can simply keep records of entrants for 7 days rather than requiring private clubs to charge membership fees and create and track memberships.
posted by clickingmongrel at 8:00 AM on October 24, 2015
posted by clickingmongrel at 8:00 AM on October 24, 2015
Their enthusiasm for the TV show Fargo bleeding into the North Dakota and Minnesota portions of the trip was adorable.
Fargo is filmed in and around Calgary. Nowhere even remotely near MN or ND.
posted by ethnomethodologist at 9:14 AM on October 24, 2015
Fargo is filmed in and around Calgary. Nowhere even remotely near MN or ND.
posted by ethnomethodologist at 9:14 AM on October 24, 2015
When did Niagara Falls move to Michigan?
Not long after Halifax moved to Maine, apparently.
Also yes, definitely a Ford, not a Subaru.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 9:28 AM on October 24, 2015
Not long after Halifax moved to Maine, apparently.
Also yes, definitely a Ford, not a Subaru.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 9:28 AM on October 24, 2015
Yes, but Fargo is unsurprisingly set in Fargo, and somewhat more surprisingly set in Bemidji and Duluth.
posted by dinty_moore at 9:30 AM on October 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by dinty_moore at 9:30 AM on October 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
do we have to drag politics into everyfuckingthing
One of them is from Ukraine and probably wouldn't appreciate being called "Putin's subject."
Depends on which part of Ukraine. Anyway, that's not politics, its an ironic point. I don't think locals in Englewood appreciate having their picture taken as if on exhibit, and being described as young loafers surrounding our car, and a homie in blue shorts
That was my point.
posted by C.A.S. at 10:31 AM on October 24, 2015
One of them is from Ukraine and probably wouldn't appreciate being called "Putin's subject."
Depends on which part of Ukraine. Anyway, that's not politics, its an ironic point. I don't think locals in Englewood appreciate having their picture taken as if on exhibit, and being described as young loafers surrounding our car, and a homie in blue shorts
That was my point.
posted by C.A.S. at 10:31 AM on October 24, 2015
The irony is entirely in your head. They're going places, taking pictures, and writing about what they took pictures of, just like everybody else who goes places. You don't seem to like their pictures or words, but different strokes. It has nothing to do with Putin, and I think locals everywhere are pretty used to having their picture taken "as if on exhibit" (sheesh!) by now.
posted by languagehat at 1:52 PM on October 24, 2015
posted by languagehat at 1:52 PM on October 24, 2015
Uh. No. That description was racist and their presence there smacked of disaster tourism. "Ooh, I'm in a dangerous place with crumbling infrastructure and openly hostile people", when really, it looks like they were driving through a purposefully open hydrant that people were using to cool off, and in which case it's a shitty idea to drive down that street (because kids are probably playing in it!)
posted by dinty_moore at 2:07 PM on October 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by dinty_moore at 2:07 PM on October 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
Totally racist.
"aggressive stares of young loafers. homie in blue shorts."
come on.
Of course it has noting to do with Putin. The irony isn't in my head, its in my calling these guys Putin's subjects which, as you point out, they might not appreciate. Nor would those Englewood residents appreciate being called loafers or "homies".
posted by C.A.S. at 2:54 PM on October 24, 2015
"aggressive stares of young loafers. homie in blue shorts."
come on.
Of course it has noting to do with Putin. The irony isn't in my head, its in my calling these guys Putin's subjects which, as you point out, they might not appreciate. Nor would those Englewood residents appreciate being called loafers or "homies".
posted by C.A.S. at 2:54 PM on October 24, 2015
I'm sorry the world and the people who travel in it and write about it don't live up to you folks' high-minded expectations of universal understanding and all-embracing sympathy. Your lives must be difficult indeed.
posted by languagehat at 11:59 AM on October 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by languagehat at 11:59 AM on October 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
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