INTRODUCTION TO: THE 9 REGIONS OF THE U.S.

REGIONS OF THE UNITED STATES
SUMMARY & OVERVIEW

 I have sectioned off the U.S. into 9 different regions in order to be able to share stories from the road as well as tidbits of info to make your trip planning easier and more enjoyable.   Hopefully, you’ll find this is an easy way to locate information as you plan your trip and / or find yourself in a given region.

Just for fun I thought we’d take a very quick peek at each of our nine American regions and the landscapes and natural wonders that they offer the traveler. With an apology for the rather ‘advertising brochure’ approach (as well as not including Alaska, Hawaii, Virgin Islands and American Samoa areas that you’d probably not take your trailer to anyway), I’ve summarized each region with an overview to give you little idea of what you could potentially see and some idea of what you can expect as you venture into a particular area of the country. In the following section you’ll find a little more detail on some of the main types of terrain that you might encounter in your travels. Nowhere else in the world can you see so much variety in one country than in America the Beautiful (and a little bit of Canada)!

REGION 1: NEW EUROPE
Maine * Vermont
New Brunswick
Nova Scotia
Province of Québec

I like to call this area of the country ‘New Europe’ because the influence left by early European settlers is still felt there today. This area has been occupied by the British, the Scots, the Acadians and the French. Much of the architecture, art, food, language etc…reflects that ‘Old World’ feeling. Whenever I am really missing Europe, we can pack up the Little Guy and just head up to Québec City! This region also has so much to offer to nature lovers. Here you will find the world’s highest tides, incredible bays and islands, volcanoes, beautiful forests and my favorite thing ever: PUFFINS! (I actually designed a 22-day trip to this area just to see these adorable birds that resemble a cross between a parrot and a penguin!)  Truly a nature lover’s Paradise!    

REGION 2: NEW ENGLAND AND THE ORIGINAL COLONIES 

Virginia * New York * Massachusetts * Maryland / Washington D.C.
Rhode Island * Connecticut * New Hampshire * Delaware * North Carolina
South Carolina * New Jersey * Pennsylvania * Georgia

I can only imagine what the first settlers thought when they initially arrived on the eastern shores of the New World. New England has some of the most beautiful autumns in the world but also some of the coldest and harshest winters in the country. New England has it all! Lovely and sometimes rocky coastlines, mountains and forests. New England is full of small states where you can see mountains and the ocean on the same day. You can also drive through several states on that same day. These states are home to our Founding Fathers and the world that was known to those who fought and died to create this new and free nation. Imagine their lives as they farmed the fertile grounds here, fought the rough winters, learned to share space with the Native Americans, fought to create a new type of government and enjoyed the beauty of this New World. There is so much to see and experience in this Region!

REGION 3: THE DEEP SOUTH
Florida * Alabama* Mississippi * Louisiana * Arkansas

Brought into the United States through the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, The Deep South has had its struggles with slavery, war and poverty. Left with the remnants of language and beliefs from the French and from the slave trade, the South welcomes visitors with its colorful history, a painter’s pallet during the fall foliage and a sea of color in the spring when the flowers are all in bloom. The South is also a fisherman’s paradise. She plays host to many different bodies of water, from the Gulf Coast to the Atlantic, up the Mighty Mississippi and down endless other rivers, swamps, deltas and lakes. Here you’ll find the trees, flowers, birds and reptiles that you’d be hard pressed to find elsewhere. Here you can also find insects large enough to carry you away, so wear your repellent!

REGION 4: BLUE GRASS COUNTRY
Kentucky * Tennessee * Ohio * West Virginia

Located in the heart of the Blue Ridge, Allegheny & Great Smoky Mountain Ranges, the Blue Grass Region is where mountain music and country music have their roots. Here you’ll find beautiful rolling hills, horse farms, mountains and plateaus with incredible scenic overviews. You’ll also find…well….blue grass!

REGION 5: THE BREADBASKET
Oklahoma * Missouri * Nebraska * Kansas * Iowa

With some help from the sequestered Native Americans, the Central Midwest Breadbasket region of the U.S. is home to some our largest food producing farms and ranches. The plains located here have a unique beauty all their own, and there’s lots of history to go along with them! Where else can you find the ‘Largest Ball of Twine’ museum, the museum of ‘Barbed Wire’ or ‘The World’s Largest Collection of the World’s Smallest Versions of the World’s Largest Things’ museum but in Kansas?! The Breadbasket is also where you will find some of the country’s deepest and most stunning caves. Enjoy the plains, rolling hills, caves, oddities and history of the Breadbasket! While you’re there, stop at a local ‘mom & pop’ diner for some homemade bread and jam and a juicy steak!

REGION 6: THE GREAT LAKES
Michigan * Indiana * Wisconsin * Minnesota * Illinois

It’s pretty obvious what you are going to find in the Great Lakes Region. Great Big Lakes! Even though they are all freshwater lakes, they have been referred to as inland seas because of their ocean-like characteristics. Here you’ll learn a little bit about each of the Great Lakes in addition to some general information about the surrounding geology, waterfalls and forests.

REGION 7: THE OLD WEST
North Dakota * South Dakota * Wyoming * Montana * Colorado * Nevada

The Wild Wild West conjures up images of cowboys, gunfights, Indians, saloons and gold mines. Our minds wander onto the plains, up into the mountains and out into the deserts where bandits wait to jump the next stagecoach or train in search of loot! So much intriguing history awaits the traveler journeying into the Old West, but so does her magnificent mountain ranges, plains and deserts.

REGION 8: THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
Washington * Oregon * Idaho * Northern California

It’s hard to believe that you can drive from the peaks of the Grand Tetons to the Washington State rainforest coastline in just 16 hours!
The Pacific Northwest is an area like no other. It is home to North America’s only true rain forest and is packed with national forests. There you’ll find giant cypress, spruce and redwood trees large enough to drive through! Washington’s northern coast boasts of some of the most beautiful seascapes in the country and Oregon’s coast offers gorgeous sunsets, the largest stretch of coastal sand dunes in North America, whale migration routes, many lighthouses and the world’s largest sea caves that you can actually go down into and hang out with hundreds of sea lions. Enjoy the Redwoods of Northern California and the fertile valleys of some of the world’s best wineries in the Napa and Sonoma Valleys.

REGION 9: THE SOUTHWEST
Central & Southern California * Texas * Arizona * Utah * New Mexico

The American Southwest sure does have its share of natural wonders and National Parks! Chocked full of mesas, caverns, deserts, arches, sand dunes, monuments and red rocks, the American southwest has always drawn in travelers for its unusual rock and sand formations, incredible distinctiveness and unusual scenery. Here you will also find the history of the people who first inhabited the area and can actually see their ancient dwelling places and rock art. Here are the roots of the Hispanic, Latino and American Indian cultures with lots of ruins and artifacts to discover and enjoy. You will also find lakes, craters, wilderness, mountains and forests making the American Southwest one of the most diverse areas of the world.