It occurs to me that maybe I should elaborate a bit on what I meant about that Southern feel of the place, when I said that the Cincinnati area, and southern Ohio overall, had a more Southern feel to it than expected.
It was more than just merely the accent, although that was a large part of it. But I remember spending time in York, Pennsylvania in 1996 for Habitat for Humanity, and hearing that Southern drawl there, back then. I have heard it even in New England, and that's hardly "the South", right?
On the way down, in rural farmland, I saw some religious signs on the side of the road of the fire and brimstone variety, urging people to believe. That type of stuff is not exactly unheard of in areas that I have been to before, but they are not commonplace. But that, mixed with a lot of country and Jesus stations on the radio (and not much else), mixed with a huge Confederate flag painted onto the roof of a farmhouse or barn off the side of the road on Route 71 northbound, gave the place a very Southern feel, as well. Suddenly, I could see why Ohio is a battleground state, and sometimes becomes a red state.
It just was not what I was expecting, but I don't necessarily mean that in a bad way. In fact, it made the trip feel very different than any of the other domestic trips that I have taken before, because of the distinctly Southern feel.
I'm not complainin', y'all!
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