My hat is off to NE RVers

[Coach-man]

I am currently in PA. I have not driven in the NE for at least 20 years! WOW, so many trucks, pot holes, low bridges, and I saw a sign proudly proclaiming $2.49 per gallon as if it were an accomplishment! How you guys, and gals, drive thru this mess, and think this is great to be RVing!

[CavemanCharlie]

ryegatevt wrote:

Dutch_12078 wrote:

DutchmenSport wrote:
I was in college 40 years ago. I took a sociology class. I don't remember a whole lot about that class (let alone anything from my college days. :B But this one thing I do remember and it stuck with me all these years, and I'll probably never forget.

The professor told us about an experiment that was conducted where 2 mice were put into a confined space. More than adequate and spacious for the 2 mice. They were given constantly the same amount of food, more than enough to last several lifetimes.

They let the 2 mice live in this confined space and they began to multiply. But the space remained the same, and the quantity of food remained the same.

After several generations of reproducing, the confined space began to get crowded, but the quantity of food never changed.

Eventually, the space became over populated. The food remained the same. Eventually, there wasn't enough food for all of them as the supply remained the same. The mice turned on each other, started killing each other. Kill their young, and literally killed themselves off until there was only 1 mouse left.

Sad story but true.

We talked about world population and what could possibly happen. Of course 40 years ago, everyone in the class thought this concept was impossible. That our society would never revert to barbarism, that we were too cultured.

Here we are 40 years later, and the population has mushroomed beyond belief. I've watch corn field and bean fields turn into apartment complexes and shopping malls, replacing a patch of ground that once produced food, now gone, and a building sitting there. I miss the days of my childhood when we could roam the field for hours and never see another living person.

Makes me wonder where we're headed?

The big difference is that modern farming efficiency and crop genetic improvements have drastically increased the per acre yield. Less growing space, yes, but higher output more than makes up for it. In 1936 for example, the average yield was 26 bushels of corn per acre. Today it's in excess of 160 bushels per acre and still increasing.

True, BUT - too much of the grain production goes into ethanol, increasing grain price and decreasing the amount for food and animal feed. Hence, perhaps we're back where we started...

This is not true.

By the way for the last couple of years the price of grain has been in the toilet. The price of a bushel of corn today is less the the cost of what it takes to produce it. The market goes up and down from a lot of different factors. The only reason most farmers are getting by now is that we made enough money when the price was high to buy new equipment and get the debt down.

[frankdamp]

Lantley:

We lived in Tidewater VA for three years and I thought the climate was horrible. I never got used to it being 80F, foggy and a thunderstorm raging at 07:00. I got a lot of people saying how much better it was than where we'd moved from (the NW where you get "all that rain").

My response was "Here, you get more rain in 45 minutes every summer afternoon than western WA gets in a week of steady rain every day". We were very happy when Boeing called and asked if I'd like to go back. We were on our way within a week. Still here 42 years later, retired for the last 16 in one of the drier areas of western WA. No snow here for 5 years and yesterday's high was 55F (low of 42) with sunshine in the afternoon.

[TragedyTrousers]

We always head North for cooler weather in the fall. Florida is nice but the heat and humidity gets old for those of us who live here year long. Love the fall colors and cool weather up in the North and Northeast.

[is_it_friday_ye]

I don't need a Welcome to Michigan sign because I know where I'm at when we cross into Michigan from Ohio, we are greeted by a large speed bump. I'm not sure why the roads are so different, shoddy construction I'm guessing. I think the new roads should come with some type of warranty.

[ryegatevt]

Dutch_12078 wrote:

DutchmenSport wrote:
I was in college 40 years ago. I took a sociology class. I don't remember a whole lot about that class (let alone anything from my college days. :B But this one thing I do remember and it stuck with me all these years, and I'll probably never forget.

The professor told us about an experiment that was conducted where 2 mice were put into a confined space. More than adequate and spacious for the 2 mice. They were given constantly the same amount of food, more than enough to last several lifetimes.

They let the 2 mice live in this confined space and they began to multiply. But the space remained the same, and the quantity of food remained the same.

After several generations of reproducing, the confined space began to get crowded, but the quantity of food never changed.

Eventually, the space became over populated. The food remained the same. Eventually, there wasn't enough food for all of them as the supply remained the same. The mice turned on each other, started killing each other. Kill their young, and literally killed themselves off until there was only 1 mouse left.

Sad story but true.

We talked about world population and what could possibly happen. Of course 40 years ago, everyone in the class thought this concept was impossible. That our society would never revert to barbarism, that we were too cultured.

Here we are 40 years later, and the population has mushroomed beyond belief. I've watch corn field and bean fields turn into apartment complexes and shopping malls, replacing a patch of ground that once produced food, now gone, and a building sitting there. I miss the days of my childhood when we could roam the field for hours and never see another living person.

Makes me wonder where we're headed?

The big difference is that modern farming efficiency and crop genetic improvements have drastically increased the per acre yield. Less growing space, yes, but higher output more than makes up for it. In 1936 for example, the average yield was 26 bushels of corn per acre. Today it's in excess of 160 bushels per acre and still increasing.

True, BUT - too much of the grain production goes into ethanol, increasing grain price and decreasing the amount for food and animal feed. Hence, perhaps we're back where we started...

[Pirate1]

We laugh everytime we cross over from DE or MD to PA. The roads instantly suck. PA as a state is a horrible place. Taxes are high, roads suck, property is too expensive.

[NYCgrrl]

Have spent all of my U.S. life living in the NE. Yeah it costs more to live here, the winters can be shivery cold but wouldn't trade it for all the Wizard of Oz, the house is on fire (again), whyyy I remember when the river reached the top of the roof back in '82 and the muds starting to slide moments of the rest of the country.

As I'm sure none of youse would trade my experience permanently for your own.

The end;).

[OutdoorPhotogra]

I like winter - I just don't like it for too long. I agree on the RI pothole. I grew up with bad roads in LA but when I lived in RI it was the worst potholes I've seen. Same answer as before. It was the freeze/thaw cycle and constant plowing.

[Lantley]

tenbear wrote:
I am in the NE, for people who don't know where Vermont is, and I love the 4 seasons. I would hate it being summer all year long. This time of year we have skiing, snow mobileing and lots of other great things. Summer we have reasonable temperatures for lots of outdoor activities.

I think I'll stay here, with the occasional trip to the south to remind me how much I like the north.

I hear you I like 4 seasons too but the New England winter season is too long.;) Resulting in a camping season that is too short.:W

Now if you could come a bit further south into the Mid Atlantic you'd find the climate just right.
Now if only I could get a few 100,000 people to leave the area and get a major tax cut things here would be almost perfect.

[tenbear]

I am in the NE, for people who don't know where Vermont is, and I love the 4 seasons. I would hate it being summer all year long. This time of year we have skiing, snow mobileing and lots of other great things. Summer we have reasonable temperatures for lots of outdoor activities.

I think I'll stay here, with the occasional trip to the south to remind me how much I like the north.

[EV2]

Coach-man wrote:

Lynnmor wrote:
Every time the south gets blowed to pieces with a hurricane, they get money from the taxpayers. Will I get a check now?

When Hurricane Andrew demolished my house, I went to the FEMA office they set up in the area. I was asked two questions, 1.) Do you have a job? 2.) Do you have insurance? The answer to both wasYES! They told me to please leave and make way for people who need help! KEEP IN MIND I WAS HOMELESS, had no place to go! Now tell me about all the money we get after a hurricane!

"From those that do, to those who won't."

[Gjac]

Having lived in the NE all my life and now traveling all over the US and Alaska it is much different that the rest of the country. Besides the roads being bad, tolls being high, bridges being low the CG's are more expensive with very limited boondocking opportunity's. Having said that I camp at Ct SP's to fish, White Mtns NF in NH has some remote ares to camp in and 1/2 price NF CG's if over 62. Maine is nice as is Arcadia NP. RI has some nice beach camping, fishing and clamming. When leaving CT you learn to leave early to get through NY with no traffic or tolls. Once through NYC except for Chicago area and other big cities the training driving in the NE makes most roads a piece of cake.

[gsander1]

Coach-man has it right. We must have been his neighbors in south Dade in 1992 when Andrew destroyed our house as well. No government help asked or needed. The government may tell you they are there to help but you know they are not really giving anything to regular folks.

[Coach-man]

Lynnmor wrote:
Every time the south gets blowed to pieces with a hurricane, they get money from the taxpayers. Will I get a check now?

When Hurricane Andrew demolished my house, I went to the FEMA office they set up in the area. I was asked two questions, 1.) Do you have a job? 2.) Do you have insurance? The answer to both wasYES! They told me to please leave and make way for people who need help! KEEP IN MIND I WAS HOMELESS, had no place to go! Now tell me about all the money we get after a hurricane!