Our family, in Idaho Falls, Summer 2008
The three of us grew up in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Jared still resides there after temporary stops in Venezuela, Las Vegas, Pocatello and Boise. Kyle lived in Portugal and Rexburg before moving to Washington. He spent two years in Yakima, WA before his current home in the Tri-Cities, WA. Natalie lived in Ogden, UT for college and has since settled in nearby Clearfield, UT.
Consequently, when we speak of our respective states, we are speaking primarily of southeastern Idaho, eastern Washington, and the Wasatch Front of Utah. Our experiences may not be shared by everyone who lives in our respective areas, but we wanted to compare the strengths and weaknesses of Idaho, Washington, and Utah.
Jared (JM)---Idaho
Kyle (KM)----Washington
Natalie (NC)----Utah
In this two-part series, we present some categories today, with more following the release of the second part of the post in two weeks.
Part I
Climate:
JM: It is important to understand your strengths and weaknesses, and Idaho’s not going to win when it comes to climate/scenery when matched against Washington and Utah. In Eastern Idaho we enjoy fall, winter (4-8 months depending on the year), windy season, and summer.
KM: Yeah, you can sit down for this one Idaho.
This scene could occur almost any month in Idaho.
JM: I guess if it keeps Californians out of our state, it is a sacrifice I am willing to make.
NC/KM: Amen!
KM:The weather has been my favorite part of living in Yakima/Richland. We get all four seasons but you don’t have to worry about slick roads in town. If you are into that snow stuff there are nearby places, but I prefer being able to go on a run outside almost any day of the year.
NC: Ever heard of the “greatest snow on earth?” Utah boasts its famous winters, while also perfectly balancing the other three seasons. It’s like the holy grail of climate balance. As an added bonus, I lived here a solid week before realizing that not a single one of my hairdos had been destroyed by wind.
JM; Since I conceded this category, I feel like an objective judge between the two states. Sorry Kyle, it’s Utah by a mile. When a large portion of your state’s population (King County) becomes clinically depressed due to a lack of sunshine you are not going to win best climate award.
Economy:
KM: Have you ever heard a kid who never even played high school football criticize Tom Brady? Well, I would be that kid if I were to say too much here. I mean, I don’t technically have a job. I live in a state where an advantage is no state income tax, but I have no income and don’t own a home.
JM: Amazing how you can fit a Tom Brady reference into almost every blog post.
NC: . Recession? Economic downturn? Forget about it! While the rest of the country was in the depths of financial toil, Utah still managed to bring in high-paying jobs and attract high-tech corporations to the area. Utah was even ranked number one in Forbes’ 2014 list of “Best States For Business.” Newsweek may call it “the new economic Zion,” but I prefer to call it home.
JM: I guess it’s all a matter of perspective when it comes to money. Here in Idaho Falls we have a lot of PhD’s and pick up trucks. The Idaho National Laboratory, agriculture, and Melaleuca are the big employers around my neck of the woods. Even Nat has to be a little envious of Idaho’s low cost of living, particularly when it comes to housing.
NC: Touche.
NC: Touche.
Weirdest Law:
JM: In Pocatello a person may not be seen in public without a smile. But my favorite comes from Coeur d’Alene: “If a police officer approaches a car and suspects the occupants are engaged in sex, he must either honk, or flash his lights and wait for 3 minutes before approaching the car.”
KM: In Washington, “The harassing of Bigfoot, Sasquatch or other undiscovered subspecies is a felony punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment.”
NC: Dag nab it! It’s illegal for women to swear in Logan. Oh, and don’t even think about trying to modify the weather unless you’ve got a permit. (I’m talking to you, former college roommates who loved to agitate me with their incessant snow dances.)
State Bird:
JM: Technically our state bird is the Mountain Bluebird.
But we share that with Nevada, so we decided to have an official raptor which is the Peregrine Falcon. A few fun facts: reaches sexual maturation by 1 year and mates for its entire life (typically 15 years), considered the fastest animal on the planet due to top speeds of 200 mph (322 km/h for our Canadian readers), and the word peregrine means “wanderer”.
The Mountain Bluebird
But we share that with Nevada, so we decided to have an official raptor which is the Peregrine Falcon. A few fun facts: reaches sexual maturation by 1 year and mates for its entire life (typically 15 years), considered the fastest animal on the planet due to top speeds of 200 mph (322 km/h for our Canadian readers), and the word peregrine means “wanderer”.
NC: A state filled with wandering promiscuous poultry? I don’t like it.
KM: The Willow Goldfinch (American Goldfinch). Apparently we share this bird with Iowa and New Jersey. Is it ever healthy to have something in common with New Jersey?
The Willow Goldfinch
NC: Nope. Nope. Never. The California Gull is our bird of choice.
The California Gull
KM: Seriously Nat, not only is your bird a pest, it bears the name of another state!
NC: Yeah, they were really living up to that pesky reputation when these miraculous birdies assisted the early Mormon settlers during a major cricket plague. They managed to gobble up all those threatening insects to save the crops and consequently the lives of all those people.
Part II coming on April 19, 2015
Part II coming on April 19, 2015
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