The great Washington vs. Idaho vs. Utah debate continues this week...
Activities:
NC: Utah is a wonderland of outdoor recreation. Those mountains are good for a whole lot more than helping me figure out which direction is East, kids. Or if the outdoors aren’t your cup of tea, how about kicking it with Brad Pitt and Nicole Kidman at the Sundance Film Festival. Personally, I’m a fan of cheering on my Utah Jazz or listening live to the world renowned Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Growing up we always used to make special trips to Utah for some real shopping and dining. Utah is even the birthplace of Cafe Rio. Do I even need to go on?
JM: Brangelina, ha! I don’t see them getting invited to meet up with billionaire investor Warren Buffet and all of his other influential friends in Sun Valley.
KM: Did someone say billionaire? Yeah Mr. Gates lives up the road a little. And Nat, how is that seafood coming out of your big lake down there? Seattle has world-class food.
NC: Along with a lot of third-world food.
KM: There is a reason that the population of Washington is greater than Utah and Idaho combined...people want to live here! Washington is great from the majesty of Mount Rainier to the quirkiness of Pike’s Market to the water activities afforded by the confluence of the Snake, Columbia and Yakima Rivers. We also boast a Super Bowl champion team and I get to see Mike Trout (the Tom Brady of baseball) each year when he visits the Mariners.
JM: China’s population is 1.3 billion people. The population of the U.S. is 0.3 billion. That’s 1 billion (say that in your best Dr. Evil voice) more. Full disclosure, I have never been to China, but my gut feeling is that it is not 1 billion times more fun than the United States. Idaho is less populated, that just means more space to roam. World famous fishing and hunting, ski resorts, Craters of the Moon, Boise State football, a nationally ranked 4th of July firework show, and “people watching” at fairs are some of our favorite things.
Culture:
JM: If you’re looking for diversity, well Idaho is probably not the place for you. I will say that most of our population is hard working, honest, and kind. My wife spent most of her childhood years in Ohio. She has frequently told me how much she enjoys being able to strike up a conversation with a random stranger in the grocery store (apparently this would be looked down upon in some places).
KM: For better or worse, Washington is definitely the most diverse of these western gems. The left (West) side of the state is liberal and the right (East) side of the state is conservative. We also boast a large migrant population that brings fun customs and food. The LDS population is also large enough where I don’t feel like an alien, but some of the negatives of “Mormon culture” are curbed. In general Washingtonians are educated, accepting, and active.
NC: Of course there are a lot of white Mormons in Utah, but it really isn’t a bad thing. Pot-luck party central baby! I love the friendliness and strong sense of community felt here. If you want culture, spend a Saturday at the Walmart in Ogden. Or just go to Salt Lake City.
Driving
KM: Did you guys just include this category to make me feel good about Washington? I mean the only negative of driving here is that when you go to Seattle you have to look at Obama/Biden bumper stickers. (You thought I was going to say something about traffic, huh?)
JM: Let’s be honest if you took away the 1J drivers we would be sitting pretty. For all of those non-Idahoans let me explain something great about our state. We put the county that a person resides in on their license plate i.e. 1J stands for Jefferson County, 8B Bonneville, 1A Ada. If an idiot cuts you off, you can see where he is from. If you see they are from 1J, you are going to let it go because you know that is not their fault. It would be like getting mad at a foreigner for not understanding English.
KM: I do miss knowing which county someone is from. Even 8B drivers pale in comparison to the compassionate and law-abiding drivers of Washington. I mean, you have to be more cautious when you share the road with so many bicyclists.
NC: The truth is that it’s a dog eat dog world out there and our roadways are here to prepare you for this inevitable life fact. Do you have to drive fast to avoid being tailgated? Yes. And do you have to exert a little fortitude when navigating rush hour? Yes. But this is the kind of stuff that will grow chest hair on you. Ok I’m definitely losing this one, but at least our public transportation system rocks. There’s even free Wi-Fi!
JM: There is only one thing worse than seeing a 1J driver in front of you, and that is someone with a Utah license.
NC: Newsflash Idaho, I’ve never been late to work because I was stuck behind a tractor.
Politics:
JM: Senator Larry Craig tapping his foot in a men’s bathroom in an airport in Minnesota to solicit sexual favors, Senator Mike Crapo DUI, and Governor Butch Otter allowing Harley Brown and Walt Hayes to join in a debate that is so ridiculous it honestly had me thinking it was a SNL clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EocFjwaJNw0 I guess that’s what happens when you live in a state where one political party has complete control. In true political fashion I will just have to fling mud at the other states.
KM: Well if Idaho is creepy and lopsided, Washington can boast it is revolutionary. It has been the leader in legalizing things like physician-assisted suicide, marijuana, same-sex marriage, some weird gun laws, and a high minimum wage. Wow, this isn’t going well for me. Utah, you would have to really screw this one up.
NC: Well that was easy, I win!! Can you ever really win in the subject of politics though? Truth is, I'm no expert in this matter. We did have a state senator in our old church ward though, and he seemed like a nice enough guy.
JM: When I start feeling down about the complete incompetence and/or corruption in Idaho I just have to read about Seattle electing a Communist to their city council.
We all agree that we are blessed to live in a great part of the word. As you can see, all of our states have some strengths and weaknesses. Let us know who you side with for the categories by using the comment box below.
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