I've already written you off as a wrong-headed crackpot. And I think I decided that most of New England is imaginary anyway, so la la la I can't hear you.

I'm in Pennsylvania. Anyway, I've never been to Louisiana either, so NOLA works ok. Just, I'm more likely to go there even given a dearth of Buffistas, but Minneapolis, NSM. By that logic, incidentally, I may start pushing for Iowa.

juliana, add what is, I think, the only branch of Last Call - Neiman Marcus' outlet store, where you can everything from Badgeley Mischka evening gowns to 18th century pottery from China at prices reminiscent of Target - in that entire time zone.

This I did not know. If I have to sacrifice my first born (or a goat with Topic!Cindy), I will get there. Somehow. Someday.

Heh. I detoured into Iowa on my LA-to-Chicago roadtrip last year because seriously, when was I going to get to Iowa again?

Took a picture in front of a cornfield, on general principle. The farmer drove up in his tractor and chatted with us. I think he was a little taken aback that we (a New Yorker and a New Jerseyite driving a car with a CA plate) weren't actually all that amazed by the idea of cornfields.

Plus...Minneapolis is where they shot Mallrats.

Snootch to tha muthafuckin' NNNOOOOOOOCH!!

By that logic, incidentally, I may start pushing for Iowa.

Lord, no. billytea, hop off that logic train Right Now. Please, for everyone's sake. Won't you think of the echidnas?!?

(although the temptation of descending on some small Iowa town in full Buffista regalia is nigh overwhelming....)

edit:

Snootch to tha muthafuckin' NNNOOOOOOOCH!!

BWAHAHAHAHA! Ahem. Also, Fargo was almost entirely shot here. So, you know, stoners and murderers.

I guess we've got cons of weather and what else? Maybe too much to do?

Someone mentioned price, which I actually wasn't sure about. Sales tax is high, and if you're a silly tourist, you can probably pay too much for stuff, but the economy's pretty depressed there, which must keep some prices down.

Not a hub for any airline, so most people won't be able to get direct flights.

Lord, no. billytea, hop off that logic train Right Now. Please, for everyone's sake. Won't you think of the echidnas?!?

Are you claiming that Minneapolis has echidnas? Because I will expect you to back that up.

ETA: I must warn you now that St Louis does have echidnas. Now you've opened that can of monotremes, my allegiance to the Twin Cities is wavering.

Are you claiming that Minneapolis has echidnas?

Unfortunately, I can make no such claim. I can claim that Iowa has no echidnas, however.

I can claim that Minneapolis has new lemurs, and that they're having gang wars over the tree in the middle of the exhibit.

Maybe too much to do?

Not much if you're outdoorsy. Too much if you're indoorsy, especially with clubs/bars/music.

Though I do remember from a guidebook (I bought several when we were planning a NOLA vacation that keeps getting put off until next year) a combo bowling alley-dance club. At any rate, a combo bowling alley-something.

By that logic, incidentally, I may start pushing for Iowa.

I've been to Des Moines on business. Not the easiest place to get to, but not the worst. Don't remember a lot to do in the evenings -- though baseball fans would likely enjoy a half-hour road trip to Van Metre and the Bob Feller museum.

I guess we've got cons of weather and what else? Maybe too much to do?

I have brilliant (if hazy and narcotics-addled) memories of NOLA in 1970. But I also remember their police force; those memories are not quite so warm and fuzzy; I was hassled and threatened. Has that changed at all? (Hoping yes, because F2F or not and Bad Police or not, I loved NOLA and want to get back at some point, taking Nic with me; he's never been.)