I find the hippies out in the sticks to be quite resourceful. Too isolated and too poor to have others fix their car/HVAC/plumbing, so they're big DIYers. Or at least the ones I've met.

Ha! You do know PA thoroughly. Yeah I was raised in SW PA below Pittsburgh; right near Morgantown WV. It's always my home, but I really can't bear to live in that area anymore; it's too Appalachian with a Midwest feel. We lived in Burlington for a few years but came back to PA to Happy Valley for wife's job. We love…

And now that I thought about it some more, I think what has been disjointing for me when crossing the state line are the billboards and really tall signs by the highways (e.g. 40 ft tall McDonald's signs). VT spoiled me and changed my perception when it comes to those two aesthetic values. I don't mind shoddy engine…

Good points. You mentioned you haven't been much to the Northeast Kingdom; I highly recommend you check that area out. It's a strange corner of VT: absolutely breathtaking scenery of lakes, mountains, and dense northern coniferous forests along with some of the only instances of trailer parks and trash/junk in yards…

Viva Rut Vegas!

I took that route for every time we drove to visit family in PA from Burlington. Act 250 is be thanked for making VT so squeeky clean. You sort of get that same disjointed feeling driving into NH from VT, but certainly not to the same degree when going into NY.

Ditto. I haven't seen that movie in at least 15 years, which is about the same amount of time I've seen Devon Sawa in anything (Final Destination I think? Or maybe Idle Hands).
Fun fact: The director of Little Giants was an editor for Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart, and directed some episodes of Twin Peaks.

Two immediately pop to mind:
The Little Giants at halftime in the final game. Even as a young squirt I cheered against Rick Moranis and those imbecile kids. Ed O'Neal and the Cowboys may have been jerks, but they were clearly the better team. The second half of the game just becomes ridiculously implausible and the…