Ohio Shout-Out

[OakLeaf]

Since the regions aren't defined and nobody seems to know which region Ohio is in, I'm calling for an executive decision

Even though we have a border with Canada, we're not very far north. So "North Central" and "Northeast" both seem right out. We obviously don't have an Atlantic coastline, but we're an Appalachian state, and we share terrain and climate, as well as transportation and cultural routes, with the states that are definitely "Mid-Atlantic." So can we go there?

And in the meantime - anyone doing TOSRV? What clubs do y'all ride with? I'm totally not ready but going to do it anyway - hope to see some of y'all camped out in the women's gym - and I ride with the Licking County B/C and COP.

[VeloVT]

I'm intrigued by the fact that "midwest" was not on your list, which I think is how a lot of easterners classify Ohio. Not sure if Ohioans concur... (My boyfriend is from Ohio, now I have to ask him this question).

Edit: huh... unless I'm still asleep (which is possible), it seems there's no "midwest" forum. What do all the **definitely** midwestern states like Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin do?

[OakLeaf]

Well, for one thing, there isn't any Midwest Region on this board

But also, most Midwesterners consider that term to mean the Great Plains, reaching into the hill country of Minnesota but definitely not including Appalachia.

ETA: Minnesota, Illinois and the Dakotas look like they're in North Central - that would make sense to me -

[FlyingScot]

How about the Great Lakes region? This would encompass Ohio, Michigan and western Pennsylvania.

[Kathi]

A place for Ohio? I'm originally from Cincinnati and I consider Ohio as the Midwest. But my SO who is from Pa. and went to school in Cleveland thinks Great Lake States is more appropriate. Coming from southwestern Ohio I associate more with Ky (south) and Indiana (midwest).

My SO suggests "Rust Belt" for Ohio, Pa., Michigan and Gary, Ind.

Great Lake States could incorporate Indiana, Ohio, Pa. Michigan, Wisconsin and Minn.

Enjoy TOSRV. Hopefully, you'll have a sunny weekend. I used to ride with the Cincinnati Cycle Club. I know some of them will be there.

[OakLeaf]

Hum. Easterners. Like that New Yorker cover

... we're an Appalachian state ... we belong with West Virginia, the Carolinas, Kentucky and Tennessee. Pennsylvania maybe. "That state up north," definitely not

But hey - I wasn't looking to start a new region - just to find the other Buckeyes. I know we've got Burr Oak Bobcat - it can't be just the two of us?

[Mr. SR500]

Born a Buckeye, I call Ohio - MidWest, but Great Lakes seems like it is gaining ground.

[Mr. Bloom]

...nobody cares about Indiana....

I suggest we create a new region - THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY. It will include the southern parts of the great lake states (since we don't identify with the great lakes down here). So, southern Ohio, Southern Indiana, Southern Illinois (and Kentucky and West Virginia if they'd like)

[aly]

As an adult, I've lived all over the world, but have never been able to shake what I consider my midwestern roots. I will always consider myself a midwesterner (from the Ohio River Valley). I was born in Indiana, but raised in lovely Greenville, Ohio. It's close to the border, a ways north of Cinci, kind of near Dayton. There's a town nearby that is split between Ind and Ohio and half the town is on different time part of the year. I had a parent on either side, so I did a good amount of weekend time in Indiana. My midwestern feelings are probably based more on mind set than location.

However, there are very distinct differences between the different corners of Ohio. Only people from Ohio seem to understand. I'm always meeting people who "have a friend from Cleveland"- they never really get it when I tried to explain how different my part of Ohio is, so I don't even try anymore.

I had no idea there were so many Buckeyes on here!

[Mr. Bloom]

Aly is absolutely right about regional differences within states...but it's not unique to the midwest.

Georgia has Atlanta...and then everything else
Tennessee has East (hill folk), Middle (cosmolitan), and West (agrarian)
Florida has very stark differences as well.

Historically, our part of Indiana was literally part of the Kentucky territory. As a result, people say "ya'll" (the proper way) and have very southern leanings. As a result, we're not really considered part of Indiana by the rest of the state...and we're closer to three other state capitals than our own!

I still vote for the Ohio River Valley Region...it's what the Weather Channel calls us.

[Kathi]

My memories of growing up in southwestern Ohio are of rivers, not lakes so I vote for the "Ohio River Valley". Where I grew up west of Cincinnati there were 3 rivers, the Great Miami, the Whitewater and the Ohio River within a 5-10 mile radius of my house.

We water skied and sailed on the Ohio. We could take a ferry boat across the Ohio into Ky. and go to Indiana to canoe on the Whitewater. In order to drive east into Cincinnati we drove along and crossed the Great Miami. For a night out we took river boats to view the scenery at night or ate at restaurants along the Ohio. On Labor Day fireworks are brought up the river and set off between the bridges that connected Cincinnati with Ky.

When I moved into Cincinnati I rode my bike along the Little Miami on the Loveland (Little Miami) bike trail. On the Ky side we rode along the Ohio.

IMHO, Northern Ohio groups better with the Great Lakes while Southern and Southwestern Ohio groups better with the Ohio Valley, ie, Ky, Indiana.

[BurrOakBobcat]

Maybe Ohio's historic associations-- its Western Reserve and being in the old Northwest Territory-- place it in the midwest.

Enjoy TOSRV, Oak Leaf! Hope you enjoy tailwinds both ways

[iowagrad]

I was born and raised in Cleveland. I moved to the midwest (Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin) for college and my post-collegiate life. To me, northeast Ohio is definitely not the midwest, nor is it the Ohio River Valley; but I can easily classify other parts of Ohio as such. Many of my midwestern friends, after having been to Cleveland, refuse to categorize it as midwest - they think we're grungy easterners. It's hard to characterize because it touches so many regions - the midwest, Appalachia, the Ohio River Valley, the Great Lakes. I guess Ohioans are kind of like the mutts at the pound - no one really knows how to describe us, but we sure are loveable.