Texans first time in NC... WTF?

Hello NC! First off, NC beaches are amazing. Just returning from a wedding in Atlantic Beach/vaca on Emerald Isle. My second visit to NC but first time I got to explore a bit.

So my wife’s family is from Raleigh area and their husbands too. Got to discussing local lore, foods, (brought home some liver mush to try),aaand the Carolina Squat?

WTF?! I listened in awe as I was educated in squatting. I have been ALL over the country, (mostly west) and have never seen that. (Please keep it, it wouldn’t fly here in TX .) What say you NC folk about it? I’m so intrigued. It’s like looking at a bad car wreck, I just can’t process it.

 

As you get closer to the coast, the ratio of trucks to normal cars gets larger. Once you're at the coast, the ratio of front lift to back lift gets larger as well.

Fwiw I had to google Carolina Squat. Where I'm from, most trucks (9 out of 10) are normal, plenty of Tacomas. Went to Atlantic Beach, 2 of 10 are going to be normal. Significantly less Tacoma, but the Tacomas found here are most often lifted/big tires/cool armor.

 

Well I've spent many years in NC, mostly western NC, and have never heard about it. Must be a Raleigh thing. Guess is some messed up dance?

 

Apparently its a coastal thing. Lol still so weird. The groom told me one time he saw one at a gas station and asked the kid if he forgot to install the other half of his lift. Just an interesting fad.

Western NC is also very nice. A cousins husband grew up in Hildebran. It’s where I got the liver mush to try.

We drove from Imerald isle to Gatlinburg. So I got to see a lot. Small towns out there are crazy. I can’t believe people can sustain a living in some areas. Lots of history and culture. Awesome to experience.

 

I live in the Columbia, SC area and they are all over the place. Dumbest thing I've ever seen. But even worse are the ones running what sounds like no exhaust. So it's just ear piercing and annoying AF!

 

How was your visit to Gatlinburg? What did you like/not like about it? I live a hour away and it’s getting extremely popular now lol

 

Gatlinburg... comical. Waaaay too touristy for me. I came to see the National Park and be outdoors. I grew up near Durango, CO, and I saw a lot of similarities. The town has potential to be quaint and amazing, but the carnival showed up and never left. All the quirky buildings and tourist traps really annoyed me. And the traffic was insane for a town that size. We found some roads the looped around to different sides of the city. My sister works for Marriot and we got a screaming deal of $35 a night at the Fairfield in town.

But the swimming holes, and the park were great. But even those are waaay too crowded. We took Cades Cove Rd and liked it, but the road needs to be dirt and less accessible to traffic. More like the alpine loop near Silverton, CO. Imagine if they paved all those roads. It would ruin it. In my opinion some National Parks should force the tourists into 4x4’s to explore. Show some hustle so see something great.

Fortunately we found the long way out through Rich Mount Rd and escaped the traffic jam. We saw 2 bears as we crept along at 10 mph and zero cars.

I’ll come back for the history and culture though. I’ll bring the Tacoma next time too.

 

Saw a bunch of that nonsense in Myrtle Beach 3 years ago......sadly some Tacos too. Absolutely the dumbest looking shit I've ever seen.

I don't see as much of it here in KY. Some bro lean, maybe. But not much squat....thankfully

 

Here I was blissfully ignorant, believing this illness was confined to Johnston County N.C.

 

Johnston County is special in it’s own way..I just pass on through, but I may or may not have a photo indulging in a local product many moons ago...

 

Charlotte metro is full of this nonsensical bullshit. I pray they're towing invisible trailers, but then I realize the average age group of these "squatters" is below 25...

 

Technically it’s called the “Cali lean”. It all started when the bro’s were trying to imitate the prerunner look of the SoCal guys race trucks.

 

No eastern NC BBQ? It's pork BBQ with a vinegar based BBQ sauce. Very tasty!

 

Carolina squat is big in Mississippi and in Florida as well.

 

This thread is much better off without pics.