Natalie Mitchell / Edge columnist
The state of Arizona is different from British Columbia in many ways, such as the landscape, the weather, water, and its fast-food options. Does this desert state have more to offer than British Columbia or is it just different?
In British Columbia, everyone is used to the frequent changes in weather. However, in Arizona, it is quite the opposite. With it being in the desert, there is very little rain or snow, with very dry air instead of some of the moisture BC gets due to the amount of rain. The drier conditions in Arizona cause a larger static electricity buildup within metal objects such as door handles. While at the hotel, I was surprised by the number of times I was shocked briefly while trying to open the room door.
After conversations with many people from Arizona and other states such as California, I realized that cold to them was about 20 °C. They would be wearing heavy sweaters or even winter jackets in this weather, while those from BC wore shorts and tank tops.
The desert landscape provided a very different scenery than in British Columbia. Instead of lots of tall green trees, there were smaller more barren ones and instead of bushes, there were cacti and succulents. Lining the highways were red- and orange-coloured rocks with Saguaro cacti that were at least 10 feet tall. There were a few mountains, but even they didn’t have the same green and grey colours like BC. It was very beautiful, but in a completely different way than in BC.
Over the radio, there was a chance to hear some of the advertisements in Arizona. The ads always made sure to address the listeners as Arizonans and would advertise very different things than BC does. For example, there was an advertisement advertising different items to buy the wife for Christmas. It listed the usual items, such as jewelry and clothing, but then talked about different guns the wife would like. In BC guns as gifts are not advertised, so this came as a shock.
In Arizona, there were lots of opportunities to try some of the American-only fast-food places and compare them back to some of BC’s. The first was Chick-fil-a, one that many British Columbians have heard about through social media. The service was very good, and they had people standing outside taking orders for the drive-through instead of the machines fast-food places usually have. They had many options to choose from for their entrees, sides, and beverages, but although the place itself was well kept up, the food wasn’t as good as expected.
The second we visited was In-N-Out Burger. The options were very limited but they had great service, lots of employees and the place was very clean. The food, however, was quite dry and bland and again wasn’t as good as I expected it to be.
Lastly, Raising Cane’s was the best out of the three. The service was great, there were lots of options to choose from, and overall, the food and beverages were delicious. Cane’s specialty is the chicken strips, which were as good as imagined.
The fast-food restaurants in BC may not have great service, but it makes up for it in both quality and variety which is something that should be added to some of the fast-food restaurants.
Sources:
