My brother worked a winter in the midwest years ago...being from the foothill area of California, he got a kick out of how the locals there would break out their slalom skis when a dog pooped and it snowed shortly thereafter...
I went to school in Indiana, and to get to go skiing you had to go WAY north into Mighigan, and even then it was just a hill. Nothing like looking out at the top of the hill and seeing miles of CORNFIELDS.