You make an excellent point on American media's polarization of Americans. It's a cottage industry that has gotten much worse with the advent of cable news/talk radio/social media. I stay away from all of that. It is true that most people here get along and are friendly, especially when they don't talk politics. Love your channel. Stay well.

I can say as a 53 year old American that our politics (and the media that covers it) is a shameful disgrace. It is a terrible situation that is dividing the country in many ways. Politicians and media elites want to keep us fighting to distract from their corruption. It's such a shame because it doesn't need to be this way. I'm not a fan of self checkout either. Prices being what they are, I expect cashier assist. Besides, the self checkout lanes never work right for me, so I wind up having to get assistance anyway. Glad you are enjoying your trip!

So glad you found that we regular Americans are friendly and kind. I agree...media makes it seem like we are all focused on political disagreements. Most if us are trying to live peacefully with our neighbors and visitors. Enjoy your stay! ♥️

I’m so excited that you have found the United States to have good surprises. I’m sure the world has been told a story that doesn’t show America at her finest. But there are thousands upon thousands of square miles that are amazing, and all around friendly and helpful. 💙🇺🇸💙

As a lifelong American, I want to say "thank you" for sharing your 'shocking' experiences😃; always good to hear a fresh perspective. Yes, a lot of prices are (globally compared) pretty good but the cost of that is that we're all unpaid employees of many places we frequent: self check in is the norm at airports (even to the point of printing/affixing luggage tags), bank tellers are virtually unheard of (and often an added cost option), many grocers are self checkout (and self bag) -- after all, employees cost money. I am glad that neither of you had to try our healthcare non-system, nor did you run into any local mass shootings or local political events.

Re: plastic bags - regional differences, for sure. In New England concerted effort to eliminate plastic bags. In Boston area a store bag costs money and majority of people bring their reusable cloth bags. Great to hear your impressions and experiences of the country. Really appreciate your channel!

In California, you will not get plastic bags and will have to pay 10 cents for every paper bag. Most of us use recyclable bags. And thank you for your kind words about our country. It is incredibly beautiful!✌️

I am a 54 yo American and have lived in Florida my entire life. I stumbled upon your channel and I love it! It was so interesting hearing your views about our country. I am so glad you are enjoyed your stay. BTW, I refuse to use self checkout unless there is no other alternative. My husband is 74 and we have a 16 yo son and have been married 20 years. He is a physician and I am a nurse and we have our own medical practice. But I am dreaming of our retirement together and I absolutely love listening to you talk about all things retirement :)

I really enjoy this channel and your perspective! Enjoy your travels!

Thank you for your lovely observations about our wonderful country. We’re always glad to have visitors from our good neighbor to the north.

I live in Oregon. In our state we no longer have film bags but often the replacement bag is a thicker plastic. You have to request a paper bag and pay for it too. I was so unhappy that the stores didn't embrace the spirit of the idea of not using plastic bags any longer. Many Oregonians use the reusable bags or no bag because of this. I'm happy you found nice people. The political scene that is highlighted in all types of media is so disheartening and polarizing. Yes we have some serious problems right now, but the display of that is causing an even greater problem. Thanks for all the nice comments you made about the states.

Hello to you both from rainy and very very windy day in St. Thomas. Glad you are continuing to make good travel memories. Carry on! Lovely to see you both x

Very fun & informative. Thank you 💕

It is always such a fun time watching you both. Very interesting perspectives. I also believe that several of us will now visit Alabama in the next year. It was never on my radar. Thanks for putting it there. Take care

This was funny to me. Things I take for granted here in America. This makes me appreciate America so much more. Thanks for sharing.

Very informative video. Glad you let Cdns know the low prices of healthy foods in the USA. :) You continue to bring smiles to our faces. ~ Weekly!

I am so glad that you were pleasantly surprised during your travel to the South.

Thank you! I am a US citizen who has lived in Canada for 42 years. I braced myself a bit because I'm so used to people being negative about the states. I cannot even begin to express how nice it was to hear you say what I've already known. We get a bad rap and to hear you state your experiences in such a positive way brightened my evening. I love Alabama too (traveled there, not from there) and it's beautiful. Enjoy your stay there and again, thank you! PS. If you are able to visit St. Augustine FL while there, it would be worth your drive! Again, not from there but it was a bucket list of mine to visit there and I did so, and whoa! More than worth the wait to get there.

Thank you for your channel

We love learning about your travels! Gives us ideas for the future. Thank you for all of your insights and compliments about our country. I grew up in upstate NY and my family frequented Toronto and fished in the Rideau Lakes area. I also traveled through Alberta and British Columbia. You have such a beautiful country! My husband and I are retired in Colorado. Have you been to our state? Have safe travels back home!

I'm glad you had a nice experience! I hope you visit again

Fantastic assessment. You have me interested in visiting Alabama now! Would be nice to get a break from the cold in Michigan.

So happy you had a good time and you were mostly shocked positively. Southern states are very hospitable. Pretty good tan Norm.

Glad you had a wonderful experience. Now, it is time to come to Idaho ( in the summer)!

Most of your observations are spot on. The U.S. is now the world's largest producer of oil and gas, so it is not surprising that gasoline for autos is cheap compared with many other countries. Plus, if you go to a warehouse store like Costco that also sells gasoline, you can buy it for an average of perhaps 20 cents cheaper than you could at, say, an Exxon or Shell station. The self-service option now in many big stores is a huge plus for people like me who tend to buy a few items at a time. There is nothing more frustrating than standing in line at a supermarket or other store when you have 3 or 4 items and the person in front of you has a shopping cart filled to the brim with groceries. With self-service, you can avoid that situation and zip right through. Plastic bags are slowly on their way out in the U.S. The state of Virginia just added a 5 cent charge per plastic bag at stores. When I shopped at a Food Lion this week, the cashier at the short line (12 items maximum) asked me if I wanted paper or plastic and I opted for paper (and not just because of the extra charge). Ultimately we will have to bring our own bags. The handwriting is on the wall. The political polarization exists and is everywhere; it is being exploited by demagogues. You might have experienced it in some places if you had expressed an opinion on U.S. politics or even some international issue like the Russian attack on Ukraine. In the recent controversy over the "debt ceiling," there were some politicians eager to cause the U.S. to default on its obligations for political gain. The crazies have political power in many parts of the U.S. I actually know a couple of people who are considering a move to Canada because of our toxic political climate here. I will tell you, as an American, what shocks me most about living here and that you did not mention (perhaps you did in your first video, which I have not yet watched). It is the insanity involving guns -- the fact that many states allow people to walk around in public with guns and that there is no effective means of keeping such dangerous weapons out of the hands of unstable or disturbed people who will not hesitate to use them on others. Weapons of war designed to kill many people quickly are still legal to own and there are mass shootings on a weekly basis. Massacres of children in schools have not led to action thanks to the effectiveness of the gun lobby. You are at risk whenever you are in a public place and sometimes even in your own home. On a recent visit to New Orleans, I had lunch at a restaurant where, four days earlier, there had been a drive-by targeted killing of a waiter outside the restaurant and a stray bullet had penetrated a wall of the restaurant and injured a Canadian tourist who was dining inside. No other country in the world has the level of gun violence that we do, outside of a war zone like Ukraine.

I love the positivity you both bring to life. Great video!

Love you two....always look forward to Saturday!!! Karry from Brighton Ont.

When you mentioned Kerry Gold butter, I began salivating ---- so delicious and widely available here, thank goodness! Glad to know how "shocked" you were in my country, kiddos!🤩😍

Regarding the lower number of cashiers at US Walmarts, with Covid, so many folks preordered the items and had the merchandise delivered to their car trunks. That continues and now many of the folks who were cashiers, are now walking aisles filling carts for pickup orders.

Interesting observations. So glad you have had a good experience! All of the Gulf shore area (Florida /Alabama) is so nice. This is a great country regardless of the biased rhetoric on TV. I think people are the same everywhere, they just want to go about their business. Thanks for sharing!

What a very lovely and positive video! You two are always fun to watch. It is true about what you say about Americans being friendly. Where I live everyone is doing well and are very happy. Our news outlets seem to want to give airtime to all the crazy people and it casts a bad light on us. Stay save and have fun!

Go on the Irish! Love Kerrygold.😍 We know all about organic produce, meat and poultry. Glad you had a great time in the US. I love it too. ps I see your airfryer in the background!! ✨

I hesitated to watch this for a while because I thought it was an update of your original one on the subject. I was pleasantly surprised, this is totally different from your original shocking American video. Some of the things you notice are the things my Australian daughter notices when she comes home for a month or two twice a year. It makes me laugh a bit. Love your videos.

Good video. I agree I have a place in Arizona I go to several fresh markets each week and have lots of good food to get.

Hi Norm and Tina! Here in the state of New Jersey plastic bags were banned. We must bring reusable bags every time we go to any type of store.

I'm glad you guys had fun in the states! We're a very diverse country, and I'm glad you were made to feel welcome. Please spread the word across Canada that our news media does not represent us :)

When you spoke about seeing dolphins early in the morning at the Gulf, I teared up a bit. While you were on your vacation, I was down in Mobile because of the death of my mother. (She had been sick a long time and the end was very peaceful.) I have a wonderful memory of when my mother and I spent a weekend together--just the two of us, without dad and the boys-- at Gulf Shores in 1999, and we would watch the dolphins in the morning. So, your trip conjures up lovely memories for me. I'm so glad you enjoyed yourselves!

So nice to hear so many compliments regarding your travels and stay in Alabama. I don't watch much news because it is more like "entertainment" than fact, the outlet appears bent on spreading mayhem and not reality! Enjoy your stay and safe travels during your visit.

Hi Tina & Norm great to see you both again pleased you are having a wonderful time take care and keep the good work up. Regards Christopher Barker

I’m well on in years,from Ireland living in uk,was in Florida last Jan I was totally gobsmacked when asked by a young salesman for I’d. Agree with you about Alabama so beautiful

Another gem. It is good that you make honest and simple comparisons during your time across the border. That's the beauty of travel - experiencing differences. Otherwise one could just as well stay home. As my darling dear departed dad would say, "Only believe what you experience yourself, the rest is hear say". I love your open en honest reflections. ( Still a bit jet-lagged 🇳🇿✈🇳🇱so my opinion could be flawed 😂). Have a great week ahead. 🍷💃👍🙋‍♀

I am so glad that the two of you had such a pleasant time in Alabama. Once again you have seen that the media, in general does not reflect reality. They thrive on confrontation and exaggerated stories in order to increase their viewing audience. The fact that you have had such friendly encounters in the States is a two way street. Both of you come across as "down to earth", personable individuals who are kind and courteous. People respond to your personalities. You are outstanding ambassadors for Canada 🇨🇦 👏. Take care. Wishing you a safe and enjoyable Christmas season. 🫂❤️🎄🙏🌎🕊

I love your videos! I just bought gas at Costco in Woodstock GA for $2.55 a gallon 😁 I look forward to seeing these every week! Thank you!

So glad your visit to the US was positive! I live in Mississippi. I use Jerry gold butter almost daily! It’s my favorite and use the grass fed beef and eggs you showed in the video. I try and stick to a diet without processed foods so those items are staples. Our gas is currently $3.09 a gallon. Love you videos.

You 2 have such an interesting life....and the happiness radiates from your faces...

Hi Norm and Tina! I see a wonderful air fryer behind you? Neil Young sang about Alabama. America is a great place to visit and we have met very nice people. Have a great weekend! 😊😊

I am feeling sad I was to go to Alabama this week and my daughter didnt want to go last minute so I never got to go .I am glad you had a great time I wish I had gone by myself love to hear more about your trip.I wanted to see Civil rights sites .We here in US need to stop using plastic bags I have many reusable bags use for Aldi but need to remember them for other stores always forget them .Thanks again

GREAT INFO!!! Non ethanol gas hovering around $10.00 per gallon here on Vancouver Island.CHEERS FROM HERE!!!

Out on the west coast some cities have banned plastic bags at grocery stores. You either bring your own bags or pay 5 cents for a paper bag. It makes sense: better for the environment and it put a price on not reusing bags. I even reuse plastic and paper bags from the produce department multiple times.

I'm glad you enjoyed your visit to the US. As a holistic chef, I love all the food we have available, especially when I buy directly from a farm. Also, I haven't watched news (or TV) in more years than I can remember. It is so sad what they portray. We travel all over the US and absolutely love all the people and experiences we have. I do have to say, we were in Capecod this fall, and one of our favorite motels was changed to keyless entry. It was like buying a room from a vending machine. No human contact at all, totally took the charm out of the experience.

I really enjoy your videos. Just wanted to mention that plastic bags are indeed being slowly being phased out here in America. I live in Philadelphia, where plastic bags were banned a year or so ago. It hasn't been a hardship at all, everyone seemed to adapt quickly.

Thank you again for a very pleasant positive video. In my 62 years of living in the United States, not once while going on vacation throughout the US, have I ever had a bad experience with the overall trip. I loved everywhere I vacationed and the trip always goes smoothly. People are always nice, food is always great for the most part, scenery is always beautiful, motels are always nice and clean.

I live in Oregon and we certainly have to either bring our own bags or buy them at the grocery store. I loathe those plastic bags so much! We also get our groceries delivered to our doorstep most of the time and they deliver in paper bags, which we either use or donate. So I think it differs state to state. Thanks for the fun and interesting channel!! :)

I'm glad you enjoyed your trip to the U.S. I am thankful our healthy options in grocery stores... I didn't realize that this was something special in the U.S. Thanks so much for your videos... I enjoy watching them.

Hi Norm and Tina, also let’s not forget the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets that you experience when you visit the gulf areaThey are amazing and when I visit the beach it’s the only time I’m happy to get out of the bed so early in the morning😂 When my family visit from the UK they are always amazed at the price of gas. Great video this week and look forward to seeing more when you come back this way again. Speaking of getting asked your ID Tina, the cashiers cannot ring up the beer or wine if they are not 21, they have to get one of the supervises to do it.

This was a funny episode, everything is Shocking! One thing that is totally true, the media makes it seem like we’re all at each other’s throats and honestly everyone is super nice to each other in my travels. Also Alabama and Mississippi always seem to have a negative reputation and both of those states have the friendliest people I’ve come across. At times it almost seems like a trick. Glad you seem to be enjoying yourselves!

I am Australian and have visited the US on half a dozen occasions. We found people to be very friendly and helpful. Our trips are always road trips. Travelled extensively to most of the country. Interested to hear your comments about wildlife. One thing very noticble to us as Australians is the lack of birds. You can not go anywhere hear without hearing constant bird calls. From the desert to the sea.

Wonderful insights to share. We were initially shocked, as well, by the number of Self-Checkouts and lack of cashiers in Walmarts down south. We actually can say that we are quite proficient now! What is shocking for us now, is upon trying out our newly acquired skills at our local Ontario Metro’s self-checkout, we discovered the inadequacy of the Canadian machines! Way too sensitive, no counter space to set checked items, plus requiring staff to help numerous times, ultimately made the experience painful and slow! Never again, lol!! Looking forward to hearing from you each weekend! Always a pleasure! 😊

Glad you had a wonderful vacation in the states!

Hello T&N sorry I am late to the party,but I had a very hectic week,I am so glad you had such a lovely impression of our beautiful country. American are some of the kindest people you will every encounter, it just we speak our minds,and have a low tolerance for BS,as for foods if you can't find it in New York you can't find it anywhere. I am off to your other vlog because another hectic week coming up.

You mentioned traveling and not always knowing what prices the gas stations ahead would be at, to calculate exchange good deal. Gas buddy is a great app to download and be able to plan ahead...( just in case you haven't heard of, free and easy to use.)

I'm so glad you had a good time here. With all the politics and shootings, I can see why people might avoid it. I was almost afraid to watch your video. I was born in Colorado, spent most of my life in California and now live in Washington. I've never been to Alabama but from the places we've lived and visited there is beauty everywhere.

I was shocked to hear about all those "positive shocks" you discovered in Alabama. (if i ever make it out of Canada, might go down there!)

Lovely video! So glad you enjoyed the USA and the people who you encounter make it great - not the "media coverage" portraying the situation. In Minneapolis, MN (Twin Cities) we have banned plastic bags and I do think the bigger cities are trying to get better with that but it's a slow process. I look forward to visiting Canada soon! Just returned from Ireland (2 weeks) and LOVED it.

😆😆 Thanks! You just reminded me I need to take those plastic shopping bags to be recycled.

America is No 1 Country!’❤❤❤❤❤

Great video! All the self check outs in stores has really taken over.

It's quite funny to hear a Canadian point of view things in America that seems shocking when it's very normal to us! By the way I am in Michigan and we consider Ontario to be another part of the states because it's so easy to go back and forth across the Ambassador Bridge and the Blue Water Bridge. So glad you had a nice time and that you enjoyed some very surprising things here in the US 😊😊

This is so funny and great video...!!!!!

Glad you had a good trip and enjoying you stay. Several things you mention may be particular to the place you are staying. The one that seemed interesting to me were getting plastic bags when shopping. We have not had those on the West Coast for a long time and the streets look better for it. We take our own bags, and we prefer to load the bags ourselves. We are picky about how things are loaded to avoid squashing or bruising items. Unfortunately, not putting cans on top of fruits seems to be a forgotten skill at most stores.

Your channel popped into my view today, and I am so glad it did! You are both charming. When my parents were alive, after they retired at 57 they traveled to Orange Beach for a little over a decade and rented a condo on the beach for the winter months to escape the cold of the northern US. It’s good you did not see the political polarization in your day to day. 😊 It’s here, but generally people are people and I am glad you encountered kindness. Cheers!

We stayed in Florida a few times (Disney and Miami) and we were amazed at the quality of food on offer especially pre-prepared salads, healthy vegetable trays, grass-fed beef, etc. Yes, it cost more than chopping up the ingredients yourself but certainly no more than a KFC or other fast food dinner. The flip side to that is there were two isles devoted to snacks, but you could eat healthily if you wanted to . I'd also like to add, I love the USA; the people are positive, kind-hearted, and generous. Ignore the media garbage, the country is welcoming and you should visit.

I’m so glad you had an enjoyable trip. I know people are anti-plastic bags, and I do understand, but I reuse those bags for picking up after my dog, food trash, bathroom trash, etc. We are lucky that healthy food is available. I pray it stays that way. It's so fun to see things from your point of view.

God bless you both.

I live in SoCal but have driven across the country many times. We spent time in Orange Shores, Al twice and really enjoyed it. I hope you went to the state nature park near there, we really enjoyed it and we’re surprised when a big cat, a cougar?, just sauntered across the road not far from us.

I'm glad you enjoyed your time in the states. PS - Some states have eliminated single use plastic bags, particularly in grocery stores, I think Canada is a bit ahead.

Great topic!

That is a new thing at Walmarts, self check-out. Very recent. They used to have more in person check outs open.

Good to hear. 👍🏽

You can bring your own bags into most grocery stores in the US. You may even get a discount if you do. The plastic bags they have in the grocery stores are optional.

So glad you got to visit America and had a safe trip. Most Americans are good caring people. Just like all other countries we have our share of problems. I hope you keep enjoying your retirement. I hope to be there someday too! 🙂

Glad you are enjoying your stay in the American South, my home region. My British and Irish friends have had similar reactions on their 1st visits to the USA .After my British friend drove from Chicago to Atlanta, he was surprised at how big the country was. The trip helped him better understand the Americans he dealt with in Northern Ireland. When my Irish friend visited a Walmart, she was amazed how inexpensive the food was. Her comment was "they're almost giving the food away". On my recent trips to the UK and Ireland, I forgot you have to pay for a shopping bag; after a few days, I remembered to take one with me to Tesco. As for the healthy food choices in the supermarket, some of those food items have just become available in the last year or two. All the best!

Come to the west coast and you will see allot of reusable shopping bags and not as many plastic ones and every region has many craft breweries - that's a good thing ;-)

Yes gas prices I paid 3.29 and outside Nashville was 2.98 I am in Panama city Beach now but I know restrooms not washrooms but time change has surprised me

Beer Store is now owned by three multinationals: Molson-Coors, Labatt (owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev) and Sleeman (owned by Japan’s Sapporo). While all three have breweries in Ontario, their ownership resides outside of the country. In Ontario, beer and liquor is a monopoly which is why there is very little choice for varieties of craft beer and any product not produced by this monopoly is over priced and not "pushed" like the monopoly holders products. Having a "monopoly" is illegal unless you are The Beer Store or the LCBO or the Government.

We reuse bags here in Pa. At least most try. You’ve made me want to visit the gulf shore of Alabama now. Visit NC Outer Banks where wild horses roam.

I am an American but so much could be done here in the way of environmental control like charging people to use plastic bags if they don’t bring their own so simple but not inforced glad you keep us informed

I love our organic, grass-fed, pasture raised products here in the states. I also like the self serve lanes. The lines move faster. I double bag my foods when necessary. And yes, the bags are free. So glad you enjoyed your time here. Come back again soon! Better yet, move here! We would love to have you! :o)

You drove through my hometown on I 75! Love seeing those Ontario license plates heading south.

Glad you two had a great trip. People here are great and so is America itself. In California it's 10 cents for a plastic bag. Paper bag is 5 cents each. You can also bring reusable bag. Gas here is almost $7 per gallon. It really depends on which part of America you're traveling too. Way less cashiers at the checkout as well.

Thanks!

In BC, walmart has a huge selfserve and only 5 cashier isles. In fact, there is an under 15 items and over 15 items, as seperate area. We have different pricing at gas stations on one street corner. Their beer is like water, a saying because their alcohol percentage is less.

It's not really related to your channel, but we love the Canadian TV show 'Hudson and Rex'. Amazing how that dog solves the crimes. We live in the UK and love your channel too. Do you guys watch Hudson and Rex?

You have talked about different payment options for gas and Walmart reducing cashiers. Here is a thought, how about if we scan our own groceries we get a 5% discount on the total bill. I am sure it’s still cheaper for Walmart, just saying. Thanks Tina and Norm, keep up the good work and have a great week ahead. ❤

6:34 I think that is starting to change, more and more stores are either going back to paper bags or customers bringing their own bags. (Aldi is phasing out their plastic reusuable bags).

In California big regional chain supermarkets don’t have or they charge for plastic bags. Small local markets still use plastic bags (Super King near where I live). Gas in my town is still about $5 per gallon for regular fuel (87).

I was shocked at how much we liked UK/Europe. The trains are so cheap and amazing! Restaurants/cafes charge you the menu prices and no tipping. Wine was a Euro a glass and a bottle was less than 2 euro....wow. Can't wait to go back!

I’m kinda glad that we no longer hand out plastic carry out bags in Canada . I bought a couple of reusable bags in Walmart and they are great ! We all need to keep garbage to a minimum wherever possible and costs down ‼️ In the GTA , there are more and more self checkouts all the time

This is an outstanding video! I'm dual Canadian/American but have lived in Southern California for most of my life. I got so tired defending America arguing with Aussie's, Brits, and some Canadians (more knowledgeable of USA) about their wrong ideas of USA. First one is that our beer is weak, and piss water. Lol, as you stated the selection of great beer in The States is mindboggling. Also, all our food is unhealthy. I explain to them that Southern California is the health food capital of the world. Everything grows here, the fruits and vegetables are all fresh. Also, every supermarket has those Vital Pasture raised eggs; they are in my refrigerator right now. Glad you mentioned all the friendly people, as we Americans sure love our small talk, and are willing to help strangers. I always say, Canadians are polite, but Americans are warmer.

It depends on the state. New York and New Jersey and others have banned plastic bags. You have to bring your own bags.