((Brian's Note: Brian DeRoy is currently the morning anchor for the NBC affiliate, WIS-TV in Columbia, SC.  The WIS morning show is one of the top rated morning newscasts in all the country.  He began his career in South Dakota in 1997 working at Rapid City’s KNBN-TV as a news reporter and weekend sports anchor.  Then it was off to KSFY, where he spent 2 years working with characters like Brian Allen and Nancy Naeve!   After KSFY, Brian spent 2 years as a news reporter in Mobile, Alabama and then spent nearly 6 years as a reporter in Raleigh, NC before ending up in Columbia. ))

After three years in South Dakota, it was time to find some warm winters and the rest of my career has been spent in Alabama, North Carolina and now South Carolina.  There are some big similarities and differences between the south and South Dakota.  Yes, your state may have the word “South” in it’s name, but it’s far from southern.  This job has been a great way to see different parts of the country and learn how diverse our country really is.  Much like an Iowa boy like Brian Allen living in Las Vegas, it was just as strange of a culture shock for this Minnesota native to move from South Dakota to Alabama.  Yet I wouldn’t trade the experience for the world!  So, if you don’t feel like hopping in the car and driving all the way south to check things out, let me give you a southern primer directly from a northerner! 

One of the biggest differences I noticed between southerners and northerners is how more open southerners are.  Folks in the south are willing to talk about most anything, heck, you don’t need to ask in many cases.  I noticed trying to do “man on the street” interviews in downtown Sioux Falls, a lot of folks didn’t want to be on TV.  No such problem here in the heart of Dixie.  Folks are very talkative. 

Now to the stuff you really want to know about, cuisine!  I never had grits before coming to the south.  There’s a place called “Waffle House” (kind of a like a lower-class Perkins) except they’re all over the place, most every highway exit in fact.  You can get many types of grits at the Waffle House, and many other restaurants too.  There’s also a delicacy called “shrimp and grits” which is pretty self explanatory!  Trust me, they’re pretty yummy.  Oh, in case you’re curious, I did the legwork for you and the closest Waffle House to South Dakota is in St. Joseph Missouri.   

Have you ever heard of “sweet tea?”  Basically take regular iced tea and brew it with a ton of sugar.  That’s what folks love in the south.  If you go somewhere and ask for iced tea, chances are you’ll get the version with a ton of sugar.  Much like grits, it’s an acquired taste, but is good too. 

When you mention barbecue in the south, there’s a lot of variations here.  When I lived in North Carolina, they had “eastern Carolina BBQ” and “Western Carolina BBQ.”  The eastern variety is chopped pork with a clear vinegar based sauce and some spices.  The Western variety can have some vinegar taste, but it typically has a tomato based sauce (much like BBQ sauces you get in the stores) but it’s also chopped pork.  There’s a third variety only in the central part of South Carolina, that consists of chopped pork with a mustard-based sauce.  The mustard based sauce is really unique and worth a try.  Here’s a link to the South Carolina BBQ Association where you can learn more about our unique BBQ tastes. 

One more thing about my southern experience I must relate was living in Mobile, Alabama.  Did you it is home to Mardi Gras?  Locals claim it started in Mobile but it got bigger and wilder in New Orleans.  On Mardi Gras day (otherwise known as Fat Tuesday)  the entire city of Mobile shuts down.  Imagine everyone leaving work and going downtown all day to eat and drink and watch parades!  Yes, that’s what happens in both New Orleans and Mobile.  Mardi Gras also has secret “societies” which are social club groups that hold big bashes during Mardi Gras.  Only VIP invited guests get to go to these Mardi Gras balls and they’re quite the experience.  Imagine upstanding folks in the community wearing silly costumes and eating and drinking adult beverages galore.  Yes, that’s what a Mardi Gras ball is like.

Let me wrap up this “guest blog” by saying South Dakota always will have a special place in my heart.  Having started my career in Rapid City before moving to Sioux Falls, South Dakota was the place where I literally grew up in both TV and life.  It’s also a state that was very welcoming and is like a big small town that comprises a state.  In South Dakota, the governor doesn’t have a ton of armed goons with him when he makes public appearances.  In South Dakota, I recall then-state lawmaker Ron Volesky often wearing basketball-type warm up suits sometimes during legislative sessions and certainly media members were allowed on the floor and weren’t required to wear jackets and ties like some states.  South Dakota is a place where the governor might just drive his own car to an event and sure doesn’t need some limo either.  Bottom line, South Dakota is a welcoming place with vast spaces to roam and explore and people who are hard-working, honest good folks.  Thanks for the memories, hope to see y’all soon!

((Brian's Note: Brian DeRoy and I have stayed in touch for all these years. When I lived in Las Vegas, he came out to see me one time and we just laughed and laughed. He is a neat guy, a good writer and a solid friend. Feel free to leave a comment below or send me an e-mail by clicking here.))