What’s in a name?

Scenic, South Dakota is not.

Based on recent election results, Liberal, Kansas is decidedly conservative.

My third grade geography teacher told me the Vikings named the inhospitable island Greenland and the lovely place Iceland as a bit of PR trickery so they could keep the good stuff all to themselves.

We Minnesotans love to snicker at the Iowa towns of Manly and Fertile and the mythical newspaper headline, “Fertile Man Marries Manly Woman.”

Last year I was weary from a long day’s drive and in search of lodging. The next exit was for Slaughter Beach, Delaware and I decided to keep driving.

Scenic was on our route and was worth all ten minutes we spent there. It is basically a ghost town with remnants of it’s Old West glory boarded up and slowly succumbing to the harsh elements. It’s small, desolate, and mildly spooky. But Scenic is definitely not scenic.