Confederate flags scare me, but I guess that’s the point. While Will and I were in Idaho looking for birds, we saw a campervan parked near a river, waving both an American flag and a Confederate flag. This, combined with bullet holes in everything, including the bathroom door, was very disconcerting. Mind you, we were in an area where shooting was not allowed. Naturally, those signs also had bullet holes in them.

If I’m being honest, a certain level of loud patriotism and Americana paraphernalia already makes me nervous, but you throw in any iteration of the old stars and bars, and I’m steering clear. Thank you for letting me know where you stand, and I’ll mind my business elsewhere. Having just spent a few days viewing Bison, Coyotes, and Bears at a distance, I know how to steer clear of evident danger.

When folks tell you traveling and recreating outside while Black is not the same experience as it is for white folks, believe them. The Confederate flag does not scream “all are welcome”. It screams “white’s only”. Even the unfortunate souls who look like me that live in the sunken place wouldn’t be welcome, as much as they’d like to think otherwise.

These days, we live in a bizzaro world where a reality TV show host is the president of the United States of America, a divisive non-veteran podcast host gets a military level sendoff, a non-medical professional is the Secretary of Health, and so many more unqualified people are holding high positions in the American government. In today’s climate, I guess someone waving a Confederate flag in a bird preservation area in Idaho isn’t exactly surprising.

It’s STILL CRAZY!!!! When it comes to Nazis, most of civilization understands that openly celebrating a group of people that carried out that level of human atrocity is unacceptable. But here in America, instead of condemning everything the Confederate army stood for, after the Civil War, supporters of the Confederate army were allowed to continue celebrating like they didn’t lose.

If there was a “concentration camp apartment complex” or “concentration camp road” that would be shut down so fast, but there are towns, streets, establishments, etc named “plantation” this and that all over the country. Plantations aren’t cute, they were horrible places where so many people suffered tremendously.

Adolph Hitler wouldn’t get a statue or a street named after him, but we openly celebrate Confederate army generals and such. Most of Stone Mountain Park in Georgia has streets named after these folks. It’s perfectly normal and acceptable. Except it isn’t.

The daughters of the revolution were HUSTLING during the period of reformation, making sure to rewrite history in a way that even still in 2025 these folks are out here waving confederate flags like they didn’t LOSE THE WAR. I’ve seen that flag all over the world, even in Banyoles, Spain, and I will never get it. But I guess I’m not supposed to.

All this to say, Idaho was a chop. We didn’t have a good time, and we’ve since moved on. It was just weird vibes, not just the flag situation, but the whole place was simply not somewhere I think I understand. Everything isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay.

There were pretty things tho! I can always appreciate the beauty of nature! It’s usually the people that ruin the party.

In summary, while we’re having a great time on our road trip, we’re still VERY aware of the way this world and this country (dys)functions. We are very selective about gas stations, hotels, campgrounds, and even the activities and attractions we visit. Everywhere isn’t safe for us, and no amount of hoping and wishing and believing in people is going to change that in the immediate.

Regardless of your race, it’s pretty important to always keep your heads on a swivel.

Until next time.

Featured