I recently took a road trip through America, from California up through North Dakota and into Canada. To get a more authentic experience, I opted to stay at Air BNBs every night. Some of them were interesting, to say the least, but two of them really stood out.
The first was in Wyoming. It was a cabin on the edge of the owner's land. Across the fence in one direction was farmland, and in the other direction, a stable for horses. It was exactly that cowboy America you think of. And, as if to complete the scene, hanging on the wall of the cabin was a rifle. I've never even held a gun, so it was an interesting experience. My dad, who was traveling with me, taught me how the rifle would be loaded and how to handle it properly.
The next place we stayed was just as picturesque, and it also had a rifle on the wall. I took it down and looked at it. I had some practice the previous day so I knew what I was doing. But in this gun, I found a bullet. It was loaded. Suddenly I felt weird holding it. A loaded gun can easily kill a person, but I don't want to kill anyone. I still posed for a picture with it, but looking back, I'm holding it awkwardly, my hand far from the trigger.
I guess that's one version of the authentic America I was hoping for, but as the saying goes—careful what you wish for, you just might get it.