Wife and I traveled all the 48 states by Motorcycle. The country has some amazing things to see and not all of it is mountains and wilderness. The cities can be beautiful in their own way.
Yes a lot of our trips we didn't carry(because we couldn't legally) and didn't have any problems.
In all our travels the only time/place I wished I was carrying was Bourbon Street on a weekend. Saw several fights and lots of drunk and high people getting rowdy. We knew what we were getting into though and just stayed out of the way. It was interesting that the cab driver that took us there told us to NOT walk past a certain point(a rough part of town says the guy that lives there) and call a cab when ready to leave.
We traveled to a small(100 bikes) motorcycle rally that was held in a different part of the country every year and got to meet some people from all over this country and country's including Europe and Germany.
We met a guy from NY city that has lived there his whole life. He doesn't own a car and has the bike for weekend trips out of the city to unwind. Lives in a small condo that has a parking garage and he says it doesn't cost him anything to park the bike because he can put it in a spot with a support pillar and a car won't fit there anyway. He has 3 grocery stores on his block(a Krogers, a small mom and pop store and a all natural store) a movie theater and night clubs. He said that by the time you get in your car and drive to a place to eat he can walk to dozens of restaurants from 5 star to fast food. A hospital next block over. He said he hops on subway to work and home and any other errands that takes him out farther. He loves the life style.
Another couple we met live in Montana and are 2.5 hours from a Walmart and 1.5 from a grocery store and over 30 minutes to a gas station(Not a convenience store but a unmanned pump just off the road. They love the life style.
I say see the country and remember that when you are visiting a different state that you are the visitor and they are the ones who live there.
There are bad people everywhere and you can run into someone in any town in Indiana or any other state, that you don't like. The bigger the city either Indianapolis or NY city the odds increase as the population goes up. I have met some real jerks in the local small town(not where I live now.....yet) hardware store so it happens anywhere.
I love the big city's lit up at night and I loved eastern California and the rolling foothills and Redwoods and the coastal hyways. Not saying I would live there but still like them. I hate California's politics and would not live there because of that. I gave up carrying my gun for a few days but I would do it again without question to stand in the Redwoods again or be on the coast watching the waves roll in.
Wife was not thrilled one year when our Motorcycle rally was to be at Santa Fe, New Mexico. Said there was nothing to see in the desert and was not interested. We went and both loved it and she still says if she could live anywhere that is her #1 pick. Mild weather and low humidity and mountains on one side of town and high desert on the other. Beautiful area.
We all have preconceived ideas what we like and until we experience them for our self I think we should give them a chance and see the country.
Well, this seems objectively much more reasonable than "OMG OMG OMG, I HAVE TO DIVORCE MY WIFE BECAUSE I CAN'T HAVE A GUN FOR A FEW DAYS I'M GONNA DIE REEEEEE!"