Muskmelon is the general name for cantaloupe, honeydew, etc. Some people use the terms muskmelon and cantaloupe interchangeably but it's usually a regional thing. There are a whole lot of varieties but those two are the most common. All cantaloupes are muskmelon, but not all muskmelons are cantaloupe. There are two types of melon: muskmelon (which has a lot of varieties) and watermelon. I became curious about it when I looked for cantaloupe on FitDay and couldn't find it.
Yes, here in Iowa, muskmelon is a local thing...the larger, sweeter canaloupes that grown down in Muscatine. I like them much better than the generic kind you get in the grocery store. Sorry to confuse.
I can just imagine how much better they are, Angela. I can even tell the difference in the ones from the farmer's market as opposed to the ones from the grocery store, which are probably picked green and chemically ripened before being shipped halfway across the country. Blech.