Nicknamed the “Lone Star State” because of the single white star in its flag, Texas is the second largest state in the USA. Major cities in Texas include Houston, Austin (Capital), San Antonio, El Paso and Dallas. Similar to California, Texas is a land of diverse landscapes. The Deep South borders Mexico and is hot and dry. Traveling through the state we can find huge oak forests, prairies and an awesome desert in the Big Bend National Park. It is the size of this sprawling state that earned the phrase that “Everything is bigger in Texas”.
Although the images of a “cowboy” wearing a 10 gallon hat and twiddling guns comes to mind when we think of a Texan, the land has been inhabited for over 11,000 years by the Native Americans, Spanish explorer and Mexican cultures. Six countries including Spain, France and Mexico have officially claimed Texas before it was added to the USA. The advantage of all these influences resulted in the cuisine of Texas which is a mixture of various cultures. Currently, the mix of cultures are German, English, Scots-Irish, Hispanic, African American, Asian American and Native American.
The main airports in Texas are George Bush Intercontinental and Dallas Fort Worth International. Cars are available for rent and travelers may also avail the local taxis, buses and guided tours.
The state parks in Texas offer a lot of activities such as horseback riding, aerial tram rides, fishing, mountain biking and camping. In the north, we see the canyons, mountains and the desert while to the south, we find beaches and marshlands with lots of water fowl and seagulls.
The top part of the state of Texas, called the panhandle, borders New Mexico to the west and Oklahoma to the east. The largest city in this area is Amarillo. The second largest canyon in the USA is the Palo Duro canyon which is located in this panhandle area of Texas. Other attractions in this area are Lake Meredith and the Sanford dam.
The climate of Texas is quite varied according to its geography. The desert areas in the panhandle can get quite hot while the bay areas in the south may be visited by a few hurricanes in the summer. Also, in winter, snow is usual in the northern parts of Texas while the southern regions have mild winters. April through October is a good time to visit this state.
Houston is one of the most important cities in Texas. The Theatre district is a 17 block area in the heart of downtown Houston where visitors have a lot of choices from the Houston Grand Opera, the Houston Symphony Orchestra, Houston Ballet to the Alley Theatre and more. The Johnson Space Center is home to astronauts and space shuttles. Visitors can take a tour of the Center and experience zero gravity and the feel of being in Space.
Other attractions in Texas include the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Kimbell Art Museum, Amon Carter Museum, the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, the Will Rogers Memorial center, USS Lexington (WWII warship) and Bass Performance Hall.
Dallas provides even more ways to entertain tourists; Dallas Museum of Art, Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, The Opera House, The Trammell & Margaret Crow collection of Asian Art and the Nasher Sculpture Center and the Deep Ellum district with its jazz and blues hotspot.
Austin, the capital of Texas boasts a lot of venues for live music, nightclubs and film, music and multimedia festivals. The city of San Antonio is not far behind with its Tejano music appreciation and awareness activities. Tejano is a blend of American and Hispanic music forms.
American Football is a favorite pastime of Texans who have two professional NFL teams, the Dallas Cowboys and The Houston Texans. Texas also has two major Baseball teams, three pro Basketball teams and teams in many other sports. Whatever Americans do, Texans do bigger! Watching any of these professional games in their gigantic stadiums is a memorable experience.
While in San Antonio, do not miss The Alamo, Cascade Caverns, Sea Institute of Texas cultures, Zoo, Botanical Gardens, Market Square, Natural Bridge Caverns, Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch, Rio San Antonio Cruise, San Fernando Cathedral, SeaWorld of San Antonio and the River walk. Also check out Splashtown and Six Flags Fiesta Texas for a fun family vacation.
For those seeking new experiences, sample Tex-Mex cuisine. Regular food festivals are held in most of the Texan cities with Chili (chunky soup with meat, spices and optional beans) Championships, various varieties of hot sauce, Salsa (Mexican salad with fresh tomatoes, onions and hot peppers) and the famous Texan Barbecues where people compete to make the best sauce. Most Texans love Steak and the way they eat it is by "showing it" to the fire (cooked very rare).
