Texas Travel Guide
From Wikitravel
- For other places with the same name, see Texas (disambiguation).
| State flag of Texas |
|---|
 |
Texas [1] is the second-largest and second-most-populous state in the United States of America. Owing to its remarkable size, distinctive culture and politics, and colorful history, many Texans maintain a fiercely independent attitude, with Texan identity often superceding American identity. Few other American states feature their flag so prominently in businesses, on the backs of cars and in advertisements. Originally a territory of Spain and, later, Mexico, Texas rebelled in 1836 and became its own nation for 10 years before joining the USA in 1845. Despite having existed under the auspices of six different nations (France, Spain, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the United States of America, and the Confederate States of America), Texas has maintained its fascinating independent spirit, making for a unique and unrivaled exploration ground for any intrigued and intrepid adventurer.
Known for their generosity, hospitality, unusual accent, and penchant for the larger-than-life, Texans are wonderful people to meet, and the variety of cultural experiences, from feasting on bratwurst with the Germans of the Hill Country to watching Flamenco dancers with the Chicanos of the Rio Grande valley, is seemingly unlimited.
The large size of the state should not be underestimated. Texas measures full 21,000 square kilometers by area, making it slightly larger than France. Having a car is essential for travel between cities, and within most. The traveler should factor on long driving times between cities and destinations.
Contents |
Regions
| Panhandle (Lubbock, Amarillo, Wichita Falls) Great plains, cotton and the Llano Estacado | |
| Prairies and Lakes (Dallas, Fort Worth) Recreational lakes and exciting nightlife | |
| Piney Woods (Nacogdoches, Tyler) Pine forests, bayous, and Civil War and Civil Rights history | |
| Gulf Coast (Houston, Galveston, Beaumont) Islands, beaches and port cities | |
| South Texas Plains (San Antonio, Laredo) Border country along the Rio Grande, Spanish missions | |
| Hill Country (Austin, Fredericksburg) Edwards Plateau, rolling hills, rivers and the State capital | |
| Big Bend Country (El Paso, Odessa) Big Bend National Park, mountains, desert and canyons. |
Cities
- Amarillo - Wide open spaces, on the edge of the Great Plains.
- Arlington - Home of the Texas Rangers.
- Austin - Live Music Capital of the World. State capital. Home to the University of Texas (5th largest in the USA by enrollment).
- Beaumont - Home of Spindletop, birthplace of the modern oil industry.
- Clifton - Norwegian Capital of Texas, Top 100 arts community.
- Corpus Christi - Popular Gulf Coast city.
- Dallas - One of the most popular visitor destinations in Texas.
- El Paso - The largest city on the US/Mexico border.
- Fort Worth - Fort Worth Stockyards. "Where the West Begins."
- Fredericksburg - German settlement, lots of festivals.
- Galveston - Major port city and tourist destination.
- Houston - Texas' largest city. Home of NASA's Mission Control Center.
- Irving - Home of the Dallas Cowboys.
- Laredo - The US's largest inland port.
- Lubbock - Largest city in the plains of Texas.
- Midland/Odessa - Twin west Texas oil cities.
- Nacogdoches - "Cradle of Texas Liberty." Many Texas landmarks.
- San Antonio - Famous for the Alamo and the "River Walk" nightlife district.
Other destinations
Understand
History
France, Spain and Mexico have all laid claim to Texas at one point or another. However in 1836, Texas won its independence from Mexico and became the Republic of Texas. The most famous battle of the fight for independence was the stand at the Alamo. Although tragic, the sacrifice allowed the main army of Texas time enough to gather their strength and defeat the formidable Mexican army, led by General Santa Anna. Nine years later Texas agreed to be annexed by the United States and became the 28th state of the Union.
People
The ethnic background of Texas is extremely diverse. Fully one-third of the population has some sort of Hispanic background. There are also many German settlements (Fredericksburg, New Braunfels, et. al.), as well as Norwegian, Polish, Czech, Swedish and French settlements.
Climate
Texas is a huge state and has an extreme variety of weather. Texas is very warm in the summer (commonly higher than 100F or 38C). In West Texas and the Panhandle, summers are usually dry with fits of stormy weather. North Texas (Dallas/Fort Worth region) has an unstable climate (hence the saying "If you don't like the weather in Texas, wait 10 minutes and it will change" – though 10 minutes later you might not like the change). Thunderstorms are common, sometimes generating tornadoes and hailstorms. It is often cooler near the coast, though humidity can be unbearable in the summer. Conversely, the spring, autumn and winter are relatively pleasant for most of the state. It rarely dips below the freezing point in winter, except in the Panhandle region where the winters can get quite cold (Lubbock and Amarillo have suffered devastating blizzards in the past.). It has snowed as far south as San Antonio and Houston, but snow will often melt within moments of landing.
Get in
Texas shares an international border with Mexico as well as a 600 mile coastline. It is bordered on the north by the state of Oklahoma, on the west by the state of New Mexico, and on the east by the states of Arkansas and Louisiana. As a state of the United States, all visa and passport rules of the USA apply.
By plane
Texas has several international airports, including George Bush Intercontinental (or just "Intercontinental") in Houston, and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, both of which are major airline hubs and are relatively cheap to fly into. Other major airports can be found in San Antonio, El Paso, and Austin, though almost every reasonably sized city in the state is served by some kind of air transport.
By train
Three Amtrak trains serve the state: The Texas Eagle, Sunset Limited, and Heartland Flyer. Fares are high and ride times are long, but the Amtrak offers a unique perspective for those who are interested.
By car
Texas is well-served from other points in the U.S. by the United States Interstate Highway system, the quality and condition of which is generally very good. There are many roads which cross into Texas from Mexico, most notably in Laredo and El Paso. Due to the enormous amount of traffic from south and central America, Laredo is the country's largest inland port, and wait times at this and all border stations can often be tremendous.
By boat
Major ports in Texas include Houston, Corpus Christi, Galveston, Beaumont, Port Arthur and Brownsville. Cruise ships occasionally start and end their voyages in the various ports around Houston.
Get around
The road system is almost universally excellent, and even the most remote points in the state can be accessed with an average sedan. Gas stations are numerous. Texan highways are often built with parallel frontage roads and turnarounds at most exits. Speed limits are very strictly enforced in rural areas of the state, as traffic fines are often a primary industry for many smaller towns, but when travelling through larger cities observing the "common speed" is much safer. Texas Map features a detailed scrollable road map which can be printed in sections.
Texas is home to major airlines American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Continental Airlines. American and Continental fly to many Texas locations through their hubs in Dallas and Houston, respectively. Southwest is the no-frills discounter granddad and flies throughout Texas. Travel to any destination world-wide is quite painless from the larger Texas airports.
Since Texas cities are geographically dispersed, travel by train is expensive and often inconvenient. Passenger service is no longer an option for cities in the Panhandle or southern Texas. Again, the size of the state is startling; traveling across the width of Texas (from Orange, in the eastern extremity, near Houston, to El Paso in the western extremity) is roughly the same distance as one would encounter while traveling from El Paso to Los Angeles or from Houston to Jacksonville, Florida. Texarkana, in the northeast corner of the state, is closer to Chicago than it is to the extreme southern tip of Texas.
Greyhound provides intercity bus service. Other bus carriers include TNM&O, Kerville & Americanos.
See
History
- Don't miss the Alamo in San Antonio, where the erstwhile Republic of Texas saw its most tragic hour.
- Fort Davis National Historic Site -- Partially restored fort, home of the Buffalo soldiers -- located in the town of Ft. Davis north of Big Bend Nat Park. Also in Ft. Davis is MacDonald Observatory, Ft. Davis State Park and a scenic loop drive that goes through the Davis Mountains and down on the prairie where you can see deer, pronghorn (also called antelope), eagles and some very beautiful scenery.
- The Fort Worth Stockyards offer a look into the past, when cattle drives and cowboys were all the rage.
Fun and Games
- The original Six Flags theme park is in Arlington
Culture and "Texana"
- The King Ranch, along the Gulf Coast, is a working ranch bigger than the state of Rhode Island.
- As the largest city on the US/Mexico border, El Paso is a hotbed of Hispanic culture in America with a flavor that is more Mexican than Texan.
- Not to be missed is the extraordinary Texas Hill Country, with its fields of wildflowers covering sprawling cattle ranches.
Nature
- Big Bend National Park is mountains, desert, wilderness, and river (Rio Grande) scenery. There are snakes, deer, javelina (wild pigs) plus many other types of wildlife. At the western entrance is Terlingua (an old ghost town) which is the home to the annual International Chili Cookoff. Farther down the road to the west along the El Camino Real (The River Road) scenic drive to Presidio is the town of Lajitas whose mayor is a goat (a real goat) that guzzles beer like water -- put a bottle or can near his mouth and he will grab it right out of your hand in his teeth and turn it up until it all drains into his mouth.
- Get an idea of the size and space of Texas with a drive through the Chihuahuan Desert or through the Texas Panhandle.
Do
- Take a leisurely inner tube trip, floating down the Brazos or Guadalupe rivers.
- Spend the weekend living the Old West at a Dude Ranch
Eat
Barbecue is the mainstay of any true Texan's diet (most Texans will frown at you if you call it BBQ). The International Barbecue Cookoff is held annually in Taylor, TX (northeast of Austin. The number one barbeque restaurant is the Kreuz Market in Lockhart (also near Austin), although there are several excellent places all around Texas.
Chili is the official state dish of Texas. There are many varieties of chili, but Original Texas-style chili contains no beans. The place to try all the varieties is the International Chili Cookoff, held on the first weekend in November in Terlingua, TX.
Tex-Mex is Mexican cuisine with Texas flair. Take ancient traditions (such as filled tortillas) and add beef, sauces, cheeses and spices, and Tex-Mex is born. Nachos, crispy tacos, crispy chalupas, chili con queso, chili con carne, chili gravy, and fajitas are all Tex-Mex inventions. Serving tortilla chips and a hot sauce or salsa as an appetizer is also an original Tex-Mex combination, and one that Texan diners insist on.
Down Home Cookin' is a blend of American and German cuisine brought about by the necessity of cooking from the back of a chuck wagon. Meals include steaks, stews, casseroles, breads and pies. There are many steakhouses around the state, notably the Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo, Bob's Steak and Chophouse in Dallas, Fort Griffin General Merchandise in Albany and Taste of Texas steak house in Houston's west side.
Drink
There are many cities with a fabulous nightlife. Dallas has the West End and Deep Ellum districts. West of Dallas in Fort Worth is the world-famous Billy Bob's, the largest Honky-Tonk in the world. Also downtown in Fort Worth are Sundance Square and The Historic Stockyards. In Houston you can go "Downtown" or "Uptown". Have a good time in Austin on 6th Street and the Warehouse District. And don’t forget San Antonio's famous River Walk.
In early 2006, the controversial Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission (TABC) program that allows for "public intoxication" arrests in any public area or business establishment, including bars, drew national attention. This was due to an unfortunate incident where people staying in a hotel were arrested for being intoxicated in that hotel's bar. There has been sufficient negative feedback from the public regarding the TABC program that it has been suspended for review.
Stay safe
The crime rate in Texas is on par with the rest of the United States. In the larger cities, if you stay in the tourist areas you will be generally safe (talk to your hotel concierge or manager if you aren't sure about a certain area). The rural areas have a very small crime rate. Texans have a (largely undeserved) reputation for carrying firearms or resolving disputes with gunfire, but such actions are no more common here than in other parts of the US.
Texas weather is rarely dangerous. However, be aware of the weather during hurricane season on the coast, and of tornado season (spring and summer) if you're in the Dallas/Fort Worth region. Also, although Texas deserts are beautiful, the heat can be dangerous without the proper precautions. Bring plenty of water and sunscreen.
Texas is in "Tornado Alley". Check the Tornado safety page if you are visiting Texas.
| This article is an outline and needs more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. Please plunge forward and help it grow! |
