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Introducing Texas
If you thought, ‘Screw You, We’re from Texas’ was the state motto, not just the refrain in a Ray Wylie Hubbard song, you’d be forgiven for misunderstandin’. A certain chest-puffin’ pride does seem to go with being from the Lone Star State. It probably has as much to do with leftover independent spirit (locals are mighty proud of Texas having been its own country) as it does with all that bigness (the state is larger than Germany, England, Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands combined). Nevertheless, the Wild West lives on today mostly in attitude. If you’re expectin’ to see a buncha cowboys dusty from the trail, you’re about as sharp as a heapa mashed potaters. Computer-geek millionaires outnumber rich cattlemen, and you’re as likely to see a Dallas fashionista as a good ol’ gal in her tight-fittin’ jeans.
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Sure you can (and might oughta) do some two-steppin’ in a 100-year-old dance hall, but you should also rock out at the hundreds of live-music venues in Austin or pulse to the mariachi beat in ol’ San Antone. If you imagine the nature of Texas is tumblin’ tumbleweeds, a walk along miles of undeveloped Gulf Coast beach or the sight of snow in the 8000ft-plus Guadalupe Mountains will change your mind right quick.
Of course there’s also them bright lights ‘n big cities – Houston and Dallas, with their culture and such. And if what you really want to see is ropers and riders, they’ll oblige ya. Mosey on over to Fort Worth’s historic stockyards, attend a small-town rodeo, or get your giddy-up on at Bandera’s dude ranches. Wherever you go, most folks are just as friendly as pie. Can you blame ‘em? They’re from Texas.
Last updated: Feb 17, 2009
Tips & articles
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All-American Classic: Route 66
11 November 2009
For a classic American road trip, nothing beats good ol’ Route 66. Nicknamed the nation’s ‘Mother...
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Top 10 North American amusement parks
7 July 2009
Nowhere can you find so many family-friendly daredevil thrills (and gentler rides) than in the USA and...
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Buying boots in Texas
15 June 2009
El Paso is the place to pony up for some genuine hand-made cowboy boots - and a little local knowledge...
Texas
Recommended things to do & see
Our Top Picks For Texas
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1 Continental Club
Diving into some hard-rockin’ blues at Austin’s original live-music bar, the Continental Club
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2 Rocketbuster Boots
Ogling the true Texana artworks that are handmade Rocketbuster Boots in El Paso
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3 Big Bend National Park
Photographing brilliant cactus blooms – bright fuchsia choyo, flaming orange ocotillo – in Big Bend National Park
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4 Fort Worth
Going country at the National Cowgirl Museum by day and the Stockyards rodeo by night in Fort Worth
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5 Salt Lick Barbecue
Marveling at the slabs of meat on massive outdoor BBQ pits at Salt Lick Barbecue outside Austin
Our favourite Texas Blogs (beta)
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Video Edition: Dell Diamond
Blog: Tales from Technomadia - 24 June 2009
We got an e-mail from Bill Bivin, one of the moderators from Dell over at Digital Nomads, asking us if we would be interested in submitting a guest post about our Camp Nomadia theme camp at Burning Man. As we also happened to be in Austin at the time, we made arrangements to meet [...]
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Video Edition: Rock Climbing in Austin, Texas
Blog: Tales from Technomadia - 9 June 2009
I grew up in South Austin, not too far from the Barton Creek Greenbelt. In fact, we could hike to it from our house. It was a wonderful place to grow up and be out in nature, but yet part of a progressive urban city. My brother still lives in Austin, so it’s a frequent destination [...]
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Travelogue: Texas to St. Louis
Blog: Tales from Technomadia - 1 June 2009
Time period: April 24 – May 17, 2009 Miles Driven: 1593 After weeks of no firm plans and trusting in nomadic serendipity to guide our journey through Arizona and New Mexico, after Carlsbad Caverns we were back on route to our next planned destination – Austin, Texas. Austin is where Cherie grew up, and her brother now lives [...]
