Texas, AL Road Trips

Texas became a colony of Spain in the 17th century, and, later, part of Mexico. Texas rebelled in 1836 and was an independent nation for 10 years before being annexed by the United States in 1845. Despite having existed under the auspices of six different countries (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. The variety of cultural experiences, from feasting on bratwurst with the Germans of the Hill Country to watching Flamenco dancers with the Tejanos of the Rio Grande valley, is seemingly unlimited. The large size of the state should not be underestimated. Texas measures over 267,000 sq mi (690,000 km2) in 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. Texas is bordered by the U.S. states of New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Nuevo León, Coahuila, and Chihuahua, as well as having a long coast on the Gulf of Mexico. Texas is called the "Lone Star State" and the Lone Star can be found on its state flag as well as its state seal. The first European to arrive in Texas was Spanish conquistador Alonso Álvarez de Pineda.

The Battle of the Alamo in San Antonio was the most tragic hour of the erstwhile Republic of Texas. Here some 200 men under siege by a Mexican army of 1,500 or more bravely refused to surrender, and gained immortal fame. San Jacinto Battleground State Historical Park, Houston. This is the site of the decisive 1836 battle between Texians led by Sam Houston and the Mexican army under the dictator Gen. Santa Anna, in which Texas gained independence. The San Jacinto Monument, the park's 570-foot-tall centerpiece, is fifteen feet taller than the Washington Monument and the world's tallest monumental column (everything is bigger in Texas!). The battle is counted among those having the greatest impact on history. Within a dozen years of its defeat, Mexico had lost not only Texas, but the territory of the future states of California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and New Mexico. Don't forget to make time to visit the Battleship Texas, permanently moored nearby. Galveston was a prosperous port city when a hurricane hit in 1900, wiping most of its buildings and 6,000 to 8,000 of its residents off the map in America's worst-ever natural disaster. The city rebuilt on sand pumped in from the sea behind a 17-foot high seawall, but never regained its former position. A few buildings that survived the storm, and others built after the disaster and then protected from replacement by the city's decline, today form a handsome historic downtown district. After Texas was annexed, the U.S. and Mexico proceeded to quarrel over the border.

Take a leisurely inner tube trip, floating down the Comal, Guadalupe, San Marcos, Brazos, or Frio rivers. Spend the weekend living the Old West at a Dude Ranch Hike and climb through the natural wonders of the Palo Duro Canyon near Amarillo. Enjoy live music and Western heritage at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, held every spring at Houston's Reliant Park. Pique your curiosity about Texas' storied history at the Alamo in San Antonio. Take in a show in Houston's Theatre District - the largest performing arts district outside of New York City. Sports fans will want to see some of America's winningest and iconic professional and collegiate sports teams, including the Houston Astros, Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers, Houston Texans, Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, University of Texas Longhorns, and the Texas A&M Aggies. The Texas State Fair, held in Dallas boasts livestock shows, a huge midway with the world's biggest ferris wheel, enough deep-fried foods to give a cardiologist a heart attack, hot concerts, and cold beer. Say "hi" to Big Tex while you're there.

Barbecue is the mainstay of any true Texan's diet (some Texans will frown at you if you call it B-B-Q). The International Barbecue Cookoff is held annually in Taylor, TX (northeast of Austin). A Texas specialty is chopped or thinly sliced beef brisket, usually served with a slice of white bread, pickles, onions, and sauce in a separate container (although Central European-style sausage is also common). Classic sides are coleslaw, beans, and potato salad. 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, burritos, 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 con queso as an appetizer is also an original Tex-Mex combination, and one that Texan diners insist on. While Texans are generally nice people, and won't be easily offended, it's worth repeating: Tex-Mex food is most definitely not the same as Mexican food, a point locals will be all-too-happy to point out. 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.

Texas has many cities with fabulous nightlife. Some of the more notable include: Austin: 6th Street and the Warehouse District. Dallas: Uptown, Deep Ellum, and Greenville Avenue districts. Fort Worth: the Historic Fort Worth Stockyards including the world-famous Billy Bob's Texas, which claims to be the largest Honky-Tonk in the world (it even has its own rodeo arena). Also, in Fort Worth's surprisingly clean and vibrant downtown area, there is Sundance Square, where one can find food, drink, and entertainment ranging from live music to first-run movies. Houston: Downtown, The Heights, or Montrose. Historic San Antonio: Downtown/Riverwalk, the Southtown Arts District and the Pearl Brewery District. Lubbock: Depot District. The maximum legal Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) limit for adults is 0.08. 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 enough negative feedback from the public regarding the TABC program that it has been suspended for review. Texas produces a number of famous beers, particularly German-style beers, which are available throughout the state and beyond. Shiner Bock is the state's most iconic beer, a lightly tan colored beer sold in every decent Texas bar.

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 U.S. apply. 1 Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW IATA) and 2 George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH IATA) are the most popular entry points to Texas with a wide variety of flights from Europe, East Asia, India, Australia, Latin America, Middle East (Israel, Qatar, Turkey, UAE) and from various cities in the U.S. on a variety of U.S. and foreign flag carriers. Houston serves as a hub for United at Bush Intercontinental Airport and Southwest at Hobby Airport while Dallas-Ft Worth serves as a hub for American Airlines and Love Field as a hub for Southwest. If you are flying within Texas or coming from other cities within the U.S., there are other airports in Texas that are less crowded and may be closer to your final destination in: 3 Dallas Love Field (DAL IATA) is an "alternate" airport in the Dallas-Ft Worth Metroplex that is closer to downtown Dallas than DFW. If you are traveling with Southwest Airlines to the Dallas Ft Worth metroplex, they only land at Love Field. 4 William P Hobby Airport (HOU IATA) is the "alternate" airport in the Houston area: it is 10 mi (16 km) southeast of downtown Houston. If you are traveling with Allegiant or Southwest Airlines into the Houston area, they only land at Hobby Airport.

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; however, in rural West Texas, do not press your luck. 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; Texas state troopers will pull you over for an infraction as small as five miles per hour over the speed limit, as traffic fines are often an important source of income for many smaller towns. However, when traveling through larger cities, observing the "common speed" of traffic around you is much safer. The rural speed limit in Texas is generally 70 MPH, though it increases to 80 MPH on Interstates 10 and 20 in the sparsely populated far western portion of the state. On the downside, Texas has one of America's worst traffic safety records and one of the highest number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities in America. If you plan to drive around Texas, these are generally the most important routes for you to know: : Interstate 10 runs on an east-west route through Texas, connecting Beaumont, Houston, San Antonio, West Texas and El Paso. & : Interstate 20 and US Hwy 80 run on an east-west route. Interstate 20 connects Longview, Tyler, the Metroplex, Abilene, Midland and El Paso. It ends/begins at I-10 186 mi (299 km) east of El Paso.

The crime rate in Texas is relatively low. 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 low crime rate. Texans have a reputation for carrying firearms or resolving disputes with gunfire, but such actions are not significantly more common here than in other parts of the US. Concerns about crime spilling over from Juarez across the border into El Paso are unjustified, as El Paso remains a very safe city. Of course, Juarez sadly remains a very unsafe city, and El Pasoans will very strongly advise that you do not cross the bridges. All major cities and almost all towns have a police department, and all counties maintain a sheriff's office and multiple constable precincts. However, in some more sparsely populated areas of the state, agencies may be more understaffed and spread out. This is especially true in West Texas, where many towns are too small to operate police departments, and county sheriff's offices may be understaffed and spread out over enormous land areas. Just as in the rest of the United States, the number "911" should be called in the event of an emergency. Policing on the state level is generally provided by the Texas Highway Patrol. This agency mainly enforces state traffic laws, but also provides more localized law enforcement services in areas like West Texas. The Texas Highway Patrol has an outstanding reputation in the United States for being extremely courteous and professional.