Luckily, I spent a lot of time there this past week. I flew into Houston and road tripped to South Padre island for a nearby wedding at the very, very bottom tip of the country.
It was about seven hours each way (interrupted for regular Whataburger and Dairy Queen stops) and along the way, I saw a lot of great things.
Like 32 ounce beer cans...
Semi-legal fireworks...
Donkey shows...
And sunrises over the beach.
Just as I was leaving and thinking how much I liked the place, I came across a great article in the Economist about how awesome Texas is (I'm paraphrasing).
To quote:
"Joel Kotkin, an urbanologist based in California... particularly admires Houston, which he calls a perfect example of an “opportunity city”—a place with lots of jobs, lots of cheap housing and a welcoming attitude to newcomers.
"With vibrant Asian communities alongside its balanced Hispanic, white and black mix, with no discernible racial tensions, and with more foreign consulates than any American city except New York and Los Angeles, Houston is arguably America’s most enthusiastically cosmopolitan city, a place where the future has already arrived."
What are your thoughts on Texas? Where do you live - and what do you like about it?
What are your thoughts on Texas? Where do you live - and what do you like about it?
34 comments:
I have family that lives in the Dallas/Plano area and in Austin and my boyfriend was born in/grew up for some time in Texas. I really loved Austin when I was there!
Fun, fun pictures! That beach is beautiful, and so is the girl standing on it ;)
I've never been to Texas, unfortunately.
i have family in the Dallas area, love visiting. But I couldn't live there, I would weight 300 pounds with all the fantastic food!!
I live in chicago now, love the seasons and the summer festivals. It's also beautiful to drive out of town to see the different areas, drive North to pick apples or Door County which is really pretty in Autumn.
I grew up in California, so my heart will always be there. I love the friendly people and the ocean. There is nothing like the ocean!! I lived at the beach and would love to run along the bike path or go up the coast on a drive with stops in the little towns along the way.
xx
callie
We just moved to the Austin area and I LOVE it here! Everyone is so friendly! I don't honestly know if I'd want to live too many other places in TX, but it has its spots. :)
I was born in Tyler, Texas and now live in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. I just took a trip to Austin for the HOW Design Conference and will be hitting South Padre in a couple months.
Overall, I love the South. Sometimes the politics can be a little backwards and a few people can be a little ignorant. But that doesn't overshadow the space and the comfort that I get from living in this area.
Great post, love the "donkey show" ahahahaha!
I grew up in Idaho, the Boise area is a lot of fun! Great night life, for a smaller city. And it's gorgeous with the mountains just a drive away.
For about 4 years I lived in SoCal and I am missing the ocean big time! Beachin' it in the summer was the best.
I am currently living in Oregon, the Columbia Gorge. It's definitely beautiful and serene here. The wind is atrocious at times but being an hour away from Portland has it's advantages!
WOW that was a novel! Happy Sunday Funday.
XOXO
I love Texas. It's definitely on my top 5 list of states I've been to (and I've been to almost all of them). And yes the housing is hella cheap! I think I may retire there :)
I like it. We have a lot of family and friends in TX.
hmmmm....Definately a lot of good things about Texas. I can admit that even if I am from NH.
The beer cans and the Donkey Show=LOL.
I have only driven through Texas once, in the summer and our A.C was broken...omg. So needless to say, I need to get back and have a good experience! I was interviewing for a job in Dallas a while back, and I think Austin would be cool because of the music scene.
Is that you?! Pretty lady.
Umm...well I live in LA/OC. Sometimes I wish we had a little more culture over here.
Happy Sunday!
I'm into the Lonestar.
Looks like a fabulous time. I love road trips and getting away.
liliesandgrapes.blogspot.com
I have always lived in CA, but Texas is another state I would not mind. Seems like a fun place with lots of night life, lakes, and an ocean not too far away!
I have no opinion on Texas...especially the cheap housing of suburban sprawl, but that's a whole other topic!
Glad you enjoyed your trip...mostly the pretty beach sunrises! Hope the wedding was fun!
I live in California and have been here for 11 years. It stole my heart and I don't think I can ever leave.....
Looks like you had a great trip! I have only ever been to San Antonio, but it was the last trip I ever took with my Mom before she passed so Texas has a special place in my heart :) xoxo
i grew up in austin and dallas/fort worth and consider myself 100 percent texan even though i wasn't born there and don't live there now.
fort worth is still one of my very favorite weekend escapes. food! boots! music!
so yes, texas has a big warm spot in my heart!
oh and san antonio! can't tell you how much i love it. and austin, duh. and south padre is where i spent every summer when i was a wee one.
i kind of want to name my son tex, but so far, no one has taken to the idea. well, not my boyfriend anyway. i mentioned it to him last night and he said it was a serial killer name. thanks, manson family!
ok that's all from me! i love texas!
Fab photos! I have no idea about Texas as I'm from the UK! Sounds like somewhere that would be aweosme to explore one day.
i actually love posts like this. i am so uneducated when it comes to different places in the world.
it's quite boring reading about a place in a book, it's much nicer and interesting to read it coming from someone who has experienced it.
so thank you for sharing. do you travel a lot?
Texas seems nice. Especially where you went. So South Padre island - is an actual island??
love the photos!
x
p.s. i added you to my links! :)
i imagined texas with big hair and lots of steak. i have never been but i surly would like to eat steak with big hair. its on my list to do
What an interesting post. Donkey shows. Hmmmm.
I lived in Dallas during the eighties and worked briefly for a former congressman. He said to me "Dallas is a wonderful place. You can be anything you want to be in Dallas." I believed him, and I was.
Now in the midwest I realize Ann Arbor is a wonderful place too. I can be anything I want to be in Ann Arbor. And I am. It took a while before I realized that Dallas is a state of mind. You can take it with you wherever you go.
Whataburger was our first stop once we crossed the border back into Texas! I've lived all over the place, but I've lived in Texas the longest. I would definitely call myself a Texan even though I wasn't born here.
You know you had me with this post!!!! I couldn't stand Houston for the first year pretty much...then I couldn't imagine living anywhere else. Takes a while to find your own there but once you do it's such a wonderful place to live. I love Texas, love the people and miss the hospitality of that state!
I honestly don't think I've ever met a stranger there.
well it is home to the best mexican food and UGK, lil flip, so its all good to me!
I live in the north east, and have never been to texas, although I would love to go! I love living in the north east, but I think it would be really need to be some place that has warm weather all of the time!
The only time I have ever been to Texas I was really young and I don't remember it...but I would love to go! Good food and fireworks are always a good idea in my book!
my brother lives in dallas, but sadly, i've never been there! that should change asap.
I have enjoyed my visits to Texas. I'm a California girl and like that it is such a melting pot of cultures!
Austin, TX is my favorite city in America! I LOVE it there!
I love the picture of all that beer! LOL. I have not been to Texas yet (I'm not sure I could take the heat!) but it seems like a really fun place to visit.
Glad you had a good trip! I REALLY want to go to Texas...like my sis said, we only drove through once. In the summer. With no a/c. Yeah.
i hate texas, mostly because my idiot oldest sister (yuge bible thumper) and george bush live there. but i know there are good parts to it!
don't mess with texas! LOL! never been but looks fun!
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