Still cherishing the memory that it was from 1836
to 1845 an independent nation in its own right, TEXAS
stands apart from the rest of the United States. While its sheer
size - eight hundred miles from east to west and nearly a thousand
from top to bottom - gives it a great geographical diversity,
is firmly bound together by a shared history, culture and ideology.
Independence is key to the Texan mentality, from the overriding
distrust of government - any government - to the absence of unionized
labor. As the old anti-litter campaign put it, "Don't mess
with Texas."
Preconceived ideas about what exactly is "Texan"
are soon shattered. It's actually one of the most eclectic and
cosmopolitan states in the Union and each of the major tourist
destinations has its own distinct character. Hispanic San
Antonio , for example, with its Mexican population and
historic importance, has a laid-back feel absent from the big-city
neurosis of Houston or Dallas
, while trendy Austin revels in a lively music
scene and intellectualism found nowhere else in the state.
Regional differences are vast. The swampy, forested
east is more like Louisiana than the pretty Hill
Country or the agricultural plains of the Panhandle
, and the tropical Gulf Coast has little in common
with the mountainous deserts of the west. Changes
in climate are equally dramatic: snow is common
on the Panhandle, whereas the humidity of Houston, in particular,
is only made bearable by nonstop high-power air conditioning.
One thing shared by the whole of Texas is the constant
boasting - everything has to be bigger and better than anywhere
else. Such chauvinism is tempered both by a delight in self-parody
and by the state's melting pot of cultures. The much-cited Texan
friendliness is not imaginary; to be unwelcoming would
simply be unpatriotic. Texas is, after all, named for a Native
American word meaning friend, tejas , and a visit here, especially
to the Panhandle or the Hill Country, is not for those who want
to be alone.
