USA Guide
Texas
Still cherishing the memory that it was from 1836 to 1845 an independent nation in its own right, Texas stands proudly apart from the rest of the United States. While its 23 million residents are firmly bound together by a shared history, culture, and ideology, the sheer size of Texas – seven hundred miles from east to west and more than eight hundred from top to bottom – gives it a great geographical diversity.
The swampy, forested east is more like Louisiana than the pretty Hill Country or the agricultural plains of the northern 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 in the Panhandle, whereas the humidity of Houston is only made bearable by nonstop, high-powered air conditioning.
There are 128 cities with populations of 100,000 or more, and each of the major tourist destinations is unique. Hispanic San Antonio, for example, with its Mexican population and rich history, has a laidback feel absent from Houston or Dallas, while trendy Austin revels in a lively music scene and intellectualism found nowhere else in the state.
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 the state's melting pot of cultures and by a very healthy dose of self-parody.
Highlights
1 The Menil Collection, Houston A staggering collection of ancient and modern artworks – plus the somber Rothko Chapel – in a lovely, leafy setting.
2 The Rio Grande Valley Tiny, historic border towns dot one of the least-visited regions of the state.
3 Fort Worth From cattle drives in the rootin'-tootin' Stockyards, to world-class galleries in the Cultural District, Fort Worth is Texas' best-kept secret.
4 Marfa An improbable minimalist arts community in the middle of the West Texas desert.
5 Big Bend National Park The Rio Grande rushes through astonishing canyons in this remote wilderness, criss-crossed by well-maintained trails.
Read more ▼
- Practical Information ▼
- Region(s) ▼
- Sight(s) ▼
- City/Town ▼