Six Flags Over Texas

Six flags have flown over Texas since 1519:
Spain:                                                  1519-1685; 1690-1821
France:                                                1685-1690
Mexico:                                               1821-1836
The Republic of Texas:                        1836-1845
The United States of America:             1845-1861; 1865-present
The Confederated Sates of America:   1861-1865
The flag of the Republic of Texas is now the state flag.

Texas joined the United States by treaty, not annexation. Among the things allowed by the treaty is that the Texas flag can be flown at the same height as the U.S. flag and Texas has the right to divide into five states.

Texas will most likely never use the second right listed above, but I read once that if the U.S. was a high school, Texas would be voted "Most Likely to Secede."

The tourist slogan for Texas is "Texas - It's like a WHOLE OTHER COUNTRY." When I told one of my doctors that I was trying to learn to speak Texan, he told me he thought that would be harder than trying to learn Japanese. Of course, Texas is so big there isn't just one accent. There are two: the East Texas Drawl and the West Texas Twang. Interstate 35 is the rough dividing line between the two.

Here's a sample of a Texas conversation:
"You wanna Coke?
"Yeah."
"What kind?"
"Dr Pepper."

Here's a postcard I bought when I was in Fort Worth in April, 2012.

One phrase that some Texans tend to mis-use is "Don't mess with Texas." There are those who think it means "Texas is tough. Don't mess with us." Actually, it's an anti-littering slogan. "Don't mess with Texas" means don't litter.

Horses are highly valued in Texas. Two breed associations have their headquarters in Texas. The American Paint Horse headquarters are in Fort Worth and the American Quarter Horse headquarters are in Amarillo. The Dallas-Fort Worth area has more more horses per capita than any similarly sized region in the rest of the U.S. - possibly even the world.

I love Texas cooking (both the food and the song "Texas Cookin'" on George Strait's It Just Comes Natural CD). I had two of the must-eat foods while in Fort Worth - steak and barbecue -but missed out on eating the third - Mexican. Something to save for my next visit to Texas. I bought a Texas Cook Book while I was there and have made some of the recipes. One Texas "delicacy" I have no plans of ever trying is Calf Fries. They're made from what's left over after a bull becomes a steer. . .

The only state larger than Texas is Alaska. The King Ranch in South Texas is larger than the state of Rhode Island. The distance from Beaumont to El Paso is 742 miles. The distance from Beaumont to Tallahassee, FL is 642 miles. El Paso is closer to Las Vegas, NV than it is to Beaumont.

I saw evidence with my own eyes that things are bigger in Texas. The Barnes & Noble store in downtown Fort Worth has a two-story replica of a Frederic Remington sculpture.

According to one online Cowboy Church directory, out of 850 Cowboy Churches in the U.S., 341 are in Texas.

Texas - It's like a WHOLE OTHER COUNTRY. And it's one well worth visiting - or moving to.