edit Texas Travel Guide

• Austin Known as the "live music capital of the world," this college town is known for its music, nightlife and adventure.
• SXSW The shorthand for "south by southwest," this is one of the largest live music events in the United States. It houses a diverse crowd and music of all kinds from indie rock to country. This event takes place during the spring break of the University of Texas which is usually the begining of March.
• The Alamo See where many brave Texans fought bravely til the end against a Mexican army force that outnumbered the Texans by a 30 fold
• Six Flags Come see the original Six Flags theme park in Arlington
• King Ranch This is the largest ranch in the U.S. and one of the largest in the world (It is bigger than the state of Rhode Island).
• Food Whether it is the distinct flavor of Tex-Mex cooking, the famous Chili, or their amazing BBQ dishes, make sure you sample some of the hardy fare that Texas has to offer
• Fort Davis National Historic Site -- Partially restored fort, home of the Buffalo soldiers, located in the town of Ft. Davis north of Big Bend Nat Park. Also in Ft. Davis is MacDonald Observatory, Ft. Davis State Park and a scenic loop drive that goes through the Davis Mountains and down on the prairie where you can see deer, pronghorn (also called antelope), eagles and some very beautiful scenery.
• Fort Worth Stockyards offer a look into the past, when cattle drives and cowboys were all the rage.
• Big Bend National Park is mountains, desert, wilderness, and river (Rio Grande) scenery. There are snakes, deer, javelina (wild pigs) plus many other types of wildlife.

Many Texans maintain a fiercely independent attitude, with Texan identity often superceding American identity. Few other American states feature their flag so prominently in businesses, on the backs of cars and in advertisements. Known for their generosity, hospitality, unusual accent, and penchant for the larger-than-life, Texans are wonderful people to meet, and the variety of cultural experiences, from feasting on bratwurst with the Germans of the Hill Country to watching Flamenco dancers with the Chicanos of the Rio Grande valley, is seemingly unlimited.

The ethnic background of Texas is extremely diverse. Fully one-third of the population has some sort of Hispanic background. There are also many German settlements (Fredericksburg (Texas)|Fredericksburg, New Braunfels, et. al.), as well as Norwegian, Polish, Czech, Swedish and French settlements. Also a sizeable number of Blacks (mainly in East and Southeast Texas) and Asians (usually found in metropolitan areas of Texas) can be found.

France, Spain and Mexico have all laid claim to Texas at one point or another. However in 1836, Texas won its independence from Mexico and became the Republic of Texas. The most famous battle of the fight for independence was the stand at the Alamo. Although tragic, the sacrifice allowed the main army of Texas time enough to gather their strength and defeat the formidable Mexican army, led by General Santa Anna. Nine years later Texas agreed to be annexed by the United States and became the 28th state of the Union.

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. 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, but when travelling through larger cities observing the "common speed" is much safer. Texas Map features a detailed scrollable road map which can be printed in sections. 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.

However, Texas has one of America's worst traffic safety records. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Texas had the nation's highest number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities in 1997.

Texas is home to several major airlines: American Airlines (Dallas/Ft Worth Airport), Southwest Airlines (Houston Hobby Airport), and Continental Airlines (George Bush Intercontinental Airport Houston). American and Continental fly to many Texas locations. Southwest is the no-frills discounter granddad and flies throughout Texas. Travel to any destination world-wide is quite painless from the larger Texas airports.

Since Texas cities are geographically dispersed, travel by train is expensive and often inconvenient, though Amtrak does provide several lines. Passenger service is no longer an option for cities in the Panhandle or southern Texas. Again, the size of the state is startling; traveling across the width of Texas (from Orange, in the eastern extremity, near Houston, to El Paso in the western extremity) is roughly the same distance as one would encounter while traveling from El Paso to Los Angeles or from Houston to Jacksonville, Florida. Texarkana (Texas)|Texarkana, in the northeast corner of the state, is closer to Chicago than it is to the extreme southern tip of Texas.

Greyhound provides intercity bus service. Other bus carriers include TNM&O, Kerrville Bus Co. & Americanos.

The large size of the state should not be underestimated. Texas measures over 267,000 square miles (695,673 sq. km) 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 states of New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and the Mexico|Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, and Chihuahua (state)|Chihuahua.

Texas is a huge state and has an extreme variety of weather. Texas is very warm in the summer (commonly higher than 100F or 38C). In West Texas and the Panhandle, summers are usually dry with fits of stormy weather. North Texas (Dallas/Fort Worth region) has an unstable climate (hence the saying "If you don't like the weather in Texas, wait 10 minutes and it will change" – though 10 minutes later you might not like the change). Thunderstorms are common, sometimes generating tornadoes and hailstorms. It is often cooler near the coast, though humidity can be unbearable in the summer. Conversely, the spring, autumn and winter are relatively pleasant for most of the state. It rarely dips below the freezing point in winter, except in the Panhandle region where the winters can get quite cold (Lubbock and Amarillo have suffered devastating blizzards in the past.). It has snowed as far south as San Antonio and Houston, but snow will often melt within moments of landing.

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. 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, as traffic fines are often a primary industry for many smaller towns, but when travelling through larger cities observing the "common speed" is much safer.