Top Texas hotels
Driving / Roads Houston
9 Reviews Having lived in houston most of my life, you are not going to be shot if you cut someone off or honk. I honk at people all the time, no one has ever waved a gun at me. this is apparently a common...
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Tejano Culture and Music San Antonio
4 Reviews One of the unique things about San Antonio is the wedding culture of the town. On several occasions, we ran into wedding parties getting their bridal pictures taken in various city locations. Obvious...
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The Lingo Dallas
8 Reviews Okay, just so you know where this knowledge is coming from, a little bit about me: I was born in Dallas, lived there until I was 4, then moved to Kansas, moved back home to Texas when I was 10. From...
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Celebrations Houston
5 Reviews Families, set your calendars for September 8th and 9th! The Turkic Cultures and Children's Festival : 2007, sponsored by The Rain Drop Turkevi, will be held for the first time in front of Houston City...
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Cultural Events San Antonio
1 Review EVERY YEAR IN APRIL THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO PUTS ON A PARTY THAT LASTS ABOUT 2 WEEKS. IT IS BEFORE THE HEAT OF THE SUMMER AND THE WEATHER IS STILL PLEASANT. YOU CAN GO FIND SOMETHING SPECIAL TO DO...
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Cultural Events Dallas
16 Reviews There are various Asian food stalls which are not huge in variety but are not bad. A lot of the dancing and singing are performed by children and there are many stalls offering activities specifically...
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Southern Influence Houston
4 Reviews Throughout the South of the USA, especially close to the Gulf of Mexico, you will notice that most trees have grey moss hanging down from their branches. It is called Spanish Moss, and is very common...
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Texan Attitude Dallas
9 Reviews Being caucasian, I have never had to deal with discrimination. Unfortunately, discrimination still pervades our society/generation as present generations of colored people whose forefathers have been...
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Texas Influence Houston
7 Reviews Held annually over a 3 week period in February and March, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is the world's largest rodeo. For over 60 years the rodeo has been held here, and recently began being...
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Texas Pride Dallas
5 Reviews It's easy to remember which is the Texas flag - it's the one with the single star. Some people say it was originally because Texas was the lone state of Mexico which was attempting to uphold its...
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Business / Industry Houston
3 Reviews Houston's economy has diversified quite a bit from the 1980's, and oil is just half or less of the local economy today. Although Houston is known for the oil industry and for its large port, new...
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Weather Wise Dallas
3 Reviews Dallas offers famous Texas blue skies, bright sunshine and clean fresh air – well almost. Hot spells do occur and they are HOT - up to 44C. August is usually the worst month for heat. Unfortunately if...
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Changing Times Houston
3 Reviews Walking around downtown Houston (1 on "General tips" Houston area map) is likely to give you a dread feeling of coldness, emptyness and bleakness. Nobody around, only garage and parking lot entrances,...
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Dallas Cowboys Dallas
2 Reviews Remember that their football team is called The Cowboys..mental note to yourself..COWBOYS. For anything you want to know about Dallas check out:...
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Information / Sources Dallas
6 Reviews The legal drinking age in Dallas is 21. Many nightclubs have all-ages or 18 and over shows, but you'll have to show ID at the bar. If you are in a dry area and at a restaurant, you will need a...
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On Film Dallas
2 Reviews John Henry Holliday, aka Doc Holliday, the notorious gunfighter, gambler and guzzler practiced his dentistry and honed his card playing expertise in Dallas during the 1870s before he found permanent...
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With so many military units in Texas, parades are a common sight. The vast Parade Ground at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio - jog around the whole thing and you have done five miles! - is the perfect venue to hold and practice these maneuvers. It was on these grounds that my Army marching career took place - both hour-long sessions. The Medical Corps is a breed unto itself! ;-]
If you cannot get out to Carlsbad Caverns, then the Old Tunnel near Fredericksburg is a nice option. With over five millions bats in residence during August, the outpouring swarms at sunset are quite a sight. Times of the mass exodus and swarm duration are posted next to the upper observation area. Seats are to be found in both the upper and lower observation areas - a smaller scale of what is to be found at Carlsbad. The lower area is limited to the first 70 people who show up and there is a $5 charge - no charge for the upper area.
Texas is one of several states in the country to incorporate "Dry Counties." This entails a county limiting the sale of alcoholic beverages. However, the laws are very inconsistent and will often vary from town to town, thus becoming pretty confusing.If you're planning on visiting a city or town in Texas aside from the larger ones (San Antonio, Austin, Houston, Dallas, etc.), it may be helpful to research the city and county's laws regarding alcohol sales if you're planning on hitting the nightlife. For instance, Lubbock is considered "dry" although beer and wine are sold in the City of Lubbock. Abilene and San Angelo have similar laws. In many cities, restaurants of a certain size are allowed to sell liquor (not just beer and wine), although this, again, varies from county to county and city to city.
When visiting Texas, one thing you will see in mass, and in many cases large sizes, is the state flag of Texas. In most countries around the world, let alone other states in America, you will not see half of the amount of national or state flags that you will in Texas. Even I, a native Texan, am kind of amazed at times how often I see the flag flying overhead at places of business, institutions, and residences. But many people outside of Texas are not aware of the many other flags that have flown within the state's present boundaries throughout history. Including the present state flag, which was also the flag of the Republic of Texas, 6 nations have raised their flags in Texas -The first was Spain, who controlled parts of Texas from the 16th century until the 19th century.In 1685, French sailor & explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle established a colony near the Texas coast....
"Don't Mess With texas", a popular phrase in the Lone Star state, actually began as an anti-litter campaign slogan in the 1980's. It has been a very effective campaign, with many Texas celebrities such as Willie Nelson and Lance Armstrong appearing in television advertisements promoting garbage-free Texas highways and wilderness areas. The slogan has been unofficially adopted by many other artists, organizations, and institutions from or within Texas, and you are quite likely to see a "Don't Mess With Texas" banner or bumper sticker in every square mile of the state you visit.
If you have ever been to Texas, or any southern state for that matter, no doubt you would have heard a local using the word "ya'll" when they are talking directly to a group of people. In Texas though, it might as well be a word in a dictionary of proper English. Most people from other parts of the country do not use ya'll, instead using the more proper "you all", or even "you guys". And when I have traveled to other parts of the United States, using the word ya'll often draws a reaction from people. They automatically what part of the country I am from. So if you are coming to Texas, I have just given you your first lesson in the Texan language!
Barbequed meats are enjoyed by people all over the world. And many different places have their own individual styles and recipes for BBQ which makes it unique. Texas is no different. BBQ is one of the most popular types of food here, done with a Texan flair of course! I think what is the main difference between BBQ here and in other places is the sauces that are used here, which tend to be very thick and rich, and often with a bit of spice. There are BBQ restaurants all over Texas, but the best BBQ is to be had in ones own backyard, using your own grill. If you have a chance to attend a BBQ, or even try out a BBQ restaurant while here, I would highly recommend it!
Enchiladas, Tamales, Flautas.........ok, now I am hungry! Tex-Mex food is an absolute fixture in Texas. In fact, it should be a rule of some sort, that when you come to Texas, you must eat Tex-Mex at least once a week! :) Well, maybe not, but there are very few people here that do not enjoy a good Tex-Mex meal. All over the state, there are thousands upon thousands of Mexican restaurants and taquerias that cater to the millions of hungry Texans craving it. And now whenever I travel, wherever in the world it may be, there is usually a restaurant that serves Tex-Mex food. More often than not, unfortunately it is just not up to par with the food back home. It is definately one of my favorites, but of course I am biased. A must-eat when in Texas!!!
People often say that Texans like trucks....and it's true! They can be useful as farm vehicles, hauling stuff around...and so on... Anyway, you can even find special truck washes here as opposed to a car wash...hehehe
Bluebonnets in Texas are a major Spring attraction. They grow along many state highways, and are truly spectacular. Bluebonnets typically bloom until the end of May when temperatures get warm. They tend to peak in mid-April. Blooming along with the bluebonnets are Indian paintbrush, Indian blanket and coreopsis. Texas Bluebonnet is the state flower of TexasThe bluebonnet is to Texas what the shamrock is to Ireland, the cherry blossom to Japan, the lily to France, the rose to England and the tulip to Holland. (Historian Jack Maguire)
The Westin La Cantera Resort, San Antonio San Antonio
1 Review and 622 Opinions Very nice resort with amazing hill country views.
Regency Inn & Suites Hobby Airport Houston
1 Review and 98 Opinions Upon our initial trip down to Houston, we stayed in the Comfort Inn up by I-10 near Galena Park....
Baymont Inn & Suites Dallas/Love Field Dallas
1 Review and 63 Opinions
Reviews and photos of Texas attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Texas sightseeing.
More Cities in Texas
Q: I'm looking to do a weekend trip to Austin in/around April 2012 to surprise my fiance. He loves music and a huge Stevie Ray Vaughn...
A: Hi Kim - you definitely want to stay in the downtown area if you want to go out at night and listen to music. Lots of bars on 4th, 5th and 6th St. and if you don't have...
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