Have you ever heard it said, “Everything is bigger in Texas”? I’m here to tell you it’s true. Almost everything I saw while I was there was much bigger than any place I’ve traveled. Here’s a touristy perspective of Texas.
- The sky is bigger in Texas. It’s HUGE! The sky is massively vast and will consume not only your immediate vision, but your peripheral vision too. Have you ever taken a photo with a fish eye or panoramic lens? That’s the best way I can describe how your eyes perceive the sky in Texas. In fact it’s so encompassing, your mind may go into shock. I remember the first time I saw the Atlantic Ocean from the shore line & how vast I thought it was. I was filled with awe. In comparison, the ocean seems so manageable after seeing the sky in Texas. And that is an honest compare after seeing the ocean from almost every beach on the east coast and the gulf. It’s just big.
- Food is bigger in Texas. The chicken fried steak is bigger than the plate it’s served on. A serving of biscuit & gravy is enough to feed a family of 4. Tea glasses are so big, I had to use two hands to drink it. The only small food servings you can find are at National Chain restaurants like Olive Garden or IHOP.
- The spiders are bigger in Texas. So are the cockroaches. One evening I was having a smoke on the patio and a cockroach at least 5″ long and 2″ wide came walking up to me like everything was normal. I screamed, stomped it and it just looked at me and walked away!
The crows are bigger in Texas. They’re a Mexican breed I was told. They have an eerie scream like a sound effect from a horror movie. They’re also big enough to pick up a Buick and fly off with it. (That may be a slight exaggeration.)
- Trains are bigger in Texas. They’re really long with several engines pulling them. Actually many towns were either made or broken by the Railway. The northern part of Texas being rather flat allowed for easy railway access to transport goods. These same railways were the cause of a few ghost towns too. Trains are a bigger deal in Texas than many other states.
- The affluent population is bigger in Texas. Look up a town named Plano, TX. Enough said!
- The highways are bigger in Texas. I’ve been in some congested cities, but oh my… If you haven’t been to Dallas on a bridge over a bridge that’s over another bridge that’s over the toll road below…you haven’t lived. Most of the highways, interstates and toll roads are 5 or 7 lanes wide all the way and up to 150′ tall.
- The traffic congestion is bigger in Texas! I don’t care where you live or how bad your roads are, if you haven’t driven to Dallas, Houston, or San Antonio in Rush hour you’ve never seen bad congestion.
- The tolls are bigger in Texas. It can easily cost over $20 one way on one road to go about 35-40 miles…without getting off on an exit (which is when you’re usually charged for a toll)
- The shopping options are bigger in Texas. Name a national or regional store. It’s in Texas along with thousands of home grown mom & pop shops.
- The windmills are bigger in Texas. The largest windmill farm in the U.S is in Texas in the town of Electra.
- Jalapeno peppers are bigger in Texas. Oh I’m sure there’s a town here or there in other places that love jalapenos but in Texas almost every restaurant will off you a jalapeno with your order. Order a hamburger, you’ll get a jalapeno. Order a salad, you’ll have jalapenos sprinkled on it. Want an ice cream? Guess what they’re going to offer you on the side: Jalapeno! Every grocery store has a large display of jalapeños they show off with much pride.
- Electric company choices are bigger in Texas. In every neighborhood, folks have a choice of at least 2-10 electric companies. Shoot… at home, half of my state has 1 electric company!
- The hiking trails are bigger in Texas. Hiking is a big deal for folks in North Texas. Afterall, they either live on a farm in the middle of nowhere or are crammed into a city with millions of people. Nature takes their mind off all that. Every hiking trail we found was so crowded with thousands of people, it was difficult to enjoy nature…you couldn’t hear nature for the conversations & people!
- Pride for their state is bigger in Texas. Texans love other Texans and they love their state. They are living in a state that has almost every terrain possible in the US and almost every weather pattern. Texas could easily be self-contained and self-supporting. The economy in Texas is great and the job market is ripe. Texans take pride in their heritage and home lands. Don’t underestimate a Texan either. Most are well educated and street smart too (which is a nifty combination). Many folks fly the Texas state flag in their yards. Businesses fly it just under the United States Flag or right along next to it. I understand now why so many people are dedicated to their state here. It truly is The Great State of Texas.
- Mom and pop retails stores are conveniently located all over the state. I love to shop the home-grown entrepreneurs and the products are usually unique and home grown. There is a pride weaved into every product and “Bigger than Life” dose of love gently added to each piece. You don’t have to drive or fly all the way to Texas to experience some of the unique products though. Shopping on line has made it easy.
