Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Way of Life
So you want to know about life in Texas? Pull on some boots, get in the truck, cruise the
farm-to-market (FM) backroads, eat hole-in-the-wall barbecue, jump in a swimming hole,
buy someone a beer, sweet-talk your waiter, burn your tongue with salsa, witness the mad-
ness of a high-school football game, say 'ma'am' to young girls and old ladies alike, wave
to a stranger, curse in Spanish, and two-step all night in a honky-tonk. In other words, live
it.
If a Texan passes you on a country road in a truck, they'll likely raise a few fingers off the steering wheel
in greeting or give a nod of their head. That's code for 'Howdy,' so nod back and smile.
Kicking-back
Texas is a work-hard, play-hard kind of state. Kicking-back is serious business around here.
Come weekend, you'll usually find folks in the great outdoors: off at their hunting camp,
attending their tike's football game, throwin' some meat on the pit (which could be any
kind of barbecue, even a gas grill), or just rockin' on the neighbor's porch.
In the summer heat water plays a big role - anyone who can get to some usually does.
Lakes fill with recreational boaters and swimmers, and those close enough to hit the
beaches, do. Rivers seem to hold a special place in Texan hearts. Many a young one grew
up floating in an innertube down the Guadalupe, or the Frio, or the Comal, or the San Mar-
cos... Whether riding over mild white water, shoes flying, kids squealing, or drifting peace-
fully for hours with beer in the cooler bobbing next to you, it's a big party - one that's not
to be missed if you can help it. Locals don't even worry if the river's not running, they'll
set their camp chair - or their bottoms - down in the water and stay a spell anyway.
Weather is a big topic of conversation in Texas. When it rains a lot, it can be a
gully-washer
, a
toad-strangler
or
turd-
floater
. But until it rains like
a cow pissin' on a flat rock
, it's hardly coming down at all.
Hunting & Gun Ownership
Yes, there are a lot of guns in Texas. And no, Texas gun laws are not especially strident.
Beyond saying that, it's hard to pin down many specifics about gun ownership in the state.
Wild guestimates conclude that there are about 51 million guns here, for a population of 26
