Our home is where we park it.

Texas Main Page

Section Last Updated:      10/18/2008

Page Last Updated:           1/28/2008

NOTE: Click on any picture on the following pages to open a version with higher resolution.

Texas is a “Whole Other Country”, as the tour Texas ad used to say. The size is immense, and the only interstate highway mileage signs with 4 digits are in Texas.  Texarkana in East Texas is closer to Chicago than it is to El Paso in West Texas.

 

Three of the ten largest cities in the United States are in Texas and within a half-days drive of each other. Yet there are huge sections of isolation with many miles between towns and a remoteness not known east of the Mississippi. You can be 300 road miles from the nearest Super Wal-Mart in Texas, with no equivalent store any closer. You can be “Deep in the Heart” of Texas, and be over 400 miles from any other state.

 

The scenery and landscape changes — perhaps more than any of the other contiguous states.

 

The piney woods of East Texas, are not at all like the deserts and mountains of West Texas.

 

Many portions of East Texas are almost a southern state with many bayous like Louisiana and a great pine forest. There are also Prairies and Lakes in East Texas.

 

West Texas includes mountains higher than anything east of the Mississippi, plus deserts and vast empty spaces (except for the oil wells).

 

South Texas is far flatter than an Indiana cornfield. South Texans refer to their part of Texas as “where you can watch your dog runaway from home — for two weeks.” The traditional winter home of many RVers is South Texas in the Rio Grande “valley”. South Padre Island is a going attraction.

 

The Texas Coastal Bend is where the coast of the Gulf of Mexico becomes North-South rather than East-West.  This area will include the fabulous Padre Island National Seashore and the Aransas Wildlife Refuge — winter home of the rare Whooping Crane — largest bird in North America. The Traveling Morgans spent a winter in Rockport.

 

The Hill Country of Central Texas is secret from most of the country outside of Texas. It is gradually being discovered by more and more Winter Texans. The climate is relatively mild in the winter and there are a lot of interesting natural features. The Traveling Morgans have spend two winters in San Marcos.

 

North Texas, including the panhandle, is mostly a plains state. Palo Duro Canyon is on The Traveling Morgans “must see” list, but we have not made it there yet.

We have divided Texas into 6 regions, but this oversimplifies Texas. Many tourist guides use 12 regions.