"TEXAS--What took us so long to get here?" Top 5 Page for this destination Texas by VeronicaG

Texas Travel Guide: 13,154 reviews and 26,727 photos

SPRING BRINGS OUT THE BLUEBONNETS!!!

Recently I was asked by Leyle (The Wandering Camel) if I had seen any Bluebonnets here in Texas yet. After all, it IS Spring. Although I had seen patches of these little blue beauties flash by the car window as my husband flew down the highway, it wasn't until today that I actually found a patch along a quiet road near my neighborhood.

OUR MOVE TO TEXAS...

We are firmly rooted here since moving from New Jersey in the summer of 2006. Texas is located in the south central United States and bordered by New Mexico, Oklahoma and Louisiana and Arkansas. It gets amazingly hot in the summer, but we're rewarded with a great winter!

There are seven regions in this big, wonderful state:

Big Bend Country-El Paso, Odessa, Midland

Gulf Coast-Corpus Christi, Galveston, Houston

Hill Country-Austin, Fredericksburg, New Braunfels

Panhandle Plains-Amarillo, Lubbock, Wichita Falls

Piney Woods-Nacogdoches, Texarcana, Tyler

Prairies and Lakes-Dallas, Fort Worth, Waco

South Texas Plains-Laredo, San Antonio, McAllen

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Texas may seem to be a late starter compared to longer established cultures, but for millennia there have been a number of native American tribes who resided here.

*The Caddos--called Tejas by the Spanish (Texas was derived from this name) lived in permanent settlements in the east and northeast parts of Texas. They were very successful in agriculture and the most developed culturally.

*The Karankawas-lived as fishermen in a loosely organized culture deemed more primitive than others. They lived between Galveston and Corpus Christi along the Gulf Coast.

*Coahuiltecan-subsisted primarily on prickly pear cactus, herbs and roots in a sparse existence. They occupied a remote location along the lower Rio Grande, so had almost no contact with early Texans.

*Lipan-Apache-considered an important subgroup of Apaches who lived far eastward. They had contact with settlements in Texas and although fought against early settlers, eventually became allies with them against other Indians.

*Mescalero-Apache and other subgroups lived in west Texas and today's New Mexico and Arizona.

*Comanche located in the north and northwest, were the most feared of all the tribes and the most troublesome to the settlers. They arrived later than the other native American groups. Characteristics were superior horsemanship and mobility.

*The Tonkawa lived in central Texas and also used mobility to their advantage as they hunted for buffalo, deer and small game.

(taken from www.lsjunction.com/places/indians.htm)

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We've already begun to take to the road and have spent some time in San Antonio. This historic mission town was full of interesting things to do and places to see. We hope to return another time to breathe in its unique atmosphere!

Ft. Worth became a favorite with us right away. Who can resist a town that still boasts of a cattle drive--right down the main street of the historic district!

Little by little we're seeing some of this big, big state: Galveston, Waxhachie, Granbury, Gainesville and Austin. I hope you'll stop by my travel pages to catch a glimpse of these assorted places, each with its own distinct personality.

Most recently, we explored McKinney and Tyler, Texas. We love these small Texas towns!

Last visit to Texas: Jun 2008
Intro Updated Jun 11, 2008
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Comments (23)

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garridogal Aug 25, 2010 at 7:14 PM

Veronica, I hope you have a wonderful birthday and that all else is going well for you. Feliz cumpleaño!!
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unaS Aug 21, 2009 at 3:01 PM

Would love to visit some day.
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jumpingnorman Jul 31, 2009 at 12:58 PM

The bluebonnets look so nice - will try to see if I'll find some...six flags is always fun to visit! Norman :)
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kyoub Feb 17, 2009 at 12:56 PM

It won't be long until we will be able to see the beautiful wildflowers here in Texas, once again. Spring is my favorite time of year for that reason.
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Regina1965 Jan 31, 2009 at 4:15 AM

A lovely page. Greetings from Iceland, Regína Hrönn
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Rich62 Dec 24, 2008 at 12:21 PM

We just finished your enjoyable commentaries on Georgetown, Round Rock, Salado and Austin. These are places we often visit and it was fun to get your take on them. Happy travels!
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Nemorino Jun 11, 2008 at 3:30 PM

An eye-opening tour of the diversity of your adopted home state! I've only been to Texas three times so far (El Paso, Houston and San Antonio), so I've only seen a small part of what your big state has to offer.
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scottishvisitor Apr 15, 2008 at 2:37 PM

Love the Blue Bonnets of Texas your page wants me to visit soon!!
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deecat Apr 11, 2008 at 7:27 AM

One of the best pages about Texas with the lovely wildflowers, THE VARIOUS TOWNS/CITIES, the architecture, and your keen insights about it all. Bravo!
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Kuznetsov_Sergey Apr 7, 2008 at 11:17 AM

Great overview of Texas! The Bluebonnet and other flowers look very touching. Thanks Veronica for sharing!