Point #23- Truly Texians

To obtain this point: One must know and identify a group of Texans that have shaped and are shaping this great state.
- Caveat #1- To ensure that your list is deep enough it must be tested: You must be able to have a fight with someone from another state and prove that Texas is better than their state by overwhelming them with the accomplishments of Texans.

This list is divided in to 3 groups- National, State, and Texanacious. Texans are famous throughout the world and the first 15 should be known fairly easily by most Americans. The second list is a group of people who should be familar to Texans. Now the 3rd list is the one that is most important for our purposes. This list is a group of Texans that are very influential, but not as famous. Only a truly Texanacious person would know these individuals.

15 People Everyone Should know
1. Sam Houston- The man!
2. Davy Crockett- Coon-skinned Texan hero
3. Nolan Ryan- Flame Thrower
4. Chester Nimitz- Thank you for your ingenuity in the Pacific during WWII
5. Ross Perot- Large eared oil tycoon and presidential hopeful
6. Stephen F. Austin- Colony former
7. George Bush the Younger/Elder- Love 'em or Hate 'em they are Texans
8. Dan Rather/Walter Cronkite- News anchors
9. Lyndon B. Johnson- President
10. Lance Armstrong- Cyclist and medical inspiration
11. Howard Hughes- Eccentric Billionaire and aviator
12. Willie Nelson and the boys- Singer
13. Lee Harvey Oswald- Assassian of JFK
14. Buddy Holly- Singer
15. Mary Kay Ash- Cosmetic guru

15 People Texans Should know
1. Bonnie and Clyde- Infamous duo
2. Bob Willis and Dale Evans- King and Queen of the Western
3. Kinky Friedman- Author and Comedian
4. Larry McMurtry- Author of Lonesome Dove
5. Barabra Jordan- First black woman to serve in state senate
6. Janis Joplin- Singer
7. Michael Dell- Computer creator
8. Ima Hogg- Philanthopist and recipient of one of the worse names in history
9. T. Boone Pickens- Oil tycoon
10. George Strait- Country Singer
11. Richard King- Founder of King Ranch
12. William Marsh Rice- Entreprenuer and Founder of Rice University
13. Ma Ferguson- 1st Female Governor of Texas. Even after her husband was impeached, convicted, and banned from running for office again, she ran with the slogan “two governors for the price of one.”
14. Sam Rayburn- US Congressman and 17 year Speaker of the House
15. James Michener- Author of Texas and professor at UT-Austin

15 People Truly Texanacious people should know
1. Babe Didrikson Zaharias- most versatile female athletes of all time
2. The Turtle Lady- (Ila Loetscher) protector of sea turtles on South Padre Island
3. Elisabet, Ney- Female Sculptor
4. Dorie Miller- Hero of Pearl Harbor where he went ‘above and beyond the call of duty.’
5. Van Cliburn- Famous Pianist (raised in Texas) who won a Russian pianist contest. He went on the road to Moscow at age 23 and smoked the Russians in playing Tchaikovsky in the middle of the Cold War. Awesome!
6. Gail Borden- surveyor, designor of Galveston, publisher, and inventor of condensed milk
7. James Fannin- Colonel in the Goliad massacre
8. Juan Seguin- Tejano Hero in Texan War for Independence
9. Olveta Culp Hobby- Married to former governor and director of Women’s Army Corp during WWII
10. Stanley Marsh 3- Founder of Cadillac Ranch (He didn't like the Roman Numeral III)
11. Quanah Parker- Chief of the Comache
12. Gene Roddenberry- Founder of Star Trek
13. Joel Osteen- Best selling author and pastor of Lakewood Church
14. Willie Shoemaker- Most successful jockey in history
15. Karl Rove- Mastermind behind George W. Bush’s political success

Enjoy Texas...

Point #22- Lubbock...Ranching on the Plains

To obtain this Point: One must learn how to rope a dogey at the National Ranching Center in Lubbock.

Before there was oil and microchips propelling the Texas Economy, there was ranching and cowboys. To fully understand this part of Texas history, you need to go to the source and that is the South Plains near Lubbock, where the lifestyle continues. The National Ranching center on the campus of Texas Tech has replicas of authentic ranching buildings and railroad depots.

Other attractions in Lubbock include the Buddy Holly Center, the historic Depot district, Llano Estaniado Winery (Texas' oldest winery), Prairie Dog Town, and Wind Power Museum.

Enjoy Texas and did you know that the South Plains is the largest contiguous cotton producing area in the world. This region is primarily irrigated by the Ogallala Aquifer that (in addition to having a cool name from a Nebraska town...Ogallala) covers from Texas to Wyoming.

Enjoy Texas

Point #21- Midland/Odessa...OIL!!!

To obtain this point: One must learn and understand one of the economic keys to Texas...Oil and see Midland/Odessa area during the trip.
- I think the best way to do this would be to go to the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum, Library, and Hall of Fame in Midland.

Midland is famous for a couple of things that include oil (Permian Basin is here), the Bush family sactuary, and high school football. Odessa is its neighbor about 20 miles up the road that provides a little culture- the Globe Theatre of the Southwest (a replica of Shakespeare globe), the Preidential Museum, and the World's Largest Jack Rabbit (10 feet tall)!

As for the Oil...
To truly understand Texas, you need to understand the oil business. Though diverse, the Texas economy has ridden the wave of the Energy business since the days of Spindletop. To be a truly Texanacious person, you have to at least have a grasp of this sector. Here are a couple other places you can learn about the Oil industry:
1) East Texas Oil Museum (Kilgore)
2) Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig and Museum (Galveston)
3) Texas Oil Museum (Beaumont)
4) Central Texas Patch Oil Museum (Luling)

Enjoy Texas and did you know that Midland (originally known as Midway, but changed not to get confused with another Midway, TX) got its name because it was 'midway' between Fort Worth and El Paso on the Texas/Pacific Railroad...

Road Map #2- Options, Options, and Options

This is just a little rest stop on the Road to Texanacity to explain the options available for the RTT. As you can see, often times I give various options for things to do to accomplish a point for the RTT. I often debate whether I should mandate a certain pathway or make it more flexible. I have decided to do both.

So to explain: There are definitely some things you have to do (State Capital, State Fair, Battle Site of San Jacinto, or Amarillo...) so there will be no deviation for the course in those cases. However, for some of the more nebulous points, I think it is okay to give some flexibility. I do this with the idea that each person will design their own road that is individualized, but still keeps the spirit intact. I would invite each person to attempt to obtain the points in a way that is more Texanacious than convenient.

What I am trying to say is please don't take this flexibility as an easy way out for not exploring more of Texas that are off the beaten track...

Point #20: Texan Shopping

To obtain this point: One must have a Texan shopping experience.
- The best way to obtain this point is to go to San Marcos Outlet mall. It has 9 million visitors a year- that is roughly the size of the Dallas and Houston Metro areas together. It is also the 3rd most visited Texas site. However, the most important fact about San Marcos Outlet malls is that it was ranked the 3rd best place to shop in the US by The View (Whoopie and Barbara Walters are never wrong!).

Where people shop is always and interesting window into the kind of people that live in that area. Do people go to a Walmart SuperCenter, farmers market, flea market, a huge Galleria mall, or local boutique. Because there are so many interesting places in Texas to shop, I'll have to limit this a little bit.

Here are some other thoughts:
1) Dallas Farmer's Market- It's the largest farmer's market in Texas. Go to smell in the good vibes and the fresh produce.
2) South Congress Austin- Trendy and swanky collection of boutiques that have good prices and interesting people. Go on one of the first Thursdays for street entertainers and music.
3) Trader's Village (Houston and Grand Prairie)- They advertise themselves as a Texas-sized marketplace. It is the largest flea market in Texas (5000 vendors and 100 acres) and has a festival atmosphere over the weekend.
4) Grocery stores of note:
- Whole Foods in Austin- it started there and represents a lot of what makes Austin unique.
- HEB Kerrville- I've never been here, but HEB was started in Kerrville by CC Butt over 100 years ago.
5) Behemoth Mega Malls- Like the old saying that 'everything is bigger in Texas', the Galleria complexes in Houston and Dallas are perfect examples of this.

Enjoy Texas and if you are visiting...spend lots of money!

Point #19- A Texan Holiday

To obtain this point: One must ring in the Holiday Season Texas style.

Go to a bookstore in Texas and you will find many interesting things about the local culture. One of those books is the Texas Night Before Christmas (there is also an accompanying coloring book to get the full experience). This just shows that everything that goes about in the 'international' (i.e. non-Texan) world can easily be Texified.

So...if you are going to be a Texan, you have to experience a Texan Holiday Season. In most places in Texas this does not include snow and reindeer, but artificial snow machines are quiet possible. Some places have palm trees and Santa drinking a margarita instead of egg nog. I can't believe that Santa can be very comfortable in that big heavy coat in the Texan heat.

Anyways, here are a couple solid ideas about some Texas Holiday traditions that can fulfill this point:
1) Dickens on the Strand- The power and influence of Galveston Island has come and gone, but it still has a strong historic place. This is a Victorian Celebration of Christmas with costumes, carols, and fun.
www.dickensonthestrand.com
2) Whistle Stop Christmas light (Cleburne)- 3 million light in an 11 acre park throughout December.
3) Holiday Trail of Lights (Jefferson)- Anyplace with a life sized gingerbread house is pretty unique. There is also an enchanted forest, lots of Christmas lights, and a candlelight tour of homes.
4) Holiday Parades- Throughout Texas there are Holiday parades starting with Houston's HEB parade and throughout the holiday season. Other good ones include: Neimann Marcus/Aldophus Children's Parade (Dallas), Cotton Bowl Parade (Dallas), Sun Bowl Parade (El Paso), Chuy's Christmas Parade (Austin), or the Ft. Worth Parade of Lights.

Enjoy Texas and Enjoy the holiday season...

Point #18- The State Capitol

To obtain this point: You must visit the Texas State Capitol in Austin. In addition, to visiting, you must also have a basic knowledge of Texas politics.

In honor of the 2008 Elections, I thought that this would been a good time for the State Capitol. This is one of the key points to the Road to Texanacity as the State Capitol is the political heart of Texas. It was built from 1882-1888 and much of the exterior is made of pink granite. It stands 14 feet higher than the US Capitol in Washington DC and houses the Texas Legislature.

Enjoy Texas and Enjoy the State Capitol...

Point #17- Texas State Fair

To obtain this point: You must eat a deep fried item (corndog, oreo, twinkie, cheesecake, or other item) under the observance of Big Tex.

The Texas State Fair is the largest state fair in the US and the largest annual exposition in North America. It has been occurring since 1886 and runs for over 3 weeks in the fall. More importantly, it is a lot of fun and provides a great deal of philanthropy throughout Texas. Check out bigtex.com for more information.

If you plan your trip right, you might even catch a college football game between Texas and Oklahoma or an annual automobile show. Another option is to see the world's largest talking cowboy figure...Big Tex, who is an icon throughout Texas. The Texas State fair also has the tallest ferris wheel in North America.

To summarize: Fried oreos, Big Tex, and proceeds going to scholarships...I love Texas.

Road Map #1- Just a little catching up

So the Road to Texanacity is progressing...ever so slowly. It has been slowed down by Hurricane Ike and the birth of my first child (who is currently gurgling next to me an will be crying in about 15 minutes for a bottle). I am proud to be the father of a Texan child. This child will be able to brag that he has true Texancious blood. His family has been in Texas since the 1700s during the initial Spanish missions. Also, if you go up the family tree and take a right, you will find relatives who fought (and one died) in the Alamo...for both sides. Needless to say, this Texanacious blood did not come from my end of the family tree, but I am working on it.

As you can probably tell, I have not personally done everything on 'The Road to Texanacity', but I continue to check-off boxes. I appreciate any feedback on the previous postings and on future postings. I enjoy feedback like 'you should include x, y, or z' in the Road to Texanacity, but I would temper any requests with the idea that it is difficult to find a good balance for each of these ideas. My goal is to find certain Texanacious 'experiences' that can be broad enough to be reasonable for most people, but still specific enough to provide a meaningful experience.

On another note, the days of 'Texanacity' as a Googlewhack (only one hit on google.com) have come to an end. There are currently 4 hits if you seach 'Texanacity'. I am also sad that if you do that search, it does not ask "Do you mean 'toxicity'?" anymore. I just thought that was funny. Well, I am glad that there are three other sites that have somehow confused google enough to add them to the search (because God knows there are not many people reading this darned thing...which I am totally cool with).

Okay, now I am ending a lot of the posts with questions or comments. Here are some of the answers if you cared:
#4- Flying Tigers were lead by Claire Lee Chennault, who was born in Commerce, TX.
#7- 9 Flags over Nacogdoches- The Flags were the French, Spanish, Magee-Gutierrez, Dr. James Long, Mexican, Fredonia Rebellion, Lone Star, Confederate Stars & Bars and United States of America. As you can see, Nacogdoches has an independent spirit.
#8- Naming the 46 National Historic Landmarks would be very difficult. How about you check them out at this website and do a search for the state of Texas: http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl
#14- El Paso has 84% sunny days. Not only sunny days but the Boot Capital of the World...who wouldn't want to live there?
#15- High School football game with highest attendance- 49,953 Plano vs Port Neches-Groves in 1977 at Texas Stadium. (State Championship Game)
#16- The Peach State (Georgia) has the second most courthouses by default because they have the second most counties.
Until the next Texanacious posting...Enjoy Texas.

Point #16- Texas Courthouses

To obtain this point: You must visit a local county courthouse AND one on the following list of beautiful small town courthouses:
- Waxahachie (Ellis County)
- Gatesville (Coryell)
- Decatur (Wise)
- Gonzales (Gonzales)
- Albany (Shackleford)
- Lockhart (Caldwell)

This list was obtained from the website Old Texas Friends that polled people who have been to all of the courthouses in Texas which one was the best. (http://oldtexasfriends.com)
Caveat #1- Heck, if you see a really interesting courthouse and have a good experience visiting one, I guess that would count, too.

A Texanacious friend of mine once told me that in Europe the most important building in a town was the church and in Texas it was the courthouse. His theory was the law and order was essential in small towns throughout Texas. Maybe that's true, but the Texas courthouse definitely symbolize many things Texanacious.

The location for the county seat was often violently debated and an economic boom to any town that received the designation. There are roughly 250 courthouses throughout Texas and many were build before 1940. They are a source of beautiful architecture of varying degrees. There have been many books written about the history of the Texas courthouses and their history. Most of the histories are filled with local history, criminal justice, and scandal.

Enjoy Texas and did you know that Texas has more courthouses than any other state...by a lot. Can you guess which state comes in second?

Point #15- Texas High School Football

To obtain this point: You must experience Texas High School football. This can be done in several ways:
- You may go to a game featuring Permian High School in Odessa, TX. The Permian Panthers were the inspiration for Friday Night Lights (the book, 2004 movie, and now NBC TV show).
- You may go to a game featuring a Texas football team ranked in the USA Today Top 25 in the nation. Texas often has Top 25 national teams and as of this writing, there are 3 Texas teams in the National Top 25.
- You may go to a State Championship game in any of the divisions (preferably 5A or 4A).

Texas high school football is all about passion. Watching the hopes and desires of small towns or big city high schools rest on the backs of 17-18 year old athletes definitely creates a roller-coaster ride. Anyone from Texas can attest to the ferocity that is associated with high school football.
I would recommend going to one of the games and trying to soak up the atmosphere...the bands, cheerleaders, dance teams, popcorn, flirting in the stands, parents wearing team paraphernalia (buttons, jerseys, hats), proud fathers, medical staff, coaches wearing head sets and yelling, thrown clipboards, teachers trying to control the student body, push-ups after touchdowns, local sheriffs secretly (or not so secretly) cheering for the hometown team, and the occasional storming of the field after a big victory. Oh yeah, I guess you could watch the game too.

Enjoy Texas and did you know that the game featuring Southlake Carroll and Euless Trinity drew over 45,000 fans at Texas Stadium in 2006, but it was not the highest attendance to see a Texas high school football game. Can you name the game that had the highest attendance?

Point #14- Experience Texas Weather Extremes

To obtain this point: You must experience the weather extremes in Texas.

When I arrived in Texas I heard that if you wanted to have a change in weather that you should just wait 5 minutes. Again, this is a little of an exaggeration, but Texas definitely has its fair share of weather extremes.

As always, a couple facts:
- Hottest weather in Texas- 120°F Monahans, Ward County, June 28, 1994 and Seymour, Baylor County, August 12, 1936
-Coldest weather- -23°F Seminole, Gaines County, February 8, 1933 and -23°F Tulia, Swisher County, February 12, 1899
- In 1962 there was also a whopping 121 days over 100 degrees in Presidio County in 1962...now that's hot!
- The 1900 Hurricane in Galveston had 6000-8000 deaths and was the deadliest natural disaster to strike the United States.
- There were 232 tornadoes in 1967.
- A hail storm in Dallas in 1995 had 1.2 billion dollars of damage.
- 153 days below freezing in Dalhart in 1969-1970.
Most of this information from: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/fwd/CLIMO/textremes.html

So I have to admit, that I am biased with this point because Hurricane Ike has just ravaged through the Gulf Coast and up central Texas. Anyone who experienced Hurricane Ike...Check this one off. There are also yearly blizzards, heat waves, tornadoes, floods, or wild fires that would be sufficient. Good luck. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best...

Enjoy Texas and did you know that Amarillo is the windiest city in Texas with an average wind speed on 14.3 mph (It is also the second sunniest city in Texas with 74% sunny days). Can you guess the city with the highest percentage of sunny days?

Point #13- Ghosts of Texas

To obtain this point: You must get spooked by one of the ghosts of Texas.

There are many superstitions within Texas mythology. There are haunted hotels, ghost towns, haunted courthouses, and cemeteries. Some of the most interesting ghosts or superstitions would be the Marfa lights, the chupacabra of south Texas (blood-sucking goat), or Terlingua.

If ghosts are not your cup of tea, maybe extraterrestrials are. You can visit the grave of an alien in Aurora from a crash in 1897 (gravesite location unknown because tombstone has been stolen). There are many alien sighting in Texas including in 1957 in Levelland and 1980 in the Piney Woods.

Enjoy Texas and did you know that Galveston, Texas is ranked as one of the most haunted places in America...

Point #12- King Ranch

To obtain this point- You must embrace the vastness of Texas at the King Ranch.

The King Ranch was established in 1853 by Captain Richard King and Gideon K. Lewis. Since that time it has become one of the largest ranches in the world. The King Ranch is famous for its large size (larger than the state of Rhode Island), the Santa Gertrudis breed, and having a Ford F-150 model (King Ranch Edition).

Enjoy Texas and did you know that Richard King and Robert E. Lee were friends when Lee was in stationed in Texas...

Point #11- Presidential Libraries

To obtain this point: You must realize the power of Texas politics at one of the presidential libraries within Texas.

Texas has been the home of a couple presidents--Lyndon B. Johnson, George Bush the Elder, and George Bush the Younger. The library for LBJ is on the University of Texas-Austin Campus while the library for Bush the Elder is on campus of Texas A&M. Bush the Younger has plans for his library in Dallas on the campus of SMU. Here's a couple helpful Websites:

LBJ- http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/

Bush the Elder- http://bushlibrary.tamu.edu/

Enjoy Texas and did you know that the library for Bush the Younger is expected to start construction in 2009 and cost hundreds of millions of dollars...

Point #10- Gruene Dance Hall

To obtain this point: You must bust a move at the Gruene Dance Hall.
- Caveat #1- There are many Dance Halls throughout Texas. You can visit one of those, but a couple things must occur:
- Must have a Texas Flag in an appropiately displayed location.
- Must have abundant Neon signs in the shape of Texas.

The Gruene Dance Hall is the oldest dance hall in Texas. Many of the most famous Texas singers have sung there. This list includes: George Strait, Dixie Chicks, Pat Green, Robert Earl Keen, Kris Kristofferson, Tracy Lawrence, Lyle Lovett, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and of course Willie Nelson.

Enjoy Texas and did you know that the Gruene Dance Hall has been continuously running since 1878...

Point #9 El Paso- Texas and Mexico Interwoven

To obtain this point: You must visit the Chamizal National Memorial in El Paso, which commemorates the peaceful border resolution between the United States and Mexico. Remember that the culture and history of Texas and Mexico are obviously interwoven.

While in El Paso (the 6th largest city in Texas), try to appreciate the mixture of cultures. There are Native American, Mexican/Spanish, and Western influences throughout the city. El Paso was also a major location during the Mexican Revolution and the time of Pancho Villa. If you have time, try to make it to the Mission Trail that is an 8 mile stretch with 3 historic Spanish Missions.

Enjoy Texas and did you know that El Paso is said to be the Boot Capital of the World.

Point #8- 10 Counties...10 Historical Markers

To get this point: You must visit 1 historical markers in 10 different counties.

Texas has an extensive system of historical markers brought to you by the Texas Historical Commission. The Texas Historical Commission has a goal of historic preservation throughout Texas. There are over 13,000 markers throughout Texas so asking you to visit 10 seems a little underwhelming. I know that a truly Texanacious person would get the urge to stop at every marker they encounter, but stopping at 10 will be enough to obtain this point.

Enjoy Texas and did you know that there are 46 locations in Texas that are classified as National Historic Landmarks. Can you name them?

Point #7- Nacogdoches- Oldest town in Texas

To get this point: You must visit downtown Nacogdoches, find a place to sit in downtown, and spell 'N-A-C-O-G-D-O-C-H-E-S' correctly without looking at a sign.
Caveat #1: I guess if you just visit Nacogdoches, that should count too.

Nacogdoches is the oldest town in Texas and named for the Caddo family of Indians who lived in the area. It is widely considered the oldest town in Texas and it's history goes something like this: the Spanish set up a mission there in Nacogdoches. A couple years later everyone was moved away to establish San Antonio. Some of the folks did not like the future locations of Fiesta Texas and SeaWorld so they followed a fellow named Y'Barbo back to Nacogdoches, where they could build the Old Stone Fort.

If you want to spend some time in downtown, there is supposedly a walking tour from the local visitors center. If you decide to explore the surrounding area, you can take in the unique qualities of East Texas.

Enjoy Texas and try to figure out why there have actually been 9 flags to fly over Nacogdoches instead of the usual 6 flags over Texas...

Point #6- Texas Clothing (part 1)- Cowboy Hat

To obtain this point: You must own a cowboy hat.
Caveat #1: More importantly, you must have the confidence in you Texas spirit to wear it out in public (recommended with Point #1- Rodeo).

This point is pretty obvious and does not need much explanation. It is amazing that a cowboy hat has been a piece of any wardrobe in Texas- working on the ranch, dancing, male/female, getting married, or doing a business deal. No matter what the occasion, a cowboy hat can be essential gear.

Stay tuned for another point about Texas clothing later...

Point #5- UT and A&M Ideologies

To obtain this point: You must experience the ideological differences of UT and A&M.
Caveat #1- This could be done in a most-Texanacious way in November when UT and A&M play football. I would recommend going to the game and feeling the passion from the fans of both teams. If going to the game is not an option, I would invite two close friends, one from UT and one from A&M to watch the football game together. Grab some nachos and enjoy the action (on TV and in the living room)!

These two excellent institutions have both developed contrasting ideologies. The first time I was in Texas, I was told, "You are either a Longhorn or an Aggie. Not both. Not neither." That Texan with the black-and-white-mind might be exaggerating a little bit, but these two schools definitely represent differing ways of life in Texas.

My experience with the Aggies came at a gas station on my way driving out of Texas. I had a truck bed full of all my belongings and trying to 'batten down the hatches' before driving on the highway. As it started to rain, the Aggie with a Heart of Gold appeared with a roll duct tape in his hand and asked if I needed any help. 7 years late, that duct tape is still in my truck.

My recommendation for experiencing the UT ideology would be to go to Austin on a Friday night on Sixth Street...it won't take very long to get this point.

Enjoy Texas...remember that both schools give you an excellent education. :) (I hope that is PC enough)

Point #4- The Texas Military Connection

To obtain this point: You must experience the Texas Military Connection in someplace away from your own home town. The best way to do this would be to go to one of the current military bases.

Texas and Texans have historically been inter-woven with the military might of the United States since joining the union. Texas was the home of many military leaders and heroes- Chester Nimitz, Dwight Eisenhower, Oveta Hobby (director of Women's Army Corp in WWII), Quanah Parker (last Chief of the Commanches...and undefeated), Audie Murphy (most decorated WWII soldier), and a few Commander-in-chiefs. There are also many military bases throughout Texas and roughly 200,000 military personnel stationed in Texas.

In addition to being the home state of many heroes, there were many other famous military leaders that spent time in Texas. Two future presidents (Zachary Taylor and Ulysses S. Grant) fought in the Mexican American War in Texas. Robert E. Lee was stationed in Texas immediately before the Civil War. George Patton and John J. Pershing chased Pancho Villa during the Mexican Expedition of 1916. Teddy Roosevelt was said to have collected many of his 'Rough Riders' at the Menger Hotel in San Antonio. They also trained near San Antonio before going to Cuba.

I would recommend that you should go to a museum, fort, or battlefield in Texas that shows the military connection to the US: Texas Military Forces Museum (Austin), Battleship Texas (La Porte), USS Lexington (Corpus Christi), Commemorative Air Force Museum (Brownsville or Midland), Buffalo Soldier Museum (Houston), 12th Armor Museum (Abilene), Silent Wing Museum (Lubbock), or the National Museum of the Pacific War (Fredricksburg). There are also museums at Ft. Hood, Ft. Bliss, Lackland AFB, and other military instillations throughout Texas. A good battlefield to visit is the Palo Alto Battlefield (first battle in Mexican-American War).

Enjoy Texas...and do you know which Texan was the founder of the 'Flying Tigers' who fought the Japanese in China before the US declared war in WWII?

Point #3- Visit the Battle Site of San Jacinto

To obtain this point: You must go to the top of the monument at San Jacinto and visualize the battlefield where Sam Houston lead his troops to victory over Santa Anna.

Okay, so maybe it was not the most heroic battle of the war because Sam Houston caught the Mexican army during a siesta, but damn was it effective. After weeks of retreating, Sam Houston finally turned to face the Mexican army at San Jacinto. He successfully trounced the Mexican army, captured Santa Anna, turned the tide of the revolution, and solidified his place in Texas history.

At the top of the monument, you can also see the fourth largest city in the country that bears Houston's name. While up in the monument, view the ship channel that has provides the economic backbone for Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast.

Enjoy Texas and keep watching for points about the Texas Revolution...

Point #2- Central Texas BBQ

To get this point: You must enjoy small town Central Texas BBQ.
Caveat #1: You must receive your BBQ on a slab of paper material of some kind or else it does not count.
Caveat #2: If you are vegetarian...you must bring a carnivorous friend and share his/her side orders, while he/she devours the BBQ.

There are many food items that Texas is famous for-- fajitas, citrus, chili, salsa, shrimp, migas, kolaches and chicken fried anything, but to obtain this point you must go to the heart of Texas culinary spirit--BBQ. There are different BBQ joints throughout Texas and many are excellent, but the best BBQ is in central Texas- Luling, Taylor, Lockhart, Elgin, and Lexington.

To give you an idea about some good BBQ joints, I will refer to the Texas Monthly in June 2008 where the top 5 included:
- Lexington, TX- Snow's BBQ
- Lockhart, TX- Kreuz Market
- Lockhart, TX- Smitty's Market
- Luling, TX- City Market
- Taylor, TX- Louie Mueller Barbeque

Point #1: Stock show and Rodeo

To obtain this point: One must go to a stock show and rodeo. Once there, to be truly Texanacious, you must only cheer for the native-Texan rodeo participants. Grab a Lone Star beer, BBQ, or a fried item of choice and try to remember the cattle herding roots that these modern day sporting events are based. There are many rodeos out there (and we will get to some others later) but we are going for the gold to obtain this point. Therefore, the rodeos that will count must be one of the big ones: Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, or the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. Here are some websites for each of the rodeos:

Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo:http://www.fwssr.com
San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo: http://www.sarodeo.com
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo: http://www.hlsr.com

Enjoy Texas...and did you know that rodeo was the state sport!

The Road to Texanacity Explained

Welcome to the Road to Texanacity!! The simplest explanation of this Road is my attempt to understand more about Texas and Texans. As you will soon learn, The Road to Texanacity lies somewhere between a sociology experiment, travel guide, cultural immersion, geographical game, and personal odyssey. To begin, I should probably explain what ‘texanacity’ is:

Texanacity (Texas + Tenacity) is the tenacious spirit that Texans have for their state. I am sure everyone has run into a Texan and been either mildly amused (or annoyed) about the pride Texans have for their state. How many people from Iowa can start rattling off a list of presidents of their state (oh wait! Iowa didn’t have their own presidents)? How many people from Montana have years of ‘Montana history’ by the time they leave grade school? How many people from the rest of the US can say that their state was once an independent country or can fly their state flag at the same level as the American flag? How many other Americans live in a state that can divide itself into up to 5 new states?

The pride that Texans have for their state is unmatched. As a non-native ('naturalized') Texan, I am fascinated by this fervor. Why do Texans have such a love affair with their state? The Road to Texanacity is my attempt to understand why the people of Texas have such a tenacious pride in their state. It is also my attempt to try to become ‘more Texan’.

Coming originally from Nebraska, I can safely say that Nebraskans do not have the same kind of state pride (therefore, the Road to Nebraskanacity would not be much fun and very short). My grade school education about my state included one week in 4th grade and went roughly like this:

Monday- Native Americans lived in Nebraska (They were forced to leave).
Tuesday- Lewis and Clark walked through Nebraska (and left).
Wednesday- the Oregon Trail went through Nebraska (people came through…and left).
Thursday- The Transcontinental Railroad went through Nebraska (The railroad came through…and left).
Friday- The Nebraska Cornhusker football team is awesome.

After my formative years, I moved to Texas and soon realized that Texans were absolutely passionate about their state-from the Alamo to NASA to the Dallas Cowboys. They were almost passionate to a fault. I remember often telling a Texan that I was from Nebraska and receiving one of two replies: “Damn Yankee!!” or “isn’t-that-one-of-them-there-square-states”. I was annoyed with these responses because 1) I never thought anyone from Nebraska as being a ‘Yankee’ and 2) although Nebraska has some ‘squarish’ tendencies, it is not exactly square. C’mon people! Didn’t you ever take geography? I finally realized that it was not that Texans were poorly educated; rather, they just didn’t care about most of the rest of the United States because they were so proud of their own state.

Once I realized the ego-centric nature of Texans, I became fascinated by why they were so passionate about their state. Hence my desire to learn more about this passion and try to have a similar love for Texas. Therefore, the Road to Texanacity was born!

The Road to Texanacity is a game. This game includes 100 points. The more points you have, the more ‘Texanacious’ you are…Pretty simple, eh?

Points are earned by doing, learning, or experiencing things that are truly Texan. For instance, you get one point for going to the Alamo. You get another point by visiting the state capital. These examples are fairly basic, but to be truly Texanacious, you will soon learn that not all the points are so straight forward. This blog will go through each of the 100 points that are available for being truly Texanacious. My goal is to reveal one point a week until all 100 points are accounted for. I will be keeping my own score and trying to get more points as I try to become texanacious. I hope you enjoy and good luck!

Enjoy Texas and welcome to the Road to Texanacity...