To obtain this point: One must understand prehistoric Texas by visiting the Dinosaur Valley State Park, learn a little about the oldest Texans, and the Texas they called home millions of years ago.
What do the tyrannosaurus, stegocerus, iguanodon, and Alamosaurus (yes this is truly a name of a dinosaur!) have in common? You guessed it! They all lived in prehistoric Texas. Texas was a different place back then. The Diary Queens were a little more spread out, there was not Blue Bell ice cream yet, and Willie Nelson was just a young kid. Go to Dinosaur Valley State Park and enjoy the hill country.
Enjoy Texas...
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Point #32- Texas Independence Trail
To obtain this point you must visit one of the following stops on the Texas Independence Trail: Gonzales, Goliad, or Washington-on-the-Brazos to relive the
Texas Revolution.
Gonzales-
Gonzales was the location of the first battle of the Texas War for Independence. In 1835, there were hints of revolution in Texas. The Mexican army went to Gonzales to retrieve a cannon that they had given the settlers for protection from the Indians. The settlers are famous for making a flag with a cannon on it that said, "Come and Take it." The Texans fought off the Mexicans and the War for Independence was underway.
Goliad-
Before there was the cry "Remember the Alamo", there was "Remember Goliad!" This was the location of much action in the Texas War for Independence. It's most famous for the location where Colonel James Fannin and about 300 Texians were massacred after surrendering to the Mexican army.
Washington-on-the-Brazos-
Known as the "Birthplace of Texas", Washington-on-the-Brazos was the location of the Convention of 1836 when Texas declared independence, wrote the Texas constitution, and organized the fledgling government.
Enjoy Texas...
Texas Revolution.
Gonzales-
Gonzales was the location of the first battle of the Texas War for Independence. In 1835, there were hints of revolution in Texas. The Mexican army went to Gonzales to retrieve a cannon that they had given the settlers for protection from the Indians. The settlers are famous for making a flag with a cannon on it that said, "Come and Take it." The Texans fought off the Mexicans and the War for Independence was underway.
Goliad-
Before there was the cry "Remember the Alamo", there was "Remember Goliad!" This was the location of much action in the Texas War for Independence. It's most famous for the location where Colonel James Fannin and about 300 Texians were massacred after surrendering to the Mexican army.
Washington-on-the-Brazos-
Known as the "Birthplace of Texas", Washington-on-the-Brazos was the location of the Convention of 1836 when Texas declared independence, wrote the Texas constitution, and organized the fledgling government.
Enjoy Texas...
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Point #31- On the road again...Travel 1774 miles on Texas Highways
To obtain this point: One must travel a total of 1774 miles in the beautiful state of Texas on its highways system. This point is designed to get out of the big cities and see some of our great state. There are a couple caveats here:
- City Commuter Rule- Highway travel must be done outside of major cities (sorry commuters).
- Rural Texas Rule- If you drive on a two-lane highway (one lane going each way), you can double your mileage count.
- Lance Armstrong Rule- If you bike on rural Texas on highways, you may multiply your total mileage by 5.
So, one might ask, "Why 1774 miles? Seems like a stupid number." Well, actually, I am glad you inquired! 1774 miles it the summation of the mileage if you criss crossed Texas from North (Texline, TX) to South (Brownsville) for 915 miles and from East (Orange, TX) to West (El Paso, TX) on I-10 for 859 miles. The original plan was that each person should make these respective drives! That did not sit real well with me after realizing that no person would ever want to go from Brownsville to Texline.
So the distance across Texas (east to west) is really long, so let's put it into a little perspective: Let's say you are very bored and sitting in Orange, Texas on I-10 and deciding whether to go East or West. If you went west you could get to El Paso in 859 miles and finally reach the other end of Texas. Let's say you wanted to go east towards Louisiana and drive 859 miles. You would continue right past Baton Rouge (LA), New Orleans (LA), Biloxi (MS), Mobile (AL), Tallahassee (FL), and Jacksonville (FL). At that time, you would continue on a submarine car for roughly another 80 miles into the middle of the Atlantic Ocean to complete the 859 miles. I hope you like scuba diving.
So you think that driving across Texas east to west is long. Well, wait there a second! It is even longer to drive south to north. Here's way of thinking about it: Let's say you actually lived in Brownsville and drove the 915 miles to Texline in the panhandle. You would probably be very happy for yourself. That drive is roughly the same distance from London, England to Venice Italy. In the European version, you would have to go through the English Channel (again our submarine car), France, Germany, Switzerland, maybe a little of Austria, and the Alps to get to Venice.
Now let's say you wanted to stay domestic and were leaving from Chicago to the East Coast and wanted to drive the same distance as it would take to get across Texas. You could get all the way to Hartford, CT! This trip from Chicago would include passing through 7 states (IL, IN, OH, PN, NY, NJ, and CT) before getting to Hartford.
Anyways, I figure you get the idea that Texas is a really big state. I am sure you could come up with a geographical interesting perspectives.
Enjoy Texas and did you know that it is big. :)
- City Commuter Rule- Highway travel must be done outside of major cities (sorry commuters).
- Rural Texas Rule- If you drive on a two-lane highway (one lane going each way), you can double your mileage count.
- Lance Armstrong Rule- If you bike on rural Texas on highways, you may multiply your total mileage by 5.
So, one might ask, "Why 1774 miles? Seems like a stupid number." Well, actually, I am glad you inquired! 1774 miles it the summation of the mileage if you criss crossed Texas from North (Texline, TX) to South (Brownsville) for 915 miles and from East (Orange, TX) to West (El Paso, TX) on I-10 for 859 miles. The original plan was that each person should make these respective drives! That did not sit real well with me after realizing that no person would ever want to go from Brownsville to Texline.
So the distance across Texas (east to west) is really long, so let's put it into a little perspective: Let's say you are very bored and sitting in Orange, Texas on I-10 and deciding whether to go East or West. If you went west you could get to El Paso in 859 miles and finally reach the other end of Texas. Let's say you wanted to go east towards Louisiana and drive 859 miles. You would continue right past Baton Rouge (LA), New Orleans (LA), Biloxi (MS), Mobile (AL), Tallahassee (FL), and Jacksonville (FL). At that time, you would continue on a submarine car for roughly another 80 miles into the middle of the Atlantic Ocean to complete the 859 miles. I hope you like scuba diving.
So you think that driving across Texas east to west is long. Well, wait there a second! It is even longer to drive south to north. Here's way of thinking about it: Let's say you actually lived in Brownsville and drove the 915 miles to Texline in the panhandle. You would probably be very happy for yourself. That drive is roughly the same distance from London, England to Venice Italy. In the European version, you would have to go through the English Channel (again our submarine car), France, Germany, Switzerland, maybe a little of Austria, and the Alps to get to Venice.
Now let's say you wanted to stay domestic and were leaving from Chicago to the East Coast and wanted to drive the same distance as it would take to get across Texas. You could get all the way to Hartford, CT! This trip from Chicago would include passing through 7 states (IL, IN, OH, PN, NY, NJ, and CT) before getting to Hartford.
Anyways, I figure you get the idea that Texas is a really big state. I am sure you could come up with a geographical interesting perspectives.
Enjoy Texas and did you know that it is big. :)
Friday, March 13, 2009
Point #30- Marfa...World class art in the middle of nowhere
To obtain this point: One must visit Marfa and experience world class art in the middle of West Texas.
Marfa, which began as a railroad water stop, only has a population just over 2,000 people, but it has some very interesting and Texanacious experiences. The first is the Chianti Foundation, which is a world class contemporary art museum founded by the work of Donald Judd on the former location of a military base...how cool is that!
The second interesting part of Marfa is the mysterious Marfa lights (known as the 'ghost lights'). There have been anecdotal claims about these lights in that area since the 1800s. They are explained as floating spheres that have various movements in different directions. For all you scientists out there, various explanations have been given for the lights: mirage-like images from the differences in temperature, reflections off of the quartz in the area, or automobile lights from a local highway (lame!). I would like to think that they are ghosts or aliens...
Enjoy Texas and did you know that parts of the 1950s movie 'Giant' (Member of the 1998 edition of the American Film Institute's Top 100 Films of all time) was filmed near Marfa.
Marfa, which began as a railroad water stop, only has a population just over 2,000 people, but it has some very interesting and Texanacious experiences. The first is the Chianti Foundation, which is a world class contemporary art museum founded by the work of Donald Judd on the former location of a military base...how cool is that!
The second interesting part of Marfa is the mysterious Marfa lights (known as the 'ghost lights'). There have been anecdotal claims about these lights in that area since the 1800s. They are explained as floating spheres that have various movements in different directions. For all you scientists out there, various explanations have been given for the lights: mirage-like images from the differences in temperature, reflections off of the quartz in the area, or automobile lights from a local highway (lame!). I would like to think that they are ghosts or aliens...
Enjoy Texas and did you know that parts of the 1950s movie 'Giant' (Member of the 1998 edition of the American Film Institute's Top 100 Films of all time) was filmed near Marfa.
Point #29- Galveston...On the Gulf Coast
To obtain this point: One must visit this island city, wander the Strand, and reminisce about the history of this Texas jewel.
Existing on a gulf coast barrier island, Galveston is a town that has lived and died with the waves. By the end of the 19th century, Galveston was the heart of Texas commerce. At that time it was known as the "Ellis Island of the West" because of its importance in immigration and "the Wall Street of the Southwest" because of its commercial strength. This all changed with the worst natural disaster in US history.
The Galveston Storm of 1900 derailed Galveston's progress. The entire island was engulfed by the storm surge and decimated the city. The hurricane destroyed 3,600 buildings and killed over 6,000 people. After the hurricane, the survivors dumped the bodies into the gulf only to have them washed up on the shore the next couple days...how disgusting!
In true Texas spirit, the Galvestonians rebuilt better than ever. To fix the problem of living on a barrier island, they literally raised the island! The seawall was built 10.4 miles long and 17 feet high. For the buildings that survived, they either filled in their basements or lifted the buildings and put fill underneath. Now Galveston continues to live perilously on the edge of the Gulf Coast.
Enjoy Texas...and did you know that the first European to visit Galveston Island (Cabeza de Vaca) was shipwrecked there and called it Isla de Malhado (Island of Doom).
Existing on a gulf coast barrier island, Galveston is a town that has lived and died with the waves. By the end of the 19th century, Galveston was the heart of Texas commerce. At that time it was known as the "Ellis Island of the West" because of its importance in immigration and "the Wall Street of the Southwest" because of its commercial strength. This all changed with the worst natural disaster in US history.
The Galveston Storm of 1900 derailed Galveston's progress. The entire island was engulfed by the storm surge and decimated the city. The hurricane destroyed 3,600 buildings and killed over 6,000 people. After the hurricane, the survivors dumped the bodies into the gulf only to have them washed up on the shore the next couple days...how disgusting!
In true Texas spirit, the Galvestonians rebuilt better than ever. To fix the problem of living on a barrier island, they literally raised the island! The seawall was built 10.4 miles long and 17 feet high. For the buildings that survived, they either filled in their basements or lifted the buildings and put fill underneath. Now Galveston continues to live perilously on the edge of the Gulf Coast.
Enjoy Texas...and did you know that the first European to visit Galveston Island (Cabeza de Vaca) was shipwrecked there and called it Isla de Malhado (Island of Doom).
Point #28- Amarillo...A big bite of Route 66.
To obtain this point: One must visit Amarillo, relive the nostalgia of Route 66, and indulge in the Big Texan.
Amarillo is the largest Texas city in the Panhandle. There are many Texanacious experiences to be found there, but I am going to focus on the Big Texan and Cadillac Ranch:
The Big Texan Steak Ranch is an Amarilloan restaurant that features a wonderful carnivorous deal: Free 72 ounce steak (the Texan King)! The only catch is that you have to finish it in only 1 hour (plus all the sides: bread roll with butter, potato, ranch beans, shrimp cocktail, and salad). The best part of the meal is that you have to sign an agreement of health liability...awesome!
The story of Cadillac Ranch goes something like this: A helium millionaire who spent too much time inhaling his own product and talking like Daffy Duck decided one day that he needed more art in Amarillo. Naturally, he involved an off-beat group from San Francisco called the Ant Farm to come and help. The odd creation that followed involved half buried cars that show the Golden Age of American Automobiles. To get a little more historical credibility, they faced the cars West and placed them at the same angle as some of the pyramids in Egypt. The cars quickly became the targets of grafitti artists who create an ever-changing color scheme to this piece of modern Texana art.
Did you know- Amarillo is the 'Helium capital of the World' (self-proclaimed, of course)...Enjoy Texas.
Did you know Part II- Joey Chestnut holds the record for fastest inhalation of the Big Texan King in under 10 minutes.
Amarillo is the largest Texas city in the Panhandle. There are many Texanacious experiences to be found there, but I am going to focus on the Big Texan and Cadillac Ranch:
The Big Texan Steak Ranch is an Amarilloan restaurant that features a wonderful carnivorous deal: Free 72 ounce steak (the Texan King)! The only catch is that you have to finish it in only 1 hour (plus all the sides: bread roll with butter, potato, ranch beans, shrimp cocktail, and salad). The best part of the meal is that you have to sign an agreement of health liability...awesome!
The story of Cadillac Ranch goes something like this: A helium millionaire who spent too much time inhaling his own product and talking like Daffy Duck decided one day that he needed more art in Amarillo. Naturally, he involved an off-beat group from San Francisco called the Ant Farm to come and help. The odd creation that followed involved half buried cars that show the Golden Age of American Automobiles. To get a little more historical credibility, they faced the cars West and placed them at the same angle as some of the pyramids in Egypt. The cars quickly became the targets of grafitti artists who create an ever-changing color scheme to this piece of modern Texana art.
Did you know- Amarillo is the 'Helium capital of the World' (self-proclaimed, of course)...Enjoy Texas.
Did you know Part II- Joey Chestnut holds the record for fastest inhalation of the Big Texan King in under 10 minutes.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Point #27- "Houston...the eagle has landed"
To obtain this point: One must visit the largest city in Texas, enjoy the live and let-live attitude, and land a simulated shuttle at NASA (Johnson Space Center)...beware landing in the swamps...
Houston is a booming metropolis that is the one of the premier economic, political, and cultural hubs in Texas. From the mosquito infested swampland that the Allen brothers purchased in the 1830s, Houston has evolved into a world class city and major economic power. It is home to NASA, the largest medical center in the world, the second most Fortune 500 companies (behind New York), and the largest international port in the US. What Houston lacks in natural beauty, is made up for by its enterprising, diverse, and hard working people.
Of course Houston has everything a world class city should have: excellent cultural opportunities, an active performing arts pulse in the Theater District, award-winning museums in the Museum district, enough sports teams for any ESPN junkie, vast diversity of population creating an international feel, the largest rodeo in the world, weekends full of cultural or art festivals, a wide range of musical greats (from Beyonce to ZZ Top), and the most impressive skyline in Texas.
Each of these categories can be a source of great Texas pride, but the more interesting part of Houston lives beneath the cultural institutions. Houston is a great place because anything is possible. It has seen peaks and valleys, but dreamers continue to find their path to Houston. This sentimental view of Houston also has a dark, shadowy underbelly. An underbelly that includes scandals, bribery, and murder. I like the underbelly :). Lets look at that!
A little history lesson of quick ascendancy, wild-catters, natural disasters, and dreaming:
Houston was founded by the Allen Brothers in August 1836 and was the capital of the Republic of Texas by 1837. That quick rise to power is pretty darned impressive! At that time it was little more than a mosquito-ridden swamp with cunning civil leadership. Think about it...The Allen brothers did not even have a name for pre-natal town, so they named it after the leading candidate to be president of the Republic of Texas. If elected, how could Sam Houston pick another city to be the capital? Who would not like to govern a new empire in a capital named after themselves? This was just one of the quick-witted moves that has defined Houston as a place where anything is possible. Here are a couple other interesting examples of Houston and it's history:
- Before the European settles, the environs of Houston was populated by cannibalistic Native Americans (the Karankawas)
- Before anyone even lived in Houston, the Allen brothers had ads in New York newspapers advertising Houston as a 'thriving port city', 'future capital of Texas', and with 'beautiful waterfalls.' To make Houston the capital, they bribed the newly formed government of Texas by offering a free capital building, giving land to representatives, and naming the streets after folks in the Battle of San Jacinto who were willing to move to Houston.
- The first industrial business proposal in Houston (starting a carriage manufacturing shop in the 1830s) ended when the entrepreneur heard gun shots during a session of Congress he was attending. He rushed outside to see what had happened. A man with blood spewing who was just shot in the saloon staggered out and fell onto this East Coast businessman. A few moments later a second unfortunate fellow came staggering into him with bowels protruding from his abdomen after finding the wrong end of a Bowie knife. This budding carriage-maker decided that Houston was not quite the most fruitful business atmosphere so he promptly returned to his sensible home in New Jersey. This unfortunate business endeavor was not the last business proposal to literally die in the streets of Houston.
- One of the first ships (Laura) to 'dock' in Houston from the sea actually floated right by the city and continued for 3 miles because it did not realize that the shanty town of tents and rough shelters was actually the 'prosperous' city of Houston advertised in the newspapers.
- It took nearly 50 years to pave the streets in the future Space City, so Houstonians used to be referred to as 'mud-turtles', which I think is a good name for the next sports team: The Houston Fighting Mud-Turtles...doesn't that strike fear into opponents.
- William Marsh Rice (Founder of the esteemed Rice University and Houston business pillar) was rumored to have made much of his fortune selling goods to both sides of the Civil War. Later he was murdered by his butler in an attempt to steal his fortune. This scandalous case of greed and deceit would make Hollywood movie writers salivate.
- Arguably the most beneficial event in Houston's history was one of the worse natural disasters in Texas history. The 1900 Galveston Hurricane destroyed Galveston and placed Houston as the pre-eminent port on the Texas Gulf Coast.
- In true Houston fashion, the city does not have zoning laws for city planning. Anything goes. A church next to a strip joint...that's okay.
- The Sharpstown Scandal in the early 1970s was an interwoven network of stock fraud, political collusion, and government bribery that brought down many state officials. It went roughly like this: Frank Sharp gave a bunch of state officials money to buy a company that he owned. In turn, the government officials passed laws that helped out that company and everybody made oodles of money...and this is illegal?
- Tom Delay (previous House Majority Leader) was forced to resign after being reprimanded by the House Ethics Committee multiple times and finally indicted in 2005. This scandal went something like this: Tom Delay was a bull dog politician that many disliked unless he was fighting for you. Therefore, when rumors of bribery and misconduct surfaced, his numerous enemies jumped on the stories to force his resignation.
- Business in Houston was never really confined to 'usual business practices'. Just ask the accounting department (or lack thereof) at Enron or the Stanford Group in the alleged recent 8 billion dollar fraud case.
Did you know that Houston was ranked the best place to live in America by Kipplingers in 2008...mosquitoes and all...Enjoy Texas.
Did you also know that Houston's economic gross area product was larger than Austria ...Enjoy Texas.
Houston is a booming metropolis that is the one of the premier economic, political, and cultural hubs in Texas. From the mosquito infested swampland that the Allen brothers purchased in the 1830s, Houston has evolved into a world class city and major economic power. It is home to NASA, the largest medical center in the world, the second most Fortune 500 companies (behind New York), and the largest international port in the US. What Houston lacks in natural beauty, is made up for by its enterprising, diverse, and hard working people.
Of course Houston has everything a world class city should have: excellent cultural opportunities, an active performing arts pulse in the Theater District, award-winning museums in the Museum district, enough sports teams for any ESPN junkie, vast diversity of population creating an international feel, the largest rodeo in the world, weekends full of cultural or art festivals, a wide range of musical greats (from Beyonce to ZZ Top), and the most impressive skyline in Texas.
Each of these categories can be a source of great Texas pride, but the more interesting part of Houston lives beneath the cultural institutions. Houston is a great place because anything is possible. It has seen peaks and valleys, but dreamers continue to find their path to Houston. This sentimental view of Houston also has a dark, shadowy underbelly. An underbelly that includes scandals, bribery, and murder. I like the underbelly :). Lets look at that!
A little history lesson of quick ascendancy, wild-catters, natural disasters, and dreaming:
Houston was founded by the Allen Brothers in August 1836 and was the capital of the Republic of Texas by 1837. That quick rise to power is pretty darned impressive! At that time it was little more than a mosquito-ridden swamp with cunning civil leadership. Think about it...The Allen brothers did not even have a name for pre-natal town, so they named it after the leading candidate to be president of the Republic of Texas. If elected, how could Sam Houston pick another city to be the capital? Who would not like to govern a new empire in a capital named after themselves? This was just one of the quick-witted moves that has defined Houston as a place where anything is possible. Here are a couple other interesting examples of Houston and it's history:
- Before the European settles, the environs of Houston was populated by cannibalistic Native Americans (the Karankawas)
- Before anyone even lived in Houston, the Allen brothers had ads in New York newspapers advertising Houston as a 'thriving port city', 'future capital of Texas', and with 'beautiful waterfalls.' To make Houston the capital, they bribed the newly formed government of Texas by offering a free capital building, giving land to representatives, and naming the streets after folks in the Battle of San Jacinto who were willing to move to Houston.
- The first industrial business proposal in Houston (starting a carriage manufacturing shop in the 1830s) ended when the entrepreneur heard gun shots during a session of Congress he was attending. He rushed outside to see what had happened. A man with blood spewing who was just shot in the saloon staggered out and fell onto this East Coast businessman. A few moments later a second unfortunate fellow came staggering into him with bowels protruding from his abdomen after finding the wrong end of a Bowie knife. This budding carriage-maker decided that Houston was not quite the most fruitful business atmosphere so he promptly returned to his sensible home in New Jersey. This unfortunate business endeavor was not the last business proposal to literally die in the streets of Houston.
- One of the first ships (Laura) to 'dock' in Houston from the sea actually floated right by the city and continued for 3 miles because it did not realize that the shanty town of tents and rough shelters was actually the 'prosperous' city of Houston advertised in the newspapers.
- It took nearly 50 years to pave the streets in the future Space City, so Houstonians used to be referred to as 'mud-turtles', which I think is a good name for the next sports team: The Houston Fighting Mud-Turtles...doesn't that strike fear into opponents.
- William Marsh Rice (Founder of the esteemed Rice University and Houston business pillar) was rumored to have made much of his fortune selling goods to both sides of the Civil War. Later he was murdered by his butler in an attempt to steal his fortune. This scandalous case of greed and deceit would make Hollywood movie writers salivate.
- Arguably the most beneficial event in Houston's history was one of the worse natural disasters in Texas history. The 1900 Galveston Hurricane destroyed Galveston and placed Houston as the pre-eminent port on the Texas Gulf Coast.
- In true Houston fashion, the city does not have zoning laws for city planning. Anything goes. A church next to a strip joint...that's okay.
- The Sharpstown Scandal in the early 1970s was an interwoven network of stock fraud, political collusion, and government bribery that brought down many state officials. It went roughly like this: Frank Sharp gave a bunch of state officials money to buy a company that he owned. In turn, the government officials passed laws that helped out that company and everybody made oodles of money...and this is illegal?
- Tom Delay (previous House Majority Leader) was forced to resign after being reprimanded by the House Ethics Committee multiple times and finally indicted in 2005. This scandal went something like this: Tom Delay was a bull dog politician that many disliked unless he was fighting for you. Therefore, when rumors of bribery and misconduct surfaced, his numerous enemies jumped on the stories to force his resignation.
- Business in Houston was never really confined to 'usual business practices'. Just ask the accounting department (or lack thereof) at Enron or the Stanford Group in the alleged recent 8 billion dollar fraud case.
Did you know that Houston was ranked the best place to live in America by Kipplingers in 2008...mosquitoes and all...Enjoy Texas.
Did you also know that Houston's economic gross area product was larger than Austria ...Enjoy Texas.
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