| It's easy
to think of Texas, this land of diversity, as a whole other country. Texas
is 800 miles wide and almost as long from north to south. It changes from
the warm sparkling waters of the seacoast to mountains; from forest to
cactus filled desert and has big cities that rival any in our country.
We like to think of ourselves
as friendly. The name Texas comes from the Indian word Tejas, which means
friendship. As you drive down the country byways and get a friendly wave,
that's "howdy" from we Texans.
Texas has 3/4 of all birds
represented in America. There is bird watching anytime and anywhere. No
other state offers the bird variety that Texas does.
Texas also has a variety
of wildflowers that number 5,000 species because of the state's diverse
environment. Each season has its own flowers, but in the springtime the
highways are abloom with the State Flower, the Bluebonnet. Mixed among
them are the vivid red Indian Paintbrush and other flowers of all hues.
Each section of the state has its own particular flowers which add to the
wonderous beauty of this great state.
As you travel across Texas
you'll see oilwells and longhorn cattle, big cities , hill country, desert
conditions, coastline and the swamps and big thickets of East Texas. I
can't begin to tell you about all the beauty and stark comparisons of this
state. Whatever you might prefer in scenery, Texas has it!
We have 122 State Parks,
5, 175 miles of inland freshwater fishing and 624 miles of shoreline along
the Gulf of Mexico. We have 4 National Forests and 13 National Parks.
I live in West Texas with
its stark beauty of prickly pear cactus, longhorn cattle, mesquite bushes,
long flat plateaus that have oil wells protruding, man-made lakes, and
most of all the kindest and friendliest people in the world.
Thanks to Carol King for
permission to use her pictures from the Texas Daytripper Site. |
