Why visit Texas? Well shucks! - - Lots of folks come to Texas. And, that's because we're known for our hospitality. We like to meet folks and show them around our beautiful State.
We enjoy the folks who are curious about Texas.
And, when you're from Texas, people that you meet will ask you questions like:
"Do you have any cows?"
"Have you chased wild Indians?"
"Bet you got a bunch of guns, eh?"
On your right - Watch the latest video of TEXAS COUNTRY REPORTER by Bob Phillips
It wouldn't be that these folks might have watched a few Hollywood Westerns about Texas, now would it?After that round of questioning then these good folks want to know if you've ever been to Southfork.
Yes, they watched Dallas like the rest of us, and - no, I never met J.R.
Well, folks have lots of questions and that's all right, because it means they're interested in Texas. You don't think I'm right about that? Then, let's take a closer look. Have you ever looked at a map of the United States? Look at Texas with me - just for a second... that picture, with the Panhandle, the Gulf Coast, the Red River, and the Rio Grande is as much a part of you as anything ever will be. It's TEXAS As soon as anyone anywhere in the world looks at it they know what it is. IT's TEXAS! Pick any kid off the street in Japan and draw a picture of Texas for him in the dirt and he'll know what it is. What happens if I show YOU a picture of any other state? You might get it after a second or two (maybe), but who else would? And even if you do, does it ever stir any feelings in you?
In every man, woman, and child on this planet, there is a person who wishes, just once, he could be a real-live Texan and get up on a horse or ride in a pickup truck. There is some bit of Texas in everyone. Did you ever hear anyone say, "Wow...so you're from Iowa? Cool, tell me about it?" Do you know why? Because there's no place like Texas.
Texas is the Alamo. One hundred, eighty-three
men standing in a church, facing thousands of Mexican nationals fighting for freedom, who had the chance to walk out and save themselves, but stayed to fight and die for the cause of freedom. We send our children to schools named William B. Travis, James Bowie, and Davy Crockett, - and do you know why? Remember The Alamo Because those men saw a line in the sand, where they decided to cross it, and they knowingly commited themselves to fight and die for Texas. John Wayne paid out of his own pocket, the money to make the movie himself. That, my friend, is the Spirit of Texas.
Texas is Sam Houston capturing Santa Ana at the Battle of San Jacinto, 1836.
Texas is Juneteenth and Texas Independence Day.
Texas is huge forests of Piney Woods like the Davy Crockett National Forest.
Texas is breathtaking mountains in the Big Bend.
Texas is Mexican food like nowhere else, not even Mexico.
Texas is the shiny skyscrapers in Houston and Dallas.
Texas is world record bass from places like Possum Kingdom Lake in Palo Pinto County.
Texas is the unparalleled beauty of bluebonnet fields in the Texas Hill Country.
Texas is huge herds of cattle in the CRADLE OF THE CATTLE INDUSTRY, Palo Pinto, Texas.
Texas is the Fort Worth Stockyards, Bass Hall, and the first domed stadium in the U.S. - the Astrodome in Houston.
Texas is great companies like Dell Computer, Texas Instruments and Compaq.
Texas is NASA. The first word spoken from the moon, July 20, 1969, was "Houston."
Texas is the beautiful, warm beaches of the Gulf Coast of South Texas.
Texas is skies blackened with doves, and fields full of deer.
Texas is a place where cities shut down to watch the local high school football game on Friday nights or the Cowboys on Monday Night Football.
Texas is ocean beaches, deserts, lakes and rivers, mountains and prairies, and modern cities.
Follow The SnowBirds To Palo Pinto County, Texas
Texas is larger-than-life legends like Willie Nelson, Buddy Holly, Waylon Jennings, Janis Joplin, Kris Kristofferson, Tom Landry, Darrell Royal, ZZ Top, Eric Dickerson, Earl Campbell, Nolan Ryan, Denton Cooley, Michael DeBakey, Sam Rayburn, George Bush, Lyndon B. Johnson, and George W. Bush.
If it isn't in Texas, you don't need it. No one does anything bigger or better than it's done in Texas.
Texas is the only state in the U.S. that can fly its flag at the same height as the U.S. flag. Think about that for a second. You fly the Stars and Stripes at 20 feet in Maryland, California, or Maine and your state flag, whatever it is, goes at 17 feet.
But you fly the Stars and Stripes over Miller Stadium at a Rams High School football game in Mineral Wells at 20 feet and the Lone Star flies at the same height - 20 feet. Do you know why? Because Texas is the only state that was a republic before it became a state and, therefore, Texas entered the U.S. by TREATY, instead of by annexation.
EVERYTHING IS BIGGER IN TEXAS. The King Ranch is larger than Rhode Island -- Beaumont, TX to El Paso, TX is 742 miles -- Beaumont to Chicago, IL: 770 miles -- El Paso, TX is closer to California (557) than to Dallas, TX (633)
World's first rodeo was in Pecos, Texas... July 4, 1883.
The Flagship Hotel in Galveston is the only hotel in North America built over water.
The Heisman Trophy was named after John William Heisman who was the first full time coach for Rice University in Houston.
Brazoria County has more species of birds than any other area in North America.
Aransas Wildlife Refuge is the winter home of North America's only remaining flock of whooping cranes.
Jalapeno jelly originated in Lake Jackson in 1978.
The worst natural disaster in U.S. history was in 1900 caused by a hurricane in which over 8000 lives were lost on Galveston Island.
Tropical Storm Claudette brought a US. Rainfall record of 43" in 24 hours in and around Alvin in July 1979. That's over 3 feet & it flooded everything.
A Live Oak tree near Fulton is estimated to be 1500 years old.
Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885. There is no period after Dr in Dr Pepper.
Texas has had six capital cities: 1. Washington-on-the-Brazos 2. Harrisburg 3. Galveston 4. Velasco 5. West Columbia 6. Austin
The name Texas comes from the Hasini Indian word "tejas" meaning friends. Tejas is not Spanish for Texas.
The State animal is the Armadillo. An interesting bit of trivia about the armadillo is they always have four babies! They have one egg which splits into four and they either have four males or four females. (Well...I thought it was interesting anyway!)
Our capitol dome in Austin is the only dome in the U.S that is taller than the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. (by 7 feet) We can divide our state into five states if we want to! We included these things as part of the deal when we came on.
Texas is all these things and more. You got more questions, you say? Well, that's fine, and you can come on down to Texas for your answers. And, enjoy yourself while you're here. Sometimes, folks stay and never return from whence they came. It can't be explained, but you feel like you're at home... Texas feels that way to all of us... The people and places seem to grow on you with an irresistible urge to plant roots and prop your feet up for a long time... Maybe for good!
Why visit Texas? More reasons than I can say!
Randall Scott Erwin
Ghostryder Publishing
2528 Live Oak Road
Santo, Texas 76472 Ghostryders.com
"Bet you got a bunch of guns, eh?" 
with the Panhandle, the Gulf Coast, the Red River, and the Rio Grande is as much a part of you as anything ever will be.
Texas is the Alamo. One hundred, eighty-three
men standing in a church, facing thousands of Mexican nationals fighting for freedom, who had the chance to walk out and save themselves, but stayed to fight and die for the cause of freedom. We send our children to schools named William B. Travis, James Bowie, and Davy Crockett, - and do you know why?
huge forests of Piney Woods like the Davy Crockett National Forest. 
companies like Dell Computer, Texas Instruments and Compaq. 
Texas is the only state in the U.S. that can fly its flag at the same height as the U.S. flag. Think about that for a second. You fly the Stars and Stripes at 20 feet in Maryland, California, or Maine and your state flag, whatever it is, goes at 17 feet.