The American state of Texas is a highly colorful place. Many people think that it is such a prairie of the Wild West, with harsh men in cowboy hats and tumbleweeds in the streets. Indeed, modern Texas is not similar to the picture described above. Nevertheless, this place is very rich in cultural-historical traditions. It is somewhat different from other states of the USA, being a specific mix of customs of the USA and Mexico.
Today we're going to tell you 17 surprising facts about this state you probably didn't know. Let's start!
1. Texas was an independent state for nine years, from 1936 to 1945.
2. The unofficially romantic name for Texas is the "Lone Star State".
3. Among all U.S. states, Texas ranks first in wool, cotton, and oil production.
4. Texas is the second-largest state in the United States. The first is Alaska.
5. Texas was once a large part of Mexico, but it ended up in the hands of the United States as a result of the Mexican-American War.
6. There are more Spanish speakers in Texas than English speakers. Many speak what's called "Spanglish," a quaint dialect made up of a mixture of English and Spanish.
7. These days, many Texas politicians demand that Texas secede from the United States and recognize its independence.
8. The state of Texas is larger than any other country in Europe.
9. Texas takes first place among all states for the number of airports.
10. In Texas, citizens can legally purchase almost any weapon. There are over thirty thousand registered machine guns in the state.
11. Three of the ten most populous American cities are in Texas.
12. Rodeo in Texas has the status of an official sport.
13. The world's first hamburger was made in Texas.
14. Stories about the severity of Texans are not entirely unfounded. So, in 1996, one Texan, being bitten by a poisonous coral snake, bit off its head and used the snake as a tourniquet to avoid the spread of poison over the body.
15. The fastest road in the United States is in Texas. It has a speed limit of 85 miles per hour.
16. The safest of the million-dollar cities in the United States is El Paso, Texas. Interesting is that El Paso is on the river, and the opposite bank is Juarez - the most dangerous of Mexico's cities.
17. Texas is the second most populous American state.
Trip to Texas
If you're planning a trip to Texas, we have some helpful information for you.
Texas cities have millions of residents. Houston is the largest city, ranking fourth on the list of America's largest metropolitan areas. Today its population exceeds 2 million people. The town abounds with high-rise buildings and multi-level roads.
You can appreciate the beauty and grandeur of the city by visiting the JPMorgan Chase Tower, which is the tallest tower in Texas. Hermann Park is also a great place to relax, with a zoo and amusement rides.
San Antonio is one of the most unusual cities in Texas, with a mix of cultures and traditions of different peoples. You can choose from various hotels in San Antonio that cater to a wide variety of tastes and budgets. One of the favorite places for tourists is the River Walk, with its many cafes, restaurants, and stores. In addition, there are many museums, churches, and temples of historical monuments in and around the city. For example, visiting the National Historical Park, you can see the architectural heritage of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and UNESCO now protects the park itself.
What Else Should You Know?
The biggest Texas airports are Austin Airport, College Station Easterwood Airport, Dallas Fort Worth Airport, Dallas Love Field Airport, El Paso International Airport, Houston Airport, Houston Hobby Airport, and San Antonio International Airport. Depending on where you're flying from and what is your final destination, you can use the services of these airports for your trip to Texas.
By the way, we would like to give you one more helpful tip. This information will be handy for those who prefer to travel by air.
If you get to the airport by car, you always need to find a good parking space for your vehicle to leave for the period of a trip. In most cases, airports have special on-site parking for that purpose. However, such a parking lot is pretty costly most of the time, and people aren't ready to spend a lot of money at the beginning of a trip. So is there any solution?
The best way to solve this problem is to choose off-site parking. Why, you may ask? We will explain.
There are many reasons which can prove the benefit of this parking type. Here are some of them:
- Affordable Rates. Depending on the duration of your trip, you can choose between short-term and long-term airport parking. Anyway, an off-site airport is much cheaper, so you can save your money and spend the most considerable amount on things you really want to see or try while traveling.
- Fast service. In contrast with on-site airport parking, which can take quite a long time, off-site parking offers you the convenience of driving directly up to the pickup station and having a staff member park your car. They will pull your luggage out of your vehicle and load it into the van or bus to take it to the airport. It is a hassle-free option that is usually faster.
- Convenience. When people travel, they may be stressed about making it to the airport on time. If you use off-site parking, you will definitely make your travel experience more convenient, as you use the service of a private company. Even though you may be able to park on-site at the airport in a short-term or long-term airport parking lot, consider using an off-site parking lot service.
Now let's take an example. Texas is located in the South of the United States. If you're flying, for example, from Ohio - a state in the eastern Midwest of the United States - you can use
CVG airport parking. If you're coming from Oregon, you can choose
cheap airport parking PDX. It just depends on the place you're flying from.
You can always find everything you need on our official website: the best deals for parking near U.S. and Canadian airports,
airport long-term parking rates, and much more.