In Texas, Every Day is Flag Day Technically, Flag Day is June 14th, but it’s easy to get the impression that Flag Day is every day here in the state of Texas. The Dallas – Fort Worth region is quite breezy, which makes it easy to express your pride for state and country with proudly waving flags. Texas State Flag: A Popular Urban Legend Since moving here, I’ve heard over and over that, “Texas is the only state in the USA allowed to fly its flag at the same height as the US flag.” This, it turns out, is an…
Category: Travel Photo Essays
Travel tips, photos & travelogues from all over the world.
Texas Eiffel Tower Replica In the early 1990’s Babcock & Wilcox Company built an Eiffel Tower replica in Paris, Texas using volunteer parts and labor. This metal structure replaced an earlier wooden version that was destroyed by a tornado. Unlike other Eiffel Tower replicas around the USA, the city of Paris, Texas chose to add a touch of “yee haw” to their “ooh-la-la” by topping their tower with a bright red cowboy hat. I think it looks pretty spiffy! At a height of 65 feet, the replica is pretty teeny compared to the original Eiffel Tower in that other Paris.…
A to Z Texas: D is for Dinosaurs While many American states have official fossils, only eight – including Texas – have an official state dinosaur. (For those interested, here’s a full list 8 Official State Dinosaurs) The Lone Star State’s official dino is called Pauluxysaurus Jonesi and looks like a huge brontosaurus. Biggest Dinosaur Ever Just as you might expect, this being Texas, our state dinosaur isn’t just big, it is – arguably – the biggest creature ever to walk the earth! Dinosaur Tracks in Glen Rose, Texas What’s great about the Texas state dinosaur is that you don’t…
What is CFS? When I first moved to Texas, I had no idea what people around here meant by the term “CFS.” To me, it sounded like shorthand for a debilitating disease! I eventually learned that CFS stands for, “chicken fried steak,” or, “county fried steak,” depending on whose etymology you choose. Recipes vary, but the general idea is a battered fried cutlet. In Texas restaurants, it’s usually topped with a thick white gravy flecked with black pepper and a side of mashed potatoes. Does CFS Have European Roots? Like the hamburger, whose origins are widely disputed, the exact origins…
Wildflowers are Big in Texas Each year, spring slams into Texas with all the subtlety of a meteor, and bright swathes of red, blue, purple and yellow wildflowers bloom alongside the highways. Bluebonnets are the Texas state flower While those living elsewhere are often oblivious to their state’s flower, it’s a rare Texan who does not know that the Bluebonnet is the Lone Star State’s official blossom. In fact, it’s become a Texan tradition to dress in your Sunday best, park along the shoulder of a road, and take photos of your loved ones surrounded by wildflowers. Lady Bird’s Bill…
My 2013 A to Z blog challenge theme Each April, bloggers from all over the world participate in the A to Z blog challenge. Many of them choose a theme to blog about, although it’s not mandatory. All you have to do is make a blog post for each letter of the alphabet in April. This year, over 1000 bloggers are participating. This will be my first year joining in and I look forward to mixing and mingling. The theme I’ve chosen for the 2013 A to Z blog challenge is: Texcentricity! In other words, I’ll post about Texan culture,…