Texas Observations From An Outsider

Joe and I have spent quite a bit of time in Texas (he close to a year, me 6 months) but even still, we often talk about this place with a bit of wonderment.  So here are a few of our outsider observations on the lonestar state.

Even Mr Sam Houston is big - near Huntsville, TX

Everything is bigger in Texas.

Freeways, car lots, shopping malls, vehicles, portion sizes, it's all HUGE here.  Occasionally we drive down the street and wonder, "What's that giant resort there?  Or is it an arena?"  No, it's a church.  A church that looks like a campus.  Billboards stretch tall enough that even the highest of 5 interlooping overpasses can see them.  Your large soda here might as well be a 2 litre bottle.

You can Drive-Through for just about anything.

Of course, there are the regular fast food drive throughs that can be found almost anywhere but there are a few unique ones as well.

The Drive Through Pharmacy - get your prescriptions on the go.
The Drive Through Bank - and not just the ATM.  Speak to a teller through a microphone, make a deposit by putting your money in a plastic tube that will be vacuumed into the bank, it's all possible.
My personal favourite... The Drive Through Liquor Store - think, a garage with doors on both sides.  You pull in, tell them what you want and they deliver it to the car for you and you drive out the other side.  But, that's not all - order a margarita or a daiquiri and it comes served in a styrofoam cup ready to go.  Rum & coke, sure why not? (It does come in a sealed plastic bag that asks you to wait to consume it until you arrive at your destination.)

Guns, Full stop.

It's true what they say, guns are everywhere in Texas.  I don't think we've driven a freeway without seeing a giant billboard advertising some sort of gun show.  What really baffled us was the first time we entered a restaurant (downtown Fort Worth) to which there was a sign telling patrons that they do not allow guns in their establishment.  Seriously.  (This is baffling to me as I'm certain if someone saw a lady with a gun in her purse at a restaurant in Canada, the SWAT team would be called in!)  It's also the only place I've been where you are bound to see rifle cases circling the luggage claim every time you collect your bags - and I grew up in a fairly popular hunting area.

Restaurants, Restaurants, Restaurants.

There are restaurants galore in Texas and they are packed every, single night of the week.  Don't feel like staying?  There's almost always a Take Out counter.  With the huge meals and the cheap price tags, it's hard to believe anyone would cook at home.

Why build an intersection when you can build an overpass.

Freeways are large here and every once in awhile you come to a place where several freeways meet.  Instead of people having to exit the freeway in order to join another, tangled masses of cement loop over one another in a complicated mess of overpasses.  It's a little intimidating for us 'small-town' folk.

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Chicken Fried Steak?

This still baffles me and I've even tried it once.

Have you been to Texas? What have I missed?

(Bloggers : I've noticed the titles on my blog smooshed together - does anyone know how to fix this?)