We spent a little over 3 weeks in Texas, mostly visiting relatives. We were there one night going back home., It is such a big state, certainly very diverse from top to bottom. In most areas except for the Hill Country which is in the middle of the state, it is also pretty flat. Lots of desert and prairie.
It was very interesting to see the area along the border of Mexico. Makes you feel very lucky to have as much as you do. One thing I forgot to mention in my earlier blogs about the area is the Mexican cemeteries. Mexican really revere their dead. All of the cemeteries are filled with plastic flowers. Not just one bunch to a grave. Many, many arrangements on each one. At first, it looked quite gaudy, but then beautiful at the same time. There are several people buried in the same spot. When it is full, the top is covered with cement. There is also a little box for the spirits to go into. People really tend to the graves. No weeds or anything.
The park we were at Mission, Texas was nice. We were there because that is the park my relatives from IL. winter at. Every Saturday, there is a Mexican that comes at 10:00 am with fruits and veggies to sell. He has a stall on the weekends at a flea market, but on the weekdays goes directly into the parks. Smart man. I bought 3 plastic grocery bags full for $8.50. I couldn't believe it. Would have cost alot more at a grocery store. The best veggie I bought was Jicama. Sometimes it is hard to find a good one at grocery stores up north. It is from Mexico, so it was the best I had ever bought. I wasn't sure how long they would last or I would have bought more. I bought 3, but we went thru that fairly fast.
There are lots of freeway signs, Don't Mess With Texas. They all are for littering, following speed limits, seat belts, etc. Before the sign says what it is for you see in very large letters, DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS. There are fines for littering from $10 to $2000., depending on the area. I will say that the littering one isn't really enforced. We saw some of the most littered highways in Texas, mostly plastic bags from the grocery stores.
I had mentioned earlier about the beautiful wildflowers along the freeways. I found out that it is because of Lady Bird Johnson. When her husband was President, her cause was beautifying America. She had the wildflowers planted along the freeways. I guess that means they really aren't wild. I had said the blue ones were Blue Bells. WRONG. They are Blue Bonnets. The salmon ones are called Paintbrush.
The panhandle of Texas is where it is so windy. I thought it was windy in West Texas, but nothing like the panhandle. Again, why would you live there. It is windy every day. One person told me that if the weather says no wind, it will be 10-20 MPH. There are other parts of Texas with no wind at all.
The Thousand Trails park we were at in the Hill Country was very nice. Felt like home with all the trees. Amazing that all the hills are only in Central Texas around San Antonio.
I apologize to all my relatives in Texas if I have my facts wrong.
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