texas was kinda... florida-ish
Just got back from coastal Texas. It was a good time and we were glad that we went somewhere new and different, even if the trip was way, way too short.
All those stereotypes (well, a lot of them) about Texas and Texans got refuted and/or were there but in such tiny quantity it was almost disappointing. Lots of people in big cowboy hats and boots? Saw them in the airport more than anywhere else. [Mariachi band in the airport too!! (Though a fantastic and classy one -- almost all women in the group: singing, playing guitars and horns, in beautiful traditional costume. VERY cool.)] Good Mexi food? NOPE. Texas drawl accents? NADA! (Maybe a y'all from a waitress now and again, but, no accents really.) Finally did see some Caddie-driving big ole Texans sporting fluffy mustaches and cowboy hats. Whew! Trip saved.
Highlights: An evening at River Walk (we became part of the tour--it was amusing), The Alamo [SS wants to tell everyone that to see the Alamo you get dropped off in the desert a mile from the place in 100 degree heat, with only a tiny tin canteen filled part-way, and you have to walk and walk... but, its really smack dab in the middle of the city. (Which, I admit, did make it seem kinda fake.)], horseback riding on the beach (an adventure in itself), pleasant weather, pleasant locals (people in Texas are really friendly!), low population density, very pretty scenery, driving on the nice beaches in the dumb-ass Seabring (stupid car).
Lowlights: the food (marginal, dull, and just plain ole lame), the long drive to where we wanted to be, getting in trouble with the law over kiteboarding not once but twice (SS just can't seem to slide past the police these days -- CURSED, I say! he got pulled over in the airport loop after we just got home also!), not as much wind as SS needed/wanted for kiting, scads of Texas men on the down-low cruising the beaches for hookups (yes, seriously).
Mindblowing part: Could buy a nice place ON THE OCEAN in Texas cheaper than we could possibly buy a run-down POS here -- inland, in a crappy neighborhood.
All those stereotypes (well, a lot of them) about Texas and Texans got refuted and/or were there but in such tiny quantity it was almost disappointing. Lots of people in big cowboy hats and boots? Saw them in the airport more than anywhere else. [Mariachi band in the airport too!! (Though a fantastic and classy one -- almost all women in the group: singing, playing guitars and horns, in beautiful traditional costume. VERY cool.)] Good Mexi food? NOPE. Texas drawl accents? NADA! (Maybe a y'all from a waitress now and again, but, no accents really.) Finally did see some Caddie-driving big ole Texans sporting fluffy mustaches and cowboy hats. Whew! Trip saved.
Highlights: An evening at River Walk (we became part of the tour--it was amusing), The Alamo [SS wants to tell everyone that to see the Alamo you get dropped off in the desert a mile from the place in 100 degree heat, with only a tiny tin canteen filled part-way, and you have to walk and walk... but, its really smack dab in the middle of the city. (Which, I admit, did make it seem kinda fake.)], horseback riding on the beach (an adventure in itself), pleasant weather, pleasant locals (people in Texas are really friendly!), low population density, very pretty scenery, driving on the nice beaches in the dumb-ass Seabring (stupid car).
Lowlights: the food (marginal, dull, and just plain ole lame), the long drive to where we wanted to be, getting in trouble with the law over kiteboarding not once but twice (SS just can't seem to slide past the police these days -- CURSED, I say! he got pulled over in the airport loop after we just got home also!), not as much wind as SS needed/wanted for kiting, scads of Texas men on the down-low cruising the beaches for hookups (yes, seriously).
Mindblowing part: Could buy a nice place ON THE OCEAN in Texas cheaper than we could possibly buy a run-down POS here -- inland, in a crappy neighborhood.