TEXAS: THE LONE STAR STATE
BY CLAY
LARROY
The
purposes of traveling
are different for different people. There are some people who travel for the
sake of pleasure. The people that are heavily burdened either at their domestic
front or at their offices move too far off places for relieving their worries
and anxieties. The poets and writers make a trip to distant places for
collection of facts for their writings. Businessmen also visit various places
to enquire as to whether there are scopes for expansion of their business.
Travelling provides the benefit of sightseeing and gives pleasure to the
visitor. In addition, it gives a scope to an individual to have firsthand
knowledge of variegated people inhabiting the world. When you want to
plan a vacation contact me!
Texas
Travel Guide
Texas
history, language & culture
Before the arrival of any
European settlers, the area we call Texas is thought to have been habited by
the indigenous Native American population. The beginning of the European colonizers
began with the arrival of the Spanish exploration headed by Alonso Álvarez de
Pineda in 1520. After settling, there were many attempts from the French to
ambush the Spanish and to colonize the land for French ownership. However
this wasn't successful and the Spanish declared Texas as a colony and in 1691
appointed Texas with its first governor Domingo Terán de los Ríos.
In 1799 the Spanish ceded control of Louisiana to the French but the agreement was unclear over borders. So much so, that when the French later sold the state of Louisiana to the US in1803, the US believed that the deal also included the Texas area due to boundary confusions. Due to this, the Napoleon demanded that the king of Spain should abdicate. The result of this, was an attempt by both Mexican and US revolutionaries to declare Mexico and Texas independent. Although unsuccessful, eventually, in 1821 Texas became a part of Mexico, which was newly independent from Spain. The state's Hispanic legacy has left its mark with place names such as San Antonio and from names of rivers such as Rio Grande.
Within years of becoming part of Mexico, unrest began to take place over political disputes of land and colonialism which created the Texan revolution in 1835. In only three months, Texan forces successfully defeated the Mexican forces and so a year later signed the Texas Declaration of Independence, effectively making Texas a new republic. Continued disagreements rumbled on but in 1845, the US congress passed a bill allowing it to annex the Republic of Texas, thus making it a US state. Mexico strongly opposed annexation and the Mexican-American war took hold.
In 1861, Texas joined the Confederate States of America siding with the south during the Civil War between the North and South. However, by 1865 the Confederacy had collapsed, in part due to the economic difficulties caused by war. After the war Texas grew increasingly prosperous due to the growth of industries such as ranching and banking, leading to wealthier citizens and higher standards of living.
WWII affected Texas significantly, creating more jobs for people working within new military factories, and less people working on traditional ranches. The shortage in farm workers meant that Mexican migrants were brought in, due to their acceptance of lower wages.
When the war ended, Texas began its transformation and modernized to what it is today along with the rest of the US. This included the oil boom that brought along huge economic benefits for the local economy and for citizens of Texas.
In 1799 the Spanish ceded control of Louisiana to the French but the agreement was unclear over borders. So much so, that when the French later sold the state of Louisiana to the US in1803, the US believed that the deal also included the Texas area due to boundary confusions. Due to this, the Napoleon demanded that the king of Spain should abdicate. The result of this, was an attempt by both Mexican and US revolutionaries to declare Mexico and Texas independent. Although unsuccessful, eventually, in 1821 Texas became a part of Mexico, which was newly independent from Spain. The state's Hispanic legacy has left its mark with place names such as San Antonio and from names of rivers such as Rio Grande.
Within years of becoming part of Mexico, unrest began to take place over political disputes of land and colonialism which created the Texan revolution in 1835. In only three months, Texan forces successfully defeated the Mexican forces and so a year later signed the Texas Declaration of Independence, effectively making Texas a new republic. Continued disagreements rumbled on but in 1845, the US congress passed a bill allowing it to annex the Republic of Texas, thus making it a US state. Mexico strongly opposed annexation and the Mexican-American war took hold.
In 1861, Texas joined the Confederate States of America siding with the south during the Civil War between the North and South. However, by 1865 the Confederacy had collapsed, in part due to the economic difficulties caused by war. After the war Texas grew increasingly prosperous due to the growth of industries such as ranching and banking, leading to wealthier citizens and higher standards of living.
WWII affected Texas significantly, creating more jobs for people working within new military factories, and less people working on traditional ranches. The shortage in farm workers meant that Mexican migrants were brought in, due to their acceptance of lower wages.
When the war ended, Texas began its transformation and modernized to what it is today along with the rest of the US. This included the oil boom that brought along huge economic benefits for the local economy and for citizens of Texas.
Things to see and do in Texas
Odessa Meteor Crater
View the Odessa Meteor
Crater, the second-largest meteor crater in the USA at approximately 168m
(550ft) in diameter. It was created when a barrage of meteors crashed to the
earth between 20,000 and 30,000 years ago.
Old City Park
Tour the Old City Park (www.oldcitypark.org),
a pioneer community in Dallas featuring homes, a church, a schoolhouse and Main
Street as it was in the days of the original settlers.
Palo Duro Canyon State Park
Visit Palo Duro Canyon
State Park, near Amarillo. The park has dramatic colored rock formations, is popular
for hiking, picnicking, camping and horse riding, and has a rich history of
nomadic tribes that hunted mammoth and large game animals.
Reunion Tower
Ride the glass elevator to
the top of the 50-storey Reunion Tower, belonging to the Hyatt Regency Hotel in
Dallas. It has observation terraces and a revolving restaurant with nighttime
dancing.
San
Antonio Missions National Historic Park
Learn about the early
efforts of the Spanish to Christianize the native population in southern Texas
along the San Antonio River. Tour the four mission churches in San Antonio
Missions National Historic Park (www.nps.gov/saan).
Santa Ana National Wildlife
Refuge
Go bird watching at the
Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, and see birds migrating to South and
Central America along the Central and Mississippi Flyways.
Southfork Ranch
Go and see the famous
Southfork Ranch (www.southforkranch.com), home of the famous TV
series' Ewing clan. The ranch is open daily, year-round for guided tours.
Space Center Houston
Explore Space Center
Houston (www.spacecenter.org) - the official visitor center
of NASA's Johnson Space Center. Climb aboard a computer simulator, touch a moon
rock, see a full-size space shuttle replica, see astronauts train for missions,
or take a behind-the-scenes tour of NASA.
Take a river walk
Tour San Antonio's Paseo
del Rio (Riverwalk) (www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com),
a unique shopping and entertainment area that sparkles like a fairyland at
night.
West End Historic District
Step into the past in
Dallas' West End Historic District (www.dallaswestend.org),
a collection of beautifully restored 100-year-old historical buildings turned
into museums, shops, restaurants and nightlife.
REFERENCE SITES:
“I must say as to what I have seen
of Texas it is the garden spot of the world. The best land and the best
prospects for health I ever saw, and I do believe it is a fortune to any man to
come here. There is a world of country here to settle.”
Davy Crockett, 1836.
Davy Crockett, 1836.
Travel to experience life!
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