35 Things We Love About Texas - Jane Wu

35 Things Art Director Jane Wu Loves About Texas

1.   Hiking up Enchanted Rock on a sunny mild day, then lying there and letting in the rock’s healing powers
2.   Fredericksburg—for that Marin County-in-the-Texas Hill Country experience
3.   The independent spirit of the people and places in West Texas
4.   The earthy, southern charm, and the lush green forests of the East Texas Piney Woods
Photo by J. Griffis Smith

5.   The funky, laid-back seaside solitude of Port Aransas
6.   San Antonio—where one can feel at home anywhere just being a tourist
7.   Standing on the edge of the surf, at the edge of Texas, on South Padre Island
8.   The sweltering melting pot that is Houston, along with Hermann Park, the zoo, and many world-class, diverse museums, some of which are actually free!
9.   Austin—still Texas, yet so distinctly not!
10.   The Arts District and the urban (and urbane!) neighborhoods of Dallas
11.    Fort Worth’s Stockyards, Sundance Square, and stellar museums (which are all in close proximity)
12.   Cruising down Shoreline Boulevard and Ocean Drive in Corpus Christi, taking in the view from the “Sparkling City by the Sea”
13.   The Coney Islandesque fun and frenzy of Galveston beaches
14.   Big skies and wide-open spaces, and the authentic “cowboyness” of the Panhandle Plains
15.   Ice tea—strong, brewed, unsweetened
16.   Restaurants that serve cold drinks with plenty of ice cubes
17.   Chunky salsa with plenty of heat!
18.   Tex-Mex Enchiladas (carne sauce over yellow cheese)
19.   Margaritas—frozen, on-the-rocks, or martini-style (with salt!)
20.   Friendly people—who smile and never hesitate to give out directions when you’re lost
21.   Breakfast tacos
22.   Pecan pralines
23.   BBQ served at wedding receptions
24.   Vintage cowboy boots, hats, and shirts—with the pearl snap buttons!
25.   1940s-’50s pickup trucks
26.   H-E-B, Central Market, and Fiesta supermarkets: any and every kind of food (and more) that you can imagine
27.   In the cities, local coffeehouses that are as plentiful and easy to find as Starbucks
28.   The Lone Star and the armadillo as state symbols
29.   The inimitable, easily recognizable, iconic shape of the state
30.   Slurping a Coke float on a sweltering August evening
31.    Relatively mild winter compared to northern states
32.    Blue Bell Ice Cream’s special "limited time" flavors like Birthday Cake and Paletas de Frutas
33.    The ever- expanding film and TV industry—from Giant to Friday Night Lights
34.    The simple, bold graphics of the state flag
35.    Austin City Limits Music Festival

For more on Jane Wu, read her blog.

Back to main page