Texas and More!

I'm reluctant to support any assumptions y’all might have about Texas… but this was my brief experience.

Small Town Pride: Once we got into more populated areas the first thing I noticed was the water towers. All the small towns have a giant water tower visible from the highway with their name, and sometimes their claim to fame painted on it.

High School Football: It’s a HUGE DEAL. Friday night it was starting to get late and we decided to stop somewhere for dinner. We noticed a town coming up that seemed to have food and services, so we took the exit. However, when we started driving around everything was empty and closed. Sure enough a few blocks farther was a stadium with the stands and surrounding parking completely full. I’m not sure if they were going to re-open after the game, but we didn’t wait to find out.

Pickup Trucks: They dominate the roads and except for work trucks, they are all super clean and shiny. And chances are somewhere on each truck there is a sticker or decal reading “Don’t Mess With Texas” or an equivalent.

Farms: Whether there is actually a farm off every exit or not, the roads and byways in Texas are all labeled FM. Until I talked to a local I didn’t realize this stands for Farm-to-Market. While there may not be huge dairy farms everywhere, there seem to be lots of farm animals around. The other night while I was moving my truck into the driveway, I could hear cows and chickens mooing and clucking not too far away. And I was in a suburb.

Super: Super Walmarts, super churches, super sized meat, super hot, super dry, you name it. They don’t mess around in Texas!

It was nice to get off the road for a few days in Texas and spend time with Chris’s family. His niece Sarah couldn’t have been happier and I could tell everyone enjoyed their time together. Southern hospitality is another thing about Texas that is definitely true.

We left Texas on Monday morning and made the short drive to Little Rock, Arkansas to spend the night and watch Monday Night Football. Now we are just east of Knoxville, Tennessee. I originally planned to stay in Nashville, but the hotel prices were too high and quite a few of them were two night minimums. But we at least drove through and I got to see downtown and take some pictures. This first one is the Mississippi River.

The best part of the day was visiting Graceland! I’ve always been an Elvis fan and going to his ranch and seeing all his awards was a really cool experience. I didn’t realize that he is buried there too, which caught me a little off guard. But it was a beautiful place, and I’m very glad I took the time to see it. Next stop Raleigh, North Carolina and then maybe Washington D.C. before Pennsylvania.