Still cherishing the memory that it was from 1836 to 1845 an independent nation in its own right, TEXAS stands apart from the rest of the United States. While its sheer size – eight hundred miles from east to west and nearly a thousand from top to bottom – gives it a great geographical diversity, is firmly bound together by a shared history, culture and ideology. Independence is key to the Texan mentality, from the overriding distrust of government – any government – to the absence of unionized labor. As the old anti-litter campaign put it, “Don’t mess with Texas.”

Preconceived ideas about what exactly is “Texan” are soon shattered. It’s actually one of the most eclectic and cosmopolitan states in the Union and each of the major tourist destinations has its own distinct character. Hispanic San Antonio , for example, with its Mexican population and historic importance, has a laid-back feel absent from the big-city neurosis of Houston or Dallas , while trendy Austin revels in a lively music scene and intellectualism found nowhere else in the state.

Regional differences are vast. The swampy, forested east is more like Louisiana than the pretty Hill Country or the agricultural plains of the Panhandle , and the tropical Gulf Coast has little in common with the mountainous deserts of the west. Changes in climate are equally dramatic: snow is common on the Panhandle, whereas the humidity of Houston, in particular, is only made bearable by nonstop high-power air conditioning.

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Texas Governor, Rick Perry, recently declared May 8-16th, 2010 Texas Travel & Tourism Week.

Technically, this is more than a week, but the event is meant to coincide with National Tourism Week, which also runs May 8-16th, 2010.

To celebrate, people are encouraged to act like tourists in their own hometowns. If you are one of those who neglects local sites until out-of-town guests arrive, now is your chance to explore your local community.

Texas First Lady visits Fort Worth

On May 11th, 2010, Anita Perry, wife of Texas Governor Rick Perry, kicks off Fort Worth’s edition of a nationwide event called Travel Rally Day. Festivities begin on the Lawn of the Livestock Exchange Building at 10am and continue throughout the day, including live music, food, a parade, and – this being Cowtown – a cattle drive through the Fort Worth Stockyards.

What: Travel Rally Day in Fort Worth
When: May 11th, 2010, starting at 10am
Where: Lawn of the Livestock Exchange Building

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