We're talking about Texas. We know how big Texas is and have
heard too many stories about that. Let's
spend a minute talking about its diversity.
Hurricane Harvey reminded us that Texas has a lot of flat
land along the coast. But, Texas also has the highest mountains in the U.S. east
of the Rockies. Guadalupe Peak has an
elevation of 8,751 feet. Fifty-one other peaks top 7,000 feet.
West Texas, made famous in numerous western movies is a dry area with few trees. Rain is something to be celebrated. As my
grandfather once said, "I was eight before I saw this thing called
rain." When people in west Texas
talk about a six inch rain, they mean the rain drops were six inches
apart. But less than ten percent of
Texas is desert.
After watching those movies, it might surprise many to see
the large forested area known as east Texas.
Some areas in east Texas average
fifty inches of rain each year and grow Pine trees, oaks, hickory, sweet gum,
and many other trees.. Encompassing an area larger than New England minus Main,
east Texas is home to a sizable lumber industry. In fact, well into the 20th
century, lumber was one of the four major industries that shaped Texas, along
with oil, cattle and cotton. Now,
technology and sciences lead the way. Among the fifty states, Texas is second in
the number of Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the state.
The Dallas Fort Worth
area, known as the Metroplex is home to over seven million people and one of
its airports covers more land than New
York's Manhattan island.
Texas has produced a wide range of writers, from James
Michener to O. Henry. Other familiar Texas
writers include Larry McMurtry, J. Frank Dobie, James Lee Burke, Molly Iviins,
Sandra Cisneros and Katherine Porter (Pulitzer Prize winner and three-time
nominee for the Nobel Prize in Literature).
It's fitting that the king of western writers, Elmer Kelton (eight time
winner of the SPUR award, the highest award given by the Western Writers of
America), resides in Texas. Other modern
Texas writers include Joe Landsdale, Rick Riordan, John Erickson, and A. Lee
Martinez.
Though far from Hollywood, Texas is a popular site for
filming movies, including Transformets, Spy Kids, Miss Congeniality, Predators, Apollo 13, much of Armageddon, and believe it or not, much
of the movie Pearl Harbor.
Of course, you'd expect The
Alamo, and State Fair. A few
of the other movies shot in Texas include: All
the Pretty Horses, Boyhood, Friday
Night Lights, and The Trip to
Bountiful. Bonnie and Clyde, Places in the Heart, and Tender Mercies collected
twelve Oscars. Bad News Bears in Breaking
Training and Terms of Endearment were filmed in Houston. Who could forget Paul
Newman in Hud? Big Bend National Park
was the site for No Country for Old Men.
I'm out of space, so I'll just
throw in two memorable ones: Giant, and Urban Cowboy, and end with The Last Picture Show.
If you're not from Texas, come visit. Until here is a link to my author
page on Amazon, my website, and to the digital version of my latest suspense
book, A Silver Medallion, a Readers' Choice metal winner. Author
page: http://amzn.to/1eeykvG
My website: http://www.jamesrcallan.com
My latest book: http://amzn.to/1WxoEaF
I’m offering a copy of A Ton of Gold since it
looks at how an old Texas folktale affected the lives of people today. Besides, who wouldn't be happy with some
gold? It can be digital or paper in the continental U.S., or just digital
otherwise. Leave a comment with a form of contact to be eligible to win.
(Info Author Provided)
I didn't know Texas was so diverse. You make it sound beautiful!
ReplyDeleteWell said, Jim!
ReplyDeleteI have never heard about that airport being bigger than Manhattan Island. No wonder people always talk about the size of Texas! I almost moved from Hawaii to Richmond, Texas at the end of 2011. That was, until I heard how much the annual property tax would be. It would take all my retirement income to pay it. I was sorely disappointed I could not move there. I had checked out the area and fell in love with it. I also have friends in Austin and Gainesville and wanted to be closer to them. Now I've finally moved to Scottsdale, Arizona and will content myself on visiting Texas in the future, but I will get there. Oh well, I guess for the time being, the best way to experience Texas is to read. Thank you for your very informative description of your state. I had the feeling, like Texas, there was so much more you could say.
ReplyDeleteI've never visited Texas, but expect to be there for Bouchercon in 2019. Great post! We're Facebook friends so, if I'm fortunate enough to win, you can message me
ReplyDeleteThanks for your post and thanks for pointing out the varied geography of the state. When I was younger, I spent a lot of time working in West Texas, in the Big Bend area, so it holds a special place in my heart. Good luck with your writing.
ReplyDeleteTexas gives me hope. It represents what I believe in and feel strongly about.saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteTexas is big, bold and alive. Your post gave me a great deal of insight into this state next door to where I live. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI want to thank all of you who have left comments. I don't see the facility here to reply to each one individually, so please accept my sincere gratitude for your comments. As you can tell, I do love Texas. I have spent a good amount of time living in Oklahoma and about twenty years in Connecticut. But, I had to return to Texas. It still maintains some of the independence, spirit, self-reliance, and friendliness it exhibited when my great-grandfather came to Texas when it was its own country, The Republic of Texas.
ReplyDeleteNice portrait of Texas, Jim. One fact I didn't see mentioned--it's one heck of a big chunk of land to drive across, something I hadn't realized until doing it the first time.
ReplyDeleteHello to every one, the contents present at this website are in fact amazing for people experience, well, keep up the nice work fellows.
ReplyDeleteI think I have seen most of Texas, so was glad for re-visit. Thanks! As to my own visits, finally made far west when Left Coast Crime was held in El Paso several years ago. Yikes--miles and miles of flat land with dead oil pumps decorating the landscape. Otherwise, the Hill Country with Kerrville, New Braunfels and esp. Fredericksburg is a favorite area. Yes, love the German heritage and the food--also bulk pecans, peaches, and visits to beautiful Wildseed Gardens. Austin and Waco are great. Visited Furniture/Antique showrooms in Dallas when I attended markets there for shop where I worked. Carter Museum in Ft. Worth. Camped in Big Bend National Park, cussed at the highways in Houston, visited relatives in McAllen, and enjoyed the space center and the coastline as well. Yes, Texas has about got it all, as you say!
ReplyDeleteEveryone should visit Big Bend National Park. And send my regards to the brave people of the Gulf side of Texas.
ReplyDeleteMy parents were both from Texas and I've been there a few times, mostly as a child. I always remember the big sky. I've also noticed over the years that Texas is a place most often referred to as Texas, the state, even when it's about a designated city (that may be lucky to make the small print). You hear about Chicago, New York City, Denver, but so often anything going on in any city is reference as "in Texas," more often than normal (too me at least). Good post.
ReplyDelete