Texas is Really Big. (Really!)

People who are not from Texas or have never been to Texas or have never attempted to drive across Texas have a hard time understanding just how big the Lone Star State actually is. So to help those of you who fall into this category, I've pulled some facts from the Texas State Almanac.

Now we all know from geography class that Texas is the second-largest state in the US, not even half the area of the largest state, Alaska. But what does that really mean? Well, its 268,581 square miles of land and water accounts for seven percent of the land and water of the United States.

Big deal, you might say. Seven percent? Pfft! That just means that ninety-three percent of the US isn't made up of Texas!

Ok.. How about this: Texas is as large as all of New England, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and North Carolina.

Combined.

Now you're a little more impressed, aren't you?

The longest straight-lined distance, as the crow flies, is from the northern most western corner of the panhandle to the tip of the Rio Grande River at Brownsville, and that crow would have to fly 801 miles. An East-West flying crow would only have to cover 773 miles at the state's widest girth.

Unfortunately, our roads were not designed by crows, so if you were to drive that east-west route, you would pass 880 mile markers along Interstate 10. Soon after you cross the Sabine River into Texas, you see a mile sign that tells you just how far you have to drive to get to El Paso. I always thought that was the cruelest sign ever made.

But, luckily, we weren't driving all the way across the state. We just had to get to Texarkana to get out of Texas, a mere 300 mile trek.

One other thing to note about Texas is that she (we Texans usually refer to our state in the feminine for some reason) has seven different regions, most of which happen to look just like some part of the other ninety-three percent of the country. We spent most of our time driving through the Piney-Woods region of the state. I'll bet you don't need me to tell you how this area got its name. I can also assure you that it looks a whole lot like Arkansas and Western Tennessee, exept for a few quirky roadside oddities such as these:

You'll have to click on this picture to make it bigger, but these enterprising folks have a craft store next to their house. Right off the highway, which is great if you need to pick up a yard ornament or a porch swing on your way out of town.

Now if lawn furniture or seasonal decorations aren't your style, or if you're running short on cash, you can always stop at Po-Man's Fireworks to pick up some entertainment and some boiled peanuts. They have high-quality products at the lowest prices, and if you don't believe them, you can check them out on the web. Gotta love those high-tech rednecks.

We all know the three most important rules of real estate: location, location, location. One of these entrepreneurs paid attention in economics class. Where better to put a tattoo parlor than next to a liquor store!

These are just a few of the roadside offerings available to travelers in Texas. You can also buy "fresh" vegetables, home-made jams and jellies, pinatas, puppies, and just about anything else you can think of. I'm sure if you drove long enough, you could find someone with a roadside stand selling it. But we didn't have time to stop and shop. Our goal for day one was Memphis, and we had a long way to go.