Yankees in Texas

[Battis]

In a few weeks, we're flying into San Antonio and driving to Del Rio (and back). Should we hide our Bars-tin accents?
Gotta pack my carpet bag for the trip. Looks like a pretty good ride. I've traveled around the West alot but never made it to Texas. Back East, Texas has a certain aura attached to it. Wish I could see more of it.

Losing my mind - this should have been posted in Our Town. Can it be moved?

[armoredman]

When this Arizona desert rat and my blushing bride visited small town Texas last year, we were blown away by just how darn NICE everyone is! Of course, this is out by Henderson in East Texas, and I happen to love small towns. I don't know your route, but if you go anywhere near Kilgore, they have the East Texas Oil Museum out there and it is really cool.

[Winger Ed.]

Nah,, you'll be fine. A large part of our economy is geared towards tourists,
we want them to have a good time, and tell all their friends to come visit too.

Ya might want to swing through the Alamo while you're in San Antonio.
In your travels, I'd encourage eating anywhere except the 'Burger Biggie' drive through restaurants.
Nothing wrong with them if you like a meal of grease and salt. Plus, you probably have them back home.

Try the smaller Mexican sit down places. You can get Mexican food made by real Mexicans.
That, and the smaller Bar-B-Que joints. They are the only places to get beef done right.
You can spot the really good places--- the building looks like it's about ready to cave in,
the cooks will be older, and weigh about 300 pounds.
If ya see 'Texas Twinkies' on the menu-- get a couple. They're addictive, and not like anything else.
Both kinds of places are the real deal, and they got it figured out.

You might get the impression people aren't in some big rush here.... It's because they're not.
I'm a native, and now days, I try to drive straight through, or just stay out of the big cities all together.
They're sort of like Los Angeles without the Palm trees.

Take your time, look around, enjoy your trip, and don't be bashful about meeting & talking to people.

[No_1]

Move to Our Town as requested.

[Battis]

Thanks for moving the post. If I have trouble navigating a forum, I should let my wife do the driving in Texas.
"Texas Twinkies"? Hmmm. My friend and I moved to SLC in the 70s. He went horseback riding with a bunch of locals that he met, and they told him to ask for a "stump broke mule" at the ranch. He didn't know, so he did. Pretty funny.
Love that open western country. We visited AZ last year, and we'll probably go back this fall. That was almost an embarrassing trip. We hiked to the Devils Bridge (late October). Great hike but I was having a hard time with my stamina. A month later I had a heart attack (at home). Imagine croaking at the Devils Bridge?

[Daekar]

I got to visit Texas for the first time last year and we had a great time, roaming all around between Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, and San Antonio. The Hill Country is quite lovely, although a bit rugged compared to what we're used to in the east.

I'm sorry to report that, at least based on my limited time there, Austin is indeed almost as bad as has been reported elsewhere, and appears to be a bastion of urbanite left-wing hipsterism. It was the only place where I didn't get a welcoming unspoken "hey ya'll" from pretty much everybody. But it was at least tempered a bit by the vestiges of Texas sensibility that is entirely lacking in the cities of the east.

[txbirdman]

Since you’re going to Del Rio you should drive a little further west to Langtry ( the hang out of Judge Roy Bean). I believe the State of Texas has made it a maintained historical site. The old saloon was still in tact when I was there, years ago. The “Judge” was quite a colorful character.

[Battis]

I think that people's attitudes towards other people have everything to do with claustrophobia. Cram people into tight spaces (cities) anywhere and problems begin. Eastern cities are no worse than large western cities. Get into the mountains of VT, NH, ME and people relax.
With 80 mph speed limits out West, I don't think I ever saw a tailgater. Back here, tailgaters drive me nuts.
Yep, I'm looking forward to those wide open spaces. Not looking forward to being 10 miles from the sun.

[Char-Gar]

6th. Gen Texan here with family or friends every whip or stitch down any road in Texas. I hope you enjoy your time in Texas. We are a diverse state, but the differences can be subtle and may pass unnoticed by the random Yankee. You will have tailgaters in San Antone. Welcome/Bienvenidos!

[deltaenterprizes]

When this Arizona desert rat and my blushing bride visited small town Texas last year, we were blown away by just how darn NICE everyone is! Of course, this is out by Henderson in East Texas, and I happen to love small towns. I don't know your route, but if you go anywhere near Kilgore, they have the East Texas Oil Museum out there and it is really cool.

I am from New Orleans and relocated to Longview after Katrina and the reason we stayed is because we were welcomed with open arms!
Longview is right next to Kilgore and we have visited the Oil Museum and I highly recommend it!

[farmbif]

I can only speak from my experience, having grown up in florida I didn't have any of a southern accent I got offered a corporate job in north Louisiana. many of the guys I worked with would go deer hunting every year in Texas. every day. I worked that job having to deal with all kinds of people and every day, every single day of those 14 months 10 days and 2 hours ii would hear from at least one person, "say, you aint from around here. You aint no damn yankee are you?" I didn't feel comfortable there till a month or so in when I was befriended by an icon of the area and master gunsmith and trap/skeet shooting instructor Marvin Williamson. After that it got good being asked to join the moose club and invited to crawfish boils and hunting trips and I ended up marrying the prettiest girl in Monroe.

[WRideout]

I used to visit my mom in Breckenridge; former oil town that is now full of retirees. If you go to Austin you will meet some very nice people from California.

Wayne

[Battis]

My brother (15 yrs older than me) was in the Army in the late 50s, early 60s, stationed in Texas someplace. He came home on a leave and gave me a T shirt with a map of Texas on the front. That was a long time ago but I remember that T shirt.
We'll only be in Texas for 4-5 days but exploring it is definitely on my bucket list.

[Texas by God]

It’s only supposed to be 103 or so so welcome to the cool spell!
Don’t forget to get a chicken fried steak.
If you imbibe, try a Shiner Bock.
If you arrive without a gun; we’ll give you one


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Battis]

I was wondering about firearms. I've never brought a gun on a trip. My son said that, statistically, Del Rio is safer than his town in NH.

[pertnear]

I was wondering about firearms. I've never brought a gun on a trip. My son said that, statistically, Del Rio is safer than his town in NH.

Probably true, but as you get near the Rio Grande, those aren't all Texans wandering around.

[Rapier]

Do not do like my buddy from ND did, and decide to drive the border, in a black suburban with dark tinted glass.....his tourist drive got much longer, as he got stopped about every 30 minutes by the BP..... I love tourists.

Anyway, if you go west on I-10 to Borne, then around the north bypass route back to the east side, to I-10 you will go through the north hill country, little towns and some very fine restaurants. The Seguin area was settled by Germans, so you have German names, restaurants, etc. There is a western wear place outside of SA that specializes in the authentic western clothing, as used by re-enactors and SASS shooters etc., can not recall the name off hand, but worth seeing.

Del Rio, across the border, is the actual location for the 1,000+ wat old blaster AM radio station's tower their powerful signal could be heard all over the US late at night in the 50s-60s. If you get to Del Rio early enough the gas station is still open as is the Dairy Queen.

[scattershot]

Don’t miss the Alamo and the River Walk in San Antonio. West of there, toward Del Rio, is pretty grim. Take a side trip through the hill country if you can, and enjoy your trip. Texans are friendly folks, so don’t worry about that.

As far as taking a gun goes, your choice, but I take one on every trip I go on.

[Winger Ed.]

I was wondering about firearms.

A quickie search for 'Texas firearm laws' will show them.
In Texas, 'concealed' means exactly that.
We have plenty of burglaries, theft, etc. However; crimes against strangers and 'road rage' is really pretty low.
Even non-residents can carry a concealed hand gun, and it's a good guess that when out in public,
about 1/3 of the adults around you are carrying one. People over about 40- it may be higher.

I've had people, like immigrants from Calif. tell me, "If you're carrying a gun, I don't need to".
I tell 'em, "Yeah, but it's for my protection, for yours--- not so much".

[.429&H110]

"Nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there" might be true of anywhere.
I live for now in the Sonoran desert, been a warm wet summer 3" rain so far.
I am a refugee Yankee, so far on seven road trips across Texas I found friendly people
that were glad to see me come, glad to see me go.
On the Florida Georgia line on Rt95N is a famous sign
Leaving Florida
take a friend

In my language there is no "R": Q,ah,S,T
so I am assumed Democrat, villagers pick up rocks.
Or maybe it was the MAGA hat...
I had to learn to use articles and conjugate verbs
because liberals only live in the present, no past, no future.
"I see deah in yoah field yestiddy, can you shootim?"
Works in Alaska but not in the deepsouth.

Do not ever say y'all, you all, all y'all, or all you all, y'all likely be shot.

Without the letter "R" my Spanish is hopeless, my high school Spanish useless.
I can understand Wal-Mart Spanish fairly well, but never speak it.
Wife found a little old dog at the pound, had no name, no teeth, mostly feral.
So I said "Ven aqui Chico Chihuahua" he came to me said "Hola?" so Chico he is now.
Siente se? He giggles when I say Perro bueno. (Gringo muy estupido)
High school shoulda taught me English, dint.
Umass taught me calculus and chemistry, but not how to write.

Arizona has refugee Californians, with accents of their own.
Easy to tell them from the Viking-fan Minnisotans.