Yankees in Texas

[lightload]

I'm from Mississippi and have lived in Texas since 1981. I'm married a girl from Waco 45 years ago. Rural areas and small town Texas reflect old time values. The guy from NYC or Boston will be made to feel welcome here. You can bring your handgun and be legal. In case you broke down on the road, having it will be comforting. Big cities are just that--big cities. You have to avoid certain areas.
When I visited NYC a few years back, I met many nice people. I try to be a nice person and have learned that nice folks attract other nice folks.

[Battis]

I've lived in my town since 1983, but I'm not considered a "townie" since I wasn't born here. My kids are townies, but they'll never move back - never, ever.
I'm thinking about bringing a handgun, but it sure seems like a hassle dealing with the airlines.

[WRideout]

Our problem is folks from the north trying to change things to the way they had it up north.

We got a town next to Raleigh named Cary. It stands for Confinement Area for Relocated Yankees. But like any infestation, you can't keep it confined. The whole county is infested and with the increased roadways they've started in on the surrounding counties. And they breed like rats,

Attributed to the late Lewis Grizzard, writer for the Atlanta Constitution:
"Here, we don't mind if you come down here, buy a house, take our jobs, marry our women. Just don't tell us how they do things in Cleveland."

[1Papalote]

You plan on crossing the border? Cuidado amigo! (Be careful friend). Lots of western history here. Alamo and many other Spanish missions and fortifications are located across the state. Ft McKavett(restored military post) housed the Buffalo Soldiers (about 140 miles west of SATX). Texas Ranger museum in Waco. Nimitz museum in Fredericksburg. Too much to list.
Lots of reading (first person history) about early Texas History. Six years with the Texas rangers by James B Gillette and The Boy Captives by Clint Smith and others can be found on the net.
Enjoy the ride as we spend lots of time in the truck. My favorite hunting spot is 435 miles from home!! Travel safe!!

[SSGOldfart]

word of advice follow a few common rules and you'll enjoy your trip a lot more.
#1 bring your best boots,( we still have lots of killer snakes in West Texas)
#2 Fill your GAS TANK before leaving the beaten path ( Interstate highways ) always keep at least 1/2 tank most towns close with the sunset.
#3 Pack drinking water with you every place you go out west
#4 Watch for deer on the roadways (lots of wildlife west of I 35 you'll count a few dozen every night after you pass SA.
Welcome To Texas

[Battis]

Back from Texas. I like it. Big and empty. The mornings outside were fabulous - nice breeze, warm air but not hot. We didn't venture out from the Laughlin Air Base much, mostly because we rented a stolen car from AVIS. We got stopped driving to Del Rio (State Police, Border Patrol) because the car was reported stolen. Kinda funny. Both agency cops were great. They told us we'd probably be stopped again. They contacted AVIS, who contacted us a day or so later and told us that the plates had been cleared. We toured a little bit - Val Verde Winery, downtown Del Rio, little drives. We left and headed back to San Antonio today (Monday) and sure enough we got stopped in Ulvade. Border Patrol followed us, Ulvade Police stopped us (for making too fast of a left turn). They thought we were about to run from them. Anyhoo, the plates and car were still reported as stolen. They let me off with a "warning"...warning for what? Too fast of a left turn. I never told any of the agencies that I was a retired cop. What's the point.
AVIS - you can stick it. We refused to pay for the rental and they agreed.
Anyways, we did have a good time. I'd like to see more of Texas. Del Rio is not exactly a tourist location.

[Winger Ed.]

Del Rio is not exactly a tourist location.

Glad ya enjoyed it.
A lot of places in Texas are great to live in,,,, to visit as a tourist, not so much.

[Battis]

I liked Del Rio because it wasn't a tourist destination. It was the real deal. It's a place where people live and work. Friendly people in restaurants, stores, etc. I'd like to see the tourist traps and the scenic areas. Deadwood, for example, is a tourist trap, but it's cool.

[Winger Ed.]

Next time you're in the neighborhood, swing through Fredericksburg.
It's at the top of the Hill Country and just down the road from San Antonio.

It's pretty tourist orientated. I wouldn't say a tourist trap with jacked up prices, just busy with people from out of town.
In the Fall, across Main Street will be a big banner that reads "Welcome Hunters".

And signs in the motel rooms that say
"Gun cleaning rags are available at the desk. Please don't use our towels".

[Sig556r]

Back from Texas. I like it. Big and empty… Del Rio is not exactly a tourist location.

If it’s any consolation, No Country for Old Men was shot there being a sleepy border town.
As a lot of folks have mentioned already, you can be several hundred miles in any direction & you’re still in TX! Be it the arid west, central hill country, piney woods, east prairie, gulf coast/bayou or pan handle…still TX!
Glad you enjoyed it

[Winger Ed.]

As a lot of folks have mentioned already, you can be several hundred miles in any direction & you’re still in TX!

As a little kid, we lived in New Mexico for awhile, then a few years in El Paso.

We'd go on vacation to my Grandparents in Mississippi every year or so.
Back before the interstate hi-ways were done, it was a loooonnggg trip.

I'd ask a couple times a day, "Are we still in Texas"?
It seemed like after two or three days, the parents would finally say 'No, not any more'.

Then I knew we were almost there. All we had to do was cross Louisiana, and half of Mississippi.

[Battis]

We were looking for some place to drive to. Eagle Pass seemed interesting - maybe an hour away. My son said, "Ah, maybe not." I can see why now.
We got lucky with the cops and the stolen rental car. It could have gone bad. The State Trooper who stopped us said that we'd have a good story to tell. He also said that we'd probably get stopped again. We did.

[Winger Ed.]

. The State Trooper who stopped us said that we'd have a good story to tell. He also said that we'd probably get stopped again. We did.

State Troopers-- and Game Wardens here don't have any big incentive to write real tickets.
When they do, they go to the Justice of the Peace. Whatever fine the judge puts on ya stays there in their jurisdiction.
None of your fine money goes to the state.

But they are rather generous about handing out warning tickets.
No action is taken on them,
but it shows their boss they're on the roads doing real Police work, not just hanging out somewhere.

[Battis]

I was more concerned with getting hauled away to the hoosegow for driving a car that had been reported stolen. If the wrong cop had stopped us, it could have happened. But, the police agencies in that area - state, local and Border Patrol - definitely have more important things to do. They all used common sense. The Uvalde cop told us how rental cars are used for smuggling, etc. Yeah, bad time and place to be driving a "stolen" rental car.
We found a fantastic bakery on the way to Del Rio - Haby's Alsatian Bakery in Castroville. Definitely bought way too many goodies - pies, cookies, coffee cakes. That bakery, and the Val Verde Winery (oldest winery in Texas), stuck in my mind (and arteries).
Looks like we're heading back to AZ this fall. Maybe I'm not a Yankee.

[wch]

And if you want to know the history of the first oil wells in the world, you should visit thr Venango Museum in Oil City, PA!

[MaryB]

AVIS is notorious for reporting rented cars as stolen... I have seen this story many times!

[Battis]

Apparently, the car had been stolen and recovered, but the different agencies weren't on the same computer systems, so it was showing as being stolen on one, and not the other. Or something like that. But, Avis assured us that it was all cleared up, then we got stopped again.