Texas is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles, and with more than 30 million residents in 2022, it is the second-largest U.S. state by both area and population.
Houston is the most populous city in Texas and the fourth-largest in the U.S., while San Antonio is the second most populous in the state and seventh-largest in the U.S. Dallas–Fort Worth and Greater Houston are, respectively, the fourth- and fifth-largest metropolitan statistical areas in the country. Other major cities include Austin, the second most populous state capital in the U.S., and El Paso. Texas is nicknamed the Lone Star State for its former status as an independent republic, and as a reminder of the state’s struggle for independence from Mexico. The Lone Star can be found on the Texas state flag and on the Texas state seal.The origin of Texas’s name is from the Caddo word táyshaʼ meaning ‘friends’.
Due to its size and geologic features such as the Balcones Fault, Texas contains diverse landscapes common to both the U.S. Southern and the Southwestern regions.Although Texas is popularly associated with the U.S. southwestern deserts, less than ten percent of Texas’s land area is desert. Most of the population centers are in areas of former prairies, grasslands, forests, and the coastline. Traveling from east to west, one can observe terrain that ranges from coastal swamps and piney woods, to rolling plains and rugged hills, and finally the desert and mountains of the Big Bend.
The term “six flags over Texas” refers to several nations that have ruled over the territory.Spain was the first Europea.
1.San Antonio’s River
Stretching for several miles along the San Antonio River in the heart of the city, the River Walk is lined with restaurants and lovely outdoor patios, where you can sit and dine alongside the river. Built below street level, this pedestrian walkway hugs the river as it winds and weaves through the city, and is as popular among locals as it is for tourists, day and night.
Although strolling along the river is the most popular thing to do here, another great way to enjoy the ambience of the area is on a leisurely cruise on a river boat. These run all the time and range from standard sightseeing trips to dinner cruises.
During the Texas Revolution, the river was host to several major conflicts. The Battle of Concepcion occurred when the Mexican forces in Bexar and Texian militia fired upon each other in a small skirmish on the mission’s grounds. The Grass Fight occurred when Texian militia mistook mules carrying grass to feed horses as mules carrying supply and gold money. The siege of Bexar was the climax of all these previous events when the Texian militia surrounded Bexar and began continuous attacks into the Mexican stronghold of Bexar until the Mexican General Martín Perfecto de Cos surrendered.
2.The Alamo
The Alamo is a historic Spanish mission and fortress compound founded in the 18th century by Roman Catholic missionaries in what is now San Antonio, Texas, United States.
De Slag om de Alamo, meestal kortweg De Alamo genoemd, is een belegering tijdens de Texaanse Onafhankelijkheidsoorlog (1836). De Alamo was een katholiek missiegebouw in San Antonio, het centrum van de Texaanse Onafhankelijkheidsbeweging. De Texaanse Onafhankelijkheidsoorlog was een militair conflict tussen Mexico en rebellen die voor onafhankelijkheid van Texas vochten, destijds onderdeel van de Mexicaanse staat Coahuila y Texas. De oorlog eindigde met de onafhankelijkheid van de Republiek Texas.
Op 23 februari 1836 overviel de Mexicaanse generaal Antonio López de Santa Anna met 1600 soldaten het stadsgarnizoen waar 180 tot 200 Texaanse strijders waren gelegerd, onder wie ook de kolonisten Davy Crockett en Jim Bowie. De beperkte groep Texanen trok zich terug in de Alamo. Ze zouden zich niet overgeven en de belegering zou tot 6 maart duren. De Texanen geraakten zonder munitie en werden daarop door de Mexicanen bestormd. Alle mannen werden gedood.
The Alamo is one of the most important historic sites in America. Part of a mission station established in 1718, it was built by Franciscans in 1744 and by 1836, had been converted into a fort. It became famous during the Texas Revolution, when a small force, including Davie Crockett and James Bowie, barricaded themselves in against an overwhelmingly superior Mexican army some 3,000 strong. While the defeat saw all 187 defenders killed, the cry of “Remember the Alamo!” rallied the state to eventually overcome the Mexicans.
Today, you can visit this landmark to see its restored buildings and the cenotaph commemorating the fallen Texans. Inside is a museum with changing displays, featuring weapons and artifacts related to the events and the history of the mission.
3.Space Center Houston
Space Center Houston is a science museum that serves as the official visitor center of NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston. It was designated a Smithsonian Affiliate museum in 2014.
Just 30 minutes’ drive from the heart of Houston, Space Center Houston is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Texas. This is a wonderful place to learn about space exploration, upcoming missions, NASA’s latest projects, and possibly even meet an astronaut. Space Center Houston is also home to Johnson Space Center and Mission Control, which can be visited on a tour.
Plan to spend at least a half-day exploring the entire complex, which includes a space shuttle replica mounted on a shuttle carrier. Visitors can walk inside the shuttle and the carrier. You can also walk inside a replica of America’s first space station, Skylab. Other highlights include seeing rockets and touching a rock from the moon and Mars.
The center opened in 1992 replacing the former Visitor Center in Johnson Space Center Building 2. The museum is 250,000 square feet (23,000 m2) and displays over 400 space artifacts, including the Mercury 9, Gemini 5, and Apollo 17 space capsules.
4.Big Bend National Park
Big Bend National Park is in southwest Texas and includes the entire Chisos mountain range and a large swath of the Chihuahuan Desert. The Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive leads to the ruins of Sam Nail Ranch, now home to desert wildlife. The Santa Elena Canyon, carved by the Rio Grande, features steep limestone cliffs. Langford Hot Springs, near the Mexican border, has pictographs and the foundations of an old bathhouse.
In the Chihuahuan Desert of West Texas, on a huge bend in the Rio Grande River, lies some of the most dramatic and uniquely beautiful scenery in the state. Mountains, canyons, and the river flowing along the border, separating the United States from Mexico, offer a diverse range of recreational and sightseeing opportunities for visitors to Big Bend National Park.
While most people simply enjoy touring along the roads, the park offers a full range of things to do. Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy the extensive network of hiking trails and the beautiful campgrounds. Paddling along the Rio Grande or enjoying a picnic and wading into the water are other popular activities on warm days.
The area has a rich cultural history, from archeological sites dating back nearly 10,000 years to more recent pioneers, ranchers, and miners.The Chisos Mountains are located in the park, and are the only mountain range in the United States to be fully contained within the boundary of a national park. Geological features in the park include sea fossils and dinosaur bones, as well as volcanic dikes.
The park encompasses an area of 801,163 acres (1,251.8 sq mi; 3,242.2 km2), entirely within Brewster County.For more than 1,000 miles (1,600 km), the Rio Grande/Río Bravo forms the boundary between Mexico and the United States, and Big Bend National Park administers approximately 118 miles (190 km) along that boundary.
Because the Rio Grande serves as an international boundary, the park faces unusual constraints while administering and enforcing park rules, regulations, and policies. In accordance with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the park’s territory extends only to the center of the deepest river channel as the river flowed in 1848. The rest of the channel and the land south of it lies within Mexican territory. The park is bordered by the protected areas of Cañón de Santa Elena and Maderas del Carmen in Mexico.
5.Padre Island National Seashore
Padre Island National Seashore is a national seashore located on Padre Island off the coast of South Texas. In contrast to South Padre Island, known for its beaches and vacationing college students, PINS is located on North Padre Island and consists of a long beach where nature is preserved.
The world’s longest undeveloped barrier island, Padre Island is just a short drive south of Corpus Christi and stretches 70 miles from end-to-end. One of the most important conservation areas in Texas, Padre Island consists of more than 130,000 acres of beach, dunes, and grassland habitats, and is home to rare sea turtles and countless migratory birds, making it a birder’s paradise. In fact, 350 different species visit this stopover on the Central Flyway migratory route.
The Malaquite Visitor Center is the best place to begin your visit of this beautiful coastal region of the Gulf of Mexico. It provides plenty of information, as well as assistance for those with mobility issues, including specially adapted beach wheelchairs.
Most of the park is primitive, but camping is available, and most of the beach is only accessible to four-wheel-drive vehicles. All but four miles is open to vehicle traffic. PAIS is the fourth designated national seashore in the United States.
North Padre Island is the longest undeveloped barrier island in the world. The national seashore is 70 miles (110 km) long with 65.5 miles (105.4 km) of Gulf beach. PAIS hosts a variety of pristine beach, dune, and tidal flat environments, including the Laguna Madre on its west coast, a famous spot for windsurfing. It is located in parts of Kleberg, Kenedy, and Willacy counties, with Kenedy County having the majority of its land area.
6.The Texas State Capitol in Austin
The Texas State Capitol, built in 1888, is considered one of the finest state legislatures in the US. In Austin’s downtown core and now a National Historic Landmark, it certainly impresses with its dimensions, standing 308 feet tall.
Highlights of its 22-acre park include monuments to the defenders of the Alamo and to veterans of the Vietnam War. Guided tours of the building’s interior are available and start from the visitor center with its many displays. At dusk, head across to the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge for a chance to witness the spectacle of a million or so Mexican free-tailed bats coming and going from their perches under the bridge
7.The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden
The Arboretum opened in 1984 .The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden is a 66-acre (27 ha) botanical garden located at 8525 Garland Road in East Dallas, Texas, on the southeastern shore of White Rock Lake.In September 2002, Arboretum facilities were expanded with the opening of the new visitors center, named after Dallas developer Trammell Crow. At night, one may view downtown Dallas with the skyscraper lights reflecting upon the water in A Tasteful Place, the 3-acre (1.2 ha) food and herb garden and cooking pavilion and kitchen.
There are 19 named gardens :
