I flew Icelandair and it was .....
I recently flew Icelandair ( economy ) for the first and probably last time! Founded in 1937 first operating domestic routes. Later merged with another airline to form Flugfélag Íslands, which even...
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Categories: Abilene TX
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Bookings By Ashley
A drive across Texas has the slippery, shifting feel of a dream. Things change, and change significantly—from bayous and forests to prairies to bare, windswept plains. But the transformations are subtle. At some point, it will dawn on you that the trees have disappeared, but you won't be able to say exactly when.
Driving will likely be part of your visit to Texas. Unless you're planning to confine yourself to one place, you'll be covering some territory—possibly a lot of territory—and you'll likely be covering it in a car. The trick is to know how much is too much: Texas is a huge place. Unless you've got a lot of time (and a great fondness for road trips), you'll want to set some limits and take the time to enjoy what you're seeing.
One of the state's big cities—Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio—could conceivably fill a vacation by itself. But we suggest you combine one of them with visits to other, less urban areas: The countryside offers so much variety—the wildflowers alone are worth a drive—and the huge blue sky is best appreciated from more-open spaces.
Texas is almost as big as its natives swear it is. The distance from the top of its "panhandle" to Brownsville in the south is about the same as the distance from Chicago to New Orleans (about 1,000 mi/1,600 km); El Paso sits halfway between Houston and Los Angeles, California.
The state maintains a varied terrain (although oil has been found nearly everywhere). The eastern portion appears lush, almost primeval in its dense forests and swampy terrain. The southern section ranges from semitropical marshland and coastal plains to desert and barrier islands. The central portion is a region of rocky hills, lakes, brush and cattle ranches. The Panhandle is typical of what most visitors expect to find in Texas: a dry, mostly flat desert, home to more rattlesnakes, scorpions and coyotes than humans. But in far west Texas, the traveler will find a surprisingly mountainous landscape, with mesas, buttes and almost 100 summits reaching heights of at least 1 mi/1.6 km.
The first people to find their way to Texas were Native Americans: Some of the ancient groups that migrated into present-day Mexico and Central America likely crossed Texas soil in the process. In time, a diverse collection of tribes came to dwell in the area. The Tonkawas and ancestors of the Lipan Apaches were spread over most of central and northwest Texas. The most advanced of all cultures in Texas, the mound-building Caddo, farmed fertile portions of east Texas. On the north Texas plains, Native Americans followed bison herds and lived in tepees.
The first Europeans to see Texas were Spaniards Cabeza de Vaca in 1528 and Francisco Coronado in 1541. Later, Spanish missions were established to Christianize the Indians and help secure the territory: The first was founded at El Paso in 1681, and others followed in east Texas and in San Antonio. The raids of the Apache and, especially, the Comanche left Spain with a very tenuous hold on the area, however.
During the early 1800s, more settlers entered Texas, many of them from the U.S. Some, like those led by Stephen Austin, came with official permission from the U.S. government; some didn't. After Mexico became independent of Spain, residents of the Texas territory lobbied for greater autonomy, but the Mexican government did not enact reforms. In 1835, pro-U.S. Texans revolted. Their efforts led to a bloody defeat at the Alamo, but they emerged victorious at the battle of San Jacinto (near Houston) in 1836. Texas existed as an independent republic for nine years—even accepting consuls from Europe—but became part of the U.S. in 1845.
Already a land of wealth because of its cotton production, Texas became an even more important economic force with the discovery of vast oil reserves early in the 1900s. Since the 1901 unearthing of the rich Spindletop oil field near Beaumont, Texas has remained one of the biggest oil-producing states in the country. Agriculture and ranching—and more recently high technology—have also played an important role in the state's economy.
Among the main attractions in Texas are the Alamo and other Spanish missions, diverse cultures, fascinating architecture (ranging from historic main streets to the postmodern high-rises of Dallas and Houston), Tex-Mex food, country-western music and dancing, theme parks, barbecue, Austin and the Hill Country, Big Bend National Park, chili, Palo Duro Canyon, cowboys, rodeos, Padre Island National Seashore, Guadalupe River tubing, Enchanted Rock, camping, the Mexican border for day trips, birding, underground caverns and rugged mountains.
Outside the big cities, Texas will appeal most to those seeking stark western landscapes and wide-open spaces. Be aware that summers can be very hot and that distances between attractions (in the west, especially) can be great. Travelers who are short on time or who don't like long drives may need to stick to the bigger cities or concentrate on a single area of interest.
Lubbock claims an extraordinary number of country and rock musicians, including Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Waylon Jennings, Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Natalie Maines.
One of the first large-scale spectator events in the world took place near Waco in 1896: 50,000 people gathered to watch two locomotives smash head-on into one another at high speed. On impact, one of the steam boilers exploded, showering the crowd with shrapnel. Two spectators were killed.
Some things really are bigger in Texas: The 67-ft/20-m statue of Sam Houston in Huntsville (an hour north of Houston by car) is the tallest freestanding statue of a U.S. historical figure.
Try two-steppin' at a real Texas dance hall. We prefer the old-time, no-frills places, but Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth takes the honky-tonk to another level, with an indoor rodeo and a huge dance floor. Don't assume that line dancing is what you do in a Texas dance hall, however: Many Texans consider line dancing to be a silly Yankee invention.
The town of Uncertain got its name when its undecided founders wrote that word in the blank on their application for incorporation, and state officials registered the town under that name.
It's legal to carry a concealed weapon in Texas if you have the proper permit, but not into all places. Signs at the airport and in other locations say: No Smoking, No Dogs, No Guns.
Waxahachie, 30 mi/50 km south of Dallas, boasts hundreds of Victorian houses with gingerbread trim that have made it a popular filming location. Bonnie and Clyde, Places in the Heart, Tender Mercies and The Trip to Bountiful are some of the movies shot there.
The Texas execution chamber in Huntsville is the busiest in the U.S.
U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower was born in Denison.
West Texas has two very accurately named towns: Levelland and Notrees.
Don't get lost looking for the town of West, Texas—it's not really in west Texas. It's south of Dallas.
For a period during the Civil War, Marshall, Texas, was the capital of Missouri.
Although Texas isn't usually thought of as a mountainous state, its Trans-Pecos region has six mountains more than 8,000 ft/2,435 m high.
A monument to mules has been erected in Muleshoe, and a sign at the city limits welcomes you to the "Greater Muleplex."
Four cone-shaped "medicine mounds" in Quanah tower 350 ft/110 m above the surrounding plains. The mounds reportedly house powerful spirits that can cure diseases.
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Many of our travel agents have been in travel since 2002! With Vincent Vacations, all travel components are taken care of - this includes accommodations, air, transfers, tours, activities, insurance, contracts, EVERYTHING.
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Travel agents can help save time and stress by doing the research and handling all your bookings for you. An experience travel agent is best at finding great deals and packages, as well as providing you with helpful information and tips. They can also help you plan special activities and experiences that you may not have thought of on your own. All in all, using a travel agent can be a great way to make sure you get the most out of your trip.
In travel since 2002, and in business since 2013, our travel team serves clients all over the US! Planning a vacation away from home takes a great team. We have taken the time to build a team of dedicated, smart, hard-working personnel who are each committed to excellence and service. We work side-by-side, creating and ensuring INCREDIBLE vacation experiences for you and your group. Our store front in-office team, and our travel consultant independent contractors, work all around the US.
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