Best of TEXAS

After burning my tires across 5,000 miles of Texas roads, I can say with confidence that I know Texas slightly better than I did a month ago. My travels in the Lone Star State became a month-long search for self-discovery and digging deep to find out what it really means to be Texan. I learned much.

I also learned that Texas is just way too big to fit into any one blog or any single list, but I can share a few of my most distinct memories and favorites from the place where I was born. Though I know I only mildly scratched the gargantuan surface of a big place, this list represents my very best of Texas:

• Best (and biggest!) Rodeo: Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, Houston, TX
• Best Patriotic Site: Presidio La Bahia, Goliad, TX
• Best Tacos (OK, I’m gonna get in so much trouble with this one, but out of the dozens upon dozens of tacos that I devoured, my favorites were: Alfredo’s (Uvalde, TX), Easy-to-go-Tacos #3 (Los Fresnos, TX), Taco Tote (El Paso), and Guero’s (Austin, TX).
• Best Steak: Country Barn Steakhouse, Amarillo, TX
• Best Barbecue: Kreuz Market, Lockhart, TX
• Best Ice Cream: Blue Bell of course (though Amy’s in Austin is stiff competition). Best flavor? Lemon Bliss.
• Best Sandwich: Crofutt’s, Bayside, TX
• (World’s Best) Onion Rings: Hil’s Burgers in Canyon, TX
• Best Bakery: Naegelin’s Bakery, New Braunfels, TX
• Best Museum: Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, Canyon, TX
• Best Gift Shop: The Alamo, San Antonio, TX
• Best Boots: Allen’s Boots, Austin, TX
• Best Vintage Shopping: Rag & Bone, Amarillo, TX
• Best Horse: McLeod (Horses on the Beach) Padre Island, TX
• Best Historic Site: Mission San José, San Antonio, TX
• Best Ranch: Cibolo Creek Ranch, Presidio, TX
• Best Coconut Cake: Cornudas, TX
• Best Cafe: Red Top Cafe, Orla, TX
• Best Hotel Room: “Houston, We Have a Problem!” Suite, Hotel Zaza, Houston, TX
• Best Seafood: Doc’s, Corpus Christi, TX
• Best Scenic Drive: US Route 62 from the New Mexico border through Guadalupe Mountains National Park, TX
• Best Mustaches: Pecos, TX
• Best Zoo: Houston Zoo, Houston, TX
• Best Beach: Mustang Island State Park, Corpus Christi, TX
• Best Run: GSL Trail, Palo Duro Canyon, TX
• Best Place to Get a Flat Tire: El Paso, TX
• Best Radio Station: Marfa Public Radio, Marfa, TX
• Best Live Show: The Rangerettes, Kilgore, TX
• Best Country Dancing: Round-Up Saloon, Dallas, TX
• Best Flowers: Azalea Trail, Tyler, TX
• Best National Park: Big Bend National Park
• Best State Park: Washington-on-the-Brazos State Park, Washington, TX