As is true when you travel to almost anywhere, there are nuances to most locales and things you need to know before you arrive. Texas is no different. Today's article is to shed a little light on some of these things.
You have probably heard the phrase before, "Everything is bigger in Texas." If not, now you have. We Texans believe this down to our very core. The size of the state alone is staggering. It is approximately 900 miles from north to south, or from east to west in a straight line. It is over 268,000 square miles. It is larger than many countries, including all of them in Europe, and if it were its own country (it was once!), it would be the 40th largest nation in the world. In fact, the largest county in Texas, Brewster County, is 6,193 square miles, or large enough to hold the state of Delaware 3 times within its borders.
Not everyone in Texas wears cowboy hats and boots. I know, crazy right? Why wouldn't an entire state wear all the same thing every day? All kidding aside, I own both of these items, but they are not my everyday attire. In the colder months, though, my boots are my go-to choice. If you haven't ever worn them, they are quite comfortable.
I know most people believe that people from their locales are known for being friendly. We Texans try to one-up everyone on this as well. We take great pride in retaining our manners (there are lots of "Yes, ma'ams" and "Yes sirs," but it runs deeper than just that. The name "Texas" actually comes from the Spanish pronunciation of the Hasinai Native American word meaning "friend." The Hasinai Confederacy were some of the Native Americans from the region where we will be meeting.
Unlike most of the United States, and even the rest of the world, that has four seasons in the year, we in Texas only have two: Summer and Not-Summer. The weather here is known for its extremes, and it rarely stays in the middle long enough to have a season of it. When you look back at the year, you really just have hot, and then a short period of not-hot. Luckily for most of you, you are coming to visit us in the not-hot time, which means you can expect highs anywhere from 35-75 degrees Fahrenheit, and lows anywhere from 20-50. Not much help for what to pack, I realize. One of my favorite lines from my boyhood pastor in Abilene, Texas was, "Don't like the weather here in Texas? Stick around 15 minutes...it'll change."
As most of you could about your own areas, I could keep going on about Texas forever, on all the things that I love about it and even some of the things I don't. Here's what I hope: come down and see us in 2017 at the National Event, and see what you think for yourself. We would love to have you go and register today, and we can't wait to see you in January.
Beau
.jpg)
Beau has been camping since 3rd grade in the Northwest Texas, Baltimore-Washington, and North Texas Conferences. He has had the privilege to be on staff at Bridgeport Camp and Conference Center as the Executive Director since 2012.
