Ugh, Texas!!!

[NewJersey]

Hey stuff happens. We got some seriously nasty rain storms while we were in Florida and I was fussing just as much.

By the way, I lived most of my life in Texas in the Houston area and I prefer it to the Dallas area but Dallas will do especially when you compare it to *ahem* certain places up north. To each their own.

Whew I feel better after a night's sleep, ya know. I'm glad I'm at least near some civilization..I look outside a see an airport and a mall and other hotels, so I don't feel as bad.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Dallas is not "the south".... Dallas is like NYC, people from all over the place.

Been living here for 2 yrs....

 

[Tosie]

Yeah, some of the other people from my company here with me are from Houston (originally Austin) and told me to go to Austin and San Antonio so I can enjoy TX more.

Oh and they are getting a kick out of how I say water. NJ'ers say "werrter" instead of "wah-ter." Even the NY'ers that are here say it the 'right way.'

LOL - I have never heard anyone here say "werter" - everyone I know says water with an "aw" sound. (Except my dd - SHE says "wahter" - not sure where her accent is coming from...)

Hope your trip is getting better!

 

[RadioNate]

Oh dear. We've been to San Antonio twice, and both times it was a nightmare. You have way too many people in S.A. and not enough hotel rooms or left turn lanes or parking spaces - that's all I'm sayin'.

just playing with the op.

Population
Dallas/FTW 4,802,463
SA 1,538,338
Austin 1,105,909

We have a tourist limit and special parking spaces for residents. We don't need left turn lanes, we have turnarounds.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

Sorry Jersey but you might need that flame suit.


I've been to Texas and have always found it to be nice.
If it wasn't for the heat I'd be tempted t move. Beutiful houses at a low price.

 

[jajuan]

It sounds like you are staying at Embassy Suites....there is a little mexican restaurant if you go north on 2499 for a couple of miles that is incredible. It is called Anamia's and is at the corner of 2499 and 3040 (in the walgreens parking lot).

I was in Florida for the first month of summer and I can tell you that this rain really stinks...we needed it but enough is enough.

I hope your stay gets better.

 

[malibuconlee]

Sounds like you're in Grapevine, not in Dallas. If/when the power goes out you can go over to Grapevine Mills and watch a movie at AMC, or see if there is an open skate at the hockey arena at the end of the mall. Not real familiar with that area other than the shopping. I can give you hints on other things to do if you have a rental car.

 

[dejavu]

I am from the midwest born and bred. I love Texas! I didn't expect to, in fact I thought "Texas?" but DH and I are seriously contemplating moving to San Antonio when we retire. Sometimes you have to appreciate a place for it's differences, if every place was like New Jersey... well, you get the idea

 

[Jpgirl]

Sorry about your trip-it's been a very wet wet May/June. I had to laugh at Radio Nate though-we Texans are dag gone proud of this state and welcome anyone but if you don't like it we welcome you to go back from where you came. Seriously I understand homesickness I just HATE leaving Texas and can't wait to get back home. I'm not a true native-moved here as a baby and had to leave when I was 9. Took me over 40 years to get back and I told dh the only way I'm leaving Texas is when he prys my cold dead hands out of the ground. I hope you at least got to experience Texas hospitality while you're here. Friendliest folks you'll find are here.

 

[Database]

NewJersey, The Texan's are being pretty nice to you! There is a reason they say "Don't Mess with Texas"!

San Antonio -
Austin - Getting congested. Loved it more 20 years ago.
Fredericksburg -
Salado -

Killeen -

 

[legalsea]

Just wanted to vent and *****. I know I sound whiney but hey, it happens.

I want to book a trip to Austin and San Antonio later in the summer!

That is insane. You do NOT want to go to Austin or San Antonio in the summer.

Austin: crowded beyond belief. I used to go to Austin on weekends back in the mid 1970s. Great place.

Last year, drove my wife down to Round Rock (just north of Austin). First time to be this close to Austin in several decades. Traffic was jammed everywhere. And this was on a non-football Saturday. No sir, I shall not attempt Austin again. No wonder our legislature only meets every two years.

San Antonio in August: Heat and Water Restrictions. San Antonio has outstripped its water supply (the Edwards Aquifer). The heat is normal. Traffic is actually not too bad, so long as you avoid the roads.

 

[gradtchr]

You'll have more fun in Austin and San Antonio than Dallas anyway. I promise!

Those of us down south here don't always like to claim the metroplex as part of Texas.

I'm offended by this as a born and raised in the metroplex Texan. Humph!

New Jersey-I was thinking about you on Sunday and hoping that your trip was going to be drier than it is turning out to be.

 

[mamacatnv]

Seriously, what do you expect us Texans to say? We are sorry it is raining so much, we'll have that stopped right away.

Could you please, that would be awfully nice of you .We are headed to our first Texas visit (see signature) the end of July and last night DH just looked at me with those eyes when the flooding was shown on our local news.

And truthfully, I don't know any Texan who considers themselves 'southern' the way those from South Carolina or Georgia do. They are just Texan.

DS and I were watching an episode of Dirty Jobs the other night when they were in Texas building a billboard. DS and I were commenting that Texas is not really the South, what is it considered? DS says "I think Texans are just that, Texan, self explanatory" I was laughing, he does not know we are headed there for our vacation, we are keeping it a surprise.

We have a tourist limit and special parking spaces for residents. We don't need left turn lanes, we have turnarounds.

Dare I ask, what is a turnaround?

That is insane. You do NOT want to go to Austin or San Antonio in the summer.

Great - now what!

 

[GottaGetToDisney!]

....who immediately thought of Sandy Cheeks on "Spongebob"??
Maybe I watch too much t.v., but that episode came to mind where Sandy wants to go home to Texas and Spongebob & Patrick are trying to convince her to stay.

Patrick: "Who cares about stuuuuupid 'ol Texas, anyway?"

Sandy: "DON'T ANYONE NEVER, EVER SAY NOTHIN' BAD ABOUT TEXAS!!!"

I love that one!

Gotta Get To Disney!

 

[luvwinnie]

Hey, there, did you get my PM? Wondering if you had that 2nd date on Friday!

 

[legalsea]

If you simply feel that you must visit Texas, then I would recommend going to San Diego in California.

Actually, I think Galveston is worth a visit. Excellent museum about the big hurricane; good shopping in old downtown district; great seafood; not as many stinging jellyfish as you would expect.

Fort Worth: we have some quality museums, but so do many other cities. Our main tourist attraction is on the north side of town, where you have crummy old saloons and restaurants (the White Elephant Saloon used to be interesting; back in the 1960s and 70s to enter the place you HAD to down a shot of tequila and beer; now it is just another tourist place).

Dallas: it you see Dallas, that means you have overshot Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington. Turn around and go back west.

 

[Jpgirl]

Mamacatnv-come on down. I don't mind San Antonio in the summer-Austin is always crowded.
As far as Texans being Texans and not southern-that's true. It comes from our history. See in the struggle for being independent from Mexico-Andrew Jackson (President of US) refused to send troops to help the US citizens that had settled on Mexican soil. So a whole bunch of US citizens and Mexican citizens got together and fought the Mexicans and became an independent country. Later on Texas joined the United States, but with provisions (correct me if I'm wrong about this you historians). Texas is the only state in the Union that is allowed to fly their flags at the same level as the Amercian flag as deference to the fact that Texas was it's own country. To this day a lot of Texans still want to be independent. I've lived in Ohio and travelled all over and I have never seen a state more proud of it's history than Texas. Texas is well just Texas. Big, proud and friendly.

 

[RadioNate]

San Antonio in August: Heat and Water Restrictions. San Antonio has outstripped its water supply (the Edwards Aquifer). The heat is normal. Traffic is actually not too bad, so long as you avoid the roads.

I've lived in a lot of places (7 states to be exact) and really San Antonio traffic isn't bad. I've seen WAY worse. I swear that is one San Antonio complaint that I don't 'get' at all. You can make fun of the heat and the dirty Riverwalk water. Those I 'get' but the traffic makes me

As for the Aquifer, I think we will be ok considering it has been pouring for nearly 12 hours straight! The Guadeloupe is also overflowing so we can always use that!

I'm offended by this as a born and raised in the metroplex Texan. Humph!

Now I've said 2x that I was kidding!

 

[RadioNate]

Dare I ask, what is a turnaround?

Only the best achievement in roadway design ever! No waiting at stoplights to make a left turn!

From http://home.att.net/~texhwyman/tex.htm

oing hand-in-hand with frontage roads are "turnarounds". These U-turn lanes allow traffic heading in one direction on a one-way frontage road to "turnaround" and head the other way on the opposite frontage road without having to traverse two signalized intersections (see diagram below). This greatly eases congestion in the intersections. Turnarounds can run below the freeway using the same underpass as the cross street, or they can cross over the freeway on the same overpass as the intersecting street or on separate overpasses. These ramps are generally found only in urban areas. Again, these may have different names in different parts of the state. "Turnaround" is the term in San Antonio, and we're the only place that actually uses "Turnaround" signs. In other parts of the state, a "U-turn ONLY" sign is used. Other terms used are "u-turn lane" and "crossover", although the term "crossover" more correctly describes an opening in the median on a divided highway.

 

[legalsea]

I've lived in a lot of places (7 states to be exact) and really San Antonio traffic isn't bad. I've seen WAY worse. I swear that is one San Antonio complaint that I don't 'get' at all. You can make fun of the heat and the dirty Riverwalk water. Those I 'get' but the traffic makes me

As for the Aquifer, I think we will be ok considering it has been pouring for nearly 12 hours straight! The Guadeloupe is also overflowing so we can always use that!

Now I've said 2x that I was kidding!

Why, I specifically stated that I did not think San Antonio traffic was actually all that bad (you must always ignore the little squibs I like to add to my sentences). Actually, the Loop is the most likely to be congested, due to most of the people living around the Loop.

I know that the Edwards Aquifer is at a good level right now, but you must admit that San Antonio has water restrictions 8 summers out of 10, and it is getting worse as more people move there. Once a 'water expert' stated that the Edwards Aquifer would easily support 500,000 residents; pity, he said, that San Antonio is now 1 million strong.