Driving Rural Texas

Whilst we made the trip to Corpus we spend a few hours driving some very typical Texan countryside – this time an Area what is called the ‘Texas Coastal Bend’.

Herewith the 10 main characteristics of a drive like this:

1. Outside any city limits 2/3 of the accommodation is trailers or extended trailers. I know that many of my colleagues who own a Ranch (read mainly the land) and have no dwellings on there have a trailer at or near their Ranch site. However judging by the surroundings & the amount and type of cars etc near these trailers most are inhabited by (too many) people permanently.

2. 50% of the cars on the road are pick-up trucks. 80% of those pick-ups are so big that they easily would fit a king size mattress in the truck bed. Also 50% of all cars are mounted with bull racks (frames at the front of the car), dear trays (metal frames on the towbar suitable to carry shot dear or mega coolers) or extra wheels

3. A ‘normal’ size tanker truck (as in VrachtAuto or Camion) is ‘a very small truck’ if you are identifying trucks and their size with your 2 year old and your X5 feels like a compact car

4. The main industry along the road are stations to process agricultural or petrochemical products

5. You don’t have to drive > 3 Mile to see a cluster of nodding donkeys, a rig or a pumping station

6. Every town no matter how small has at least 3 petrol stations and 3 different drive through fast food places

7. There is a John Deer dealership every 50 Miles

8. The skies if cloudy look Dutch and the scenery is equally flat (ish) but there is no mistaking the heat you see ‘hanging’ over the road in front of you at the horizon. The corn fields look brown (almost burnt), but the low trees and bushes everywhere are still green.

9. You never have to drive > 1 Mile to find a metal Star emblem or a Texan flag, you only see half as many American as Texan flags.

10. Every 15 Miles there is a Smoke House which will serve an assortment of BBQ-ed meat and served if with refried beans, proper coleslaw (not drowning in Mayo), Potato Salad, Greens & homemade BBQ Sauce. Most of these places will also sell homemade Jerky (dried meat). Don’t be surprised if your server looks like someone who should have retired 10 years ago and if your very high quality meal only costs you about 10 USD with ‘bottomless’ (iced) tea.

…and if you would drive further then we did….you know you are in Texas because you have driven > 8 hrs and still not encountered any border other then the County lines.