The Top 10 Cultural Experiences You Can Only Find In Texas

Texas is full of sweethearts and gentlemen. You won’t find a more warm group of people than the ones you meet in Texas; it’s in their blood. The sayings ‘ma’am’ and ‘sir’ are used in regular conversation without hesitation. While in some places they’re only used to refer to elders, in Texas, they’re used as a sign of respect. Offering food and even offering a place to stay is almost always expected. Hassle? Nope. You’ll always feel welcome in the home of a Texan. We wouldn’t be surprised if the phrase ‘Southern hospitality’ was coined in Texas.

Have you ever seen Friday Night Lights? That’s real life in every city in Texas. High school football stadiums are as big as college ones. Every single person in the city will be filling the bleachers, decked out in school colors, representing their high school during football season. Don’t even ask what someone is doing on a Friday night; you should already know.

Ever heard of a homecoming mum? If you didn’t grow up in Texas, you probably have never heard of this tradition. If you did, you know how crucial these are every year. Each mum is customized depending on what you did in high school. Whether you were in theater, dance or basketball, it all correlates with that. It consists of a huge flower with four-foot-long ribbons, bells, and sometimes even lights draping down from it. Girls then wear the mum the day of homecoming and at the homecoming game. Boys wear boutonnieres, a small garter worn around the arm. Being asked to homecoming is just as big of a deal as being asked to prom. High school girls every year make sure their date gets them a big and spectacular mum because everyone knows that the bigger the mum, the better.

Texas is huge. Saying it takes 500 miles to get somewhere won’t make any sense. We can drive 13 hours and still be in the same state. We might not know how far away Houston and Austin are from each other, but we all know how long it takes to get there (about three hours).

Going 50 miles per hour feels like 25 to a Texan. Texas highways speed limits range from 60 miles per hour to 85 miles per hour. That might seem fast to a tourist, but that doesn’t raise eyebrows here.

Whataburger ketchup, spicy Whataburger ketchup, honey butter chicken biscuit (on Texas toast) – these are a few things that every Texan knows and loves. This is the one fast food restaurant a Texan can’t turn down. And even if they do, they are going to snatch a fry from someone who did decide to get it.

What’s a kolache you ask? It’s a hotdog or sausage wrapped with a hot bun, sometimes with cheese or jalapeños inside. No, it’s not a pig in a blanket. It’s even better. We’re surprised this delicious breakfast isn’t spreading worldwide. In addition, the obsession with breakfast tacos is the real deal here. Tacos in Texas in general are incomparable to anywhere else in the states. The breakfast tacos in Texas are on a whole different level.

Texans take pride in the state they live in. Actually, Texans take pride in anything Texas related. We’re proud of brands like Dr. Pepper and Shiner Bock, solely because they are Texan items. We have Texas-shaped waffles, Texas-shaped cheese and wear anything with the word ‘Texas’ on it. No one else reps their state quite as much as Texans do.

Texans fry everything. Go to any festival in Texas, and it’s guaranteed that there will be fried delicacies everywhere. Fried Oreos, fried Twinkies, fried ice cream, fried cheesecake, and the list goes on. Of course, they all taste delicious.

It’s not a road trip without a stop at Buc-ee’s. First of all, they have the cleanest bathrooms. On top of that, they offer a variety of foods and beverages. Taste test a variety of fudge, get some beaver nuggets and stock up on the snacks. All in all, Buc-ee’s never disappoints.