Did you know that today is National Texas Day? I didn’t, and I live here. Ha! When I discovered the truth, I decided it would be fun to highlight Texas since all of my books are set in this diverse state. I wasn’t born in Texas. I’m a native Californian. However, I came to college at Abilene Christian University, met my husband, and never left. All of my children are Texas born and bred, and all of my stories are set in the Lone Star State, so it seems fitting to celebrate my adopted home with some fun trivia and a prize.
Fun Facts About Texas
- Dr Pepper was invented in Waco, Texas in 1885. (I’m actually incorporating this fun fact in a Christmas novella I’m currently writing.)
- Six Flags have flown over Texas – Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the United States, and the Confederate States of America.
- The deadliest natural disaster in US history happened in Texas – The Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900 took around 8,000 lives.
- Texas is larger than any country in Europe.
- El Paso, Texas is closer to California than to Dallas.
- The historic King Ranch is larger than the state of Rhode Island.
- Texas is home to more butterfly species than any other state – over 400.
- The state large animal is the Texas Longhorn.
- The state small animal is the Armadillo.
- The state sport is Rodeo. The first rodeo to offer prize money was held in Pecos, Texas on July 4, 1883.
To celebrate National Texas Day, I will give away one of the books pictured below to someone who comments.
Have you ever lived in or visited Texas?
What fun fact surprized you the most?
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For those who love to smile as they read, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes. Karen is a multiple award-winning author and a firm believer in the power of happy endings. She is an avid cross-stitcher, tea drinker, and gospel hymn singer who makes her home in Abilene, TX with her heroic husband who vanquishes laundry dragons and dirty dish villains whenever she's on deadline. Learn more about Karen and her books at: www.karenwitemeyer.com.
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In 1978, for my high school graduation gift, I took my first airplane flight to Houston, Texas, to visit family friends. I even had new luggage! I’ll never forget the joy I experienced in traveling like this for the first time! Can you imagine this little ole’ West Virginia girl flying to Houston? What an amazing time it was!
What a symbol of indepence and spreading your wings, Lisa. Seems like the perfect graduation gift.
Thank you for all the fun facts Karen! Even though I lived most of my adult life (24 yrs) living in Pflugerville TX, a suburb north of Austin, the facts about the size of Texas surprised me the most.
I shouldn’t have been surprised about the El Paso/California distance though since we made the 14-16 hour drive from Austin to Tucson AZ many, many times to visit family. We always did it in one day and breathed a sigh of relief when we got to El Paso because it felt like we were “almost there” even though we still had 4 hours left to go. 😄
God bless you!
I say “14-16 hour drive”, because when my lead-foot was doing the driving we made it in 14…when my more level-headed husband was driving, and we had the dog & cat, it was 16.😉
LOL! That drive to El Paso takes FOREVER! I’ll never forget my husband bragging about how he and my son made it all the way to El Paso before they stopped for a bathroom break on a trip to Arizona. That makes my stomach hurt just to think about. My son was around 13 at the time. Don’t think either one of them could make it that far these days.
Happy Texas Day! My husband and I have various places in TX many times. He loves all the BBQ and HEB. I love going to the hill country. The most surprising fact was that El Paso is closer to CA than to Dallas. I read that one out loud to my husband!
We do have awfully good BBQ here. 🙂 That fact about the distance surprised me too.
We live in North Carolina now & oh how we do miss HEB!!!
For 3 years we spent February on the northern part of Mustang Island. We traveled to Aransas and then traveled on a boat across to Port Aransas. (I can never remember which is on the mainland and which is the island names, I hope I have them correct.) This area was certainly a surprise to me as we were familiar with all the Big Cities and Attractions, but this little area are just north of Corpus Chrisiti and it was a great place to winter. This was many years ago and when I Google it today things have certainly changed.
I’m not much of a big city girl, Judie, but I love those smaller, hidden gems. I’ve only been to Corpus Christi once and didn’t have time to explore, but it certainly felt different than my West Texas surroundings.
Interesting facts about Texas that I did not know! I have only visited Texas one time. It was for a weekend and I was visiting my husband who had been working there for a few weeks without come home. So I didn’t really do any sight seeing. Would love to visit again some day. Thanks for sharing and doing a giveaway!
I hope you get a chance to come back and explore more, Bev. In the meantime, you can keep visiting through the books you read. 🙂
I’ve never had the pleasure of visiting Texas. The closest I ever got was living in Denver. The fact that really surprised me was that Texas is bigger than any European country. I have to say that second to that was the size of the King ranch.
Thank you for all the great books you’ve written, Karen. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every one! Keep on writing!!!
Thank you so much for your sweet words, Lynn. There are a bunch of states that I have never visited, either. So much to explore out there, isn’t there?
I was BORN in Texas and I didn’t know most of those facts! Of course, my parents moved me back to their home state of Kansas when I was only 5 months old (Daddy was in the Air Force.) But I’ve always had a very soft spot in my heart for Texas. Last April, Ken and I spent the entire month-plus traveling through your beautiful state. We were in the beautiful Hill Country just in time to see the blue bonnets and Indian paintbrush in full bloom, we traveled south to Padre Island, which was our honeymoon destination (but back then, we only made it as far as Fort Worth. 😊 ) And we camped on the Rio Grande and looked over into Mexico in Big Bend National Park. We ended our trip in Dallas where 6 of our 13 grandkids live.
I remember seeing some of your pictures, Deb. Bluebonnet fields are my favorite Texas landscape. We don’t get as many blooms where I live, but the Hill Country turns into a wonderland in March/April.
I’m not from Texas either but I have lived there off and on for approximately 20+ years. I enjoyed living in the great state of Texas: Houston (Sugar Land), Dallas (as well as Hickory Creek), then lastly in the Corpus Christi area (Ingleside and Aransas Pass). Rockport, Texas is a nice area. A lot of snow birds (people kind) live there in the fall/winter.
I always thought it was interesting that King Ranch is bigger than the state of Rhode Island.
I live in IN now, closer to my kids and grandkids, but I do miss Texas (HEB, Gulf, warm weather, Whataburger. Oh, did I say warm weather?! 😜
I hear you on the warm weather, Donna. My thin California blood still has trouble tolerating the Texas cold, but at least down here, the cold doesn’t last long before the sun comes back out to give us some relief.
I have never been to Texas, except to a few airports on the way to someplace else. It is on my bucket list, and would really like to visit at some point in my life.
I love butterflies, so learning that Texas has 400 species of them!!!! Wow!!!
Where I live, we are on the migration path for the monarch butterflies. For a week or so, there are little “swarms” of butterflies that come through our university campus (since the Ag department plants thigns to attract them), and it feels like being transported into a fairy tale. I love it!
Hi! I visited the Lone Star State several times when I was younger and moved to Texas after college. (Like you, Karen, I met my husband and have never left. I’m originally from California too. Small world!)
The most surprising fact is probably that El Paso is closer to California than it is to Dallas!
Nice to meet another Cali-Tex sister, Carolyn. Becky Wade is part of our club, too. 🙂
When we lived in Texas being stationed there in the Air Force. To meet a homegrown Texan, we had to birth one, our daughter, who we call our “Yellow Rose of Texas.”
Would’ve stayed but fabulous obligations caused us to return to Ohio.
How sweet to be able to take a little “piece of Texas” with you when you had to leave. 🙂
Fun post, Karen! We drove through TX one very hot summer in 1993 when we moved from CA to NY. We stopped in a tiny town somewhere and were trying to juggle a crying infant and our food. The mayor of the town came to our table, introduced herself, and offered to hold Maddy so we could have a hot meal. That is a fond memory from an otherwise very stressful trip. I would love to visit San Antonio especially.
What a great example of southern hospitality! Love that story, Kelly. I’ve been to San Antonio a few times for conferences. The Alamo on its own is worth the trip.
I live in Texas and have been here my entire life. I think the fun fact that shocked me the most was the Texas state sport is Rodeo. I would have figured that it would be Football.
It definitely FEELS like football whenever Friday nights roll around. 🙂
I have never been to Texas, but I would love to visit. I would imagine it would take more than one trip to explore as it is such a vast state! Not surprisingly, the fact that surprised me the most: Texas is larger than any country in Europe. Wow!
I’ve been here over 30 years, and I still haven’t explored it all. 🙂 One of the reasons I have all my books set in Texas is that there are so many different regions and towns to explore. Whenever I can work in a research trip, I get giddy. 🙂
What awesome facts! My brother lives in Texas, retired from NASA. My favorite memory was visiting a friend who lives in Bandera, Texas, and seeing real cowboys in the annual cowboy parade, eating real breakfast burritos, Texas-style pepper steak, exploring the Hill Country, and seeing a multigenerational hangout where families visited and two-stepped together while the local band played.
It sounds like you got the full western experience, Marilyn!
I’ve never lived in Texas, but have family and friends that do.
Finding out that El Paso is closer to California than Dallas surprised me!!
That surprised me, too!
We moved from Alabama in April to be near our children, grands, and one great grand. One grand lives in Fort Worth and the rest of us in Austin suburbs. We are all on a ski vacation in Colorado now, and we had fun guessing all your Texas facts. The one none of us knew was about the butterflies. Thanks for the fun.
It sounds like you are having a wonderful time, Harriet. I’m glad I could add to the fun with my Texas facts. 🙂
Hi Karen! I lived in Austin for two years, my family especially enjoyed camping in the many Hill Country area parks. I was most surprised that Texas is bigger than any European country, and that they have both a large and small state animal.
I think they must not have been able to decide between the two animals and decided Texas was big enough for both of them. Ha!
The hurricane that took 8000 lives was the most surprising. I’ve never lived in Texas, but have traveled there several times. It is such a BIG state!
It really is huge, Jocelyn. I live in a very central area (though it’s considered West) but it still takes me 3-4 hours to get to any of the major cities. More if we go farther south.
As you know, I’m a native California who also landed in Texas thanks to my husband! Loved this post about our adopted home state. 🙂
I thought of you as I wrote it, Becky. 😉
Yes, I have visited Texas. In fact last Saturday night I returned home from a week on South Padre Island. My husband and I have enjoyed a week there during a winter break for us the last couple of years. Beach time is wonderful (even on foggy days) after -0 temps in Colorado.
My Uncle and Aunt lived in San Antonio and as a child the family visited them (and the Alamo) a few times.
You know, I have never been to Padre. One of these days, I need to check it out. Glad you got some beach time in, Jen. 🙂
I knew the first 6 Texas facts. The Galveston Hurricane was a reading/test selection for one of our Language Arts anthologies when I taught 5th grade – so interesting, especially since I live in Virginia Beach, where we often get hurricanes. Have driven through Texas on three cross country trips – one when I was ten, then in 2009 when our grandson was born in California. My husband wanted to take one more cross country trip in 2017. This time we spent several days in San Antonio – beautiful and friendly city, where we visited the Alamo and loved Riverwalk. I did a cross stitch of Riverwalk a number of years ago when my son and daughter-in-law visited and raved about it.
I visit DWF airport every year where I change planes on my flight to visit my daughter and family in CA. I love your books and have all of these, so don’t put me in the drawing. Loved this Post! Recently found out through a reading friend that Kansas has a “Kansas Day”.
So glad you got to stop and enjoy San Antonio for a while, Betty. It really is a lovely place. And I end up in the DFW airport anytime I fly anywhere. Maybe we’ll bump into each other one day.
I did not know Dr. Pepper was started in Texas. I visited my relatives who live in Houston, Texas.
Dr Pepper was created by a pharmacist working in a drug store in Waco that had a soda shop. Once he found the right “formula” they started selling them in the shop. Locals loved the drink and called them Wacos. The pharmicist was more interested in mixing medicine than drinks, though, so he gave the recipe to the store owner who ended up bottling the drink and building an empire. 🙂
I visited Texas once, many years ago. I think the thing that surprised me most was how very hot and humid it is down there. And how much Texans love their great state. It is a nice place to visit.
Texas summers can be brutally hot, Megan. It’s typically only humid in the southeast sections of the state. Where I live in the western-central part, the air stays fairly dry. But hot? Oh yes. Triple digit summers for months on end. Thank the Lord for air conditioning!
I didn’t realize that Texas is home to more butterfly species than any other state – over 400. Enjoyed the post and so appreciate your books. I am a fifth generation native Texan, with my family moving from NC to northeast TX in the 1840’s. Martha Sue Stroud has an interesting book titled “The Gateway of Texas” in relation to that area, which was originally one huge county encompassing many present-day ones. I find very interesting the topography and, to some degree, the climate becoming more like that of the western states, as one crosses I-35 heading west. Of course, I love the bluebonnets, state parks, and historic sites.
What a rich family history, Catherine!
Lady Karen,
I lived in Houston, Texas for 11 years and still consider myself a Texan. I miss the food, people, southern charm, and great diversity of the area. Humidity, heat, and Texas-size bugs are what I don’t miss. 😝 Dr Pepper is one of my favorite drinks & I never realized its birthplace. Thank you for celebrating such a fun day!!!
Yes, I would be glad to get rid of the Texas-sized bugs too. Ewww.
Lived in Texas all my life!
Didn’t know that Texas was home to 400 species of Butterflies!
I didn’t either. I learned a bunch of things when I compiled these facts. 🙂
I too came to Texas to attend ACU and still live in Abilene, so “hi neighbor” 👋🏻 ☺️
I’m surprised at the number of butterfly species!
Yay! Happy to make an ACU connection with you, Celia. 🙂
I am a refugee from LA County, California. I live in Texas. The historic city of Granbury. (We have a few interesting facts about our city too. –Jesse James and John Wilkes Booth) I didn’t know about the Galveston Hurricane.
I sponsored a writer’s retreat in Granbury once. So much fun history there! I loved going to the Granbury theatre knowing that it dated back to the 1800s. In fact, I was so inspired by that theatre, that I included it in my latest novel, Fairest of Heart. Even gave a nod to John Wilkes Booth. 🙂 Wonderful town, Lauraine.
So that’s why Six Flags Magic Mountain is called Six Flags…the first one was built in 1961 in TX. I didn’t know that fact until your point about 6 flags flying over TX. Six Flags was my first paying job at 16. I was a rides operator, then became a rides manager, so Six Flags has a special place in my heart. 😀
That’s exactly it, Nicole! How fun that you have that connection. 🙂
I have been to Texas many times. The fact most surprising is that El Paso is closer to CA than Dallas.
Isn’t that bonkers??? 🙂
I have never been to Texas. The most surprising fact was that El Paso is closer to California than Dallas! I had to look at a map to satisfy my curiosity. I knew it was a big state because when I put together my United States puzzle it seems like Texas takes up 1/4 of the country!
Ha! Love the puzzle map, Leanne. 🙂
I really like Texas! We honeymooned in Dallas/Fort Worth/San Antonio. We married in March, so we wanted to go somewhere fairly close (to SWMO) where it was warmer. For our 10th anniversary, we went back to several of the same places we went to on our honeymoon, plus Galveston. Then for our 20th anniversary, we went back again to the same area, went to a couple of the same places plus a few new, & took in a Piano Guys concert. Both of those trips, we took our kiddos with us. That was fun, showing them the places we went to on our honeymoon & experiencing them as a family of four. Family vacations are the best!!! 🙂
The fun fact that surprised me the most was the invention of Dr Pepper in 1885. I guess I didn’t realize it was that old & I love DP! 🙂
What a fun string of vacations, Lori! I love that you are able to share those special places with your kids.
I used to spend summers in east Texas with my grandparents when I was young. As an adult, I lived in El Paso for 6 years. I love the people, food, and culture.
Love that, Kimberly!
WE HAVE A WINNER!
Congratulations to Jan Gustafson. A little bit of Texas will be heading your way soon, Jan. I’ve sent you an email with instructions on how to claim your prize. YeeHaw!
Wow!! Some of the fun facts you listed about Texas surprised me. Especially that El Paso is closer to California than Dallas. I was born in Tennessee but my dad pastored a church for some of my early years in Phoenix. We would take I-40 at least once a year for Christmas or church gatherings back in Tennessee. I always loved stopping in Amarillo at the Big Texan restaurant. It was kind of hard to miss 😉
Fun memories, Rebecca!
Lived in Texas from 2000 to 2006 (Grand Prairie and Arlington). I was a librarian in Grand Prairie and Arlington and I taught school in Duncanville.
I visited Texas when I was 3 years old, but do not remember the trip. I also visited with my daughter when she was 14 or 15. We stayed with friends while she participated in a YWAM performing arts camp in Tyler.
The fun fact that surprised me the most is that Texas in larger than any country in Europe!