Texana is more than Willie Nelson, although he is our ablest and most beloved muse.

Singing of musical classics, our State song is neither "The Yellow Rose of Texas," nor "The Eyes of Texas." Our official State song is "Texas, Our Texas."

Here's an outstanding link to hear those songs and others, so turn up your speakers. It's the very best Lone Star link: LSJunction

Things you should know about Texas...

There ain't no such thing as "lunch." There's only dinner and supper. More...

Texans love their trucks.

It's probably true that Texans buy 40% of the pickup trucks sold in the United States. It's certainly true that Texas has inspired its own lines of trucks and cars. These lines range back from the current Ford F-150 King Ranch special, to the noble Buick Electra, named for Electra Waggoner Biggs. (An entire Texas town, as well as an airplane, were also named for this Texas-class duchess of art and gracious living.)

Today in Texas History

Bluebonnets!

The bluebonnet is to Texas what the shamrock is to Ireland, the cherry blossom to Japan, the lily to France, the rose to England and the tulip to Holland.

Historian Jack Maguire

Enchanted Rock

Pedernales Falls

So how big is Texas?

Texas has more counties (254) than any other state. Forty-one counties in Texas are each larger than the state of Rhode Island.

The land area of Texas is larger than all of New England, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois combined. It extends 801 miles from north to south and 773 miles from east to west.

The prettiest swimming hole in Texas, which means the prettiest swimming hole in the known galaxy, is Krause Springs. Located about an hour west of Austin, it's named after its long-time owners.

Texana is more than chili cookoffs, although the entire sport was invented and is dominated by Texans. Chili cookoffs generate hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities every year. Chili cookoffs have strict rules, and competition includes showmanship as well as the bowl of red itself.

Click the pepper below for the classic Texas Chili Cookoff Story.

The best salsa? In my very considered opinion, it's Mrs. Renfro's Roasted Salsa, medium heat. Based in Fort Worth, Renfro Foods, founded in 1940, is a third generation, family-run business. That's the tie-breaking point for champion.Their 25 Mrs. Renfro's products are available in 45 U.S. states, Canada and Denmark. (Denmark?! Yep; it seems that Texan oil drillers working in the North Sea just can't do without the world's best salsa.) In the U.S., Randall's/ Tom Thumb, Schnuck's, and other chains carry Mrs. Renfro's. Trust me; I've been eating salsas at least daily for most of my life. (Hot sauce comes by the drop from a little bottle. Salsa comes by the mouthful, from as big a container as you can carry from the store.)

In second place is a store brand, which surprised me, too. Safeway Select Garlic Lover's medium heat, 16-oz jars are a good buy.

What about Pace? Pace Picante Sauce had the best ads, including the classic "Git the rope" ad whose punchline is still used by Texans of a certain age to indicate disfavor. However, Pace is no longer a Texan company, and their sauce, while still decent for parties where non-Texans may attend, is no longer the San Antonio original.

More than links, my planner below is an evergreen list of instructions and invitations, drives and directions, to enjoy Texas sites and events from Austin.

Year-round Texas planner

Bear in your already-boggled mind that Texas is the only state in the U.S., and one of the few geopolitical entities in the world, that has as many as five of the six types of terrain in the world (not tundra, praise the Lord.)

If you need directions from your end, write your town's name on a hundred-dollar bill and send it to me. This offer is void in Philadelphia, and the entire state of California.

Yes, our State Capitol is taller than the U.S. Capitol Dome in Washington, D.C. The Italian Renaissance Revival style Capitol is 302.64 feet high, about 14 feet taller than the national dome. To be precise, the Texas Capitol is not the tallest U.S. capitol structure. Although not a dome, the tower on top of the Louisiana Capitol creates the tallest capitol structure in the country. That's another reason to cheer a Louisiana team, especially when they're playing the University of Texas.

Not so incidentally, my two favorite college teams are the University of Houston Cougars, and whomever's playing Texas.

Here is the official list of all the capital sites of Texas, starting with the Alligator Capitol (the historical hamlet of Anahuac.)

For the record, Ennis is the Bluebonnet City (yep, I would have lost that bet, too.) However, Burnet and Llano Counties are Co-Bluebonnet Capitals of Texas. The wrasslin' for that set of compromises must have been quite a tussle in the Texas Legislature, sure as shootin'.

Lockhart is decreed the BBQ capital of Texas. And it's spelled "barbecue."

While not officially decreed by the Texas Legislature, Bandera is the self-proclaimed Cowboy Capital of the World. (We'll acknowledge their Texas-size nerve, anyway.)

The very best Texas state government publication (maybe the best thing that Texas government ever did) is the Texas Events Calendar, a quarterly, statewide listing of events across the state. It's only available via physical mail, not online, but delivery is timely. You can also pick up a copy at the Texas state line crossings, or somewhere in the Capitol complex. Free subscription by USPS or phone, and you can read it online as well:

Texas Events Calendar
P.O. Box 149249
Austin, TX 78714-9249
Phone: 800-452-9292

Texana became official in 1836 on a marshy plain southeast of the then-village of Houston, at San Jacinto. Sam Houston led 910 troops against Mexican President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna's force of 1,500. In less than half an hour, half of the Mexican force was killed, and almost all of the rest were taken prisoner. The result was the most decisive battle in all of world history. Never before had so much been gained so quickly and so conclusively. Freedom for the Republic of Texas is celebrated every year on April 21, San Jacinto Day. Not incidentally, the San Jacinto Monument is the world's tallest monument column.

San Jacinto battle rosters

Click "T-V” in the link, then scroll down to the fifth name from bottom, then salute me. You should also buy me the appropriate beverage on April 21. (You may practice by buying me rounds all through the year.)

Invented in Texas...

Texans invented all the following stuff (if the inventors were not truly Texan before their achievement, they certainly are full-fledged Texans afterwards!):

Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Daffy Duck (their creator was Texan Frederick Bean "Tex" Avery)

Corn Dogs (Dallas, Texas)

Condensed Milk (invented by Texas "Old 300" pioneer Gail Borden, although manufactured originally in New York)

Dr. Pepper (Waco, Texas)

Hamburger (Athens, Texas)

Microchip (Dallas, Texas)

Psychedelic Music (Austin, Texas)

TexMex cuisine

*Texan qualifications:

1. Pride in the Lone Star state;

2. Ability to tell a joke on Texas, and then explain the same joke to an Arkansan;

3. Knowledge that neither Lone Star nor Pearl Beers, not Pace Picante Sauce, nor the Dallas Cowboys are truly Texan anymore;

4. Complete indifference to the car's turn signal. Any car. In fact, if you see a Texan driving with the turn signal blinking, that's because it was blinking when she bought the car.

Your story could go here!

Noo Yawk City? The Old Country? Nope, bocci in Austin. Everyone can feel at home in Texas.

"...a few of the old Midwestern breweries, holding on to a very old German tradition, would release a dark, sweet beer, usually with the picture of a heavily horned goat on the label. Late winter was bock beer season, and it only lasted a few weeks. My favorite was Huber Bock, from a broken down brewery in Monroe, Wisc., that looked a lot like the Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner before its multimillion-dollar renovation.