Texas
Texas – Lone Star StateTexas Nightlife Bars and Entertainment
Texas. From the beaches of the Gulf Coast to the plains of the panhandle, this is the state that has pulled oil from the ground and helped put a man on the moon.
Texas, the “Lone Star State” and second largest U.S. state in both area and population is home to the Alamo, the Dallas Cowboys and the Johnson Space Centre. Crazily, Texas is probably best known for JR Ewing in the TV series “Dallas”, who at the height of his career was more famous than the product that made Texas – OIL. And perhaps best overlooked for the events of November 22, 1963.
Texas first claimed independence from Mexico in 1836 after the battle of the Alamo. If you know nothing of the Alamo before you arrive, believe me you will when you leave. It’s everywhere – in the movies, on t-shirts, flags, licence plates and posters. It was a battle that, while only lasting 13 days, has become a legend and the most celebrated in Texan history. Just 182 men (including Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie and Colonel William Travis) held off the Mexican army of Santa Anna and his 4000 men. Whilst all died, their battle cry “Remember the Alamo” remains as strong today as it did then. The site in San Antonio (the state’s oldest major city) attracts thousands of visitors each year.
On the morning of January 10th 1901, Texas was to change forever. On a small hill south of Beaumont, called Spindletop, they found oil. The economy boomed, the cities grew and Texas became a major economic force within the United States.
Texas is one of four majority-minority states (a term used to describe a U.S. state in which a majority of the state’s population differs from the national majority population of non-Hispanic whites) and this ethnic mix is what adds to its amazing makeup and diversity. The state capital is Austin – Dallas, Houston and El Paso being the other major metropolitan areas.
Nightlife in Texas has more than kept up the pace. Austin’s official slogan is “The Live Music Capital of the World”, so be sure to check out the annual festival known as “South by Southwest”. For nightclubs and really good bars head on down to 6th Street. Other annual events include Eeyore’s Birthday Party, Spamarama, and the Austin Reggae Festival in April and Carnaval in February. Halloween, St Patrick’s Day, Independence Day, and Juneteenth (Emancipation Day) are all widely celebrated, in addition to two important Mexican holidays, May 5 (Cinco de Mayo) and September 16
Dallas nightlife doesn’t cool down a bit. Try the Lizard Lounge, a seriously sexi club, or if you’re more of a blues person, go to R.L Griffin’s Blues Palace.
But what rates Dallas nightlife above all is 17 acres of renovated warehousing made into some of the best clubs and bars around the Deep Ellum district. The Deep Ellum district is the place to be on a Friday and Saturday night. Check out Sambuca, a top notch jazz club. The Gypsy Tea Room is also a great music bar with live rock; the Red Blood and the Curtain Club are also up there with the best. Deep Ellum puts Texas nightlife on the map. But check it out soon. High rents and zoning restrictions are with us and the property developers are eyeing it up as prime real estate – so get there and put your dollars over the bar.
In San Antonio for a day and need a saloon with a difference? The Buckhorn Saloon opened its doors in downtown San Antonio in 1881, founded by Albert and Emile Friedrich. Their premise for the saloon was allowing customers to bring deer antlers to trade them for a shot of whiskey or a beer. Every pair of antlers would warrant two free beers, and every rattlesnake rattle negotiated a shot of whiskey. As San Antonio grew, so did other oddities at the Buckhorn Saloon. This is three San Antonio attractions in one. You can see animals, birds and fish from all over the world, as well as a Texas wax museum and it’s a great place to eat and drink.