Texas: A Photographic Tour

Texas: A Photographic Tour by Highsmith, Carol. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780517201800.

Imagine New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, and the six New England states. Texas is bigger than all of them put together. Texas is bigger than all of them put together. In the minds of most Americans, Texas is the nations biggest state. And that is despite the fact that Alaska is geographically larger, and that California and New York have larger populations. Its no coincidence that just about every town has a business with the word "Big" in it. In Texas, with its grand history, larger than life characters, and booming prosperity, bigs not swagger or exaggeration, its just plain fact. But as photographer Carol M. Highsmith and writer Ted Landphair show clearly Texas: A Photographic Tour, the Lone Star State is more than just oil boomtowns, cattle, and cowboys. The authors guide the reader on a journey of discovery to such natural wonders as the hard-to-get-to, but spectacular, Big Bent National Park and the Monahans Sandhills State Park, with its famous dune field. The museums and exhibits encountered range from the fascinating Dr Pepper Museum in Waco to the Devils Rope Museum—recounting the history of barbed wire—in McLean to the infamous Texas School Book Depository in Dallas. Among Texass colorful historic sites are the Alamo in San Antonio and Ysleta in El Paso, the states oldest mission. Texas is also home to the worlds biggest honky tonk, Billy Bobs in Fort Worth, and the "Live Music Capital of the World," as Austin, the state capital, is otherwise known. These and many other interesting places and people await the reader. With its striking photos and insightful text, Texas: A Photographic Tour fully captures the energy, history, and fun of this vibrant state. It makes an excellent gift for anyone who has visited or wants to visit this grand state.