Which of these landscapes do you most associate with Texas? (El Paso: movies, college)

[TexasReb]

Good morning fellow Texans!

Here is the Sunday Poll of the Week:

Which of the landscapes do you most associate with Texas...or your idea of it?

Now then, I realize this one is difficult in lots of ways. Not for the least of reasons, that the landscape one grew up around might not necessarily be the one you like best. AND, further? The real point is not so much to name your favorite...but which one -- all things considered -- you most often THINK of, when considering Texas.

It is also true that many non-natives might automatically tend to associate Texas with the classic Hollywood "western" imagery of desert and tumbleweeds and blowing dust! And, I hasten to add, nothing necessarily wrong with that...

Please be specific if you answer "Other"...

[Cathy4017]

I can't answer that with only one option, as a native.

Yep, I'm afraid Hollywood has stereotyped Texas badly, and many seem to associate Texas with the far West Texas deserts--and nothing else! But I had to REALLY laugh (and spew my beer all over creations in the process!) when I saw what was supposed to be Mexico on the other side of the Rio Grande (Rio Grande, circa 1950, with John Wayne and Mareen O'Hara)...only to see Monument Valley, which is in Utah. My gawd. Just ridiculous!! At least they're getting better about it nowadays in many cases.

I think of all of these landscapes when I think of Texas, since these are all a part of Texas--and all have different memories associated with each one--some great, some awful.

[hellpaso]

I agree with Cathy4017. I've been all over the state, so can't really use a generalization. One time flying into El Paso (where it's usually bumpy because of the mountains/wind) some guy on the plane took it upon himself to explain to me that this must be unusual since El Paso was such a flat place. When I said, um, no--it's high desert with mountains right in the middle of town, he looked at me like I had 3 heads.

[TexasReb]

Originally Posted by Cathy4017

I can't answer that with only one option, as a native.

*thinking and considering* Yeah, sis...I thought quite a bit about whether or not to allow the usual "multiple options". I finally decided against it because -- as you allude to -- ALL of them would be honest choices. Which means, TOO many choices...and would defeat the whole purpose...

Yep, I'm afraid Hollywood has stereotyped Texas badly, and many seem to associate Texas with the far West Texas deserts--and nothing else! But I had to REALLY laugh (and spew my beer all over creations in the process!) when I saw what was supposed to be Mexico on the other side of the Rio Grande (Rio Grande, circa 1950, with John Wayne and Mareen O'Hara)...only to see Monument Valley, which is in Utah. My gawd. Just ridiculous!! At least they're getting better about it nowadays in many cases. I think of all of these landscapes when I think of Texas, since these are all a part of Texas--and all

LMAO again. Yep, Cathy, some of them (movies) absolutely cross the lines (pun intended) into being completely idiotic. I have seen movies where once the action crosses the Louisiana/Texas state line...across the Sabine River...the whole landscape suddenly transforms from thick piney woods into barren desert and cactus and wild Indians!

But you are right...it IS becoming better. In the old classic era, most of those western movies were filmed in southern Arizona and California. The studios bought up the cheap land there and used them for "western films". They were extremely popular (and I LOVE them, myself) and the 'scape became engrained and transposed into "Texas"..in the minds of many Americans, who could not have had any way to know different....

[Nairobi]

I definitely think of the center of the Triangle as being quintessentially "Texas": rolling prairie, oak woodlands, huge bluebonnet fields in the spring, etc. Think of Bryan-College Station, Brenham, Bastrop, Corsicana...I call it "Blue Bell Country"

[Yellow Jacket]

The Hill Country as I was born in that part of the state.

[TexasReb]

Originally Posted by Nairobi

I definitely think of the center of the Triangle as being quintessentially "Texas": rolling prairie, oak woodlands, huge bluebonnet fields in the spring, etc. Think of Bryan-College Station, Brenham, Bastrop, Corsicana...I call it "Blue Bell Country"

I like that phrase. Good job, Nairobi!

[ReppingDFW]

I think of wide-open prairie land. Ranching country.

[TexasHorseLady]

All of them is the only accurate and honest answer for a native Texan. What is the "whole purpose" if not that, TexasReb?

[TexasReb]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

All of them is the only accurate and honest answer for a native Texan. What is the "whole purpose" if not that, TexasReb?

That is a good and fair question, THL. So I would answer it this way:

It was just intended to be fun and get ideas and notions and opinions, etc...as to how we Texans see and view it subjectively/individually. What I like most are the descriptions...such as Nairobi's. Which, as we both might agree, make Texas unique. Although we obviously disagree -- in lots of ways -- about the essence of that uniqueness.

If my guess is right, yours is more along the lines of Texas being a "melting pot" of no one culture dominant. Mine is more along the lines of that there are definitely certain cultural influences that are more predominant than others (and I won't get into that! LOL)...which make our state unique....

And yep, as a happy medium? Reasonble people can disagree on exactly which one(s) are over-arching!