1. Everything's bigger: The saying goes "everything is bigger in Texas," and we could not disagree. Maybe it's just a feeling, but roads seem to go on forever and vehicles are enormous. Probably the biggest thing of all is Texas pride and patriotism. The flags here are no joke! It is impressive how many American and Texas state flags you see, and everyone expresses this pride in their own way...

2. "Should have taken a left turn at Albuquerque:" Sounds like a Bugs Bunny cartoon, but there are some fun stops as you drive along the famous Route 66 from Albuquerque to Amarillo. About a 100 miles from the border of NM and TX, we stopped at the Blue Hole. A dive site in a small town called Santa Rosa, NM, with amazing blue water. It was a bit too cold for us to swim, but that didn't stop the divers.

On the side of the freeway just outside of Amarillo, you may notice several cars pulling over and people walking into a field in the middle of nowhere. If you look a bit further, you'll see a line of Cadillacs mounted vertically like pillars in the middle of the field! It is something quite unique and worth a stop. It has become a tradition to bring spray paint to add your own flair to this art concept, and now the cars are completely covered in graffiti. The cars are repainted occasionally to mark an important moment or cultural event, for commercial purposes, or even just to provide a fresh canvas.

Unfortunately, people don't clean up after themselves and often leave empty spray cans and other trash around the site. If we want nice things to last, then we need to do better than this!

3. Texas BBQ: If you visit anywhere in Texas, you'll find barbecue. Every town has its own BBQ stand and it is more than just a regional tradition. Texas BBQ is like a religion for the locals. Since we are foodies, we needed to give it a try. We stopped at Franklin BBQ in Austin and stayed 2 hours in line for a chance to savor their famous meats. It was worth the wait!!! It was melt in your mouth and finger-licking good (pre-covid of course). If you are carnivorous, BBQ is a must try in Texas. Surprisingly, we went vegan when we left Texas and spent the next 6 months eating only veggies.

4. Austin vibes: Austin is a really cool town. It had similar vibes to Portland, OR, and a bit of San Francisco, CA. Food trucks, music bars, a welcoming atmosphere, the river and nearby Lake Travis make Austin an oasis within Texas. We met fun and diverse people and felt right at home. We were there in March and the temperature was ideal. Not sure if we would have liked it as much in the middle of the summer where temperature can easily surpass 100 degrees every day. If you are liberal, love diverse people and food, and embrace "weird," Austin may be the (only) place for you in Texas. Go visit but make sure to pick the right time of year for the climate you prefer!

5. SXSW: South By South West (SXSW) is the annual music, film, and technology festival in Texas. The entire town comes to life and seems to cater to this event. Companies and artists from all over the world come together for more than 2 weeks to celebrate the creative collaboration between these industries. It would have been our first time there, and we were very excited for Stefy to be a presenter in the Esports session (her company is an up and coming agency in the ecosystem). Unfortunately COVID-19 shut down the US, and the entire event was cancelled. We can't wait to be there next time.

6. MotoGP: We are part of the motorcycle industry, and we were super happy to have the chance to be guests at the MotoGP race at the Circuit of the Americas. Unfortunately, this event was also cancelled due to Covid-19, and we will have to wait for another time. Check out some of the races on TV or online. You will not be disappointed.

7. Windmills and Oil Fields: To imagine Texas, conjure images of big open spaces with windmills and oil pumps as far as the eye can see. One of the biggest industries in Texas, besides agriculture, is oil. You can not drive through the countryside without smelling crude petroleum or seeing pumpjacks steadily bobbing, extracting that "Texas gold" with their rhythmic motion. Also prevalent are windmill farms making Texas fifth in the world for wind capacity.

8. Cathedral of Junk: This was a very peculiar site in Austin. In a quiet neighborhood street, there is a house with tons of junk behind it. The occupant of the house turned the junk into art and created what is called a Cathedral of Junk. You can visit this (junk)yard by appointment. We did not visit but just did a drive by.

10. San Antonio: A relatively short drive from Austin is the historic city of San Antonio. This city was made famous by the battle of The Alamo. You can tour the fort and learn about the mission, the battle, and the legend surrounding this historic site. After a step into the past, take a stroll on the river walk. There is a canal in the middle of the city with restaurants and shops on both sides. This section reminded us of Europe. We enjoyed donuts, burgers and CBD infused drinks. Worth a stop. Southeast of San Antonio is Cycle Ranch Motocross track. Here Rachel learned to ride a dirt bike for the first time in 2019.