10 Texas Myths You Won't Believe People Think. 

I tell new residents who are complaining about the heat in April that Texas is just now on pre-heat.

Also I found Texas to be one of the friendliest states of all of 45 states that I have personally visited. If only the summers weren't so hot and muggy.

Born in Texas, worked 45 years out west. Mostly in southern Nevada, California. Moved back to take care of my family. So good to be back, friendly polite people. Much better, glad to be home.

I've lived in PA all my life, Texas is one of my favorite places I've ever visited.

I work for a company that's based in Plano. Visiting head office is a delight. The people are welcoming and the food is amazing. The traffic on the LBJ Freeway is another matter, alas. My favourite Everything Is Big In Texas fact: there are five countries that are smaller than DFW airport.

Lived in Texas in the 70s, the businessmen, especially the oilmen wore three piece suits with cowboy hats and black cowboy boots.

In my experience, we're more about being Texan than caring what people look like. There's a lot of patriotism here, and it being proud of the state is a big part of it.

True about the weather. Lived there for a few years. Heard the statewide weather report one day. Dalhart: 25* and snow. Brownsville: 85* and blowing dust...

P.S. East Texas is just about the most densely forested part of the country I've been to. So much for Texas being a desert state. In fact I've never even been to the more arid western side of the state. There's a lot of ranches in the area east of Dallas, but closer to the Louisiana line, the scenery consists of wall to wall trees, mostly pine. In fact I don't really remember seeing ranches along U.S. 69 from Beaumont to Lufkin when I was there in 2007. All I remember seeing was trees, and a few small towns. And more trees.

"I've never met a Texan who didn't offer his hand" -- Colonel Sherman Potter

I love living in the Lone Star State. I came here due to the military. I think it was wise to raise a family here.

Funny how people think Texas is racist, and having lived in CA and TX, there's more racism and stereotypes and entitled people in CA than TX (I'm Hispanic). Not to mention that regardless of whether they vote red or blue, people are just nicer and easier to spark a conversation with in TX than in CA. As to why? Idk maybe it's just people are more stressed in CA because of the extremely high cost of living compared to TX, or maybe cause everyone crowds around the coast in CA only and there's tons of wasted uninhabited land in CA. In TX, people are not bent living near the coast around Houston, they use a lot more % of the land in TX to live than they do in CA. I'm baised obviously as you can tell, but it doesn't necessarily mean I'm wrong 🤷‍♂️ please don't CA my TX 🍻

The population here in Texas is as diverse as you're going to find anywhere in the world. Of course we have lots of folks with Hispanic heritage but it might surprise people that they're not all from Mexico. We have a lot of folks from Central America and many even come here from South America. After the Korean and Vietnam wars there were refugees that came to the Gulf Of Mexico coastal areas and are great at harvesting the bounty of the Gulf. They also open amazing restaurants and have tradition food and culture festivals. Houston has the most Indian restaurants in any city outside of India itself with only one exception - London. Here in Corpus Christi and other coastal cities we have a large Greek community and our Greek Food And Wine Festival is this weekend and draws lots of folks to attend. Just like anywhere else in the world there are a lot of stereotypes that have some basis in our history and culture, but the reality is often very surprising when folks come here to visit.

Texan here. This entire thing reads like a 5th graders social studies report.

I'm in the Big Thicket area, love my piney woods!!! The big thing in my area is the purple fence post tops or purple paint bands around trees. Which means NO TRESS PASSING PRIVATE PROPERTY. Private property is a very big deal here in Texas. VERY big deal, could possibly get shot if your considered a threat. Texas is the only state with the purple banding for property and it's also legal in the Texas court systems.

Briggs. Another awesome video!! As a Texan twice removed and returned (to Dallas & Houston), I agree with your clarity on every stereotype. I also lived in CA, FL, IL, IN, MI & NM. We heard all those "Texas" questions plus some... thanks for the edutainment. 🙏🏽

Texans: Don't Mess with Texas Mother Nature: Hold my beer.

Austinite here, love how thorough and honest you were in ticking off all the boxes with the stereotypes! So entertaining and your graphics, visuals and production are well done. Thank you, Briggs.

Briggs, I am surprised you said nothing about the 367 mi (591 km) of ocean coasline on the gulf of Mexico. There are many attractions that differ from anywhere in the state, but folks will still remind you that this is Texas.

I'm from deep South Texas. When I first married and moved to California back in the sixtys one of my darling neighbors thought that everyone in Texas either lived on or owned a ranch. She was so disappointed to find out that just was not the case. On the other hand, I was disappointed to find out that not all who lived in California were born surfers. Same with Louisiana, not everyone is Cajun. I love the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Every State has something good and fun to offer. I just wish we could all get along and be grateful that we live in the best country in the world. Yup, we do have some bumps and warts but it's still the very best‼️🇺🇸 🇨🇱

I grew up in Illinois and moved to Texas 40 years ago. The myth of everything being bigger immediately exploded when I got here. Trees like mesquite are tiny compared to the giant sycamores where I grew up. In areas of low rainfall, plant life just doesn't get big. In Texas, they call mosquitos "no see ums" because they are so small. In Illinois, they are so big you can hear them flying near you. The state is enormous, though. I remember the first time I drove here from the Chicago area. I got to the Texas/Arkansas border and thought I was almost there. In fact, I was just a little over half way! Where I grew up you could drive one hour and be in Wisconsin, or Indiana, or Iowa. Here, you can drive through the King ranch in South Texas for and hour and a half ands still be in the King ranch. The ranch alone is 60% bigger than Rhode Island.

Fact #1!: Texas is full and closed, do not move to Texas.

We haven’t long come back from Texas, we had one of the best experiences ever ! The people are amazing ! So kind and the food !!! We did a lot of vlogs on the food !!! ❤

Texas#1 Don't move here though.

Good video! I think the weather was one of the biggest surprises for my parents when they visited us in Texas the first time. It was between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and they came from California. They couldn't believe the biting cold outside some days! I'd probably also add that there are even more distinct regions in the state that aren't desert, like the piney woods and the south part of the Gulf Coast, where it's actually nice (unlike muddy Galveston).

Native Texan here who loves to travel the U.S. When folks here im from Texas they assume just about everything you covered. Most are surprised to hear the area i live in is all wooded and that timber industry is almost as big as oil business in my area

Briggs I'm going to say great video buddy! As someone who has spent a lot of their life in Texas you made a very accurate video . Texas being as large as it is is very diverse geographically, culturally Etc. Geographically speaking we have Piney Woods and swamps on the eastern border of the state, followed by more open Savannah type forests which were perfect for farming add to some extent still are used for that purpose. You can almost draw a line following interstate 35 from the Oklahoma border down to around San Antonio then back east to the Louisiana and Arkansas borders and it falls under subtropical climate which means hot humid Summers and more dry Winters. The areas around Austin and San Antonio west of Interstate 35 are rolling Limestone Hills with many caves and clear streams. To the south of San Antonio you have large ranches such as King Ranch and as you approach the southern tip of Texas you enter a tropical forest where citrus fruits are grown. Additionally the large cities of Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas are among the top ten largest in the US. As you move further west you enter a more semi arid grassland climate which gets drier the more west you go. Finally the Trans Pecos of Texas ( the far western tip) is a mixture of the Chihuahuan desert and towering mountains. All this diverse landscape over time has attracted a diverse population with many religious beliefs and also a wide variety of food! Texas is really intersting state. It is true it does get hot statewide for several months of the year typically may thur sept but it is possible to have sunny warm weather on one end and snow on the other at the same time. Its a friendly place that I like to call home even if I am currently in Wyoming for work.

Great video, as a Texan from the DFW area this is accurate.

Texas has the most diversified weather patterns out of any state in the U.S. That's what is so unique about it. If you like dry warm weather, move to El Paso. If you enjoy coastal towns with high humidity, Corpus Christi, Beaumont, Brownsville, are excellent choices.

I moved to Houston from Detroit. It’s a swamp, like nearby New Orleans, but no matter how many times I tell my family back home, they still think I’m living in a spaghetti western desert, with seguaro cactuses🌵 🏜️ and tumbleweeds. They can’t hear me. It’s burned into their brains forever.

One thing on the power part: having our own grid is NOT a good thing. as you stated, we've had pretty bad issues at times when bad weather hits (both too hot or too cold). It's also worth saying that not all of the state is on the grid! There are certain counties in East Texas, the Panhandle, and West Texas which are not on it

Your finishing comment was spot on about Texans. I originally come from Canada (supposed to be the nicest people, right)? But omg, I had no idea how much I missed that. We immigrated in the 60's to California. Not as nice. But, 3 years ago I moved to the texas hill country. Again, I had no idea how much I missed being around truly caring neighbors. The things I noticed most were the teenagers. They do behave better, my experience. Thanks, great video.

Everything from people,food, and landscape you can find in Texas without leaving the state. Friendliness,TexMex food and BBQ is number one. Proud Texans yes we are. My family and I say when we go out of state we have crossed the border because we feel like Texas has the atmosphere and culture of a different country.

As a life long Texan, I agree most of our people are very kind, considerate, and helpful; unfortunately our state's politicians are not so inclined nearly as much.

Great video Briggs. Yes the people in Texas are good to one another. Sadly there is racism in every state. My family is mixed and I have a brother and his wife in San Antonio and a niece in Houston along with her grown kids. They love Texas. It’s a good state and neighbors take care of one another

Glad you did this video. I'm always correcting people about my state. Funny thing is the world has a fascination with Texas. When I visited China, they had Texas BBQ cips. Switzerland had Texas bread. Uk had Texas pizza. Italy was selling Texas University shirts. In Japan the guy was happy we were from Texas and wanted to talk about the cowboys. 😂

The Mexican food in Texas is next level. I’ve frozen my butt off in Dallas in the winter.

Visit Far West Texas sometime. Big Bend country. It's desert and cowboy country big time. Great Mexican food. BBQ is awesome.

When it comes to geography, Texas has the most diverse of all 50 states. The land west of the Pecos River accounts for pretty much all of the desert, and, also has several mountain ranges. The panhandle of Texas is the southern end of the great plains, and is also home to the 2nd largest canyon system , Palo Duro Canyon, with the Grand Canyon of Arizona the largest. East Texas has forrests and lots of lakes.South East Texas has thousands of acres of swamp, along with alligators and the other snakes, and animals common to that ecosystem. Then, if your a beach goer, South Texas has miles and miles of gulf coast beaches. Central Texas has more lakes, the rolling Hill Country, and an impressive cave system that's open to public tours, like the ones you find in the larger Carlsbad Caverns of New Mexico, which is a shorter drive to get to, if your in the Permian Basin area of West Texas, then to the aforementioned, Natural Bridge Caverns. If you are into white water rafting, we got you covered in the Big Bend National Park area of SouthWest Texas. If you like miles of nothing but sand dunes, much like you see in Baja, California, no worries, go a few miles east of Monahans, in West Texas to the sandhills State Park. Hunters and fishing affecianados, have a vast selection of game, from turkey, duck, dove, quail, pheasant, grouse, both white and black tail deer, pronghorn antelope, wild boar, and even a variety of exotic game on private game ranchs, most consisting of several hundred acres. As far as fishing, lakes streams, rivers, and for deep sea fishermen, chartered fishing excursions in the vast ocean waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Guest ranches where you can go on guided horse back trail rides, or in some places, trails where you can bring your own horses, and ride marked trails at your own pace. There's championship boat races on some of the biggest lakes, water and jet skiing, and tubing for miles on gentle flowing rivers. We also have skydiving and scuba diving. Countless historical musuems antique car musuems, train musuems, art musuems, and world famous art gallerys in cities like Dallas and Houston, to name a couple. There's more still but I got to get back to work.

Texans know how to party. A small list: Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Night in Old San Antonio, The State Fair of Texas, Galveston’s Mardi Gras, Texas Renaissance Festival😊, and almost every month there are BBQ Cookoffs to go to.

I appreciate how accurate you are with this. I'm a 5th generation Texan and your very right.

I lived in Texas a little bit over half of my life. Your information is very true. Kudos to you.

I lived three months in Texas in 1973, a year in 1983-84, and another year 1990-91, all with the Army. Now we have been retired in Texas for five years. Wow, the drive from San Antonio to Fort Worth has changed since 1973! Even Austin was a small city then. We live in the Harlingen, Brownsville, South Padre Island area. When traveling North or East we drive the State highways to avoid the big cities. Other than the big cities Texas is pretty nice.

As a former resident of Texas, this video is good.

This video is spot on. I've lived in Beaumont, Texas all my 58 years of lfe..Thank you for this one!

I live in the inner city of Houston. Don’t know anyone who owns a gun, and have never seen anyone carrying one. Rural areas are a different story.

There is also alot of fried foods like Oreos, Twinkies, Pickles. You can have snow in January or February, I lived In Plano, which is a suburb of Dallas. Summers were scorchers, and winters did get a few cold days and snow, but for the most part it was usually in the 70's. Texas has more Hispanics than anything, they are also some of the hardest workers in Texas.

The power grid issues didn't start in Texas until Texas allowed a California power company to control our power grid, this happened sometime within the last 5 years.

This is going to be good. I grew up in Texas, and we know all the nonsense Texans say about Texas. When it's over, I'll let you know if you missed any of them. [Wow, you did a great job! Kinda freaked out that Texans have apparently forgotten President Lyndon Baines Johnson was from the "Texas Hill Country" -central TX. Also, we used to be liberal Democrats in the 70s ]

I'm between Houston and Galveston and I like to say we have 2 seasons, summer and February 😅

Well I'm from a megasuburb of Houston. Best way to describe Katy? Where Cajun Country meets the American Southwest. That disputes the BBQ one..Katy is an underrated foodie city, and it has relatively little BBQ, but indeed some great BBQ.

We are a very diverse state😁 AND WE LOVE IT!

Okay that last one is ridiculous, and I never heard that one before, the others, yes, I have. I am going to add some factors about my home city of San Antonio because it's extremely diverse too in of itself- It has one of the biggest populations of Muslims in the nation. Also, has a huge population of Indians (from the country India). One of the Hindu holidays is celebrated here, called the Festivals of Lights, it happens this time. When I was in college, I heard about it and attended it, it was Downtown. So colorful and amazing. For these 2 groups, I am always seeing them at attractions now.

Love the vid Briggs, I am from Colombia (living in Houston now) and while I was there I heard a big group of Texans saying that Texas was twice the size of my country, they repeated that year after year and were convinced (it's obviously not true) but that was my first "Texas is bigger than anything else experience 🤣🤣

First, everything is bigger here, including our egos.😊 Second, it’s a felony to carry a firearm into some places, like bars. Third, not all the state is on the Texas grid. Areas like Beaumont/Port Arthur and the Panhandle aren’t. Fourth, Houston is the most racially diverse city in the country, and Sugar Land is probably a close second.

Texas was its own country

Great video. Being an army brat I grew up mostly near Fort Hood TX. And yes I know they changed the name but. 1 I can't pronounce it. And 2 I'm not gonna change what I call it 😊

When I moved from London (UK) to Fort Worth Texas in 2001, my British friends joked that I needed to learn to ride a horse, drill for oil, and rope cattle. "Yee-Haw" and all that! In actual fact, most ranchers drive 4x4 or side-by-side ATV's, so apart from those almost empty south western parts of the state, horse riding? Not really apart from fun.

I'm tired of people thinking I'm dumb just because I have a really bad Texas accent. Texans are intelligent educated folks.

When discussing the population, skin color is a divisive issue. Hispanics are classified as Caucasian. Because of the Spanish and Portuguese influence. This results in the 'white' classification being rather large. If the terminology was changed to 'ethnic diversification' the resulting numeric changes would be significant. Ethnicity and color are significantly different things. When taking a survey, if the question comes up about my race/ethnicity I always respond 'other' then fill in the line with 'Texan'.

One of the big ones is that Texas is the only state allowed to fly the state flag at the same height as the national flag, usually claimed because TX used to be "iindependent". Nevermind the fact that three other states used to be independent as well (all with air quotes aside from Hawaii).

IF you dont like the weather....wait a few mintues. :)

State motto: Friendship

Once went to a restaurant near Houston. The steaks were displayed in a butcher case in a back room, where you choose the steak you wanted, then it was cooked to order. I had Crawfish Etoufee and broiled quail as sides.

God bless the Lone Star State, while I’ve personally never been I do have some family there in Arlington. I love brisket and food in general. I could live in TX the lack of income tax is nice (yes I’m aware that it will be offset by other expenses), the history, culture, mild winters (depending on the region), many different areas to possibly call home and so much more. One negative that I’ve heard from grapevine that driving in Texas can be experience to say the least.

Yes, tex mex is far more common here than BBQ restaurants

I lived in Texas for a few years. Not gonna lie, I was blown away by the food. I always thought it would be all about the BBQ, but that was actually not even that good. It was the Tex Mex and the Asian foods for some reason, were on another level.

As a Texan, yes I have horses & guns 🤣

Everything is bigger in Texas except parking spots. I swear to God they’re all painted to fit sub-compacts

“Don’t you dare take the name of Texas in vain!” -Sandy Cheeks

Great video Briggs! The demographic breakdown was eye opening, perhaps a video about each states demographics....and how they have changed. Just throwing it out there....

Biggest Misconception - Texas is not the biggest state. That honor goes to the State of Alaska. However, Texas is the biggest of the 48 continuous States.

Love your videos! Spent 30 years here in the Amarillo area. Very helpful and friendly people. 100+ summers. Winters can hit 19 below. Insane winds and storms. Racism is definitely not on the level others think. Guns are normal to see carried, especially in rural ranching towns like Pampa, and some areas do burn intensely red. We are proud of our state history. "American by birth. Texan by the grace of God". And yes you'll probably see somebody riding a horse down the road in Amarillo's downtown at some point. 🤷‍♂️

Hey--Texas history nerd here. Yep; once upon a time before the Civil War, when Texas joined the Union for the first time, there was a deal about it retaining certain rights other states didn't have, like secession. As you said, the Civil War changed all that--which is fine. btw no real Texan really wants the state to secede; for most of my life everyone kind of considered it a good joke to have a "secede" bumper sticker on your car, and no more than that, until a few people decided to stage a political stunt based on taking it seriously.

30 years ago, I swor I would NEVER move to the State. Well... My life changed in ways I could not imagine. Been here now for about 25 years. Best move I ever made.

I'm a 7th generation Texan, and I approve this message lol. My family came with Stephen F. Austin in 1824, and I consider myself Texan before American.

There is a reason we seldom ask for help, we always help each other!

Glad you mentioned the climate. I live in Northwest Texas , snow and cold temps are not unusual. I have never heard anyone claim Texas is the whitest state.

Couple of points ... In and near Dallas, I have seen some of the biggest churches ever. Huge!! (Not including European cathedrals.) Houses here are bigger. Because for a while land was cheap, shopping centers sprung up huge. (Some going away over last few years). Neighbors are friendly-but in fact, one of my neighbors is Filipino, one is Russian,-2nd gen, and the most unfriendly one just sold and moved...I think she was from Arkansas. Since we have only been here 13 years, I say yes, folks are good as you are to them. In our area, it is pretty flat, plenty of trees, and dry. Over last couple of years big corps have brought changing demographics-sadly changing the overall southern charm that was extant in 2009.

Fun fact Texas has a mountain names gudalpe peak at 9,125 feet above sea level I don't remember the exact height of the mountain but it's 8,000 to 9,000 plus feet above sea level in the gudalpe mountains of Texas and New Mexico.

When I was in college I met and dated a guy from Texas. He was the sweetest guy I had ever met. How sweet? One day he called his mom to introduce me to her. Ironically, his nickname was "Cowboy".

Good video. The one myth you missed is my son and his family will move back to California. They ain’t. I enjoyed my brief stay at Lackland.

Moved here (DFW area)4 yrs ago from , yes I’ll say it CA (Bay Area). After 50 yrs of CA and watching it going down the drain the last 10yrs I’d had enough. I’m not political and lean more right then left so I’m not here to change things, plus I like it here. Observations of Texas- People - very friendly and very proud to be Texan doesn’t matter what race or ethnicity they are, also it’s way more diverse then outsiders think at least in the major metro areas. Weather- definitely not boring and often a little crazy. I actually enjoy it Religion, Football and Guns are big, you don’t have to be into any of the 3 but being into at least one will lead to a lot more social activities.

I just decided to have some bbq for lunch today. Texas definitely has fantastic food. Most Texans greet you with a Yeeeeeehaw!!!! J/K

I lived in various places all over Texas for 40 years and I think your video was spot on, although my own personal experience has me feeling like the politics and racism have gotten to an ugly extreme over the last decade.

I'd recommend listening to "Stupid Texas song" by the Austin Lounge Lizards. It's a fun song that teases what Texas is like. I've lived in 3 different parts of the country, with 20 years in Texas. The people there tend to have very independent tendencies and are passionate about living there. If it hadn't been for the heat and humidity, I'd still be living there.

We have visited Texas many times. It’s a beautiful and wonderful place to visit. The thing I don’t like now is the corruption in most of the government. Just saying. But it’s still a great idea to visit there! Nice friendly people!

I like the one where texans are good Americans but those coming there from other states are considered foreigners

😂 every time I say I’m from Texas, everyone always asks “do you guys ride horses everywhere” I was like “bro I drive a Camry”

Thanks Briggs for making this video about the Lone Star State of Texas. I hope to one day.... relocate there, God Willing. 🙏

I love your Texas videos and I love that you mention Beaumont! We had 10k people in 1900, and Houston had only 20k people! They both grew doubling each decade at least but Houston grew massively. It’s super green here and humid, opposite of a desert and I love how you put that in your videos the reality instead of stereotyping

Hope the guy from Denmark gets a chance to visit Galveston island .part of Texas ,but not. Laid back beach vibe here.We have Palm trees and mild winters. although we consider 40 degrees really cold. In Texas we are supposedly known for our friendliness .except on our freeways . The electric grid failed miserably during a winter storm that even reached us on the island . The only city that had electricity was El Paso they aren't on the the Texas grid completely. Galveston a great place to visit full of fun things to do,And history a very old and interesting place.

Great job, Briggs! And pretty darn accurate as well. Outside of the state I have heard the hyper-white, hyper-red, and hyper-racist comments, too. I have often told people don't judge us by our state leadership or some of our loudest politicians at the federal level, look at many at the local levels and there you find more of the pragmatic common sense crowd of all ethnicities, cultural groups, and persuasions. The state and federal crowd are living testament to the idea that we have the best politicians money can buy. Part of the matter is that the state is so bifurcated. The large urban centers are as blue as any in the US, while the small towns and rural areas are as red as any in the US. At some point, there will be a tilt. Look at where the growth is and that will give you your answer--in time.

Go to Laredo and you'll be lucky to leave with your underwear these days

I’m from south Texas. When I was in Arkansas I stopped at a restaurant small family owned types and went through the menu. LOADED SPUDS OUR SPECIALTY. I ask what the heck is a spud and the waitress says it’s a baked potato. Oh…. I replied and asked if they were big and fully loaded and she says oh… yes the are huge! Good because I’m hungry. Waitress brings out the plate and it’s a tiny baked potato the size of my fist. I tell her this is tiny where I’m from baked potatoes are huge. Where are you from she asks ??? I say Texas The whole dining area says out loud Patrons rolling their eyes. Texas EVERYTHING IS BIG IN TEXAS

Great list. I grew up in Georgia and believe a lot of this until I initially visited in 2009. Now, that I live here I can say Texas is unique, but I like it. It’s more like Georgia to me than California. Oh, the one thing I can say that surprised me is the amount of black people into the rodeo and cowboy attire. I never saw this in Ga and SC.

From north central texas myself. Been all over the state from the swamps of orange county to the desert of el paso and the plains north of dfw(my home coincidentally) to the beach lands down south by galveston, its got such a range of places to live and visit. I love my home state!

No Texas can actually leave the United States it is the only state that can because it is in the Texas Constitution.

As I undersyand it, Texas baebecue is more beef and more spicy than other places. Bob Bailey in Maine ( all hat & no cattle) and not just a Yankee, but a damn Yankee

Moved from Alaska to Texas a few years ago. Best way we’ve found to truly annoy a hardcore Texan is we tell them we moved to Texas because we wanted to move to a smaller state…. ;-)