KnowYard Community

It depends where you came from. My friends in California still pay double what I pay for everything. Texas is expensive compared to 2019 Texas, but cheap compared to a lot of other places.

Texas pride. I've never lived anywhere where people fly the state flag more than the US flag. And they're not being ironic about it.

Check on your elderly neighbors during heat waves. Seriously. Heat stroke can kill and not everyone has working AC or the ability to get to a cooling center.

YMCA is slept on. Some of them have surprisingly good weight rooms, plus pool, basketball courts, and sauna. $45/month for an adult membership at most locations.

Whataburger loyalty is not a meme. People here will defend that place with their lives. I said it was mid ONE TIME and almost got run out of the office.

Did the Texas BBQ trail — hit 5 different BBQ spots across the state in 3 days. Gained 8 pounds. No regrets.

Skip the places with "Mexican Grill" in the name. Find the places with handwritten specials on the whiteboard. That's where the real food is.

If the spot doesn't have a line of construction workers at 6am it's probably not that good. That's my filter.

Chorizo and egg with a little bit of potato mixed in. Squeeze of lime. That's the one.

Nostalgia is literally part of food culture. You're not making the point you think you're making. Also the spicy ketchup is elite.

The friendliness is real. People wave at strangers, hold doors, and make small talk in checkout lines. Moved from the northeast and this took months to get used to.

Just wait for your first blue norther. 80 degrees at lunch, 35 degrees by dinner. You will learn to check the weather every morning.

Marfa is one of the weirdest towns in America in the best way. Art installations in the middle of nowhere, the Marfa lights, Prada Marfa. Combine it with Big Bend for a full trip.

Solar panels with battery backup. Not cheap but after 2 summers of anxiety I made the investment. When ERCOT asks me to conserve, I just switch to battery. Independence from this grid is priceless.

Look for nature preserves run by land trusts or Audubon societies. Usually free, well-maintained trails, and way fewer people than state or city parks.

High school football being a religion. I thought people were exaggerating. Then I saw a high school stadium bigger than most college stadiums. These people are not playing.

I moved here from California and I think Whataburger is great but the cult following is disproportionate to the food. It's an A- burger with an S tier fanbase.

If you're lucky enough to have a Gold's Gym nearby, that's still the gold standard for serious lifting. Some locations are better than others though.

Everything IS bigger. The steaks, the trucks, the highways, the distances, the portions. My first time ordering a "small" drink here I got what I'd call a large anywhere else.

Hill Country in the spring is unbeatable. Fredericksburg for wineries, Enchanted Rock for hiking, and the wildflowers on the roadside are insane in April.

Find a place that makes their tortillas in house. That's the only criteria that matters. Everything else follows.

Port Aransas for a cheap beach trip. Not the prettiest beach in the world but the vibe is chill, the fishing is good, and hotels are way cheaper than Galveston.

The Dallas Arts District is the largest contiguous urban arts district in the country and nobody outside DFW knows this. Better marketing could make Dallas an actual arts destination.

My Mexican friends refuse to eat at most Tex-Mex places. But they also admit that queso (which doesn't exist in Mexico) is addictive. Cultural exchange works both ways.

Bacon egg and cheese on flour with green salsa. That's the order. Every time. Don't overthink it.