I just got back from an eight day vacation from Texas. We went out to visit family and friends. Both my wife and I had been to Texas a number of times. I have never been to Austin but had visited Houston a number of times and also Dallas, El Paso and San Antonio over the years.

Austin was quite an oasis in a ocean of conservationism but like almost all of Texas, the roads are horrible. I'm not sure what Texas does with its tax money but they need to spend some on maintaining the roads.

I noticed the CHL LTC law signs all over the state in all the establishments we visited which said you are not allowed to enter the property with a concealed or open weapon. I found this very strange because it was EVERY WHERE. Restaurants, mall, gas stations, super markets, gift shops, etc. And I mean... every building we went to had these signs banning weapons.

I found it really strange that so many places banned weapons in a state which one would think is so pro-gun. I did see some concealed weapons in public. No open carry situations.

I also saw very few people who had bumper stickers wanting to secede. People I talked to thought it was a stupid idea that extremist idiots pushed those ideas.

Most of the people I found were friendly but reserved in areas outside of Austin. While in Austin, the people seemed very open and pleasant. Austin had more than its share of crazy people on the corner talking to theirselves.

I liked that panhandling is illegal and only select few areas allow it.