How to Celebrate Texas Independence Day

On March 2, 1836, Texas severed ties with Mexico and became a free and independent republic. It was a short-lived country: a little less than 10 years later Texas joined the Union. As any Texan will tell you, though, that streak of independence still runs strong and deep through our second-largest state. And that's something to celebrate wherever you find it.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Cowboy Boots
• Cowboy Hats
• Tex-Mex Cookbooks
• Cowboy Cookbooks
• Cowboy CDs

1. Visit Washington-on-the-Brazos, where the Texas Independence Convention signed the Republic into being. It's now a state park with state-of-the-art interactive exhibits open year round, with plenty of rousing events during the week of March 2.

2. Travel to San Antonio and tour the Alamo.

3. Watch "The Alamo" starring John Wayne as Davy Crockett.

4. Throw a Happy Birthday Texas party. Suggest that guests come dressed as cowboys or Alamo freedom fighters; serve cowboy camp grub and Tex-Mex goodies, play songs about Texas and tell Texas jokes.

on 3/28/2006 Head to your favorite Tex-Mex establishment with a patio at approximately 2 PM. Proceed to order margaritas of various flavors. Consume vigorously with chips, queso, and salsa. Discuss your various backgrounds (hopefully some with Mexican descent). Repeat this until dusk. At nightfall proceed to turn it up a notch and mix in tequila shots and dance on tables. Enjoy the Fiesta Dax!

on 11/22/2005 Boycott all businesses who do not honor Texas Independence Day.

on 11/22/2005 It would be nice to have some coloring pages available for the children.

on 11/22/2005 E-mail the Texas Historical Commission for a free Texas Independence Trail Region brochure that highlights all the sites and history of the Independence Trail region. E-mail [e-mail]