Although all of Texas is hot, at least in the summer, the state contains 12 destinct geographical zones. In other words, there's something for everybody. The glaciers left behind underground ice so that some spring fed rivers, like the Frio in West Texas, can be frigid in the hottest summer. In 'The Valley', you can expect to see road signs in Spanish and English both. When I lived there there were miles and miles of citrus groves and cotton fields; probably plowed under now, for housing. Historically, the main cultures were Mexican, German, and Irish; though most traces of that are gone now. When I was a boy, there were still towns where almost every one spoke German or Czech. People are people everywhere. But in Texas, the ;Wild West' attitude and the love affair with guns can make things a little ancy sometimes. As a tourist, that won't affect you. Like everywhere else, it's both better and worse than every one says. Have a good time. One warning - deserts are an aquired taste and can be very dangerous. Stay on the road.