John is right about those burrs--there are some I got into by accident down at Galveston State Park that were horrible--they draw blood, and I got them on my shoes right before climbing into the tent. Fortunately we discovered them and were able to keep our feet outside until every last one of the nasty things had been picked off.

Down here you don't want to go hanging out in cedar breaks (clusters of trees, a lot of them juniper, called "cedar" locally). Ticks get in the juniper and drop down on any warm bodies that pass underneath. You have to watch it when walking around in tall brush and along rivers--snakes have been mentioned here before. There is a high incidence of rabies in the state, and the fish and game folks drop chunks of meat with rabies innoculations in them for the coyotes and skunks and such to eat in areas when it gets really high. So if you travel with a dog, don't let it run and tangle with the local wildlife.

Texas has some pretty good barbecue. If you're going to be travelling in Central Texas, there are several restaurants owned by the various Mikeska brothers. The one that by far surpasses the rest is the one run by Clem Mikeska in Temple. It's right off of I-35 in the middle of town.

The best smoked salmon in Texas is at my house--but you have to call ahead to find out if I'm home and if I have a batch around. It depends on the availablity of good fish. (A little bit of Washington down here in Texas).

SRS