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40 Things I Love About Texas

How much do I love Texas, my family's home since 1848? In honor of the 40th anniversary of Southern Living, here are 40 reasons, in no particular order except for the first and last.

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Kilgore

My hometown provides perfect symbols of our state. Our oil helped win World War II. The Rangerettes high-kicked the halftime show into a national symbol. Pianist Van Cliburn grew up here, and this is the home of the Texas Shakespeare Festival, proving both genius and culture thrive in small towns. For pretheater dining, we like the bard with brisket and ribs at Bodacious Bar-B-Q, Boomtown BBQ, and Country Tavern.