Living in Texas during the summer isn’t for the weak. From a hurricane season that threatens us for six months out of the year to mosquitoes that aren’t just annoying but also dangerous to our health, summer in Texas is a force.
New residents and generations-old Texans alike know that the months of June, July, and August in Texas are nothing to sneeze at (Case in point: African dust storms wreaking havoc on our allergies this summer). At this point in the summer, it feels like we’re all just getting by and dreaming of that first fall cool front – that is, sadly, still three months away.
The good news is that it’s not all bad. Believe it or not, there are some little things that make life in Texas during the summer almost bearable. Here are a few:
Photo: Flickr/Matthew Peoples
Air conditioners are turned up to full-blast most everywhere you go in the summer. There is something to be said for the deep thaw that comes from finally stepping outside, into the 105-degree heat, after enduring an overly-air conditioned ice box and feeling the blood return to your frostbitten extremities. Movie theaters and office buildings – we’re looking at you.
2. Great Deals on Shorts and Sandals
Photo: Flickr/mendolus shank
While other parts of the United States get only a few, precious months to wear shorts and sandals, here in Texas, we can wear them all the time. This is the best time of year to score major savings on clearance summer clothing that we can wear year-round.
3. Ice Houses Are Where It’s At
Photo: Facebook/billysice
While the idea of sitting outside (of your own free will) might seem crazytown, there’s something to be said about a good, old fashioned, open-air “Ice House” and its ice cold, almost-slushy beer on a hot Saturday afternoon. Texas has many famous ice houses and, along with the coldest beer in the state, you’ll also probably find a good jukebox and a pickup game of shuffleboard to keep your mind off of the temperatures.
4. Getting Some Relief on The River
Photo: Flickr/dustin larimer
Texas is home to over 15 major rivers and tubing is a fun way to cool off. This inexpensive and accessible recreational activity might as well be the official pastime of Texans during the summer.
Photo: Flickr/Keith Allison
Preseason professional football begins in August, giving us all hope for what the cooler Sundays of fall have in store for us. What better reason to dust off your crockpot and your famous queso recipe, pull your football jersey out of the closet and have some friends over to enjoy a preseason game on TV?
