Travel the World Without Leaving Texas
By Janna Zepp
You can see the world and never leave Texas.
Yep. It’s true. There are nearly 100 towns in Texas named for someplace else.
Wanna see Europe? It’s possible.
There’s Italy, Texas. And if you’re all about all things Mediterranean, you can visit Roma, Rhome, Ravenna, Naples or Florence. Love Switzerland? We have Alpine and Swiss Alps, Texas. France? How about Paris or Savoy? We even have a Riviera. Are you a fan of the Benelux countries? There’s Nederland, Holland and Waterloo.
Germany is represented, and not just by the German communities of New Braunfels, Fredericksburg, Gruene and Boerne. There’s also Berlin, New Berlin, New Ulm, Weimar, Muenster and Sachse, all of which are named for actual Germanic municipalities. And it’s not quite Austria, but we do have Vienna.
If Scandinavia is more your tin of pickled herring, visit New Sweden.
Prefer the United Kingdom and Ireland? There’s Dublin, Argyle, Aberdeen, Midlothian, Edinburg, Scotland, Newcastle, London, and New London. You can even go to the Highlands. Trivia sidebar: Scotland is home to two Texas cities; Dallas and Houston. They are, however, significantly smaller than their Texas sisters.
Missing Puerto Rico? There’s a San Juan. Love the Caribbean? Trinidad awaits, minus Tobago. Jamaica Beach and Nassau Bay are here, too.
Love Argentina? We have Pampa.
Russia is represented by Moscow and Odessa.
Looking for something more exotic? There is Orient, China Grove and Tiki Island. Athens, Egypt, Karnack, Iraan, Cypress, Carthage, Corinth and Palestine are here. However, Iraan is pronounced “Ira-Ann” and Palestine is “pal-uh-STEEN,” not “pal-uh-STEIN.” Get it right before you go or you’ll never hear the end of the gaff from the locals.
You can also stay a little closer to home and go Canadian. It’s the Oasis of the Panhandle, by the way.
If you’d rather travel within the United States without leaving Texas, that’s possible too. I recommend you start in Texas City, then venture to the East Coast: Albany, Buffalo, Boston, New Boston, Pittsburg, Yorktown, Roanoke, Shenandoah, Georgetown, Mount Vernon and Atlanta. You can even visit Princeton. Whether you’re from Oregon or Maine, you can go home to Portland.
Fans of the Buckeye State will appreciate Columbus, Cleveland and North Cleveland.
Those from the Show Me State will be happy to know that, yes, we have a Missouri City.
The South is covered too, with Shreveport and Mobile City.
Michiganders can visit Saginaw and Detroit.
Even Nebraskans can find Omaha.
Moving west, there’s Santa Fe, Reno, Pasadena, Beverly Hills, San Diego. And for our Colorado brethren, there’s Colorado City and Denver City.
Yep, just about everybody’s hometown, home state or home country is represented in the Lone Star State. I guess that’s part of why “friendship” is our state motto. If I’ve missed any, I apologize and leave you with this: for those looking for something truly out of this world, it is possible to visit Venus, seek Utopia, do your Veribest, Prosper, find Sanctuary and eventually end up in Paradise — all right here in Texas.
