BEST WESTERN Duncanville Dallas Hotel Blog

As you’re driving down on of the Lone Star State’s many sprawling highways this spring, taking in all the rolling hills and the big Texas skies overhead, you may notice more than a few cars parked along the side of the road, next to fields and fields exploding with clusters of vibrant blue and white flowers.  What you’re witnessing is a tried and true Texas tradition, where families throughout the state will all gather into the car for an afternoon and take a drive through the countryside to stop and photograph themselves amongst the many beautiful wildflowers that flourish along the roadsides and medians of our highways.  The most prized among these flowers?  The bluebonnet, Texas’ official state flower.

 

 

 

The family photograph amongst the bluebonnets has become a time-honored tradition among both Texans and tourists alike, once the spring months hit and the flowers blossom into their full glory.  Given their name because the flower’s appearance resembles a pioneer woman’s bonnet, there are six species of bluebonnets all together, and since 1971, all six have been designated as the state flowers of Texas.  This was because originally in 1901, Texas lawmakers designated a far more obscure and less stunning species of the bluebonnet as the state flower, an action many felt was a serious oversight.  As a result, in the 1970s, the law was changed to incorporate the remaining five species.

 

The flowers’ spread along the highway is mostly thanks to former first lady, Lady Bird Johnson, wife of 36th President Lyndon B. Johnson.  It was she who convinced the government of Texas to plant the bluebonnets and other wildflowers along the highways of the state, giving the roadsides the beautiful spray of color we now see every spring.  On any given beautiful spring afternoon, it is not uncommon to see upwards of 30 – 40 cars parked along the highway, snapping photos of the flowers and children playing among them. 

 

 

Bluebonnets have become such a staple in daily Texas life that they’ve even found their way into the realm of urban legend.  You’ll often hear the phrase “Don’t pick the bluebonnets” and many Texans will tell you it’s illegal to pick any of the vibrant blue blossoms.

 

While the idea that picking the bluebonnets will land you in hot water with the local law enforcement is merely a myth, it is still very frowned upon by locals to disturb the flowers or remove them.  It’s simply viewed as inconsiderate, as a lot of time, money and hard work goes in to planting and maintaining the beautiful flowers that are enjoyed every year by so many.  Especially considering bluebonnets can take up to 35 years to germinate, they certainly are not easy to replace!  So take all the beautiful photographs you like, but please, leave the flowers for everyone to enjoy.

 

Then, after a long day of driving and basking in the sunlight, capturing those special family moments amongst the fields of bluebonnets, make sure to kick up your feet at our location right in Duncanville.  We’ve got the perfect accommodation package just for you. 

The State Fair of Texas is open and ready for some thrill seekers and foodies!  

Be sure to check-out this year's food winners:

 

 

For more information on the State Fair visit www.bigtex.com/sft/index.asp

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