> Texas is absurdly large -- there's 800+ miles between the Louisiana border and El Paso In fact, Austin, the state capital, is farther away from El Paso than

> Texas is absurdly large -- there's 800+ miles between the Louisiana border and El Paso In fact, Austin, the state capital, is farther away from El Paso than it is to any of the states (or country) that Texas borders. Or put another way: El Paso, which is in the middle of a desert, is closer to the Pacific Ocean (via the Gulf of California) than its own state capital. While we're on the subject of the vastness of Texas, Big Bend National Park is a true wonder and definitely worth a visit.