Texas: Portrait of a State

By Laurence Parent

Texas is unique, not only because it is the only state to enter the Union by way of a treaty, but because a clause in that treaty gives Texas the right, in perpetuity, to divide into as many as five separate states. These "Five States of Texas" reflect the remarkable geographic variety of this vast landscape. From the plains and mountains, beaches and deserts, forests and rugged canyons, Laurence Parent captures the beauty of the Texas landscapes, places, and people that are as diverse as its many-faceted culture.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Graphic Arts Books
• Release date: Aug 15, 2013
• ISBN: 9780882409696

Laurence Parent

Laurence Parent is the author of thirty-seven books, including Big Bend National Park, Texas Coast, Texas Mountains (all coauthored by Joe Nick Patoski), and Official Guide to Texas State Parks and Historic Sites. A full-time freelance photographer and writer specializing in landscape, travel, and nature subjects, Parent has been published in Men's Journal, Outside, Backpacker, Sierra, Natural History, National Parks, Newsweek, Arizona Highways, Travel & Leisure, the New York Times, Texas Highways, Texas Monthly, Texas Parks & Wildlife, and New Mexico Magazine.

Book preview

A brilliant sunrise silhouettes longhorn cattle and live oaks in Blanco County in the Hill Country.

The Northeast Texas Trail, following the path of an old railroad, cuts through Bowie County in the New Boston area. The 130-mile-long trail is now enjoyed by cyclists and hikers.

Indian blanket (Gaillardia pulchella) carpets the area near Pecan Creek in McCulloch County.

Boykin Springs, in the Angelina National Forest, offers camping, fishing, and pristine beauty.

Hamilton Pool Preserve consists of 232 acres. Here, Michelle and Jason Parent play in the pool’s cool waters.

The spring-fed sixty-eight-degree waters of Barton Springs Pool in central Austin provide relief from summer heat and humidity.

The fountain in the garden area of the Alamo