As I mentioned to one of my co-workers, I about kissed the ground when I arrived back to Ohio.  While I am not a native of Cincinnati, I wouldn’t trade it for any city in Texas.  I just got back from my second trip to West Texas in two weeks and I couldn’t wait to get back to Ohio.  Maybe it is the former New Yorker in me, maybe it is my dislike for the country lifestyle, but my comfort level goes away when I travel to southern states.  Even after spending 10 years in Florida, I couldn’t wait to move north.  One of the things that amuses me about Texas is the reference to all things Texas in the state.  Now I have heard many people mention that this is Texas being proud but if New Yorkers did this it would be considered arrogance.  When you go to New York, a pizza is a pizza, not a New York pizza because after all, when you are in the state famous for pizza, it is silly to reference pizza.  But in Texas, you could be in a restaurant, a BBQ joint or passing retail stores along the endless service roads along the interstates and you will encounter endless references to Texas from Texas Toast, Texas BBQ, Texas Roadhouse, Texas Steaks or the typical “Don’t Mess with Texas bumper stickers or billboards. On my last visit, the reference to the state wasn't written but in the form of a waffle in the shape of Texas.  The amusing part was this was my second trip in two weeks and two separate hotels offered the same Texas shaped waffles.

During my previous trips to Dallas and Houston, I was disappointed in both of Texas' largest cities.  I guess the positive press that both cities receive had me expecting more from the downtown experience but I grew to realize that a pretty postcard doesn't equate to a vibrant urban scene.  We have many local residents that complain that Cincinnati doesn’t offer anything after 5PM, well I suggest you visit downtown Dallas or Houston after 5PM and you will come back with a new appreciation for downtown Cincinnati.  The metro might be smaller, the city might be older and the sprawl might now be as bad but the beauty, function and offerings of Downtown Cincinnati far surpass the downtowns of cities like Dallas or Texas.