AUSTIN, TEXAS - MARCH, 2018

So often, places don't live up to their hype, or prototypical portrayal in pop culture. Texas, though? Texas does. A good thing? That may depend on your viewpoint. In any case, when we found ourselves wandering the outskirts of the Lone Star State's capital on a dizzy, hungover quest for legitimate BBQ in the midst of SXSW while promoting TIME TRIAL, Texas lived up to its caricature. Everything, it seems, is indeed bigger in Texas. Houses. Cars. Highways. Food. People. Is bigger better? Again, the eye of the beholder, but we found the excess off-putting at times, and a marvel at others.

TEXAS 101:

• Population: 28.3 million (2nd in US)
• Area: 695,662 km² (2nd in US)
• GDP: $1.7 billion (2nd in US)

THERE IS MORE ROAD MILEAGE IN TEXAS THAN ANY EUROPEAN COUNTRY.

WAL-MART HAS 593 RETAIL LOCATIONS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.

LOCKHART, TX IS KNOWN AS THE BARBECUE CAPITAL OF TEXAS.

AMERICANS ARE PROJECTED TO CONSUME 100.6KG OF MEAT PER PERSON IN 2018.

GALLUP REPORTS THAT TEXAS IS THE 13TH HAPPIEST STATE IN AMERICA.

TEXAS HAS THE LARGEST INCARCERATED POPULATION IN THE US, AND THE 6TH-HIGHEST IMPRISONMENT RATE.

OWING TO LOW STATE PETROL TAX RATES, THE TEXAS HIGHWAY SYSTEM IS HEAVILY TOLLED, AN ANOMALY IN THE UNITED STATES.

SAM'S CLUB IS WAL-MART'S "WHOLESALE CLUB", WHERE MEMBERS CAN PURCHASE ITEMS IN BULK, LIKE 2.7KG BOXES OF TORTILLA CHIPS.

THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS LARGER IN AREA THAN THE GULF NATION OF BAHRAIN.