Luling

Independence Trail Region
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WATERMELONS IN THE OIL PATCH

Once dubbed “the toughest town in Texas,” Luling presents a more fanciful image today. The city water tower looks like a giant watermelon. Backyard and roadside pump jacks are decorated with painted cartoon characters including a pink flamingo driving a blue convertible and a cow jumping over the moon. Open-air stalls sell seasonal fruit and flowers, cacti and succulents, produce, pecans, and pumpkins. And when it comes to the Texas barbecue wars, Luling’s restaurants are major contenders along the Texas BBQ Trail. For all the fun, Luling takes its history seriously. A Texas Main Street city, the community holds annual events such as the Rajun’ Cajun Throwdown Gumbo Cook-off in March to raise money for matching grants to revitalize historic properties downtown.

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