Abilene was a town of the Old West with a Hollywood-like history of cowboys, cattle drives, and gunfights. Abilene was the head end of the famed Chisholm Trail and served as a receiving point for livestock being driven from Texas to be shipped to market on the Kansas Pacific Railroad.

Abilene is in Taylor County and is one of the best places to live in Texas. Living in Abilene offers residents a sparse suburban feel and most residents own their homes. In Abilene there are a lot of parks. Many families and young professionals live in Abilene and residents tend to lean conservative.

The name of the phenomenon comes from an anecdote that Harvey uses in the article to elucidate the paradox: On a hot afternoon visiting in Coleman, Texas, the family is comfortably playing dominoes on a porch, until the father-in-law suggests that they take a [50-mile (80-km)] trip to Abilene for dinner.

Abilene is known as the Greyhound Capital of the World. The National Greyhound Association headquarters are located west of the city. The Greyhound Hall of Fame tells the story of the Greyhound canine and the racing industry.