Howdy Texans,
I’m planning to visit a pal of mine in Texas the first week of June. On previous visits, we’ve met in Austin or San Antonio. This time, I thought I’d fly into Houston and end up in Tyler, where she lives. The statue of Sam Houston in Huntsville calls us. We both like interesting museums, old houses, bookstores, Texas history, anything related to German-Texans, ghost towns, or anything quirky.
Any ideas for fun stuff to do or see?
-Theobroma
I don’t know that area as well as others but have done the drive a few times. Sadly I don’t remember there being much to see along the route. The drive between Houston and Dallas is pretty bleak.
Old Town Spring is one place to stop, just north of Houston off I-45. Small shops and a few restaurants. It’s a walking area, and in June it will be hot, so wear light clothes.
If memory serves, most of the German settled areas are to the west of Houston, so there may not be much of there on the way to Tyler.
Huntsville State Park is on the way if you like walking amongst trees.
The state’s tourism site has a ton of information. Your route puts you on the west side of the Piney Woods. We’ve got museums & good restaurants in Houston, but I haven’t traveled in that direction in a long time.
Huntsville has more than the Sam Houston statue–there’s a “museum” that includes two of his houses. I’d study up a bit on Sam before going–he was a true character & ended his career “in disgrace” because, as Governor, he refused to approve Secession.
It will be hot & steamy!
Probably the most historic town in the area is Nacogdoches. Plenty of history there…
Both Nacogdoches & Huntsville are college towns. Small colleges…
Thanks, I’ll look into those.
I’ve been trying to convince my friend to cut over to Nacogdoches, since I’ve never seen it, but I’ll see if she goes for it. Maybe if I spare her an extra day in the dreaded Houston traffic.
Parks and trees sound pretty good too.
It kind of depends on how long you have; Tyler’s about 6 hours from Houston by car, I’d estimate- you’ll take I-45 to Huntsville (where the statue’s just south of town on the east side of the Interstate), and from there, take TX 19 to Palestine, where you’ll pick up 155 and take that to Tyler.
There isn’t much out there in East Texas, save a lot of pine trees and rednecks.
I might check out Houston if I were you- it is the 4th largest city in the country, with Space Center Houston and many other interesting things to see.
Most of the German-Texan stuff is out in the Hill Country west of Austin and north of San Antonio- towns like Fredericksburg, New Braunfels and Boerne are ground zero for that stuff. Czech-Texan stuff is closer to Houston though- Brazoria county and west of College Station had a pretty good dose of Czech immigrants.
If you’re interested in the oil industry, Tyler is near Rusk County, where 70 year-old oilman (and con artist) “Dad” Joiner discovered the Big Giant, an oil field so vast and productive that it nearly destroyed the industry during the darkest days of the depression: prices dropped by over 90%, from 1.25/barrel to .06/barrel. This field alone produced 5.2 billion barrels of oil since its discovery, and was the basis of the Hunt family fortune.
An alternative route is to take 59 North from Houston to Lufkin and then take 69 North from Lufkin to Tyler.
Nacogdoches is about a 20 mile detour from that route. Honestly, though, other than the museum at the Old Stone Fort (on the SFA campus), there’s no more to see in Nacogdoches than in any other of the towns you’ll pass through. The SFA campus is a very nice place. There is a lot of history at Nacogdoches, but I don’t think it would keep a tourist entertained for more than a few hours unless one was a hard-core historian.
In June, the dogwoods and wildflowers will already have bloomed and gone. But, still, it’s beautiful country (I’m a bit biased) and a person can enjoy just driving around and soaking up the scenery.
There’s a scenic overlook just north of Jacksonville that is worth a stop.
The Texas State Railroad in Rusk is supposed to be fun, but I’ve never tried it.
Lufkin has a forestry museum.
The Half-Price bookstores are all good. There’s nine or ten in the area you’re describing. Kaboom Books in Houston is also interesting.
Huntsville is a prison town and there’s a prison museum there if you’re looking for something different.
I thought of a couple of other things. The Caddo Mounds on Hwy 21 just west of Alto is interesting if you’re into the Native history of the area. A few more miles further west of there in Weches is a park where they have a restoration of one of the early Spanish missions.
I would like to second Bridget Burke’s suggestion that you read up on Sam Houston and then visit his home in Huntsville. I went there as a kid and really enjoyed it. Houston is one of the most interesting characters in U.S. history and he had a significant impact. His home has been turned into a good museum.
You mentioned ghost towns in the OP. You may be a little disappointed in that regard. East Texas is full of abandoned town sites. Communities have been rising and falling there for over 300 years. Actually, longer than that now that I think about the stories about the Hisinai villages around our home place. But, most of them are just stories and memories now.
Just last month, I detoured to the Shooks Bluff town site. I’ve read about it since I was a kid. It was a thriving town on the Neches river prior to the Civil War. Now, there’s nothing left but just a cemetary. Everything in these towns was built with wood, it being the most abundant resource. It doesn’t take long for nature to reclaim it. So, most of the old town sites are just a plaque on the side of the road now. In some places, there is still an old church building that once did double duty as a school house, but that’s about it.
Another example is Big Slough Wilderness Area in Houston County. The Forest Service turned what used to be a busy logging railroad in the '20s and '30s in the Four C National Recreation Trail. I spent hundreds of hours in those woods as a kid and I remember the remains of the old railroad trestles and the occasional rotted end of a cross-tie sticking up from the dirt. It’s all gone now. The trail is a cool place to visit if you want to get into the woods. In June, bring plenty of water to drink and plenty of mosquito repellant.
If you like museums, I highly recommend the Menil Collection (it’s free) and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. (not free, but worth it.) If you’ve additional time, the Houston Center of Contemporary Craft is interesting and short (and free). Ditto the Holocaust Museum Houston and Contemporary Art Museum Houston.
The drive through the Piney Woods is, as others have noted, dull. Pretty if you like pines though. If you are a BBQ fan, I recommend stopping at the New ZionMissionary Baptist Church BBQ in Huntsville. (I had a better experience the time I went than the guys at Full Custom Gospel. They are usually very good BBQ critics though, so caveat emptor.) I would avoid Woody’s in Centerville.
In addition to the other museum offerings, I like the museum of natural science.
the fine arts museum currently has a good selection of special exhibits, and I expect there to be something interesting over the summer as well.
If you do plan on checking out Houston proper, the entire museum district and theatre district in downtown are worth a visit, and there are some nearby neighborhoods that can be quite beautiful.
Also, if you like this sort of thing, under the skyscrapers downtown, there is a tunnel system which provides an underground mall type environment, and until early afternoon during the week has quite a variety of places to eat.
Hello, I have read that you know Hisinai villages, and stories.
I really would like to know Hisinai History. As an artist, as a person, as a soul, I am working whit this word since 2005. I have asked information to Texas museum and Dallas holocaust museum, and they don’t answer me for the moment.
Please If you are so kind to tell me who they were, and what happened whit them, or what ever you like to tell me, I will be very thankful and happy!
Hisinai is so relevant for me.
Reported possible spam.
I realize this is a zombie thread, but even in 2012, most cars went faster than about 30 mph. Houston to Tyler is about 3.5 hours.
I believe you’re talking about the Hasinai.
Here’s some websites you should check out.
Hasinai Society of the Caddo Nation
Texas State Historical Association: Hasinai Indians
Oklahoma Historical Society: Hasinai