On the Road

There's always something new to discover in Nacogdoches, the oldest town in Texas

Historic Downtown Nacogdoches is high on charm with its iconic red brick streets, specialty shops, and local eateries.

Photo courtesy of Visit Nacogdoches

Staking its claim as the actual oldest town in Texas, Nacogdoches is rich in history, hospitality, and charm. It’s a place where you can stroll downtown’s iconic red brick streets, hike miles of historic trails that once served as trade routes for Native Americans, go antiquing, or break for tea in a Victorian mansion.

Here are a few of the reasons why the city is commonly known as one of the top tourist destinations in Texas.

You can shop local — a lot
Antiques, cool art, trendy clothing, artisan jewelry — it’s all in the bag at Nacogdoches' significant collection of locally owned specialty shops and antique stores in the highly walkable historic downtown.

While downtown, have a spot of tea at Pemberley's at the Jones House; the lovely café is inside a historic Victorian property.

You can eat like a local
There’s an eclectic list of restaurants in town, and while you can’t go wrong with any of their menu items, here’s an insider list of what the locals order.

The Butcher Boys have been slinging burgers since 1977 and their burgers have been voted the best in Texas, so do yourself a favor and put them to the test. Honorable mention goes to the homemade chicken fried steak and hand-cut rib-eyes.

At Auntie Pasta’s, go for the chicken Capone with artichoke hearts. Dolli’s Diner has all the classic, old-fashioned faves but you should get the migas.

The onion ring tower at Clear Springs is a fried work of art, and for brunch, look no further than 1st City Cafe in the newly remodeled Fredonia Hotel.

Get the good libations
Nacogdoches is home to four must-visit drink locations, including Fredonia Brewery, a micro-brewery with a 2,400-plus retro can collection that you can see in their tap room while you sample a 9 Flags Amber or Banita Blonde.

The Naca Valley Vineyard is surrounded by wild muscadine grapes, honeysuckle, purple wisteria, and pine trees; it’s a beautiful setting in which to enjoy Texas vino in the tasting room.

While you’re shopping downtown, pop into Red House Winery for their award-winning sips, or head to Front Porch Distillery for artisan craft spirits with everything from rum to barrel-aged whiskey.

You can also get in on the Wine, Whiskey, and Brew Tour, which shuttles you to all four places in one evening.

Experience history firsthand
As you’d guess for the oldest town in Texas, Nacogdoches boasts countless historic landmarks, museums, and more.

Head to the Caddoan Mounds State Historic Site, home of Mound Builders of Caddoan origin who lived in the region for 500 years beginning around A.D. 800.

The Lanana Creek Trail once served as an Indian footpath; its six-ish miles weave through thickets of paw-paw, dogwood and scarlet blooming buckeye.

The Old Nacogdoches University Building was constructed in 1859, and it’s the only original building of a university chartered by the Republic of Texas that’s still standing. You can also visit its museum onsite.

On the campus of Stephen F. Austin University, the thrice-built Old Stone Fort has been a trading post, a private home, a church, a jail, and a saloon — but never a true fort.

Millard's Crossing is a charming, reconstructed historic village. And the town’s oldest structure still in its original site is the Sterne Hoya House Museum & Library that dates back to 1830.

Channel a garden state
Nacogdoches is also known as the Garden Capital of Texas for its impressive array of beautiful gardens, from compact pocket parks to the native landscapes at historic sites, and the extensive network of gardens and trails on the SFA campus.

Don’t miss the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden — it’s the largest azalea garden in Texas, with 11 acres in a loblolly pine forest. While there, you’ll see more than 550 varieties of rhododendron, 100 varieties of camellia, more than 200 varieties of hydrangea, Japanese maples, and more.

Learn more about this historic town with natural beauty and a modern edge at Visit Nacogdoches.

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Your Expert Guide

Oak Cliff: The underestimated historic and culturally rich 'hood

Photo courtesy of Briggs Freeman

Kay Wood

There are so many great places to live in Dallas that it helps to have an expert on your side. The Neighborhood Guide presented by Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty gives you insider access from the agents who live and work there, providing in-the-know info about your possible new community.

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Bishop Arts is a huge attraction, but Realtor Kay Wood wants people to know that Oak Cliff is a lot more than just Bishop Arts.

"Oak Cliff has a really rich and complex history," the Briggs Freeman agent says. "I think it's one of the most underestimated neighborhoods in Dallas."

Wood has lived in Oak Cliff with her high school sweetheart-husband since 2008, but she's been helping people buy and sell homes there for the past 15 years, currently with her business partner Brian Davis.

"The neighborhoods here are close to everything but still relatively affordable compared to other areas of DFW," she says. "I love all the historic homes with their architectural interest and variety, the strong sense of community engagement, and how there's so much to explore. Whether you're looking for the best new restaurant, the most authentic taco, film festivals, the zoo, the best public high school in Texas, parks, nature preserves — I could go on all day!"

Wood offered up a few of her personal favorites about life in "the Cliff." Here's her guide to the area:

Where to eat & drink
The list is long: Nova ("you have to get the hummus," Wood says), Encina (pro tip: don't skip the blue cornbread), Cibo Divino for pizza and wine on the patio, coffee from Peaberry ("my husband swears their Vietnamese coffee is the best in town"), oysters at Boulevardier, the Perfect Picnic at Eno's Pizza Tavern, tio's elotes next to El Si Hay, the pistachio ice cream at Joy Macarons, and the spicy lobster ramen at Ten Ramen.

Wood advises picking up a great bottle of wine from Neighborhood Cellars and some steaks from Cooper's Meat Market. And, of course, there are tons of taco options in the neighborhood: "We can't get enough of Maskaras, Trompo, and Taco y Vino," she says.

Where to play
Marvel at the best skyline views in town while playing a round at Stevens Park Golf Course, take a walk through Twelve Hills Nature Preserve, bike along the Trinity River, or play disc golf at Founders Park.

The Kessler Theater is "such a great and intimate venue" for concerts, while the Texas Theater adds a touch of history to movie-watching. Escape to The Wild Detectives for books, music, and poetry, or head to the Dallas Zoo for a wild day out — "our whole family loves to feed the giraffes," Wood says.

What to see
Oak Cliff is home to the Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial at Kiest Park and the La Reunion Monument at Stevens Park Golf Course that honors some of Dallas' earliest settlers.

On Jefferson Boulevard, you can pop into the Oak Cliff Cultural Center for regular art shows, and "my daughters love to walk down the street and look at all the quinceañera dresses in the shop windows," she says.

Where to live
A few years ago, Wood helped her buyers purchase 626 Rainbow Dr., a rare, two-acre midcentury modern estate that's wrapped on three sides by a babbling creek.

"When you're there, it's really hard to believe you're less than four miles from downtown Dallas," she says. The buyers hired local architect Eddie Maestri to update some aspects of the house while carefully preserving its midcentury style. There was an original barn that had been previously converted to a studio, but the buyers reinvented it as a guest house and added a pool and outdoor kitchen.

"It's hard to say what a 'typical' Oak Cliff house would be, because we have some of the very best examples of almost every architectural style in town," Wood says.

"In Winnetka Heights, you'll find Craftsman architecture (four squares, bungalows, Sears catalog, etc). Kessler Park has Tudors and Colonials and Texas eclectics from notable local architects like Charles Dilbeck and David R Williams. Stevens Park has all of these, as well as Spanish Revival and Dutch colonials. Wynnewood, North Kiestwood, and Wynnewood Hills have some of the best midcentury moderns in Dallas, as well as wonderful ranches. East Kessler has cutting-edge contemporaries that take advantage of the rare-to-DFW hilly terrain. You could teach a pretty comprehensive architectural history of Dallas without ever leaving Oak Cliff."

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Kay Wood lives, works, and plays in Oak Cliff. For more information on buying and selling a home in the area, click here, email kwood@briggsfreeman.com, or call 214-908-5442.