Our Summer Travels ~ Nacogdoches

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

While staying at Rainbows End Park in Livingston we took a day trip and went to Nacogdoches. Nacogdoches, located north of Livingston, is the oldest town in Texas.

This year the town is celebrating their 300th year...

Our first stop was at the Charles Bright Visitors Center...

The visitors center is located on main street. We found a parking spot right in front of the visitors center; 

after picking up information from the center we walked around the town...

dedicated to those who helped settle Nacogdoches as well as east Texas

streets are bricked

busy and vibrant downtown

The first site we visited was the Shuttle Columbia Debris site. The space shuttle Columbia disintegrated 39 miles above Texas on February 1, 2003, a catastrophe during the ship's landing descent. Debris fell over a long swath of Texas and Louisiana, with over 1,200 pieces landing in and around the town of Nacogdoches. One chunk, the size of a car hood, crashed into a downtown parking lot with such force it was reputed to have blown open the doors of nearby buildings. The parking lot has since been repaved as well as redesigned.

this memorial stands near the location of a large piece of debris from the Columbia

From here we walked to the historic district; home to some beautifully restored homes as well as Oak Grove Cemetery...

Oak Grove Cemetery is filled with the graves of historical figures important to both Nacogdoches County and the State of Texas. The most famous is Thomas Jefferson Rusk, judge, statesman and Sam Houston's Secretary of War. Rusk was also a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence in 1836.

grave of Thomas Jefferson Rusk

This ended our walking tour. After a great lunch at the Olde Town General Store we drove to the Durst-Taylor house. This wood-frame house, circa 1835, was home to many early businessmen, bankers and politicians including Thomas Jefferson Rusk.

Durst-Taylor House

it is now a museum; closed the day we visited

where the garden stood

Our next and last stop of the day was the Nacogdoches Train Depot. Built in 1912 by the Southern Pacific Railroad, the depot has recently been restored. It is now home for the Center for Regional Research and features rotating museum displays.

love the tiled roof

the museum was closed the day we visited

We were so glad the rain held off and we were able to visit Nacogdoches. Nacogdoches is a very cool town with a vibrant downtown area. If you're ever in the neighborhood, stop and visit this great town!

Til next time...

Ron, Dawn & Coop