The East Texas Piney Woods, with its southern Big Thicket, is all about the living landscape—the water and fish, the trees and flowers, the animals and birds. It’s an unbeatable combination for those who enjoy the outdoors. Most of this area is truly in the woods. Not just in its national and state forests, but surrounding almost every town and city, you’ll fine pines of course, but also towering oaks, dogwoods and many other trees, including cypress down in the Big Thicket.

It’s hard to decide which is the best season to visit. First choice would have to be either spring or fall. Spring is amazing, with roadsides blanketed with the blooms of blue bonnets, daisies, daffodils and Indian paint brush. Tyler has its Azalea Trail when yard after yard is filled with huge mounds of the azaleas that seem to love this city, where they continue to thrive year after year. Fall in the Piney Woods is spectacular, with each hillside or panoramic view more colorful than its neighbor. For fall foliage, this area rivals any part of the country for the depth and richness of the colors.

Perhaps Christmas-time has to also be considered, with its dazzling lighting displays, particularly in Marshall and Jefferson. For pure comfort, summer is a little less enjoyable, when heat, humidity and mosquitoes are brought into the mix. However, with all the camping and water sports available, you may just want to pack your suntan lotion and bug repellent and head on down.

The Big Thicket National Preserve boasts an amazing swampy world of its own. It is said to be one of the most ecologically diverse areas in the United States. When you’re there, you really do think that the Texas tourism slogan, “It’s like a whole other country” is the perfect description. It seems Texas itself is made up of several “countries.”

Those who love to learn about the history of the places they visit won’t be disappointed. Jefferson will welcome you with the hospitality and feel of the Old South. History is everywhere, even in its great old bed and breakfast inns. You can visit the ancient Indian archaeological site at Caddoan Mounds. Kilgore is your place for learning about the Texas oil boom. You can still see the oil derricks in the middle of town, lined up so close together that their bases overlap.

For those who love to shop, no matter where they travel, the Piney Woods also offers a treasure trove of antiques, arts and crafts, plus flea markets in almost every town. The big daddy of the flea markets, known across the country, is First Monday in Canton. Beginning on the Friday before the first Monday of each month, it’s a four-day event which has continued to grow bigger and more popular over the years.

Driving is the only way to see the diversity of the Piney Woods. Don’t forget your camera.