Nacogdoches, TX - Blueberries in the Bluebonnet State

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The oldest city in Texas is known for far more than its colorful history. This is also the place to get the colorful berries that are ideal for blueberry pie, pancakes, cobbler, and ice cream..

With all the recent reports touting the healthful qualities of blueberries, the Nacogdoches’ Texas Blueberry Festival is more popular than ever. The June festival offers tons of fresh blueberries, plus old-fashioned fun with pie-eating contests, blueberry treats and art vendors, ice-cream making contests, and tours of local blueberry farms. There are also plenty of fun activities for the kids, from the bounce house to the petting zoo.

After you’ve done the festival, head into Nacogdoches for a fun day of antiquing or nature hikes. You can stroll down the red-brick streets, admiring the historic downtown, or stop in the 100-year-old hardware store. Historic sites include the Stone Fort Museum, the 1830 Sterne-Hoya House Museum, and the 1835 Durst-Taylor Historic House. At the Oak Grove Cemetery you can see the graves of a number of famous Texans, including four signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Be sure not to miss the Old University Building, an 1845 university hall that was chartered by the Republic of Texas.

Nature lovers will find plenty to do in Nacogdoches, from hikes along the Lanana Creek Trail to bird watching for woodpeckers, nuthatches, and sparrows. You can tour the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden, admiring the colorful blooms at this largest azalea garden in Texas, or head to the SFA Interpretive Trail and Arboretum. More than 150 species of birds and 80 species of butterflies live in this section of the Angelina National Forest. The Arboretum spreads over nineteen beautiful acres on the University of Texas campus.