January 31st, 2010
The Brookshires Wildlife Museum is a great place to go for some family fun. It is located past the Brookshires warehouse on Old Jacksonville in Tyler Texas. As soon as you enter the facility you will be greeted with a smile and a friendly receptionist.
Polar Bear at Brookshires Museum
Sign the guest book and enter the museum for free. When you turn the corner you might want to brace yourself for the animals look like their alive and just about to get you. You will see wild life from all over the world. I particularly like the bears at the beginning.
- Zebra at Brookshires Museum
My son liked the zebra. If you have a toddler like myself you might want to bring a stroller because there is a no touching rule.
Lion Chasing Animal
The animals and the scenery around them really made me feel like I was in Africa or some far off land. Adults and children are sure to love the Brookshires Wildlife Museum because of all the real stuffed animals and antlers.
Read more about Brookshires Museum
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January 27th, 2010
The City of Tyler Texas welcomes you to the first annual Tyler Rose marathon, half marathon and 5k. With the idea that Tyler is kind of the picturesque garden destination in Texas with all of the azaleas, trails, and roses it was picked as a new marathon event. The marathon will wind through streets, sidewalks, wooded areas, and finish up in the azalea trail. This is really needed considering how bad the Azalea trail has become over the years. At one point back in the 80’s you would have athletes flying in from Africa to run the Azalea Trail but now all Tyler gets is a unique pack of teenagers wearing the same shirt from a ministry or two in town. Hey a lot of people running the Azalea Trail from the same organization is great but without those great groups like Teen Mania running the 10 and 5k we would only have a handful of people left running it. 
So this marathon event represents a revitalization in the Tyler Texas running community and will hopefully create something like we used to have back in the 80’s with the Azalea trail. Tyler really needs another serious racing event
and I hope this one takes off and becomes popular. In order for the Tyler marathon to become popular we need to get the word out so be sure to send out tweets and facebook messages to your friends and let them know about www.tylermarathon.com. They can read more about the event in order to plan for it this October. It is still a long ways off to give you plenty of time to train for it.
Many of the details regarding the marathon are still in development stages but it is going to happen so start preparing now. Marathons are not something that can be done without training first. I attempted to run a marathon once at the White Rock Marathon in Dallas and got to about mile 18 when I had to stop because of a lack of preparation and I had just past the donut whole and fresh milk booth.
The website says the event is being produced by Mellew Productions. I have never heard of this company but I am glad they are heading this up. After reviewing their website I found out they specialize in creating fun and festive events in cities across the US.
The Tyler marathon course has not been publicized at this time as the production company awaits approval from the city of Tyler.
Mellew will plan the whole event so that food, prizes, T-shirts, surroundings, the running course, volunteers, and staff are all coordinated to make it as fun and exciting as a marathon can be while making a profit. Isn’t lack of profit why Tyler’s Azalea trail became a miserable failure over the years? Maybe this is our town’s needed turnaround for exciting running events once again. Mellew is based out of Richardson Texas and some of their services are listed below.
Services include:
New Run/Walk Events:
· Event creation and design with event day management.
· Designing effective sponsorship proposals
· Assistance in finding host site for the event
· Create businesslike structure to insure profitability
· Produce brochure, web site, and T-shirt design
· Direct all promotional activities
· Provide all assistance and advice to create a fun and exciting event.
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January 19th, 2010
There is a rose garden in Tyler, TX that has been a part of the history of this cities making. Since 1952 this municipal rose garden as served as a tourist attraction that brings in most of the business Tyler has gotten over the years, excluding oil.
Tyler Texas Rose Garden
Each year there is a festival, a queen crowned, duchesses chosen and tourists from far and wide bringing with them the business this town prepares for every year. Hotels are sold out, the roads are clogged and the restaurants are full every evening. What a paradise for money making and beauty seeking.
But here is my concern. Why is the garden so special? Roses are pretty, I like them, but I’ve seen prettier ones. I’ve walked through the garden and I’m not impressed. It’s not even the roses that are the problem. Its the landscape. If my artistic eye serves me right I think the design could be more appealing than we’re letting it. The fountains are typical and 60’s. The lay out doesn’t say anything new and there are no surprises. Maybe if I looked from a bird’s eye view there would be something intended to be eye-catching… but I’m not a bird and neither is anyone else paying money to see it.
Where is the vibrant life of color and excitement a garden is supposed to engulf me with? My favorite gardens draw me in, invite me to look close, and adventure my way through. But this makes me feel like I’m still in the office and have not escaped. Does anyone know what I’m talking about? 
If this legend of the Rose Garden is to continue then can we re-focus? I’m not ungrateful to the people who designed and made the garden and tradition to begin with, but I think its time to either move on or make over.
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January 19th, 2010
Trail Creek Farm
18127 CR 4108
Lindale TX 75571
903 882 5746
www.trailcreekfarmfun.com
For 3 years now, a visit to Trail Creek Farm has been part of our Christmas tradition. Yes, you guessed it, Trail Creek is a Christmas tree farm!
When you arrive you jump on a hay ride to the tree field. You sit on hay bales on the wagons which are named after Santa’s reindeer. Some of them are covered in case it is cold or snowy (well you never know!) It’s fun. The helpers are good tractor drivers – I went the week my baby was due but the bumping still didn’t make me go into labor.
When you get to the field they arm you with a saw and it’s up to you to find the best tree. They are labeled in size and by price and are all shaped beautifully. It’s hard to agree on the best tree as there are 10 000 to chose from. They have Leyland Cypress and Virginia Pine trees. Everyone in our family seems to have an opinion so it takes us ages to pick the best one.
After cutting your special tree down, you load it onto the wagon and go back to the farm where they put it on a shaking platform to shake all the loose needles out of it. It is netted for you and they will even help you put it on the roof of your car for transport home.
Then it is time to relax. In the barn there is hot apple cider for all the family and popcorn – all complimentary and part of the experience. There are candles and Christmas decorations for sale, plus that all important magic stuff to keep your tree fresh in water. The kids can play in the maze, visit the animals at the farm, plus follow a short nature trail in the woods.
A visit to Trail Creek is a whole afternoon experience – your family will love it.
Prices vary, depending on how ‘full’ the trees are – from $3 to $7 per foot. They stay fresh for ages, we have ours up for about 6 weeks.
NOTE: if you visit the website you can print a coupon which will give you10% off the price of your tree. Returning customers are rewarded with the same discount – each year they send us a postcard with their opening dates and times and a10% coupon on it.
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January 13th, 2010
The Tyler Zoo is a wonderful place to take your whole family on a nice sunny days. No matter the age all can enjoy going to the Zoo and walking around and looking at all the exotic animals they have. The cost is reasonable , around $8 for adults and less for children or you can obtain a year pass for less than $50 dollars and that way you can go anytime you want. Here in Tyler even, the winter is nice enough to where you could go visit and won’t freeze.
The animals are so beautiful and sometimes it is hard to believe that those animals are not the stuffed kind. They have a place where you can get food in case you get hungry. The zoo also has a store where you can by some gifts or souvenir’s before you leave or in case you are, at the zoo and forgot someones birthday. The gift shop is truly impressive on its own and offers a lot for the animal enthusiast as well as those looking for quality kid toys with an animal theme.
Besides looking around at all the animals you can get some awesome exercise while doing something fun. They have all kinds of animals, lions, tigers, elephants, monkeys, zebra, snakes, spiders, cougars, penguins, bob cats and many others. I can’t list all of them at this time because it will take the fun out of you going to check things out for yourself. The zoo has a petting area where you and your children can go and pet the goats. Usually most kids enjoy the petting zoo very much.
The Tyler zoo has an area that has sand and your children could stop by and play for a few minutes. Benches are all around the zoo just in case you need to take a break from walking around. They always have ice cream which in the summer time makes for a nice treat while making your rounds to the different animal cages. The zoo is also a nice place where you can meet with friends you haven’t seen for awhile. At one time the Tyler zoo was free to go to but the charitable fund eventually ran out of money to allow people to come for free. I think it is worth the $8 dollars that you have to pay and there is no time limit so you can go early afternoon and stay all day if you would like to.
You can also take a cooler and have lunch or a snack while you are there. With all this in mind I hope that I peeked your interest in going to the Tyler Zoo with your family and friends. I know that you will enjoy it and have a great time if you decide to take a trip there. These day’s everything costs you money so I figured for about $30 dollars or so you can go look around, have lunch and dessert and your entertainment is provided for you. You would pay about the same amount going out to eat or going to a movie theater. The name of the Tyler Texas zoo is the Caldwell Zoo and is remarkably large for a small town like Tyler.
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January 13th, 2010
Santa Land is located off Hwy 20 going towards Dallas. Santa Land opens up a couple of weeks before Christmas and stays open during the Holiday Season. It costs $20 dollars per vehicle or $30 per 15 passengers van. I have been there several times so far and the waiting period has been around one hour or so depending on the time you arrive there. The sooner you get there, the less you have to wait. It is an excellent thing to do for your children and your family to do during Christmas.
You might think that going around and looking at the Christmas lights around Tyler might be cheaper and less of a waiting period. I guarantee you it won’t be as fun as going at least once through Santa Land. You can go run by a fast food place and eat it in the car while you wait in line. While you are waiting in line you can use that time to listen to music or talk to your children or you can just be silent. There are people that walk around your cars and try to sell you all kinds of stuff that lights up and it costs $5 dollars per item.
I know you are probably thinking you can do without spending all this time on something that will only last for a little while. You are right, you can do without it but your children will love it. We even broke down and bought a sword that lights up and my 22 month old loved it. It was worth it just to see how excited she was to play with the toy and spending time with mommy and daddy while looking at the awesome lights. You only get to come here once a year so I think you can spare $20 dollars a year to go and have some fun with your friends and family and if you really don’t have $20 dollars to spend then borrow a 15 passenger van and get some of your friends together and split the cost. That will be even cheaper than $20 dollar.
Either way you do it I think it will be worth your time and money. I know you are waiting to hear what goes on around Santa Land for that much money? When you enter Santa Land they tell you the music station that you need to turn to while you are there. The whole place is filled with lights of all types and shapes. They have a Santa’s shop and his little elves helping Santa. Also they have scenes depicting Jesus, all kinds of flowers and way more other lights. My words really don’t do justice to the place and no matter how hard I try to describe the place you will have to go see it for yourself as to what Santa Land has to offer.
After you are done watching all the lights they have, then you can stop and go look at all the things they have to sell. The have some really neat stuff actually and the price is probably around the same as other places. While I was there I saw an item that was $12 dollars and it was three crosses made out of metal. The item was real nice looking metal made to represent the crucifixion of Jesus. I thought that paying $12 for something like that was not too bad if you like or collect crosses. If you are a fisherman they have stuff galore for that too. For cowboys or if you are a fisher chick they can accommodate you as well.
The Santa Land gift shop has a little something for everyone’s liking. After all that shopping you will probably have worked up an appetite and be hungry. They have an area where you can order something to eat but I would drive up I20 to Bodacious barbecue for some real food. Well I hope I convinced you to go visit Santa Land come this next holiday season.
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January 12th, 2010
As I’ve perused the Tyler Directory I’ve been reminded of one particular fact about our fair city: we have a ton of restaurants. In fact Tyler is often accused by out of towners of being concerned largely with its collective stomach. While conceding that Tylerites do indeed love good food, I contend that buffets & bistros are not our only passions. There are also hospitals, churches, & private schools. So as a history teacher myself; I thought I’d focus on a local historical & cultural landmark.
The Historic Aviation Memorial Museum is now located in the old Tyler Pounds field terminal. There are really two parts to the museum. The first part is the indoor section. It is packed with pictures, models & artifacts of both military & civilian aircraft. There are flags & uniforms from every major air force going back to the First World War. Some of the pieces are quite personal. Photos, letters & newspaper clippings of World War II pilots connect the visitor to another age. A Japanese flag carried by a kamikaze pilot & signed by his comrades hangs on the wall under glass.
The Museum also focuses on the contributions of East Texans to America’s war efforts over the last century. I should add that the newest acquisition is an actual moon rock on loan from the Johnson space center.
The outdoor portion of the museum features about ten restored Vietnam & Korean War era aircraft. These aircraft some of which actually saw combat now sit in quiet retirement & serve to fascinate visitors, (including my little boy).
The staff of the museum seems genuinely more concerned with the preservation of the history they oversee than marketing the institution. Educating the young visitors is more important then advertising. As someone who loves the experience of visiting museums & historical sites, I can say that we are privileged to have such a wonderful archive in our own backyard. I’m certain that my son & I (& my history class) will be visiting repeatedly in the near future.
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January 12th, 2010
It’s hard to believe, but summer is winding down already. We all want to squeeze the last drops of rest and relaxation out of the season, (regardless of whether or not we’ve had much of that previously). Well I would suggest a trip to a favorite East Texas stop. As Texans we are blessed with a wonderful system of State Parks. Tyler State Park puts the Texas Piney Woods on display both for locals and out of towners. The park is centered around a sixty four acre lake and offers a full array of activities including: swimming, hiking, boating, fishing and camping. There are bike trails of varying difficulty and campgrounds fully equipped with water, electricity, tables and fire pits. If a customer enjoys the outdoors but prefers the comforts of the indoors, there are screened shelters and cabins.
For day trips the swimming and boating area of the park is very convenient. There is a great beach with restrooms and a concession and gift shop close by. But East Texans need not worry about trying to cram a visit into a busy summer. In Texas some of the best out door time comes in the fall. What could be better than sitting by a fire on a cool autumn night? The Park is open all year although a few activities, (like swimming for instance) may be closed for the season. This is still one of the best times to camp however, due to a lack of bugs and the cooler weather.
The cost of an outing T.S.P. is quite reasonable. A day pass is just three dollars a day for those over thirteen years of age. For primitive campsites, (meaning sites with water but no electricity) the cost is just thirteen dollars a night. For campsites with water and electric, the cost is slightly higher at seventeen dollars a night. For campsites offering water, electric and sewer hook ups, (designated primarily for recreational vehicles) the cost is twenty dollars a night. If you desire all of these functions and spot by the lake, the cost is twenty two dollars a night, (tents are permitted in this area). Lastly, screened in areas are for rent as well at a rate of twenty five dollars a night.
For businesses, church groups, or others, there are numerous programs and venues for their organized events. The park periodically holds educational events for the public as well. For more information on these opportunities see the parks webpage at www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/tyler, or call (903)597-5338. Tyler State park is located on highway fourteen just off Interstate twenty.
Whether you want to close your summer with a bang, or are already planning for a fall getaway this area park has a lot to offer at a reasonable rate. Consider maximizing your play time, minimizing your travel time, and spending that vacation money close to home.
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January 12th, 2010
The Caldwell Zoo first opened in 1953. Admission was free in those days and attractions included a lion and a chimpanzee. Over the years more animals like elephants and giraffes were added, along with the necessary facilities. In 1983 a section devoted to native species was developed, and in successive years many new animals and habitats followed. Today the zoo encompasses eighty five acres and over two thousand animals.
The zoo is currently divided into four sections, namely: the African, North American, South American, and the Fish and Reptile sections. The African section features lions, elephants, giraffes and many others. The Chakula Café overlooks much of the African section. Visitors can enjoy lunch beneath the thatched roof while watching the zebras and the antelopes graze in the field below. This is a wonderful spot to relax and cool off.
The North American section features native species like the cougar, the bald eagle, the bison and everyone’s favorite the otter. Guests can stroll the boardwalk over the small river and spend a few moments feeding the water foul.
The South American section contains some stunningly beautiful birds as well as the ever popular monkeys. The aquarium containing fish and reptiles is wonderful. The color and variety are striking. Not to be taken for granted on a hot summer day is the fact that the aquarium is cool and dark. The fact is, every section in the zoo has its highlights, and I’m probably leaving out some wonderful exhibits.
The Caldwell Zoo in Tyler offers a number of excellent educational programs, including: day camps, scavenger hunts, and classes for scouts and homeschoolers. There is also a petting zoo where youngsters can play with the goats.
Unfortunately the zoo is no longer free. That policy changed years ago when it underwent an expansion. However, considering the improvements over the years the cost is more than worth the return. Today, the Caldwell Zoo remains one of Tyler’s jewels, worthy of a much larger city. As time goes by it will certainly remain a source of pride for East Texans. For more information see their website at www.caldwellzoo.org.
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January 8th, 2010
Tyler Green Acres Bowling located in the Tyler Texas area is lots of fun and fairly cheap. If you are looking for something fun and clean to do with your friends, I would strongly encourage you to try bowling.
I went there with some of my friends. The shoes only cost a couple of dollars and the game was $2.00 per game. Besides being cheap, it is very entertaining and lots of fun. Also it is a clean, environment, smoke free.
In addition to bowling there are also lots of other games you can play if you don’t like bowling.
There is a small area for food at reasonable prices and the taste is not bad. Also for a bonus there is free coffee. You can’t beat that. For those who would like to have a drink while they play a game there is a small bar area where you can order some drinks. Of course, I think it might impair your game so it’s probably better not to. But like I said that is available for those who like to mix the two together.
Next time you are thinking of something fun to do, but do not have lots of money to spend, gather some of your friends together and go to Tyler Green Acres Bowing. You won’t be disappointed, just thrilled.
In addition to the fun of bowling it will be pretty comical, watching your friends bowl. If you are the type of person that likes to make new friends, there are a lot of other people there that are bowling. You never know who you might meet. You just might make a new friend, while you are at it. And if you don’t have money for that, it never costs anything to go watch your friends and hang out. It beats being alone on a Friday or Saturday night.
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