East Texas Region
HISTORY • EAST TEXAS REGION
Mission Dolores
LOCATION
701 S Broadway St | St Augustine
FEES
Adults: $5 • Children 6-17: $2 • Children 5 and under free
Built in 1721, Misión Nuestra Señora de los Dolores de los Ais was a Spanish mission along El Camino Real de los Tejas. While there are no remaining above-ground remains of the mission today, a museum with interpretive displays documents the rich history of the Spanish in East Texas.
Selfie Instructions
Snap a selfie inside the museum alongside any of the artifacts recovered from archeological digs in the area.
PARKS • EAST TEXAS REGION
Village Creek State Park
Situated at the edge of the Big Thicket and alongside a freeflowing creek, Village Creek State Park features more than 1,000 different flowering plants, 200 bird species, 100 kinds of trees and numerous species of mammals, reptiles and fish.
Selfie Instructions
Snap a selfie on one of the park’s eight miles of trails, or rent a canoe or kayak and snap a selfie on the Village Creek Paddling Trail.
SPLASH • EAST TEXAS REGION
Atlanta State Park
In the far northeast corner of Texas, Atlanta State Park sits on the shores of Wright Patman Lake. While the lake is best known for its giant catfish, the swimming area is a great place to cool off from the summer heat. The park rents kayaks and canoes. You can also hike on the park's peaceful trails.
Selfie Instructions
Snap a selfie while wading into the park’s swimming area, or at Knight's Bluff overlooking the lake.
WILD • EAST TEXAS REGION
Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center
In James Hilton’s 1933 novel Lost Horizon, the mystical Shangri-La was an earthly paradise hidden in the Himalayas. Inspired by the novel, H.J. Lutcher Stark created a 250+ acre oasis along Adams Bayou where trees, flowers, water and wildlife delight the eyes and dazzle the senses.
Selfie Instructions
Snap a selfie from the iconic Cypress Gate, accessible via boardwalk in the middle of the Pond of the Blue Moon.
QUIRKY • EAST TEXAS REGION
Texas Eiffel Tower
Paris, France, has the Eiffel Tower, which rises 984 feet over the city and is a landmark known the world over. Paris, Texas, has a one-sixteenth scale 65-foot version wearing a cowboy hat. Is it kinda ridiculous? Yes. But is it also super-cool? Oui.
Selfie Instructions
Snap a selfie in front of the Paris, Texas, Eiffel Tower.
BONUS • EAST TEXAS REGION
The Original Jason’s Deli
Founded in Beaumont in 1976 by Joe Tortorice Jr. and named for his eldest son, Jay, Jason’s Deli serves up delicious soups, salads and sandwiches at 250 delis in 28 states. But you can’t beat the original, still in operation nearly 50 years later.
Selfie Instructions
Snap a selfie outside the original Jason’s Deli.