Palestine Archives - Our Changing Life

Palestine Texas – A Piney Woods Adventure

Jeff & Crystal — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 03:30:00 +0000

Just a couple of hours southeast of Dallas is the historic city of Palestine, Texas. Nestled in the Piney Woods region, this area is where the Texas Oil Boom got its start. It’s a nature lovers paradise filled with rolling hills, lakes, and tall pine tree forests. Our adventure was designed to let us sample the local flavors of Palestine in just a little over one day. With so much to cover, we better get started.

We want to thank Visit Palestine and all of the local businesses for hosting this amazing visit. Rest assured all opinions are our own.

Historic Home Base

Any good stay begins with picking the right home base. The Redlands Hotel was the perfect spot for exploring Palestine, Texas. Located in the heart of downtown, it allowed us to walk to many of the shops and businesses during our visit. Arriving in the early evening, we were excited for a chance to check out this historic hotel. After getting settled into our room, we made our way downstairs to enjoy dinner at Queen St. Grille, the in-house restaurant.

A Nod to Christmas

After a restful sleep, we were ready to jump into explorer mode. Just a short walk from the hotel we discovered Eilenberger’s Bakery. Since 1898, this shop has been turning out delicious baked goods. That makes it the oldest operating bakery in the Lone Star state. Their specialty is fruitcake, which is packed full of fresh Texas pecans. For those of us that don’t have room for a whole cake, they also serve up fruitcake cookies, which are a popular treat.

Friendly Farmers Market

Next up was a stop at the Palestine Farmers Market. Here we found a variety of local products and goods being offered up by friendly faces. We made our way through the aisles, stopping to check out a variety of products. It must have been obvious that we were not locals, as many asked where we were from. Being outsiders can make a person feel isolated, but we found the locals to be warm and engaging. We would have liked to stay longer but there was a lot to pack into our One Day Stay.

Historic Excursion

A huge draw for Palestine is the Texas State Railroad. Since 1883, these tracks have carried cars for business and pleasure. While it was originally designed to service the local mining industry, it would eventually transform into a recreational opportunity. The 25-mile adventure can feature an old steam engine or one of the classic diesel versions. This excursion takes riders through rolling hills filled with forests of tall pines. Once we reached the Rusk Depot, it was time for a lunch break prior to the return trip. What a scenic way to spend a few hours.

Exploring Downtown Palestine, Texas

Arts and culture play a big role in Palestine, Texas. We had noticed a variety of outdoor sculptures, while driving around town. Each year, the city hosts an Arts Track Sculpture Tour that brings highlights work of regional artists. The ones that caught our attention were works of Jeffie Brewer from Nacogdoches, Texas. His brightly colored pieces were easy to spot all around town and we couldn’t pass up having some fun with them.

Hitting the Shops

For us, each new destination brings an opportunity to discover. Visiting like a local goes beyond attractions, as we include local shops and boutiques. Each one holds the possibility of finding that special souvenir or gift. While daylight was burning, we still found time to squeeze in a little retail therapy. It was nice having these downtown Palestine shops so close to our hotel.

Local Flavor

Exploring can work up a big appetite, so when dinner time rolled around we were ready to check out a local favorite. Pint and Barrel Drafthouse sounded like the perfect stop to unwind and refuel. Stepping through the door, we immediately knew we were in the right place. The locals knew we were out-of-towners (probably because of the camera) and made us feel welcome. We ordered up a Rueben and a Cuban and took in the ambiance. The sandwiches were packed with fillings and we struggled to complete our meals, even though each bite had us wanting more.

Evening Entertainment

Daylight was dimming as we made our way back to the hotel. We knew there was an early morning ahead of us, but we still wanted to explore more of the local art scene. From our room, we could see more of those fun sculptures, so we headed back out. I was surprised we didn’t get more stares, as we posed with various pieces. Perhaps this is a common enough occurrence that the locals have gotten used to it. Either way, we weren’t about to let this opportunity pass us by.

Loving Palestine, Texas

Our day in Palestine, Texas was coming to an end. We had made lots of memories and picked up a few souvenirs. After a good night’s sleep, we said our goodbyes to this historic city. Our first foray into the Piney Woods had left us with a desire to see more. You can bet there will be additional excursions to this region in our future. Have you ever visited this part of the state? We’d love to hear about your experiences. Drop a note in the comments section below.

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Redlands Hotel – Reviving The Past

Jeff & Crystal — Fri, 21 Jul 2023 03:30:00 +0000

Life in 1915 was far different from what we see today. Automobile travel was not as widespread, so many journeys involved train travel. In Palestine, Texas, those arriving by rail would find comfort in knowing the Redlands Hotel was awaiting our arrival. 108 years later, the hotel was again being called upon to house weary travelers. While times have changed from those early days, this historic inn still offers hospitality and comfort.

Historic Elegance

Stepping through the doorway, we felt like time travelers. The inn has all of the elegance that one would expect from those early days but with modern conveniences. It was interesting to find out that in 1915 they had an ice machine. Nothing lasts forever and by 1956 the building sat empty. Fortunately, in 1976 a group of investors saw the potential of breathing new life into the Redlands Hotel. After many years of back-breaking work the hotel sits on the National Register of Historic Places.

Sweet Suite

After our full day of driving, we were anxious to explore our home away from home. The Redlands Hotel has 17 suites for travelers to choose from. Each offers its own unique touches. We were in Suite 303, which is filled with cheerful pops of color. The living space provided plenty of room for the two of us to stretch out and plan our explorations. The large windows continue into the sleeping quarters and offer views of downtown Palestine. After unpacking our gear, it was time to head downstairs for dinner.

Queen St. Grille

The Redlands Hotel is also home to the Queen St Grille. This casual fine dining establishment is the perfect spot to catch up with friends or make new ones. The staff knew we were coming and greeted us like family. We joined the evening crowd and set about reviewing the menu. It was filled with a variety of American food dishes so we had no problem finding our favorites. After placing our orders, we took in the quiet elegance of the room. While it has a noticeable upscale appearance, we didn’t feel like it was stuffy or too formal. It was the perfect spot for a couple to soak in some relaxed pampering.

Enticing Entrees

After 9 hours on the road, we were ready for something besides burgers and fries. Crystal chose the Chicken Piccata, which is served with a creamy caper lemon sauce. The salty tang of the dish excited the taste buds without overpowering them. I couldn’t pass up trying the Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin. Served with a blueberry glaze, this dish had me coming back over and over until it was gone. Our dinner conversation focused on how cute our room was, before turning to upcoming explorations.

Redlands Hotel For the Win

After dinner, we took a short stroll through downtown Palestine. This Texas city has a long history that seems to intertwine with the railroad. As we walked, we could hear the sounds of a train in the distance. This made us feel at home, seeing that Kansas City is also a major rail hub. Before long, we found ourselves back at the hotel and a short elevator ride from our room. A good night’s sleep recharged us and in the morning we were ready to check out the city. Our suite at the Redlands Hotel served us well as a home base. We are so glad that those investors saw the potential and brought this inn back to life.

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Texas State Railroad – A Piney Woods Adventure

Jeff & Crystal — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 03:30:16 +0000

Ready for an adventure that’s 135 years in the making? Hop aboard the Texas State Railroad for a Piney Woods adventure. This four-hour excursion offers riders relaxing views of the rolling landscape. The historic railroad was built in 1883 to serve the mining industry. As this waned, the line was repurposed for tourism. These days crowds flock to the Palestine terminal for a chance to relive the heydays of train travel.

We want to thank Visit Palestine and the Texas State Railroad for hosting our excursion. Rest assured that all opinions are our own.

Piney Woods Express

Arriving at the terminal, we were eager to start our adventure. Once we grabbed our tickets, we spent some time checking out the area. The Palestine terminal was the departure spot for our four-hour ride. As we walked from the locomotive to the caboose, we noted the variety of car options. Since our train riding experiences have been limited to an Amtrak run through Missouri, we found ourselves anxious to get aboard.

Pick Your Pleasure

Before long, they announced that boarding was about to begin. We found our line and eagerly climbed aboard. Riders could enjoy different experiences, based on their car choice. Everything from elegance to open-air was an option. Our seats were in the Dome, which offered panoramic views of the countryside. Our seatmates were train aficionados, so we had a ready resource for information. As the train pulled away from the station, our hearts raced with excitement. The 25-mile journey breezed by filled with light conversation, interesting scenery, and snacks.

At The Rusk Depot

The Piney Woods adventure was an out-and back route with a layover at the Rusk, Texas terminal. Once the train stops, and the passengers deboard, the locomotive is moved to the other end. During this part, everyone is given a lunch break. With a little over an hour to explore, we skipped the food line and made our way into the terminal. Inside we found restrooms and a gift shop. One portion of the terminal had historical information about the Texas State Railroad. It was interesting to learn that the railway was built by prisoners from the Rusk Penitentiary.

Picnic Haven

The majority of the passengers had made their way to the cafeteria, to pick up their meal. After exploring the terminal, we decided to take a walk through the picnic area. A nearby lake offered a picturesque setting for a meal. Everyone seemed to be enjoying this relaxing time, so it was a perfect opportunity for us to explore the other train cars. It also provided a few minutes for some fun selfies.

Texas State Railroad

When we heard the call to board, we felt like we had just gotten there. Our Piney Woods Adventure would be over sooner than we thought, but we still had the ride back to Palestine. We spent this time in deep discussion with our tablemates. They walked us through some of their other rail excursions and we could tell they were well-traveled. It made us wonder if we should add more train adventures to our future trips. I’ve always thought a cross-country excursion would be a memorable adventure. I’m just not sure how well I would adapt to spending long periods of time on a train. Perhaps it’s best for us to stick to these shorter rides for now. We spent the last few minutes just soaking up the beauty of the Piney Woods landscape.

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