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A Rose Is a Rose

Just ask any Tyler resident – the No. 1 tourist attraction in this city is the Tyler Municipal Rose Garden.

The largest rose garden in the world has 38‚000 rose bushes and more than 500 varieties. It opened in 1952 and is also used for research in developing new rose hybrids and varieties.

By the way‚ the city of Tyler calls itself “Rose Capital of the Nation” and produces more than 35 percent of all the commercial rose bushes grown in the United States.

Breathing Space

If you can’t find anything to do at Tyler State Park‚ you just aren’t looking hard enough.

The 985-acre refuge that opened in 1939 is complete with a 64-acre lake‚ ideal for fishing‚ swimming and camping. The park also features a 2.5-mile hiking trail‚ a 13-mile mountain bike trail‚ bird-lookout sites and an amphitheater on the lakeshore.

In addition to Tyler State Park‚ other outdoorsy attractions include 25 city and state parks‚ and 27 nearby lakes.

This Is Really Loopy

Texas State Highway Loop 49 is designed to be an outer loop around the city‚ and the first 5-mile segment opened in August 2006.

The segment connects I-20 in the west near Lindale to the east near Winona. It opened in November 2006‚ and the entire system will ultimately be a tollway. Construction on the second segment – a 2-mile link from U.S. 69 east to Paluxy Drive – is scheduled for completion in December 2007.

The longest eventual section of the toll road will extend 10.4 miles from SH 31 west of Tyler‚ going north to I-20. Highlights of the entire project include inlayed roses on the outer walls of the bridges‚ and bridge columns and railings that feature red-stained brick.

8 Miles of Azaleas

Beautiful Tyler is never more beautiful than during the two-week Azalea Trail event that welcomes springtime.

The 49th annual Azalea Trail will take place March 15-30‚ 2008‚ along eight miles of streets throughout the city. Property owners along the trails open their homes and gardens for the spectacular floral event.

There are actually two separate trails – the Lindsey Trail and the Dobbs Trail – that both start at the intersection of South Broadway (U.S. 69) and Houston Street. People who want to walk part of the trail on sidewalks are advised that the best place to view the most azalea-laden venues is between West Fourth Street and West Dobbs Street.

Way Above Par

Golf Digest magazine has named Tyler as the No. 1 golf city in Texas‚ and no wonder. There are 17 public and private courses within an hour’s drive of downtown.

The Cascades‚ a luxury residential and golf community‚ features the Jack Nicklaus Academy of Golf. Hollytree Country Club is a private facility with an 18-hole championship golf course‚ 12-court tennis complex and a family aquatics center. Palm Springs Golf Course is a semiprivate‚ 18-hole layout with huge greens and lights on every hole for night golfing.

And Garden Valley Golf Resort has been designated one of the top six public courses in Texas.

Still Giving

Bergfeld Park was established in 1913 when Tyler businessman Rudolph Bergfeld donated land for the site. He stipulated that the land was to be used exclusively as a public park‚ and today the 8.32-acre park still has playground equipment‚ tennis courts and picnic areas.

Meanwhile‚ in 1936‚ Sears‚ Roebuck & Co. President R.E. Woods donated funds for a Tyler amphitheater. Woods made the gesture because the Sears store in Tyler was the only store in the company’s entire national chain to show a profit during several of the early Depression years.

The amphitheater still exists today‚ in Bergfeld Park‚ and is officially named Woods Amphitheater.

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