Following El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail

SEE ALSO: NACOGDOCHES | SABINE | NATCHITOCHES

As I listened to award-winning vintner Buzz Mouton discuss the delicate intricacies of the winemaking skills he'd been perfecting since his high school days, I leaned over to my tour mate at Naca Valley Vineyard and whispered, It's fascinating to me that people can be so incredibly knowledgeable about so many different subjects according to their own individual passions.

Mouton is just one of a countless number of individuals whose paths have converged over the past several centuries along the national historic trail known as El Camino Real de los Tejas. This travel and trade route has played host to Native American tribes, Spanish conquistadors, French explorers, and early Texan empresarios who enticed American colonists with generous land grants that offered a sustainable new way of life on a burgeoning frontier. Little by little, these unique adventurers from various geographical regions and diverse facets of life have made up the fabric of East Texas society and thereby paved its way with rich heritage, cultural artifacts, captivating innovations, and intriguing clues to previous thriving communities.

Established in the 1680's when the Spanish set out on a determined quest for gold, geography, God, and glory, the trail originates in Old Mexico before crossing into Texas, passing through San Antonio, nearing the Austin area, and winding into Crockett just west of the scenic Davy Crockett National Forest. Modern-day travelers can take an adventurous trek along the easternmost portion of this royal road by beginning at Nacogdoches (Nack-a-doe-chis), the oldest town in Texas, and journeying to the trail's endpoint at Natchitoches (Nack-a-tish), the oldest town in what is now Louisiana.

Follow along in the literal footsteps of such notable figures as The Father of Texas Stephen F. Austin, Jim Bowie, Davy Crockett, Sam Houston, and many more with this step-by-step itinerary of significant landmarks, missions, presidios, and historic locales interspersed with local businesses, quaint restaurants, sightseeing destinations, and entertainment venues.

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El Camino Real de los Tejas

Guests of the Garden Capital of Texas can explore historical downtown, zipline through the pines, or relax at a charming bed and breakfast.

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Adjacent communities are rife with historical landmarks, travel routes, centennial monuments, restored homes, artifacts, and more.

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This original French settlement features a historic landmark district, Creole architecture, national heritage area, and historical plantations.

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