Caldwell Zoo

One of my all-time favorite places in Tyler is the Caldwell Zoo. As a biology major, this only comes naturally, of course. But of all the zoos I've been to, including the San Diego Zoo, the Caldwell Zoo has a special place in my heart. Even though it boasts 85 acres, it still has that familiar small-town charm. Founded in the 1950's by David King...

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Hughes Plant Farm

Just off Highway 69, a few minutes outside Tyler, you'll notice a little sign for Hughes Plant Farm. It can be easy to miss if you aren't paying attention (we've accidentally passed it twice!), but it's a hidden gem. With the onset of spring, it didn't take long for the phrase "Oh, I'll just get it at Hughes'" to come into my normal vocabulary, and...

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Making Introductions

Hello! Welcome to Our Time in Tyler. Before we begin, let's cover a little background information: Named for President John Tyler and nicknamed "Rose Capital of the World,"  Tyler, Texas has an estimated population of 107,405 as of 2014. (In local practice, the populations of surrounding small towns, the real small towns, are lumped in with Tyler's to effectively double the count.) Despite hosting three higher education institutions, Tyler is not a college town with a thriving nightlife. It is, for the most part, a retirement town and...

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