Orange, TX
The last city in Texas before you get to Louisiana you’ll find the relatively small city of Orange, Texas. Its only around an hour and a half from Houston depending where you live and a is a great place to go for a quick day trip or an over night trip. You might ask what is in the small city of 19,000 that would be worth a day trip? There is plenty to do including a massive and wonderful garden!
Shangri La Gardens
The highlight in Orange is the huge and beautiful Shangri La Gardens. It was once a private Garden for a local businessman in Orange named Lutcher Stark. It was named after the mythical gardens of Shangri La. It was opened to the public and now it is run by the Stark Foundation. Inside you will find green houses, fountains, lakes and plenty of flowers and greenery. They have a museum that tells the history of the gardens. There is a tranquil Japanese lake and garden area to relax at in peace. They have a nice bird blind to watch the birds in the swamp at one of the lakes. There is a nature center and as of the last time I visited they offered pontoon boat rides out into the East Texas swamp to see the wildlife out there. We have been several times in different seasons and its always a little different. Spring of course will be the best time to see the most flowers. Its a place well worth visiting on its own or stopping by on the way to or from Lousiana.
The Stark Museum of Art
Not too far from the gardens is another Stark Foundation site. The Stark Museum of Art has a wonderful collection of Western Art. You can see Native American Art and artifacts, Cowboys, Western Landscape scenes and much more. You can see art from famous artists such as John James Audubon and Georgia O’Keeffe there. Its a fairly large museum so it took us an hour or so to tour. They have temporary exhibits come through so it can be different each time you stop by.
The W. H. Stark House
We have never been inside but you can tour the family home of the Stark Family. Touring older homes can be a great history lesson so its well worth visiting. They do not have regular hours for this attraction so you have to check the website to see if they are open to visit on a particular day.
The Blue Elbow Swamp and Texas Welcome Center
At the Texas Welcome Center on I-10 they have a raised walkway that allows you to walk above the swamp and see the Sabine River that makes up the border of Texas and Louisiana. We have seen alligators and other wildlife while stopping there for a quick visit. At the welcome center you can get information about pretty much any place you would want to visit in Texas. Its a nice stop on the way back in from Louisiana.
Delta Downs Casino and Horse Race Track
While not in Orange just 4 miles across the border into Louisiana there is the nice Delta Downs Casino and Horse Race Track. We have stayed there before and the rooms were very nice back then. While there is plenty of casino gambling available we enjoy watching the live horse racing that they have there. Check their calendar for the live racing schedule.
Niblett's Bluff Park
A small park on the Sabine River in Louisiana not far from Delta Downs is a nice place to see some history. It was once a Confederate camp site that overlooks the Sabine River looking into Texas. You can still see some of the old earthen fortifications and they have a small cannon and historical markers there.
In Conclusion
If you are looking for somewhere new to visit that isn’t too far from Houston and won’t break the bank (unless you go to the casino for a while) Orange is a great option that is also good for kids. Give it a try!