Published: December 05, 2006 06:13 pm      

Holiday Trail of Lights

Six cities, two states, tons of fun

Six cities in two states have come together to organize the Holiday Trail of Lights.

Shreveport, Bossier City and Natchitoches, La. and Jefferson, Marshall and Kilgore, Texas have partnered to bring tourists into each other’s cities.

“It just allows us to be stronger as a unit, rather than individually,” said Nikki Neal with the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau. “It offers so much more to our holiday visitors. When we come together as a trail, families can come through and visit more than one city in a night if they choose.

“You could also make a couple of nights of it and experience each city individually along the trail. It’s always something different and something new in each city that you’re in,” she added. “It gives travelers something to do during the holiday that’s easy and family friendly. We’re a trail about an hour apart from each other, right off the interstate.”



Kilgore — a city of stars

With more oil at one time than anywhere else in the world, Kilgore, Texas was once known as the World’s Richest Acre.

Today, the oil derricks are gone, along with most of the money made during the city’s oil boom.

Kilgore today is a small town, with small town values, but the city is rich with something else — charm.

From the Kilgore Rangerettes, the gridiron’s first precision drill team, to star-topped replica oil derricks, Kilgore has dubbed itself the City of Stars. Christmas is a magical time in Kilgore, according to Chamber of Commerce president Mike Coston.

“You go to any city in America and you’ll see Christmas lights everywhere,” he said, standing underneath one of the city’s 70 oil derricks. “They’re beautiful and they’re fun to see, but in Kilgore, what you’ll see are stars.

“In our retail business, our industry and our residents — they all decorate with stars,” he beamed. “At night, the stars really shine in Kilgore. At one time, we had more than 1,200 oil derricks. We now have more than 70, and they’re all lit with stars for Christmas.”

While sightseeing in the Kilgore area, there are a few other attractions worth stopping in to visit.



East Texas Oil Museum

From a movie showing the early history of Kilgore’s “rich” history, to a life-size indoor model featuring a view of the mud streets from the time period of the oil boom, the museum has exhibits geared toward providing a glimpse into life during the height of the oil days. Mannequins depicting life in the area during that time fill a mock barbershop, soda shop, blacksmithing shop and a bank.

Described by Mayor Joe Parker as the largest oil field in the world at one time, the city’s ties to oil run so deep they still have a pipeline to prove it.

“One acre had all those oil wells,” he bragged. “We furnished all the oil for World War II and the pipelines are still in the ground where we shipped it to Pennsylvania.

“We’ve had over one million visitors to the oil museum and we hit that landmark last year,” he added. “They come from all over the world to see it. We’re proud of everything in downtown Kilgore.”



Rangerettes Showcase

If you were in a drill team, this is where it all started. The Kilgore Rangerettes are known the world over for their red shirts, blue skirts and trademark white hat and boots. Being the first example of a precision drill team, the Rangerettes have a reputation to uphold. With the Rangerettes Showcase Museum, visitors can learn about the history of the team through an interactive video and memorabilia displays. Also on display are costumes worn over the years by the Rangerettes, from their on-field wear to dance costumes used during their yearly reviews.



Kilgore’s 205 Shop

In a historic building featuring upscale antiques, furniture and gifts, Kilgore’s 205 Shop isn’t for the thrifty traveler. According to its proprietors, most of the shop’s customer base comes from larger surrounding cities, such as Longview, Dallas and Shreveport. Serious collectors, however, will find a plethora of goodies, from oriental rugs to chandeliers on the large end and children’s clothing and candles on the smaller. An eclectic mix of goods in a two-story downtown building, the 205 Shop is a must-see if you’re passing through.



Contacts

Kilgore Chamber of Commerce — (903) 984-5022 or on the web at www.kilgorechamber.com

East Texas Oil Museum — (903) 983-8295 or on the web at www.easttexasoilmuseum.com

Rangerettes Showcase — (903) 983-8182 or on the web at www.rangerette.com



Marshall - Wonderland of Lights

Boasting more than 10 million tiny, twinkling lights each Christmas, the small Texas city of Marshall holds worldwide appeal to even the smallest of sightseer.

Each year, the city hosts a Wonderland of Lights where an estimated 500,000 people stop to see during the holidays, and it’s not hard to see why. The courthouse lit up is a breathtaking sight, and boasts 125,000 lights on its own. An outdoor ice skating rink only adds to the festivities, giving weary festivalgoers a chance to relax and unwind.

More must-sees in Marshall include:



The Design Center

This delightful shop in downtown Marshall is stocked full of eclectic gifts and home furnishings. Building owners have kept the original building architecture, complete with a mezzanine overlooking the bottom floor. Merchandise lines both floors, featuring everything from candles to furniture for sale. The shop also carries drapes, lighting, original art and fine crystal.

Owner John Endicott said the building is a little over 100 years old and holds a colorful history.

“It was originally an automobile dealership, but that didn’t last very long,” he said. “For over 60 years, it was Smith Furniture. We’ve been here about four years, but we’re still known as the ‘old furniture store,’” he laughed. “The ceilings are original, the columns are original. The columns were decorated by a pastry chef and she used paint and a pastry tube to paint leaves on the columns. She’s a real artist.”



Starr Family State Historical Park

Covering more than three acres, the Starr Family park introduces tourists to the saga of the Starr family, who lived in the home for more than four generations. Furnished with half-tester beds, the home’s rooms also feature original accessories, such as photographs of the home’s first owners. One phone shows a lady wearing a black dress, and the same black dress is on display beside the portrait. Also on the tour, visitors will see ancient portraits of the children who started their lives in the home, only to find out both children, a boy and a girl, died shortly after the photos were taken. This home will haunt you with its beauty and thrill you with its charm.

Complete with an adjacent cottage, the home is often used for weddings and receptions. Rosemont Cottage located on he grounds of the park is the surviving wing of the original family home.



Contacts:

Convention and visitor development — (800) 953-7868 or on the web at www.marshalltxchamber.com

The Design Center — (903) 938-6445 or e-mail at thedctx@yahoo.com

Starr Family State Historical Park — (903) 935-3044



Jefferson — History and old world charm

History, mystery, intrigue and ghost stories — all this and more awaits any hearty explorer in Jefferson, Texas.

Jefferson combines old world charm and eclectic shops for a truly unique vacationing experience. On an unseasonably cold day in November, Juanita Wakefield Chitwood bustled into The Bakery in Jefferson, prepared with enough history for an anthology of the town and a personality the size of Texas itself.

Chitwood is the director of tourism development for the city, and lays claim to the honor of being the town founder’s great-great-granddaughter. History, she says, is for everyone, and Jefferson has it by the tons.

“In the mid-1800s, the Big Cypress Bayou in Jefferson was much deeper and wider due to a logjam on the Red River in Shreveport which backed the water up into Caddo Lake, which backed it up in Jefferson,” Chitwood recounted. “There was a steamboat captain from New Hampshire named Captain William Perry that was also my great-great-grandfather. He saw Jefferson’s potential that it could become a river port.

“He built the Excelsior Hotel, and also served as mayor for a time. He was shot in the back by a Yankee,” she sneered. “History said it was a case of mistaken identity, but my family has said through the generations that he was shot because he was a Southern sympathizer.”

Chitwood said Perry came to Jefferson and dredged out the Big Cypress River, making it navigable, then later brought the first steam boat from the port of New Orleans into the city.

“After that, Jefferson became an inland river port. For 30 years, it was the center of commerce and navigation and trade for the entire southwest,” she bragged. “We were second only to Galveston in size and trade. We were like New Orleans. In fact, quite a few people moved from New Orleans and settled in Jefferson because it was such a boomtown. We were having fun during that era.”



Enter Jay Gould

“Along comes a railroad tycoon from New York named Jay Gould. He wants to run a railroad right through downtown Jefferson and the city fathers said “Contraire. It will upset the horses, frighten the ladies and blow smoke, and you can take your smelly old train somewhere else,” Chitwood said. “Legend has it he was staying at the Excelsior Hotel and they have the exact register where he signed his name. He put an X next to his name and wrote “the end of Jefferson.” He cursed the town. He said ‘Fine, but I will live to see Jefferson’s demise. I’ll curse the town and I will live to see grass grow in your streets and bats roost in your belfry.

“He took his train to at that time a very small town called Dallas,” she said wide-eyed. “True story. Three years later, we felt the curse did come true because the Army Corps of Engineers got smart and blew up the logjam on the Red River in Shreveport which rerouted the water. Jefferson’s water level went down immediately. It was Jefferson’s demise. Jefferson slept for about 100 years. Grass does grow in our streets and bats and pigeons do roost in some of these old buildings downtown.”

The Ladies Garden Club purchased the Excelsior Hotel and went in, cleaned and renovated the hotel.

“Shortly thereafter, somebody called the club and said they’d found a railcar in a field in Henderson, Texas,” Chitwood recalled. “They picked it up and guess whose it was? Jay Gould’s!

“It weighs about 20 tons and they parked it downtown and you can tour it now,” she laughed. “It’s very opulent because it was his personal railroad car. We had the last laugh on Jay Gould.”

Jefferson has preserved and maintained its historic history. Chitwood says that’s the magic of Jefferson.

“This is the real deal. We haven’t had to make any facades,” she said. “These are the real, old, original Victorian homes.”

In addition to history as rich as the town once was, there are many interesting tidbits to note about Jefferson.



Excelsior Hotel

Ghost stories run rampant in Jefferson, as Chitwood will happily relay.

“Steven Spielberg came and stayed in the Excelsior Hotel,” she explained. “Don’t ask the Ladies Garden Club, they don’t want to talk about the spirits. They feel like it’s undignified, so they say, “We don’t have any ghosts here.” But, we all know better.

“Spielberg stayed there one night and he checked out in the middle of the night, 2 a.m. and packed his bags and his crew,” she added. “He got scared and spent the rest of the night in Marshall. About eight months later, guess what movie came out? Poltergeist!”

Along with elaborate ghost stories, the Excelsior Hotel also features a beautiful courtyard with a stocked koi pond and lavish, though affordable, rooms for rent.



Jefferson Hotel and La Mache’s Italian Restaurant

Having once worked at the Jefferson Hotel, Chitwood has firsthand knowledge of the spirits lurking within.

“That place is really haunted,” she said. “My house is haunted, too.”

Beautiful furnishings line the long hallways of the hotel and individual guest rooms all have their own stories to tell. Downstairs, La Mache’s restaurant awaits the famished trekker.

Serving authentic Italian food, a better example of which I dare you to find, La Mache’s is known around town for one thing — large portions. This may be a place to share a meal unless you can take it with you. Intimate lighting at night and a family bistro feel add to the La Mache’s experience.



Jefferson Carriage Co.

A must-see in this tiny metropolis, the Jefferson Carriage Co. knows how to give a good horse-drawn tour. Winding through downtown Jefferson, the tour takes visitors on a 20 minute open air carriage ride through the historical district of Jefferson. Knowledgeable guides weave together a story throughout the trip including the history of the individual homes on the tour, along with information about present and past owners. Pet the horse, get on a first name basis with the driver, cover up with blankets if you get too cold — this ride will take travelers back in time.



House of the Seasons

This historic home built in 1872 during the glory days of Jefferson was once a boarding house, but is now used as a bed and breakfast. One suite in particular will hold special value in the hearts of Texas historians. The Sam Houston Suite is furnished with original Houston memorabilia. A large cupola at the top of the home is possibly the most striking feature, giving the home its name. Stained glass windows in bright hues of blue, amber, green and red signify colors for the four seasons. Guests enjoy peering through the opening between floors. It’s said that the cupola was used as a quarantine room for sick children when the home was a boarding house.



Alley-McKay House

This bed and breakfast also began its life as a private residence, but now is living as a romantic inn. With seven guest suites decorated with period antiques, original fireplaces and modern conveniences, this may be one bed and breakfast you won’t want to leave. The original master bedroom was a favorite of Lady Bird Johnson. Along with many other sites in Jefferson, this home also features supernatural spirits, as the former owners are said to have been seen traveling the staircase. During the month of December, the home’s owners are offering a Cold Hands, Warm Hearths experience, complete with tours and homemade refreshments.



Rail of Lights

A real steam-engine train sits in the middle of a piney wood forest. Decorated at night with thousands of lights, the Rail of Lights takes visitors on a train ride through beautiful forestry. Overall, Jefferson is an extremely affordable, historic and hauntingly fun vacation destination, whether alone or as experienced on the Holiday Trail of Lights.



Chitwood says folks ask her all the time which places in Jefferson are haunted. Over the years, she’s come up with a standard answer.

“It’s all of Jefferson,” she said. “They’re everywhere.”



Contacts:

Juanita Wakefield Chitwood, Director of Tourism Development — (903) 665-3733 or e-mail at juanitawc@sbcglobal.net

House of the Seasons — (903) 665-8000 or on the web at www.houseoftheseasons.com.

Jefferson Carriage Co. — (903) 399-8882 or e-mail jeffersoncarriage@yahoo.com

The Bakery Restaurant — (903) 665-2253

La Mache’s Italian Restaurant and Jefferson Hotel — (903) 665-6177 or on the web at www.historicjeffersonhotel.com

Alley McKay House — (800) 468-2627 or on the web at www.mckayhouse.com

Rail of Lights Christmas Train — (903) 665-6400 or on the web at www.jeffersonrailway.com



Shreveport and Bossier City, La. — Christmas on the Red

Shreveport and Bossier City, La., are two separate towns so close together it’s hard to tell when you leave one and enter the other.

With history galore and modern convenience around every corner, Shreveport and Bossier City offer something for everyone.

Here are a few favorites:



Sci-Port Discovery Center

Find out how much you weigh on Saturn. See an I-Max film. Get up close and personal with the native wildlife in Shreveport/Bossier City.

The Sci-Port Discovery Center offers all this and much more in a state-of-the-art attraction featuring the world’s first open-access, interactive planetarium. One of the more striking features at the center is a huge pendulum that rings individual chimes, set on the circumference of a circle.

“You’ve got a 250 pound weigh suspended on a 32 foot pendulum,” said Eric Gipson, public relations manager for the center. “It’s set in place to not be affected by the Earth’s rotation. Every 15 minutes, a peg comes into position to be knocked down by the pendulum. Those pegs are on planet Earth. Because the Earth rotates, it brings them into position to be knocked down. It’s really mind blowing.

“This center is not for math nerds, it’s not for science nerds, it’s just for people who want to have fun,” he added. “If you’re interested in space, you’ll love it. If you’re not interested in space, come visit, and you will be interested in space when you leave.”



Multicultural Center of the South

Boasting a formidable collection of ethnic memorabilia, the Multicultural center features changing exhibits centered around the cultures found in the area. Funded in part by a $200,00 yearly grant from local casinos riverboats, the center has artifacts including, but not limited to, exhibits on the cultures of Jewish, Hispanic, Native American, Irish, Cajun, African-American, Middle East, German, East Indian, Greek, Asian, Creole, Scottish and Slavic peoples.



Louisiana Boardwalk

Take a break from the historic and revel in modern day pleasures at the Louisiana Boardwalk. Shops range from upscale to outlet in this open air market and restaurants along the path offer most any type of food from local flavor to chain restaurants, such as Joe’s Crab Shack and Hooters.



Davis Home Place — 804 Wilkinson

Now owned by Marsha Millican, the Davis Home Place has a history kept alive through the generations.

“The lady that built the home lived only 10 years,” Millican said. “Her daughter, “Ms. Mary” was the matriarch of the family. We have many of the original furnishings, along with Mary’s wedding dress (married in 1897) and a portrait of her wearing the dress.

“We also have her steamer trunk with her initials on the side. It’s in such good shape, it was just sitting in the attic and we bought it at the estate sale,” Millican smiled. “I think Ms. Mary’s quite at home here again — with all her stuff.”

One feature in the home not seen too often these days is a sleeping porch. This, along with working transoms and pocket doors, drew Millican to the home when she found it four years ago.

“I’ve always collected antiques since I was a teenager. As luck would have it, this house never went on the market,” she said. “We knew the real estate agent. As soon as I walked in the doors and saw the push-button lights and pocket doors, I said I didn’t need to see another house. This is home.

“We do not have central air and heat and we really don’t need it. These old homes were built for ventilation with the transoms and the windows at the top of the (staircase) landing. If you open all the windows, the air just circulates right through,” she explained. “I don’t know how many remember what it used to be like when that was gas heaters were the only heat you had. When you back up to the heater, the back of your clothes always gets hot. I didn’t realize how much I missed that until we moved into this house.”

Preserving the history of the home and those who have lived there is a priority for Millican.

“I feel like there are a lot of things in this house people are never going to see,” she said. “We have things of such historical significance, we have a responsibility to share. The more people that know about history and the way people lived, maybe it’ll be preserved.”



Stage of Stars Museum

Walk where Elvis Presley walked. Stand where he stood. Sit where he sat. The Stage of Stars Museum is the only place that can say they can show you where the King got his start. This museum showcases the stage of the original Louisiana Hayride, a longtime radio program. It’s said that the program gave not only Elvis, but Hank Williams and Johnny Cash a leg up in their careers. Take a tour of the original dressing room for the stars and have your picture taken on the exact spot Elvis is said to have stood.



The Gardens of the American Rose Center

Featuring 112 acres of rose gardens and 200 rose varieties, the Gardens of the American Rose Center is the home for the American Rose Society. With more than 60 themed rose gardens, the center goes all out for Christmas with its Christmas in Roseland celebration. A Santa house, manger scene and holiday decorations galore wait to greet travelers on walking or driving tours.



Contacts:

Sci-Port Discovery Center — (318) 424-3466 or on the web at www.sciport.org

Multicultural Center of the South — (318) 424-1380 or on the web at www.mccofthesouth.org

Louisiana Boardwalk — (318) 752-1455 or on the web at www.louisianaboardwalk.com

Fairfield-Highland Tour — (318) 221-7629

Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau — (318) 222-9391

Stage of Stars Museum — (318) 220-9434 or on the web at www.stageofstars.com

Gardens of the American Rose Center — (318) 938-5402 or on the web at www.ars.org



Natchitoches, La. — City of Lights

“I wouldn’t miss the festival,” Shelby gushed.

If you’ve ever watched the classic “Steel Magnolias,” you know a thing or two about the Natchitoches, La. Festival of Lights.

A time for homecoming, even now, the festival holds a yearly attraction for residents and travelers alike.

“This is the 80th anniversary of our festival,” said Iris Harper, executive director of the Natchitoches Area Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. “It’s going to be brighter this year and choreographed to music this year.

“Every year, the Christmas festival tries to do one thing a little bit special,” Harper explained. “Even though we’re the oldest — and the best I think — there’s always competition.”

All of the many lighted displays along the river running through downtown Natchitoches are designed by created by local people.

“It’s hard to explain if you’ve never been here before what this time of year means to Natchitoches and to Louisiana,” Harper said, her eyes misting over. “It’s such a homecoming for people who have been here throughout the years. If they’re not going to be able to make it home for Christmas, if they can make it home for the Christmas festival, they feel like they’ve made it.

“It’s a big family reunion. Everybody just opens their houses and meets and greets new friends,” she added. “For a town of 18,000 to put on this type of event — it’s just so rare. Over half a million people will come through from the opening of the festival through the end of year. It’s something you don’t experience too many places. You’re out and about and it’s magic.”

If you’re in Natchitoches sight-seeing, be sure to stop by and visit:



Lasyone’s Meat Pie Kitchen

How long has it been since you’ve had a meat pie? That’s too long.

Angela Lasyone now runs the business her father started in 1967, serving up the pastry-like concoction known as the meat pie.

“My dad was a butcher and he would grind meat for wealthy women who made meat pies in their home,” she explained. “He tinkered with the current recipe for around two years. He first started selling out of a side window of the meat market and when the building came available, he leased it and went into business.

“In the beginning, he couldn’t afford tables. Citibank finally loaned him some money and he bought some used tables and chairs, stoves and deep fryers. Our stoves are the oldest Garland stoves in existence and they came out of the old Natchitoches Parish Hospital. They were made in the 1930s and we still have them.”

Over the years, Lasyone’s has gotten its share of good ink, but the first journalist to take note of the tastiness that is Lasyone’s was a writer from Good Housekeeping.

“She loved the meat pies and it’s been all uphill from there,” Lasyone said. “Steel Magnolias rolled into town and it’s just been one thing after another. We’ve been very fortunate.”

Making anywhere from 400 to 1,000 meat pies by hand per day, the workers at the kitchen step up production in August to 2,500 or 3,000 per day to keep up with the holiday meat pie rush.

“We have to have so many in the freezer — it holds 20,000,” she said. “That’s about what it takes to get through the holidays.”



Fort St. Jean Baptiste

Once a fort known for being the first European settlement in the territory known as the Louisiana Purchase, the site is now home to an education center and working model fort. Though the fort was abandoned, no excavation has been done there. Several archeologists have determined that the original fort site is now underneath a river.

Visitors to the site will now see folks dressed in period costumes, demonstrating what life was like inside the fort. See an original weapons magazine, a demonstration of a musket shot and bake bread in an old stone oven while you’re there. Inside the interpretive center, a scale model of the fort grounds as they would have looked during the hey-day is encased in a glass cabinet. Weapons, silverware and clothing of the period are also on display.



Contacts:

Lasyone’s Meat Pie Kitchen — (318) 352-3353 or on the web at www.lasyones.com

Fort St. Jean Baptiste — (888) 677-7853 or e-mail at fortstjean@crt.state.la.us

Natchitoches Parish Tourist Commission — (800) 259-1714