Travel East Texas ~ Gilmer

 

    As you take the back roads on your journey through East Texas, while traveling East and little South of Sulphur Springs, you will eventually run into the town of Gilmer, Texas.  Gilmer is best known for it's annual celebration The East Texas Yamboree. 

    We did not hit up Gilmer during their celebration but rather as they were getting ready for the big event.  The Yamboree happens to fall on the same weekend as the Hopkins County Stew Festival, so the choices guests have to make for which amazing event they are going to attend is a tough one.  Their festival is a week long celebration with events every day following up to the big event on Saturday.  Be sure to check out the website to find the items you want to participate in. 

    Besides the Yamboree, Gilmer is the county seat for Upsur County, and boasts a large downtown, square.  This is where we focused our adventure in Gilmer.  We walked along the square, had cheesecake bites at Dana's Cheesecake and window shopped the local stores.

    Many of the stores were featuring previous dresses of the young ladies who participated in the Yamboree pageant.  These dresses are beautiful to look at, not sure if I would want to wear all that beading.  

    There are a few restaurants located in Downtown Gilmer, for guests to dine at, and of course many places for people to shop and browse throughout different stores.  One of our favorite stops, was the Brickstreet Art Gallery.  A mix use space, that houses offices for local businesses that utilizes the hallway for displaying art.  A great use of space and a wonderful way to bring customers in to see who else is in the building.

    

    Downtown even features an Upshur County museum, that takes visitors back in time when the county and city were first established.  At one point the museum building housed the Post Office and has since been refurbished into the county museum.  

    There is plenty to keep you busy for the day, in Gilmer on your next visit to The Oaks bed and breakfast.  We hope you have a few good ideas of where to explore next.