Maybe this East Texas city is so familiar that we take the cool factor for granted, our neck of the woods has a hidden gem when it comes to travel destinations.

Texas Highways Magazine says Nacogdoches is a great stop on that summer road trip.

It may be smaller in population, but Nacogdoches is a better travel destination than Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin, according to the magazine.

Nac beat out New Braunfels, Corpus Christi, Galveston, Padre Island, Austin, and Dallas-Fort Worth, and ranked 8th on the Texas Highways list.

History...plays an important role with visitors today, but so do antiques, restaurants, and the expansive educational gardens at Stephen F. Austin State University. And nearby Tonkawa Springs, a former Boy Scout camp in the pines, offers one of the best natural swimming holes in Texas.

Nacogdoches ranked the highest of East Texas towns, but Palestine wasn't far behind, ranked #14 on the list.

Sometimes the best places to travel aren't that far from home.  Texas Highways Magazine is gradually unveiling its top reader choices, and the top 6 have yet to be revealed.

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