Two East Texas cities are gaining attention for having great shops, good hotel prices, and pretty flowers, and that could mean more visitors are on their way to check it all out.

Tyler and Palestine have made a "Best Weekend Getaway" list, and we'll give them some love while we try to figure out why Lufkin and Nacogdoches were left off the list.

The website called Trips to Discover, lists ideas for Dallas folks who are looking to get out of the city for the perfect weekend getaway, and Palestine and Tyler are two of the places they suggest.

Tyler gets a lot of love for its roses, and the fact that twenty percent of the country's rose bushes come from Tyler.  The Tyler Rose Garden is a good stress-relieving getaway, and creates the background for the perfect social media post.  The Kiepersol winery, distillery, restaurant and B&B gets a mention too.

Palestine gets noticed for its shops and restaurants, and for the famous dogwood trails. Tyler has the roses, but Palestine has the prettiest azaleas, dogwoods, and roads lined with oak, magnolia and cypress trees.

When people who live in Dallas get tired of concrete and buildings, they can come over to East Texas for fresh flowers and a little less stress. Maybe we need to find the next Chip and Joanna Gaines out here in East Texas, that can put us on the map like the Gaines' did with Waco.  The Magnolia Market is also one of the best weekend getaways, according to Trips to Discover.

Visitors bring money, but they can also crowd restaurants and clog roads.  So maybe it's not all bad that we have some well-kept secrets and cool spots in Lufkin and Nac that visitors aren't really aware of.  Yet.

More From Newstalk 860