Jefferson, TX

Ireland

Jefferson sits in East Texas's piney woods, about 20 miles from Louisiana. This former riverboat town straddles Big Cypress Bayou, where Spanish moss and cypress trees create a Deep South atmosphere. US 59 connects north to Marshall and south to Carthage, while Highway 49 runs east-west through downtown. From Dallas, take I-20 east to Marshall, then US 59 south. The town operates authentic paddle-wheel riverboats on the same bayou that once made Jefferson a major inland port.