Things I recommend in Tyler

We left Tyler about 6 weeks ago, and while we love our new city, there are definitely things we miss! These are things I recommend to others living or moving there:

• Brookshire's Park & Wildlife Museum. We spent lots of time here. The playgrounds (yes plural) are amazing, and my kids loved the animals as well! Best of all, it's free! Another great one is the Whitehouse Park- tons of shade & fenced in!
• Caldwell Zoo. This place is amazing. We got a membership and went alll the time! We miss not having a zoo so close!
• Colonial Hills Baptist Church Mother's Day Out. We loved this place mostly because of the teachers and the focus on Christ. The other things we liked were the price (one of the cheapest in town) and how laid back they are with certain things- potty training, pacis, peanuts, among others. :) They just were not freaked out about little things, which I appreciated. 
• The worship leader at Grace Community Church. We loved other things about this church, of course, but because of John's schedule, we weren't able to be too involved. I just wanted to mention him, because he is so genuine and is one of the rare people with music AND teaching talent. (Usually it's one or the other, and I'm always thinking, "juuust play the music," when worship leaders start talking a lot; but not with him. He's great!)
• Trimble Farms. This is where I got our raw milk, among other things. They have ground beef (grass fed), steaks, sausage, whole organic chicken, raw local honey, free range eggs, goat soap, homemade jelly & salsa. Bobby Trimble is a really nice Christian guy, and I miss their milk SO much! :( 
• Drug Emporium & The Granary. If you are like me and are frustrated with the lack of healthy foods at decent prices in Tyler, check these stores out.
• Dr Marc Langas. I didn't find out about him until a few months before we left, or I would have gone to him myself, but we did send our 2 YO there when he was having tummy issues and trouble sleeping. He's a chiropractor who also does nutrition counseling and muscle testing. Christian, super nice, super down to earth!
• Cody Carter, DC @ Hembree Chiropractic. This clinic exclusively uses a gently chiropractic technique that anyone can be comfortable with. No cracking your neck! :) It works too. But if you go there, I definitely recommend choosing Dr. Carter.  
• Larry Skylar, MMP. If you've never heard of medical massage, it is, in a word, amazing! I have been to 3 different ones now, and the technique is so different from just a regular massage therapist. They get you right at the pressure points, and get the muscles to release. So instead of massaging out a knot, they will press at the right point to just get the knot to release. It really is amazing. But it's for real medical issues and injuries, not a relaxing experience! It is painful, but if you are in pain, you will realize how worth it it is! Larry Skylar is the only one I know of in Tyler. $85 for one hour. If you are not in Tyler and want someone who will actually bring results, the certification is called "medical massage practitioner." It's the highest massage certification you can get.
• Restaurants: Stanley's (best BBQ), Wok Box (best Chinese, although nowhere near authentic!), Villa Montez, Lago del Pino, and pretty much any Mexican food!