Texas’s national parks have earned international fame, but what about the state’s national preserves? These places are said to be the true gems of Texas, because it is here that people can have a “national parks experience without the crowds.” True enough, places like Big Thicket National Preserve are iconic. This preserve in particular is a local favorite, offering incredible hiking trails, canoe and kayak lanes through sleepy wetlands, and amazing birdwatching. The National Park Service that manages the park said it best, “At first glance, the Big Thicket may seem like any other forest. Take a closer look, however, and you'll discover its many wonders, big and small. Venture into a Big Thicket bog to see thousands of carnivorous plants waiting to feast on insects. Listen for the distant tap-tap-tap of a woodpecker as you stroll through a longleaf pine forest. Search for colorful mushrooms that spring up after summer rains. Paddle along a shaded bayou, beneath hauntingly beautiful bald cypress trees.” To celebrate the paths less traveled in America's national monuments (places that receive far fewer visitors than the big 63 National Parks), Anderson Design Group poster artists have hand-rendered an original illustration of Big Thicket in the fashion of vintage poster art and travel art from the Golden Age of Illustration. This retro design and wilderness art is available as a poster, print, canvas, mini canvas, metal sign, notecard, or postcard. To learn more about the park or to make travel plans, check out the website for the National Park Foundation.