Yep, it's that time of year when we all get wanderlust. Every good Boy Scout knows that to start a journey you need a compass.

Folks around here agree with me when I claim that East Texas is the center of the universe.

If you are looking to explore our neck of the woods, then a good center point for your compass is a quaint little Bed and Breakfast called the Rosevine Inn, only a few blocks from downtown Tyler.B

ert Powell and his wife of 29 years, Becca built the inn from scratch, designing with respect for the character of the neighborhood. Powell, who is known for the numerous homes he has restored over the last thirty years, incorporated many reclaimed architectural features into the inn's design to pay tribute to the 1930s era, while including the modern amenities that make a visit comfortable and fun.

There's so much to do in downtown Tyler and the surrounding areas that the list gets long, but here are some ideas for starters.

-Shopping within walking distance from the inn includes, Bufe and Babin, a local favorite among designers where they carry hard to find French ribbon by the yard. Cross Front Street to be dazzled at The Rose Patch Antiques where collections of glass, vintage Christmas, and funky finds, including Mo McSwane's handmade gift items recently featured in Country Living, will stimulate your imagination.

-If you walk in the opposite direction, be sure and stop in at The Gipson Girl. Brace yourself; Cynthia Gipson claims "that leopard is a neutral and fringe fixes everything;" her shop is the epitome of intentionally gaudy.

-Just past the McClendon House, down the hill where Houston intersects with Glenwood, is a little shop whose plain exterior belies the great deals on estate furniture, from Victorian to modern. Bob Kassube of Bob's Discount Furniture claims to feed people who don't smile to the alligator out back. There must be some truth to his claims because I find myself smiling as he offers me terrific bargains.

-And of course, there's Tyler Square Antiques where you can always find an English sideboard at a good price.

-Next door to the inn, Cox's Grill has been cooking up hamburgers since 1936. On the square, there's Jake's, Rick's and Don Juan's.

-I wouldn't leave town without stopping by the Sweet Gourmet where Pam Gabriel keeps ceiling to floor walls stocked with fancy stuff like Barefoot Contessa, Godiva chocolate, and jars of her private label salsas and locally grown produce. A few steps away is KE Cellars, the shop of local wine producer, Kiepersol Estates.

With so much shopping to do, it may be hard to find time to relax in the hot tub back at the inn.

Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at http://checklistcharlie. blogspot.com, or cathykrafve@gmail.com.