The folks who live down that way would just as soon you didn't know about it, but this is as close to the picturesque Texas Hill Country as you're going to get. You can use Joe Pool Lake as a gateway, then drive into Cedar Hill, where you'll want to visit a real old-timey town square. Take the back roads toward Ovilla and marvel at the tree-canopied lanes that seem a million miles away from the heat and concrete of Big D. If you're in the mood for a nature study walk, stop in at the Dallas Nature Center on Mountain Creek Parkway or take a picnic lunch and fishing pole with you and visit little-known Lorch Park (972-291-8229), cited last year as the Best Scenic Park You've Never Heard Of.