On the Road

Your dream itinerary for a 3-day vacation in Lufkin

In the forested lake country of East Texas, Lufkin is a picture-perfect destination for outdoor lovers.

Here's a dream itinerary of what you can pack into three days.

Day one

Check-in time
No matter what vibe you're seeking, you'll find it in Lufkin. Choosing the Courtyard Marriott as your home-away-from-home puts you in the middle of all the action, with a multitude of restaurants, shopping venues, parks, and businesses at your fingertips.

Explore the water
East Texas is blessed with an abundance of natural beauty, and outdoor family fun can be found around every bend.

Just minutes away from Lufkin rests the largest body of water wholly within the state of Texas. Covering 114,500 acres at normal capacity, Sam Rayburn is the most popular recreation area in the Pineywoods. Sam Rayburn Reservoir is also one of the top five bass fisheries in the United States, with the record for largemouth bass at 16.5 pounds.

With more boat ramps available than anywhere else in Texas, Sam Rayburn Reservoir is the very definition of accessible. Whether you desire the perfect fishing spot, relaxing sailing, or a safe place to waterski, Sam Rayburn Reservoir is the ultimate getaway.

Find Tex-Mex at its best
On your way back from the lake, stop at Cafe Del Rio to experience superior Tex-Mex in a festive atmosphere.

Try the award-winning, freshly marinated fajitas, hand-rolled-to-order enchiladas, and queso. If you are in the mood for seafood, you can't miss with the shrimp brochette — delicioso! Top it all off with a thirst-quenching signature Cafe Del Rio Swirl, voted the best margarita in town.

Day two

Roam the wilderness
The Neches-Davy Crockett Paddling Trail, a 9.2-mile designated Texas Paddling Trail, makes for a perfect half-day paddle with friends and family. Enjoy the beauty of East Texas as you serenely paddle through the Davy Crockett National Forest, and you may see alligators, otters, and many different species of birds.

Visit the informative Texas Parks and Wildlife website for more information about how to get there, fishing, wildlife and ecology, nearby events and attractions, and other exciting information about this paddling trail.

Enjoy a Cajun twist
Savor dinner on the patio and listen to live music at Pelican Point, which specializes in authentic Southwest Louisiana Cajun cooking, infused with an Italian flair. It's food that feeds your soul, with a side of unmatched hospitality.

Day three

Take a Sawmill hike
The Sawmill Hiking Trail is a 2.2-mile, one-way hike in the Angelina National Forest that begins at Boykin Springs Campground and ends at the Old Aldridge Sawmill Site.

The trail follows a spring-fed creek that has a continuous flow of water, which only adds to the serene atmosphere. This trail even passes through the Neches River along an old tramway that was used until the 1920s to haul logs to the sawmill.

Don't miss family favorites
No matter what you are craving — homemade pasta, farm-to-table, tasty tacos — you’re sure to enjoy a fabulous meal while dining in Lufkin.

For more ways to indulge your outdoorsy side, browse the Lufkin Conventions & Visitors Bureau website.

Sam Rayburn Reservoir is the ultimate getaway for fun on the water.

Photo courtesy of Lufkin Convention and Visitors Bureau

Sam Rayburn Reservoir is the ultimate getaway for fun on the water.

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Holiday News

American Airlines expects record-setting travel on Thanksgiving 2024

Photo courtesy of American Airlines

American Airlines ready for takeoff.

The holidays are looming and American Airlines is ramping up. Over the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend, the Fort Worth-based airline expects to process nearly 8.3 million customers across more than 77,000 flights.

According to a statement from American's COO David Seymour, the airline is having a good fall season and canceled fewer flights than its peers during October.

“Thanks to the hard work of our 130,000 team members, we canceled fewer flights than any of our major competitors this October and beat our own records for on-time departures and arrivals,” Seymour says.

That's surely good news. One hates to rain on their parade, but in June 2024, the only flight I booked this year, my flight was canceled less than 24 hours before take-off. I had made hotel reservations, scheduled a pet sitter, planned events, and arranged for a friend to pick me up at the destination airport. One employee speculated that it may have been "insufficient crew." Their only solution offered was: Feel free to reschedule your flight.

Thanksgiving facts and figures
The travel window runs from November 21 to December 3, and the airline expects to carry more than 500,000 more customers than it did last year.

The most-traveled day will be Sunday, December 1. The second most-traveled day will be Monday, December 2.

The peak of peak: 1,035 mainline and regional aircraft will be enroute at 10:45 am on Sunday, December 1 — the highest number of flights handled at any given time during American’s travel period.

The airline expects to serve more than 6.8 million Biscoff cookies on board from November 21 to December 3.

Travel tips
Download the American Airlines app and check in for your flight, noting added any bags to your trip. This will save you time at the airport.

If traveling internationally, download the Mobile Passport Control app, which can speed up your entry into the U.S. Global Entry members can download the Global Entry app, which allows you to submit your entry and go straight to the officer.

Upon arrival at the airport lobby, scan your mobile boarding pass to print bag tags quickly at a kiosk. If you’re not checking bags, go straight to TSA security with your mobile boarding pass.

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