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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Shopping for a cause

Dallas nonprofit Bonton Farms spreads its wings with 2 DFW Airport stores

DFW Airport

Bonton Farms stand at DFW Airport

South Dallas nonprofit Bonton Farms is going international without straying too far from home. The organization is debuting two storefronts at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport: one that just opened and another coming this fall.

The larger Bonton Farms marketplace, a 2,895-square-foot space in Terminal A, quietly opened in mid-August.

A second, smaller 551-square-foot newsstand near the A-Pier will open in October, when the airport's A-Pier expansion is scheduled to open, a spokesperson says. (Exact date is still TBA.)

The shops are called, simply, "Bonton Farms" and are operated by Marshall Retail Group, a subsidiary of WHSmith North America, which is partnering with Bonton Farms on the airport concept.

According to a release, both stores will sell Bonton Farms products such as locally made honey, handmade jam, and goat-milk soap, along with apparel, merchandise, and products made by "Bontonpreneurs," the local entrepreneurs supported through the nonprofit's business-development programs.

Bonton Farms' goods are now sold at DFW Airport Terminal A. Photo courtesy of Bonton Farms

The stores will also offer fresh grab-and-go food, including sandwiches, wraps, salads and sweet treats, as well as travel essentials and souvenirs and gifts.

The airport project was first announced in 2024 as a partnership between Bonton Farms, WHSmith, and DFW Airport. The plan called for Bonton Farms products to be sold alongside goods from other North Texas businesses, including Fort Worth's Sons Coffee, Lettuce Cook, and Pearl Honey Spreads.

Bonton Farms began in the Bonton neighborhood with a small beekeeping operation and has grown into a nonprofit farm, market and community hub. Its operations now include two farm sites, a coffeehouse, farmers market, preservatory and farm-to-table Market/Café, along with programs focused on workforce development, education, health and wellness, economic opportunity and access to fresh food.

"This opening represents an exciting milestone for Bonton Farms and the community we serve," says Mark Jones, President & CEO of Bonton Farms, in the release. "For the first time, our products and our story will reach travelers from around the world. Through this partnership with WHSmith North America, we're creating new opportunities to share the mission of Bonton Farms while generating additional support for programs that help our neighbors thrive."

The airport shops are designed to introduce Bonton Farms to travelers who may not otherwise encounter the organization or its products.

"This store isn't just retail space, it's a front door to our mission," says Kendra Charisse Smith, Director of Operations at Bonton Farms, who oversaw execution of the partnership. "From sourcing and packaging our products to meet the demands of a whole new scale of distribution, every step was about making sure Bonton Farms shows up authentically in one of the busiest airports in the world. This launch reflects the same care and intentionality we put into everything we do in South Dallas.”

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