Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center , Athens ( Courtesy photo ) including pool and hot tub , gourmet breakfast , butler ’ s pantry , sauna , rain shower , yoga room , luxury linens and robe . Enjoy lunch at their French cafe Luncheonette / Bar Ritual . www . hotelritualtexas . com
Outdoor Lovers may already be familiar with some of these , but hopefully this will inspire you to explore the great outdoors .
• Eustace : Purtis Creek State Park : Fish , hike , boat , swim , paddle , camp , geocache , picnic , play on the playground , and enjoy guided hikes and classes . www . tpwd . texas . gov / stateparks / purtis-creek
• Palestine : Garzilla Guide Service : The No . 1 fishing guide for trophy Alligator Gar offering highly qualified guides that will tailor a fishing trip to fit your needs on the Trinity River in Palestine . www . garfish-texas . com
• Tyler : Tyler State Park : Features a 64-acre spring-fed lake to fish or boat , campsites , cabins . www . tpwd . texas . gov / state-parks / tyler
• Mineola : Mineola Nature Preserve on the Sabine River : Camping , disc golf , horseback riding , mountain
biking , bird watching . www . mineolanaturepreserve . com
• Athens : Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center : Trails , Exhibits , Aquaria , classes , and more . www . tpwd . texas . gov / spdest / visitorcenters / tffc
• Athens : Athens Scuba Park : An all-inclusive scuba dive and snorkeling facility that provides sales , service , and classes with 20 + sunken wrecks and 10 diving docks around the lake . Scuba without having to hop a plane . www . athensscubapark . com
• Athens : The East Texas Arboretum and Botanical Society : Enjoy two miles of naturalistic hiking trails , live ( enclosed ) honeybees and the historic Wofford House Museum . www . easttexasarboretum . org
• Lake Fork : The premier trophy largemouth bass lake in Texas with cabins and vacation houses www . lakeforktexas . com
Pets might want a little “ day ” cation themselves and these places are nice for their humans too .
• Tyler Sunrise Paw Park : Open 24 / 7 and no charge to use . Run on donations to Tyler Sunrise Rotary Club . www . tylersunrisepawpark . com
• Tyler : Bosart Paw Park : The park offers both a small and large dog area for visitor safety , pet friendly water fountains , and comfortable bench seating for pet owners . www . spcaeasttx . com / bossart-bark-park
Berry picking can be done right around the corner too at these places and a few more . It is always best to check the facebook site of the berry location before going as weather can impact .
• Athens : Highway 19 Produce and Berries : Picking is usually end of April through mid-June . 8521 South Hwy 19 , Athens
• Edom : Blueberry Hill Farms : Pick your own blueberry and blackberry farm begins mid-June through mid-July . 10268 FM 314 , Edom .
Wherever your summer travels take you , it ’ s always nice to come home to Henderson County , so why not keep it close to Henderson County , wherever your summer travels take you !
Greater Athens Magazine | June 2022 | 13