By Lisa Tang
The Upper East Side of Texas is home to many adventures. Thousands of folks take short trips to the region each year to see animal parks; ride historic trains; boat, ski, or fish on area lakes; tour cultural districts; or pick their own produce at local farms. Whichever adventure visitors decide to take, summer fun is just around the corner.
Reticulated giraffes are some of the Kaufman safari’s endangered animals.
Go on a Zoofari
Texas Zoofari Park opened in Kaufman earlier this year after operating three other successful parks in Alabama, Virginia, and Florida. The park is more than a fun place to visit. Its mission is to support wildlife conservation through fundraising, protection of endangered species, and public education.
Some of the featured animals along the 900-acre safari route include watusi, Texas longhorns, and Scottish Highland cattle, llamas, camels, giraffes, white rhinos, exotic deer, bison, ostriches, and zebras.
Watusi are similar to Texas Longhorns in appearance but originate from the African countries of Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi, where they roam slowly in herds. Their horns also span eight feet wide.
Many hoofed animals enjoy nabbing animal feed from the park’s visitors as they drive along the four-mile route inside their vehicles and offer feed through their windows. Guests can drive through the safari as many times as they like, and the park is open 363 days a year.
Some animals are part of endangered or recovering species, such as reticulated giraffes and the Grevy’s zebras. Breeding programs focus on replenishing threatened species.
Once the safari drive is done, guests stroll around the Village Walk-Thru where they see animals up close and feed them. The nearby Budgie Adventure Aviary features parakeets that perch and feed on seed sticks purchased in the gift shop.
Tickets cost around $25 for adults ages 13 to 64, $23 for seniors, and $21 for kids 12 and younger. Members and families of military and law enforcement personnel are eligible for a 15 percent discount with a military ID or law enforcement badge. Group discounts are also available.
For information call (469) 966-4608 or visit www.texaszoofaripark.com.
There is an abundance of animal parks in the Upper East Side of Texas. Safari parks require visitors to drive through to see the animals and feeding is encouraged. These include Cherokee Trace in Jacksonville, Grapeland Safari in Grapeland, and Rocky Ridge Drive-Thru Safari in Eustace.
Zoos in the region are also kid friendly and allow folks to stretch their legs while exploring. These include the Ellen Trout Zoo in Lufkin, the Caldwell Zoo in Tyler, Gators Park in Grand Saline, and the Gentle Zoo in Forney.
Animal sanctuaries include the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch and Doris Day Horse Rescue and Adoption Center and the Pegasus Horse Rescue Ranch, all in Murchison, and the Tiger Creek Animal Sanctuary in Tyler.
The historic Texas State Railroad departs from the Palestine Depot in Anderson County and travels to Rusk in Cherokee County.
Ride the Rails Back in Time
Travel back in time aboard the Texas State Railroad’s historic rails on the Piney Woods Express Diesel or Piney Woods Express Steam Train excursions. Both feature four-hour rides that depart from Palestine and include an hour and 15 minute layover at the Rusk Depot station before their return.
The steam ride is hauled by No. 30, a 1917 Baldwin Locomotive Works engine. Diesel engines TSR 125 and TSR 126 are restored FP9 locomotives built by General Motors in the 1920s.
Select the classic car of choice while purchasing tickets for a unique experience. Choices include the private caboose, Presidential Car 1511 or 42, First Class, Dome Class, or Open Air Coach.
Special evening events feature dinner and beverages aboard the classic cars and are for adults only. The Speakeasy Special at 6 p.m., Friday, May 5, invites guests to don 1920s inspired costumes and enjoy appetizers, champagne, and period music aboard the train. Dinner and dancing are held next to the lake at the Rusk Depot in Cherokee County.
The Piney Woods Evening Dinner Train runs Friday, June 9, and features an outdoor dinner at the Rusk Depot Station. Wine in the Pines features specialty wines from East Texas wineries and runs at 6 p.m., Friday June 23. For information call (855) 632-7729 or visit www.texasstaterailroad.net.
The Mineola Mini Train runs on a track in Iron Horse Square, a pint-sized park next to the Union Pacific and Amtrak stations.
Take the family on a fun ride on the Mini Train at Iron Horse Park in Mineola. Rides on the 15-inch scale Harry Meredith Special loop around the park two Saturdays a month April through September and run several additional dates throughout the year. Check the schedule by calling (903) 569-6183 or visit www.ironhorsesquare.org.
Kids of all ages can enjoy fishing tours such as this one on Richland Chambers Lake.
Play on the Water
With some of the state’s largest lakes and reservoirs, the Upper East Side of Texas offers many outdoor water sports and activities perfect for cooling down on hot summer days. Whether visitors enjoy boating, skiing, swimming, or fishing, there are many businesses and state parks around the region that offer rentals.
Lake Texoma on the Texas-Oklahoma border covers 139 square miles. It is the state’s fourth largest lake and the 12th largest reservoir in the US. The lake is also home to more than 70 species of fish.
Visitors can rent boats or jet skis at Highport Marina or Premier Boat Rentals in Pottsboro or take tours with Fastrac Charters and Cruises, Texoma Destinations, or Lighthouse Resort & Marina. Sunset and dinner cruises on luxury watercraft are also available.
Richland Chambers Reservoir near Corsicana is the seventh largest lake in Texas and offers opportunities to fish a variety of species including: catfish, carp, bass, smallmouth buffalo, and crappie. Fishing guides can take visitors out on the lake for half a day or more. Guides use their knowledge and specialized equipment to find locations where fish are plentiful.
Lake Tawakoni is the state’s eighth largest lake with more than 57 square miles. It is full of clean freshwater and surrounded by sandy beaches that make it perfect for swimming. The lake was built as a reservoir on the Sabine River for water supplies. It spans Hunt, Rains, and Van Zandt counties. Visit Lake Tawakoni State Park in Hunt County for access to beaches.
Cedar Creek Reservoir is Texas’ ninth largest lake and covers 51 square miles. Swimming, boating, skiing, and fishing are all popular activities that require watercraft, and all are available for rent.
Pontoon rentals are a good fit for groups of 10 to 13 people. Boats with a shade top can offer protection from the sun in hot weather.
Other options are available for smaller groups seeking adventure on the water. Lone Star Marina rents pontoons, sport boats, personal watercraft, and a variety of toys that can be used with their sport boats. These include waterskis, wakeboards, water tubes, paddleboards, and kneeboards. Cedar Creek Boats offers kayak rentals for $60 a day.
Some rental companies offer tours and cruises. Cedar Creek Boat Rental offers private tours by appointment and a weekly Sunset Sippin’ Cruise for $50 per person for groups of eight or more each Tuesday evening beginning May 30.
Renting a boat is also useful for viewing the annual Thunder Over Cedar Creek Lake Airshow on July 4 weekend. Many lake residents board their boats and drive out to see the airshow’s civilian and military jets dip and dive in the air. The free aerial acrobatic performance also includes patriotic music, helicopters, and skydivers.
Caddo Lake is the state’s 13th largest lake with more than 37 square miles. The lake is an internationally protected wetland that lies on the border between Texas and Louisiana. The unique ecosystem is home to many species of wildlife, including the protected paddlefish. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department recently rated Caddo Lake as the state’s best lake for paddle boating. Canoeing, kayaking, and paddle boarding are popular forms of paddle boating and rentals are available from Caddo State Park and nearby merchants.
Lake Fork in Wood County and Lake Palestine in Henderson and Smith counties rank as the 11th and 12th largest lakes in Texas, covering 43 and 40 square miles, respectively. Both are home to several fishing tournaments a year and watercraft rentals are available at each.
The Longview Cultural district features several murals and outdoor sculptures.
Take an Art Tour
Many towns around the Upper East Side of Texas feature art tours that take visitors through the quaint streets of their cultural districts. Some provide recorded narratives accessible with a smartphone and visitors can opt to drive, walk, or bicycle during the tours. Other towns provide maps on their websites or in print.
The city of Greenville has a vibrant public art program that includes murals, mosaics, and sculptures. Many are located in the city’s downtown and feature a range of artistic styles. Mural artists include Brandon Adams, Laura Irrgang, Pamela Edwards, and Pat Rawlings.
In Corsicana visitors can tour a series of roughly 20 statues known as the Bronze Tour, which celebrates the city’s history and prominent businesses. A bronze wolf guards a can of Wolf Chili where it was first served in 1895; a baker bends over to offer a plate of cookies outside of Collin Street Bakery; and an Oil Field Worker appears to be walking home at a street corner.
“Bob” by Jeffie Brewer of Nacogdoches is one of the many whimsical steel sculptures on display in Palestine’s Art Tracks exhibit.
Palestine features an Art Tracks Tour with whimsical metal sculptures. More than a dozen brightly colored works by acclaimed sculptor Jeffie Brewer are visible along the city’s Main Street district and can be toured on foot. An additional tour features several new murals spread out throughout the city and are more easily reached by bicycle or car.
Tyler’s vibrant public art program continues to invite local artists to add color to previously blank walls. The Art Alley project includes 43 murals by more than 40 different artists and brightens a connective alley in downtown Tyler. Some walls in the city’s downtown also now exhibit murals. An indoor public space known as Gallery Main Street displays works by local artists on a quarterly basis.
The Arts!Longview Cultural District includes an outdoor sculpture garden and several colorful murals. The area in downtown Longview was officially designated as a cultural district by the Texas Commission on the Arts in 2019. Most of the works can be toured on foot.
The cultural district includes the Artsview Children’s Theater, the Gregg County Historical Museum, Heritage Plaza, the Historic Longview Train Depot, the J.T. Smith Sculpture Garden, the Longview Museum of Fine Arts, and the Longview World of Wonders. Restaurants, bars, eateries, civic buildings, the Longview Public Library, and the Longview Public Symphony are also within walking distance.
Attractions at LeTourneau University in Longview are also part of the cultural district but lie beyond the downtown area and are best reached by bicycle or car.
Photo by Mario Mendez
Pick A Natural Treat
Connect with nature and enjoy a taste of it, too, at one of the region’s pick your own produce farms. Freshly harvested fruits contain more nutrients — and are sweeter and tastier — because they remain on the plant longer.
This summer head out to rural farms that specialize in growing produce locally and have fun picking it yourself or with family.
Picking fruits or berries is a great way to spend time in nature, especially with little ones who can learn to appreciate how food is grown.
Several farms around the region allow guests to pick their own blueberries, blackberries, peaches, and more. Peaches are in season May through September; berries ripen in early summer.
Prepare for the adventure by dressing for warm weather and use hats, sunscreen, and comfortable closed-toed shoes. A cooler is helpful for storing produce on the trip home.
Here are some venues that invite visitors to pick produce.
Efurd Orchards south of Pittsburg on Highway 271 allows guests to pick peaches, berries, fruits, and fresh vegetables. They also sell ice cream, jams, jellies, pies, salsas, pumpkins, and gift baskets.
Pick buckets of blueberries and blackberries at Blueberry Hill Farms in Edom in June or July then stop inside the store for a few treats after. They serve ice cream, lemonade, pies, muffins, jams, and turnovers.
Other farms good for picking include Alford Family Farms in Emory, Alexander Blueberry Farms and Panola Orchard and Gardens in DeBerry, Blueberry Ridge Farm in Mineola, Echo Springs Blueberry Farm in Brownsboro, Greer Farm in Daingerfield, Ham Orchards in Terrell, Lake Creek Blueberry Farm in Montalba, McPeak Orchards in Pittsburg, The Peach Orchard at Lake Fork, The Blueberry Farm in Quitman, and Tyler Blueberry Farm in Tyler.
No matter where you go to pick fresh fruit it’s going to be peachy — or berry — good.
Find other adventures in the Upper East Side of Texas in www.countylinemagazine.com.
