Vacation rentals in Lake Tawakoni

Nearly 200 miles of shoreline gird this reservoir, which provides water to the Dallas metro area 77 miles west. Unsurprisingly, visitors to its state park tend to make a splash swimming, fishing, and boating (kayaks and pontoon boats dominate). But the area has other charms, too, from geocaching to mountain biking trails. Birders also flock Lake Tawakoni to spot rusty blackbirds, indigo buntings, and ruby-throated hummingbirds amid terrain ranging from tallgrass prairie to post oak savannah. And don’t forget to look for dragonflies in the wildflower meadows. Together the towns of West and East Tawakoni number around 3,000 residents. So this is not a bright lights, big city destination. But if you want to kick back, chill out, and cast a line for striped bass or crappie, this lovely lake makes for a great getaway.

The year starts cold here, but warms up to pleasant daytime highs in May. That’s a key time for outdoor adventures, before summer descends like a slap from a wet towel. Not only does the thermometer rise, but the humidity makes it muggy. Travelers with flexible schedules should wait out the peak stickiness and aim to book a cabin here efor the first two weeks of September.

Lake Tawakoni focuses more on natural beauty and less on events programming. So look to nearby Canton, 35 miles south, for one of the country’s largest flea markets (Thursday to Sunday before the first Monday of each month). Or head north 25 miles to Greenville, which hosts April’s Hunt County Fair and October’s Bob Wills Fiddle Festival.

The Texas Woofus

Sixty miles west of Lake Tawakoni, a funky, fake-mythological statue presides over Fair Park, a National Historic Landmark. Created for the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition, the Woofus mashes up the state’s livestock staples. It boasts a hog body, plus a horse neck, turkey tail, duck wings, and the head of a sheep. It’s crowned by the headgear of the state’s official large mammal, the Texas longhorn.

Texas Triffid Ranch

Keep the cryptid kicks going 15 miles south, home to Dallas’s “pretty much only carnivorous plant gallery.” While the name riffs on ambulatory science fiction shrubs that prey on people, the ranch actually crafts unique enclosures for sundews, butterworts, pitcher plants, and other flora that consume insects or animals. This lush, loony space welcomes the public for open houses and by appointment.

The Traveling Man

Three giant robot installations preside over the boho Dallas neighborhood of Deep Ellum. One shows the stainless steel hero rising up from the earth. Another iteration lounges and jams on a guitar, while the last is frozen mid-stride. But don’t stop there: this soulful section of the city has at least 50 more street art masterpieces, including Jolly, a steampunky smoker that still makes a mean brisket.