I’m visiting Tyler Texas for the week from California. Any recommendations on things to do or places to eat, guns stores to check out? The people are definitely nice. The area reminds me of where I lived in Missouri.

Stanley’s Famous Pit Barbecue. It usually is near the top of Texas Monthly’s list. Lots of other dining options, most I’m not familiar enough with to recommend or speak of knowledgeably.

I used to fish with a guide at big-bass Mecca, Lake Fork, in East Texas. He was partial to the “titty bar” in Tyler. I think that’s about it.

I recommend a visit to the Rose Garden. While in the area, a trip on the old train from Palestine to Rusk and back might be fun. There are gun shows in Tyler every so often--if you're there when one happens, it's small but not bad. https://gunshowtrader.com/gun-...-gun-show-lone-star/ If you're interested in MX racing there is a track in the area: http://www.swanmx.com/. There is a shooting range in the area: https://www.yelp.com/biz/31-we...hip&utm_source=yahoo (The reviews say the manager is hostile, though.)

I have not been to the track or the range, so have no personal opinions.

flashguy

It's been 15 years, but Tyler/Longview was part of my territory as an area engineer for oil & gas. A few things I remember enjoying:

Over in Kilgore, East Texas oil & gas museuem.

Over in Athens (west of Tyler), it's a neat town on the edge of huge man-made lake, Cedar Creek Reservoir

Here is an East Texas Attractions and Things to Do List

quote:

Originally posted by BGULL:
Stanley’s Famous Pit Barbecue. It usually is near the top of Texas Monthly’s list. Lots of other dining options, most I’m not familiar enough with to recommend or speak of knowledgeably.

Bodacious in Longview finished a little higher (4.75 vs 4.5) than Stanley's in the last edition of Texas Monthly's Top 50.

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
It's been 15 years, but Tyler/Longview was part of my territory as an area engineer for oil & gas. A few things I remember enjoying:

Over in Kilgore, East Texas oil & gas museuem.

Over in Athens (west of Tyler), it's a neat town on the edge of huge man-made lake, Cedar Creek Reservoir

Here is an East Texas Attractions and Things to Do List

quote:

Originally posted by BGULL:
Stanley’s Famous Pit Barbecue. It usually is near the top of Texas Monthly’s list. Lots of other dining options, most I’m not familiar enough with to recommend or speak of knowledgeably.

Bodacious in Longview finished a little higher (4.75 vs 4.5) than Stanley's in the last edition of Texas Monthly's Top 50.

I ate at Bodacious in 2014--the BBQ sandwiches are huge!

DSC_7140.jpg by David Casteel, on Flickr

flashguy

If you are into fishing, there are a number of good lakes in East Texas. Also, I've heard the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens is pretty interesting.




Link to original video: https://youtu.be/jxc9haLjddE

Definitely Stanleys BBQ since I ate there I never went back to Bodacious. Superior Outfitters in the French Quarter on Broadway or Noonday Gun Trader on HWY 155 about 4 miles south of Loop 323 for gun shops. Lots of lakes in the area. I believe the gun range flashguy mentioned is membership only, I’ve never been even though it’s just done the road from me, just outside Chandler. Plenty of places to eat as that seems all they build around here is eateries and banks. My email is in my profile if you have anything you want to talk about offline.

Stanley’s. It’ll change your life. Get a lot of Q and definitely get a Cadillac Clucker even if you eat only one bite.

We hit about 40 BBQ joints the six years we were inTX and Stanley’s Iain our top 3.

Yes the Cadillac Mother Clucker is delicious! Another favorite is the Ex-Wife which is pulled pork and sliced brisket sandwich also the Cluckin tacos are very good.

https://stanleysfamous.com/

The train ride out of Palestine is good. Rose Garden. It's a sleepy town.

Great fishing nearby.

When I visited the best gun shop I found was Mac’s
https://macsgunshop.com/contact-macs-gun-shop/

Macs is ok but they don’t keep a lot of inventory.

quote:

Originally posted by drabfour:
Macs is ok but they don’t keep a lot of inventory.

None I visited were very impressive. I cannot recall the name but one was in a strip mall and there was barely enough room to walk it was so small.

quote:

Originally posted by mrvmax:

quote:

Originally posted by drabfour:
Macs is ok but they don’t keep a lot of inventory.

None I visited were very impressive. I cannot recall the name but one was in a strip mall and there was barely enough room to walk it was so small.

Probably the Shootist. Yeah I’d never set foot in that place again. When was it you visited last?

Re: Bodacious. The Bodacious on Mobberly in Longview (we like the Sixth Street location as well) is the location that makes the Texas Monthly listing and it is very good. Each Bodacious location has its own unique setup/menu/etc. The Bodacious in Gladewater is affiliated with the Bodacious Mobberly location.

 
The East Texas Oil Museum in Kilgore depicts the boom town scene in 1930's East Texas. I believe it was the largest oil field discovery at the time, and helped maintain the USA's supply of petroleum to fight WW2.

quote:

Originally posted by drabfour:

quote:

Originally posted by mrvmax:

quote:

Originally posted by drabfour:
Macs is ok but they don’t keep a lot of inventory.

None I visited were very impressive. I cannot recall the name but one was in a strip mall and there was barely enough room to walk it was so small.

Probably the Shootist. Yeah I’d never set foot in that place again. When was it you visited last?

I was there for a few days in May.

Tyler has a nice little zoo. It is worth a visit.

They have a large gorilla on top of a trailer right off the main highway. The buildings at UT Tyler look like prison or government buildings. This was the perspective of a college freshman playing a tennis match at the University. One of the buildings is named after a former President.