Athens, Texas

Discover history and nature in this spirited town. Local celebrations include Uncle Fletch’s Hamburger and Bar-B-Q Cook-off, which is now part of the East Texas Arboretum’s annual fall festival. The competition is named after the cafe owner who, legend has it, invented the hamburger and introduced it at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis. Step into the past in the recreated law office, kitchen, and schoolroom at the Henderson County Historical Museum, housed in the 1896 Victorian-ear Faulk and Gauntt Building. Visit the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center to watch divers feed fish in the huge aquariums, tray a hand at casting, or view displays of antique fishing gear.