Vacation in Plano Texas

[tocelli]

Wife is traveling to Plano Texas for work July 24th - 30th and I am coming along for Vacation to check out the area before we relocate there next Summer. Was wondering of places to hang out and check out during the day while she is at work. I will have transportation so I plan on checking out the surrounding towns to try and have an idea of where we want to look for a house next year. Also going to check out a couple Marinas on Lake Lewisville. Any suggestions on marinas to visit or other lakes and marinas in the area or lakes and Marinas to avoid. Any trips will have to be day trips as I am my wife's transportation for the week.

Thanks,
Tom

 

[leatherneck33]

Depending on what side of Plano you are on, you might be closer to Lake Lavon and the only marina on the the lake is Collin Park (http://collinpark.com/). Lake Lavon is my home lake and while it is not beautiful, it is rarely busy even on holiday weekends.

 

[SemperFi]

Hey Tom, (My name is Tom also BTW)

I used to live in Grapevine, Plano & Colony TX prior to moving to S. Fla. Lake Lewisville is the largest local waterway near Plano. Grapevine Lake is the next closest but it is smaller.

Places to check out while there are Shops at Legacy in Plano, Old Town (Main Street) in Grapevine & Southlake Shopping Center...all have nice Restraunts, Bars, Shopping & Movie Theatres.

If you have time, definitly check out Fort Worth (about 30 minute drive with no traffic). The downtown area/bars are definitly an experience and still have that old west/cowboy feel. BBQ is second to none!

Also checkout Redneck Heaven in Lewisville or Bone Daddies (multiple locations) if you have time (Restraunts/Bars). Food at Bone Daddies is amazing and the "scenery" is top notch

If you want Creole/New Orleans seafood, you have to go to Pappadeaux...little more pricey but still rated as one of my all time favorite restraunts.

+1 on Shops of Legacy especially Restraunts, Grapevine Old Town, Greatly prefer Lake Texoma over Lake Lewisville (Lewisville closer but Texoma much nicer and easy drive from Plano),

 

[tocelli]

Relocation time is fast approaching. We are here this week house hunting and looking forward to our move in May 2017. Still leaning toward Cottonwood Creek Marina for a home marina but open to suggestions from other more experienced Texas boaters. Definitely want to visit other lakes in the area like Texoma. Would love lake recommendations and if over night trip where to stay. Will be in town until Saturday when wife and I will head back to Kentucky.

 

[Shuck Water]

I still give thumbs up to Cottonwood Creek. If you go back by the marina, instead of taking a left on to Lobo from El Dorado, hang a right. Little Elm built this awesome sandy beach with sand volleyball courts and a restaurant. Great place to bring the boat in the summer.

 

[BigN8]

Gotta eat some BBQ at Hard Eight off HWY 121 (Sam Rayburn toll road) just West of Plano. Also find a Torchy's Tacos and eat a couple Tacos. I recommend the Trailer Park Taco for sure! I have a used lift still for sell if you wish to get a lift for that new slip. It's a 6,000 lb Boat Floater and works like a charm.

 

[PEARCE]

Check out Texoma and Highport Marina which is in Pottsboro. We keep our cruiser there. I've been on Lewisville only once when we bought the Yamaha 10 years ago so I can't say much about it. We like Joe Pool lake down by Cedar Hill. We always launched at the state park till two years ago when we had massive flooding and the marina was shut down along with lake access for the entire summer. We haven't been back since. Lake Ray Hubbard is just east of Dallas heading out I30. It has a few restaurants and a Bass Pro shop on it. It tends to be a windy lake with lots of chop. It also has areas that are full of stumps that are just below the surface of the water. Find a chart before you venture out and get some local knowledge too. It's a lake we didn't prefer to go to very often. Cedar Creek Lake is SE of Dallas down 175. I've boated on it once and we choose not to go back unless there's no wind and during the week. This is one of the few lakes in the metroplex that have houses built around it which is cool. The bad part is the land owners have built walls at the waters edge to prevent erosion instead of a gradual rocky shoreline. The walls bounce the waves instead of letting them dissipate and it creates a very confused wake and rough conditions. Not fun! We live east of Dallas is why I'm familiar with the east side lakes.

Good luck with your home search. It's a hot market right now.

 

[FloJet]

Pier #13 on Lewesville side has amazing marina but need marina membership to get in without paying every outing.

 

[txav8r]

If your locked in to keeping your boat on Lavon, you will miss many of the great lakes in Texas and neighboring states. Lavon is just an in town (so to speak) lake. But...it is close to Plano, and we lived in Plano for years and still love Plano to this day. Agree on checking out Shops at Legacy. The Angelika theater there has more artful films than the first run features at the big theaters, and they are a great evening out, with wine at Cru, or even some texmex in the neighborhood. If your more uptown, martinis can be had across the street. It wouldn't be good to miss Papasitas in Richardson, damn good mexican food...try the shrimp on skewers and stuffed with jalepeno and wrapped with bacon...name slips me. Also, for a great beer, the Bavarian Grill just off I-75 at Park or Parker, can't remember, but they are a pretty authentic German restaurant and Bier Garten. They will have probably 50 biers on tap, and the food is excellent. Locally owned and operated for years. We could talk food for the next two years...you will be here in May, so get ready! Back to the lakes...if you want to slip your boat and have that convenience, I get it...just keep the trailer and get ready to hit Texoma for gatherings, venture up to Ray Roberts for the clearest and deepest water in the area, and then go visit @Bruce over at Ouchita outside Hot Springs Arkansas...it is also a VERY DEEP and clear lake with little traffic and just wonderful places to enjoy. Oh and btw...WELCOME TO TEXAS!!!

 

[tocelli]

I still give thumbs up to Cottonwood Creek. If you go back by the marina, instead of taking a left on to Lobo from El Dorado, hang a right. Little Elm built this awesome sandy beach with sand volleyball courts and a restaurant. Great place to bring the boat in the summer.

Thanks Shuck we went out there today. How backed up does the boat ramp get during the summer?

 

[tocelli]

Gotta eat some BBQ at Hard Eight off HWY 121 (Sam Rayburn toll road) just West of Plano. Also find a Torchy's Tacos and eat a couple Tacos. I recommend the Trailer Park Taco for sure! I have a used lift still for sell if you wish to get a lift for that new slip. It's a 6,000 lb Boat Floater and works like a charm.

BigN8 - Two thumbs up for Hard Eight BBQ. Will have to check out the other recommendations once we get moved. Looks like the slip we are looking at with Cottonwood Creek Marina already has a lift. We are going to rent the 1st year to make sure we want to stay on this lake. May look into purchasing a life once we determine final location. Will keep trailer so we can travel and explore other lakes with the Jetboaters group.

 

[Shuck Water]

Thanks Shuck we went out there today. How backed up does the boat ramp get during the summer?

Barely at all. Most folks that tow usually put in closer to pier 121. I'd say 75% are fishermen at that ramp since you are at the north side of the lake.

Which dock are you looking at Cottonwood?

 

[BigN8]

My Marina is Lakeview Marina over in Lake Dallas. It's the cheapest on the lake and considered to be a little more......down to earth.... I guess you could say? Anyway, very cool family has owned and operated it for ever. They weld all their docks together so when the big storms roll through they usually are the only ones that never have damage. It's no frills though.