Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Where to stay and where to avoid in Texas

I'm headed next week to go hunt Javelina and crane in Texas. Figured I would stop for the night in Texas after driving around 10 hrs from Georgia. Looks to be around Marshall Texas. So you Texas folks, where around the area would you feel safe staying and where to avoid. I would drive straight through but my partner is older and needs his beauty sleep...alot of beauty sleep.

Thanks for the sound advice, smart ass comments are appreciated but not needed.

Marshal has several nice motels and places to eat.

Just stay at one of the places next to the interstate. Marshall is your typical East Texas town, pretty diverse in the same way that similar sized towns in Georgia are if you know what I mean. Not much difference between that part of Texas and Georgia. If you go a few more miles down the road Longview or Tyler are bigger with a few more options.

Marshall used to be nice. It’s been about 10 years since I was last there, though.
Definitely don’t stay in Dallas.

Where are you going to hunt in Texas?

Don't stop in Gainsville for ANY reason. Seriously...just don't.

Bet he’s headed to west TX.

If he’s hunting sandhill cranes and javelinas

Located in Marshall.

Jucys Hamburgers

I personally would pass thru Marshall and go a bit further to Longview. Been driving thru Marshall for the past 30yrs, not any nice parts near 59 or I20 that I have seen or recall.

It is Gainesville and why?

Can’t speak for Marshall, but I spent a night in Longview at a Holiday Inn with a really good Mexican joint (yellow building, IIRC) across the parking lot.

Hunting with Mulie-mike on here but stopping for couple days to hunt crane near Colorado city. Javelina is just a weird animal on my bucket list and my partner is a bird hunter and crane is on his.

My three sons and I just spent 2 1/2 days in downtown Dallas with zero issues. Odd, as it was just empty of people homeless or not. Prior years it was not but never threatening.

Good luck on your next visit. 🤪

Good deal. You’ll be safe in the big ole town of C City. I’ve got an Aunt that still lives there.
Cold SOB there tonight. About 9 degrees with a 25 mph N wind. 😬. Cold for TX, anyways.

If you pass by Strawn on I-20 about lunch time. Exit right on St HWY 16 for about 5 or 6 miles for lunch. Mary’s Cafe in Strawn. They have the Best Chicken Fried Steak in TX. Biggest too if you order the Large. The exit is right before you get to Ranger, if your traveling west on I-20. Right where the “big hill” is. There’s also a big Rest Stop right there at Ranger Hill where the Strawn exit is.

Ranger Hill is supposedly named for a spot the old time TX Rangers had a camp in old days.

+ for Mary's in Strawn old mining town

Thanks for the advice. We will probably have a little time to kill on the way. IF the weather isn't too bad and roads are clear we will probably hit a few gunshops. May have throw a couple of copies of the FFL in the bag, might find something cool to buy.

You will have a hard time finding any LGS in the DFW area - only massive shops like Bass Pro and Cabelas

Going through Gainesville tomorrow am on my way to my deer camp in AL. I wont be stopping. I can make to Live Oak from home.

There’s a big one in the Weatherford area on the Interstate. Western Tack, Boots. , Guns, Knifes, ect.
Can’t think of the name of it. Starts with a “T” ???
Teskey’s !/ or something like that.

There’s also the Lone Star Gun Gallery and Range. Yep