Adventure Outdoors Magazine Summer 2017 | Page 27

Texas Paris, Bonjour, Y’all! Paris, Texas offers an “Outdoor Playground” for all ages! Paris is home to lots of wonderful outdoor opportunities including hunting, fishing, cycling, hiking and biking trails, and even bird sanctuaries perfect for bird watching. The city of Paris has multiple parks that include Museums on site, sports facilities ready to host tournaments for all ages, areas perfect for any gatherings, and of course our Lakes! Pat Mayse Lake covers 6,000 acres of surface water for sporting activities, as well as opportunities for families to enjoy camping, picnicking, fishing, and hiking and biking trails, such as the popular 13.5-mile mountain bike trail that sets the pace for a rugged and thrilling adventure around the lake all year long. Pat Mayse Lake hosts multiple fishing tournaments, includ- ing the annual Uncle Jesse's Big Bass Classic, founded by the Denver Pyle Children's Charities. Uncle Jesse's Big Bass Classic is set on the first Saturday in May, and attracts over 300 anglers. Denver Pyle, fondly known as Uncle Jesse on the famous TV show, Dukes of Hazzard , founded this tour- nament in 1987. Lake Crook, within the city limits of Paris, is over 800 acres with opportunities for fishing, a pavilion with picnic tables and playground equipment, and boating, along with hiking trails and an archery course. Lake Crook is home to the Southern Drag Boat Association’s high speed boat races in the summer, known as the Paris Grand Prix. The races are a quarter-mile, just like at a drag strip, except on water where boats can reach up to 200 miles per hour. The races are family-oriented, with crafts for all ages.