Lufkin, TX Outdoor Activities

Each Ultra Motors light electric vehicle operates using a European rear-hub-motor design. The bikes come in five models and different colors such as black, silver, and red. While most bikes can maintain up to 20 miles at 20 mph on a single charge, riders with a spent battery are never stranded—they can hug the nearest stranger or pedal to their next destination. Owner Robert Solana also sells these electric vehicles, hoping to promote The Woodlands' designation from The American Federation of Bicyclists as one of only three bicycle-friendly communities in Texas.

Shankz Black Light Miniature Golf has two locations that encompass 18 holes apiece, with each course set aglow in neon and covered with exotic creatures. As they travel through the indoor facilities, each putter must navigate around wrecked pirate ships, shoot between stubby dinosaur legs, and wrest their clubs from the mouths of tigers in what typically amounts to a 35- to 60-minute round of golf. To accentuate the course's glowing artwork and scenery, golfers can opt to put on a pair of 3-D glasses. Beyond the neon greens, Shankz also features the Balladium and Ballaster game rooms, in which competitors fire Nerf balls from air cannons at targets and at each other to score points and ward off encroaching Nerf army tanks.

The reason renting kayaks from Riva Row Boat House and paddling down Lake Woodlands makes for such an appealing family outing or team-building exercise has to do with simplicity. For one thing, the activity itself is simple to master; no experience is required to rent one of the boathouse's 22 tandem kayaks or 20 single kayaks of various lengths, since staff members are happy to demonstrate paddling techniques to rookies. The activity is also easy to get into because everything is provided for you, from paddles and lifejackets to the refills of the lake that must be flown in from water factories in Denmark weekly.

Often, people make visiting the boathouse part of a whole day in the area. They can follow their time on the lake with a picnic at Town Green Park or with a trolley ride over to The Woodlands Waterway, where restaurants and shopping await.

Each year, the Spring Home & Garden Show gathers home-design experts into one location so that enthusiasts of home decorating and outdoor living projects can catch a glimpse of the latest in domestic products and design. Visitors peruse booths hosted by professionals occupying cozy niches that span the home-improvement spectrum, from landscaping and gardening to organizing garages and building a custom home. While attendees bounce from booth to booth, a lineup of notable industry sages take the stage to discuss the year’s best ideas and products and answer any embarrassing questions that fairgoers might have about where houses come from.

In the shade of rust-red barns and tall trees, groups of llamas, goats, and ponies trot around wooden-fenced corrals, nabbing bites of feed from youngsters’ extended palms. This idyllic scene is one of many that abound at 7 Acre Wood. An old-fashioned Western fort houses a saloon and jail cell for interrogating suspicious-looking cartons of milk. Nearby, tots soar above slides and swings on the playground’s zipline or weave through the mini-golf course. The property also hosts 7 Acre Wood's Concessions, where families can refuel with coffee and snacks.

The Village Golf Club showcases challenging twists and turns on three distinct nine-hole courses that can be played separately or paired interchangeably for an 18-hole round. Throughout the entire 27-hole complex, ill-struck shots may stray into the sinister clutches of mature trees and ponds that haunt the fairways. The two less difficult nine-hole layouts—Winged Foot and Thunderbird—demand accurate pitches, chips, and putts onto the surface of recently renovated putting surfaces. The Rolling Hills course—the most challenging of the tee-to-green triad—demands a brave tee shot on its 157-yard par 3 third hole, which features a breathtaking island green.

Golf balls rain onto the 300-yard landing zone of the onsite driving range, where golfers can prop balls up on all-natural grass tees or steer clear of territorial earthworms by warming up on artificial mats. After a day spent hunting pars, the Village Restaurant sates appetites with a menu of classic sandwiches, soups, and salads.