Only in Texas: Whole Pecan Pies in a Vending Machine
Texas is full of road trip landmarks that become a thing, like the Czech Stop kolache store on I-35 in West, and Buc-ee's. We end up planning the road trip around the best places to stop for snacks.
Add this one to the list! It's a vending machine that shoots out entire pecan pies and you can drive there from Lufkin in a half day.
It's about a three and a half hour drive from Lufkin to the Berdoll Pecan Farm, which sits between Austin and Bastrop on Highway 71. This is the place with the 14-foot tall squirrel statue holding a nut, and if that doesn't make you want to stop and check things out I don't know what does. The squirrel's name is Ms. Pearl.
The pecan farm had trouble keeping up with the demand for its pecan pies, so they decided to invest in a 24-hour vending machine to let travelers and locals buy a whole pie any time of the day or night. And really, who hasn't had a 2am craving for pecan pie. There are some other treats inside that vending machine too, and it's all stocked daily. Thank you Texas.
The pecan pie vending machine is thought to be the only one of its kind in the US, and leave it to some Texans to come up with that genius idea.
What could we dispense in Lufkin? Maybe the Old Town General Store in Nacogdoches can put out a vending machine for some of that awesome meatloaf. The possibilities are endless.