The small city of Lucas isn’t as small as it used to be. The population of this Collin County community increased nearly 60 percent over the past decade, reaching 8,553 last year. Lori Eason and her sons contributed to that growth. The family—including Cael, 15, and Thadd, 13—has lived in Lucas for the past five years. Thadd has autism, and Eason has connected with other local moms who also have children on the spectrum. She works as a styling team leader for Stitch Fix.
Favorite family restaurant It’s a three-way tie, with one selection for each meal of the day: Country Club Cafe for breakfast, Kelly Family Farms Burger Stand for lunch and Jhonny’s Mexican for dinner!
Country Club Cafe // 2260 FM 1378, Saint Paul
Kelly Family Farms Burger Stand // 1989 W. Lucas Road, Parker
Jhonny’s Mexican Restaurant // 3999 Parker Road, Wylie; search “Jhonny’s Mexican Restaurant” on Facebook
Best park Lake Lavon—there are parks around the lake. And my neighborhood has a private beach, just steps from my home!
Lake Lavon // near Wylie; search for Lavon under Lake Finder on tpwd.texas.gov
Favorite family outing We love to grab a snack and beach towel and walk down to the neighborhood beach on the lake to watch the sunset.
For a night out IPIC Theater or Landon Winery are great options.
IPIC // 321 Town Place, Fairview
Landon Winery // 103 N. Ballard St., Wylie (more DFW locations)
Self-care spot A favorite spot for me to recharge is to grab a book or do some cloud-watching at the hammock park within my development.
Go-to for getting active We love the stocked fishing ponds within the development and our easy access to the Trinity Trail for a hike. Just up the road is Heard Natural Science Museum with hiking trails, too.
Trinity Trail around Lake Lavon // trinitytrailriders.org
Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary // 1 Nature Place, McKinney
For cooling off I’m grateful to have a pool in my backyard, but if I didn’t, we are steps from the shores of Lake Lavon and we have an awesome lazy river here in the development. Our favorite spot for sweet treats is OMG Creamery in historic downtown Wylie.
OMG Creamery // 100 N. Ballard St., Wylie
How they give back We like to give back by taking meals to people in our community during times of need.
How she found her mom squad Most of my local mom friends are connected to autism, since Thadd is on the autism spectrum.
Why Lucas is great for families I love that the Lucas–St. Paul area has a very rural feel and is a tight-knit community. People do for one another without giving it a second thought and out of genuine kindness. It’s a great example for our kids.
Photo courtesy of Lori Eason.
