Re: Arkansas Get Together
Okay, It's against my nature to be serious, but I'll try. I just did a head count and we're up to seven (I think) and a maybe. That does not include families, who are encouraged to attend by the way. I know my girls will. We need to start talking about when and where so we can begin to look at logistics. First the where. The two obvious choices are Ouachita and Greers Ferry. Each has a lot to recommend it, but let's compare and contrast them within the context of our conversation.
Both lakes are clear, deep and beautiful with many good access points and several marinas. Both have lodging ranging from camping to resort accomodations. Both are very popular with every kind of recreationist and offer great boating, fishing (don't count on me for any particular local insight there), tubing, skiing, wakeboarding, jet skiing, etc. and general water play.
Ouachita is the biggest lake in Arkansas at just over 65 thousand acres (land holdings included) and is marginally geographically advantageous for most of those involved. It has more to offer off the water as Hot Springs is just down the road. There are lots of really cool islands suitable for camping for those so inclined, although the best ones get taken pretty quickly on the weekends so an advanced guard would be recommended. There's a lot of boat traffic including houseboats, many of which are rentals, which some may consider a liability. Not sure about lodging. There's plenty, but it's spread around the lake and runs the gamut with regard to price, comfort, amenities and availability, so we may or may not be able to stay close together when we're not boating.
Greers Ferry is big but not as big as Ouachita. I believe it's just under fifty thousand acres, but it matches Ouachita for access and fun. It's in the foothills of the Ozarks, so the topography is different on and off the water. Lots of good bluffs for jumping from, accessible creek mouths, etc. There's a planned resort community there called Fairfield Bay that includes a large condo complex owned by Wyndham. It's a time share facility, but there are always lots of units available to the general public. They're pleasant and very reasonable. There's also a really nice marina there, but it's pretty busy so I don't know what kind of transient slip availability there is. I've slipped my boat there twice on July 4th, so I know they have them. I just don't know how many. There's very little to do off the water. There are restaurants in the area. I'm not crazy about most of them, but there's a great one on the water that's accessible by boat. On the other side of the dam is the Little Red River which is full of trout (and trout fishermen
). It's great fishing year round if you don't mind the pressure. I'd be happy to provide a canoe and shuttle if someone wanted to give it a go for something different.
Those are the wheres. Let's talk about the when. It's generally hot here from June to September, no there's no point in scheduling early to avoid the heat. I suspect lodging will be easier to come by in August, but I can't say for sure because the Coops usually just day trip. Why don't we start with the dates that are out of the question. We may not be able to accomodate everyone no matter when we go, but at least we can rule out the obvious.
