BBQ Enchiladas and Lime Mints Part Three

After making it to Turtle Rock Retreat and settling in for a nice night, we awoke to grey skies and cooler temperatures. During the night, a cold front passed through and brought us rain and clouds. No problem, the river is wet, we might get wet, and we pressed on.

Back down the five mile bumpy road and up the valley to Jasper we went. We had reserved our canoes and transportation through Gordon’s Motel and Canoe Rental. We did not pay attention the previous afternoon to Gordon’s and I am glad I did not, that would have been a long night of worries.

Gordon’s motel included about five or six spacious rooms and I am sure they were really nice and they claimed to have color television. They also claimed to have a pool, which we found out was empty. Now Ms. Gordon, as we called her, was nice enough, she willingly accepted our payment for our rental and arranged for some bubbas to take us to our drop off point. Wow, these people suffer from limited gene pool disorder!

As we loaded up our paddles and “life jackets” we piled into the van and away we went. Bubba number one tried really hard to crack jokes as we scurried us up hills and around the curves and at a nail biting 65 mph. Bubba number two was along for the ride and was actually funnier than bubba number one as he was holding his seat belt in place since the buckle was missing. He said it made him feel safe. Oh well we should all be safe then, right?

To the drop off point we went and upon arrival, we unloaded and set up for our day of floating down the Buffalo. The river was beautiful, and since it was rainy and cool we had it to ourselves for the most part. We sent the day paddling, fishing and relaxing on the beaches along the way. And I was very proud of my wife and myself as we did not flip over at all the entire trip. We had a great time.

It was amazing to see the river as we did; high cliffs, waterfalls and lots of wildlife! We had a few trouble spots where the water was low or we had to cross under fallen trees but overall the river was awesome. Our four mile float took up the greater part of the day as we slowing paddled down and made frequent stops for refreshments, lunch and restroom stops.

Once we made the pickup spot and traveled back to our vehicle, we trekked back to TRR and had a huge steak and potato dinner. Then we went back to the pond for fishing, hot tub for relaxing and the bonfire for s’ mores.

Sunday was more of the same but with more sun, colder temperatures and a longer float. We opted for the six mile float. The day was great, until Gordon’s nearly left us at the pickup point. That is a story for another day!

Overall the experience was a good one, the canoeing, the cabin, friends and quiet time with my wife made the trip memorable. I will post some pictures once I get them in so you can see just how beautiful the trip was.

BBQ Enchiladas and Lime Mints Part Two

Well after the funny faces, spiting of lime mints and cursing La Hacienda, we loaded up for our final run to the mountains and Jasper/Murray Valley, Arkansas.

Four hours or so of driving through scenic Arkansas and one long and winding road later, we made it to the huge metropolis of Jasper, Arkansas. And let’s just say that Jasper is simple. Not simple in a bad way, but the sign stated that the population was 495 not including us.

Once we reached Jasper the real journey began as we turned south and headed into the valley. We traveled through little villages with names like Parthenon, Wayton and eventually Murray. Finally, after driving most of the day, suffering bad Mexican food and being leery of our surroundings, we found our turn off to our cabin. Our directions said turn off the paved road. Again, strike up a chorus of Dueling banjos.

Not only did the directions say turn off the paved road, they also directed us to travel three miles to the fork in the road and continue another two miles. For you who cannot add, that is FIVE MILES folks! Five miles of us driving into the woods, down a dusty and muddy, bumpy road. We drove so far off the road we were afraid we would not come back.

Up and down the hills, across the washed out spots and under the peering eyes of the natives, we made it to the Turtle Rock Retreat, at last. We rounded that final curve and their lay paradise. The property was amazing. TRR as we would later refer to it, had land, horses, a creek, a pond and one awesome cabin complete with hot tub, fire pits and all of the creature comforts one is seeking when hoping to relax. The pictures in the brochure did not do the place justice. The cabin was amazing! The front was covered with large open windows and a wrap around deck. The inside was very nice with three bedrooms, large tubs, a cozy den with fireplace and a very spacious kitchen and dining area. This was the place for us!

We immediately settled in, chose our rooms and unpacked our stuff. The girls quickly rested their drive weary bodies in the hot tub while the guys fished the pond. We caught fish, they relaxed. After a bit of unwinding, we started dinner and explored the cabin and land around us.

See part three…TO BE CONTINUED AGAIN