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Issue #135 |
Earlier this year, in the spring, my good friend Mike Mills, owner of the Buffalo Outdoor Center, asked me if I would like to preview his new River Wind Lodge. I had driven by this place many times, and watched the construction of it over many months. It was a very large cabin, designed for groups and business meetings. The Buffalo Outdoor Center is the best known outfitter and cabin rental establishment in our area. Mike has worked tirelessly for over 20 years to promote the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas and I am very happy to have him as a friend. Of course, I jumped at this opportunity to check out a brand new place!
I invited my hiking partner, Adventure Bill, to come along, and on Friday nite, we met at River Wind Lodge. It was raining hard that nite, and we scurried to unload our stuff and get moved into the lodge. Once inside the first thing we noticed is how big the place was! Huge! The second thing we noticed was the outstanding view you have of the Upper Buffalo River Valley from the front window of River Wind. It is probably the most spectacular view I have seen from any cabin or home I have reviewed so far.
The master bedroom had a king size bed, a conference table, tv and computer. There was a seperate bathroom and a door that exited to the outside wraparound deck. That was one nice feature of each bedroom, a private entrance. All of the bedrooms were more like private suites that connected to one great room. They were very roomy and extremely comfortable.
The kitchen was deluxe all the way. Double ranges and ovens, plus microwave and dishwasher, two double toasters, plus all the flatware, sliverware, pots, pans, bowls, serving platters and whatever else you might need to cook up a large meal for twenty, or just a intimate dinner for two. There was plenty of counter space for preparing dishes, and the hardwood tops made cleaning very easy. Bill and I decided to make some hot italian sausage subs with a meat sauce for supper. As we dined, we watched the rain slack off and then taper off to a drizzle. Mist started to rise from the river valley and make its way up to the top of the mountains, all the time drifting towards us. After supper, we went out on the deck and took picturs of the mist rising from the valleys, and the sunset. It was very pretty. Once the sun was down, we decided to watch a movie and plan Saturday's activities. I fell asleep on the couch, and was woken up by Bill, who told me to go to bed.
I awoke Saturday morining very early, just as the first rays of light were hitting the sky. The view off the deck was simply stunning! The fog lay heavy over the river valley, and look like milk lying there. I made some coffee, and sat on the deck, watching the sun rise. Bill woke up a little later, and joined me.
Bill and I had some breakfast, and then decided to head down the old Compton Road to Erbie, and stop along the way, and just hike around to see what we could see. It was a fine morning, the air was crisp after the evening rain, and as we hiked along a trail, we heard the sound of a waterfall. After a while we came upon a hollow, and off to the left we could hear the waterfall as it made its drop to the valley floor, but we couln't see it. It took a bit of hiking around to find it, and we were sure we could hear another farther down the hollow. The waterfall (picture of the week) was running nicely, and there were dogwoods blooming down below. We spent quite a bit of time at this spot, just relaxing, soaking up some sun, having a lite snack and just enjoying the peace and quiet that only a retreat into the woods can give you. Sometime in the early afternoon, we decided to return to the cabin, as the sky was starting to cloud over again, and rain seememd likely.
The rest of Saturday was spent on the deck, just visiting and taking pictures. The sky cleared off for awhile, then got cloudy again. Just at sunset, it started to rain. We decided to scavange for supper, each of us making what we wanted from what was already available, and watched another movie. For a while, we watched the lightening and storm from the comfort of the great room. After all that entertainment, I hit the hay.
Buffalo Outdoor Center's River Wind Lodge is great! There is plenty of room, and the layout allows for a variety of uses. I very much liked the way each bedroom had its own bathroom and seperate exit onto the deck. This gives each guest a sense of privacy yet makes them feel part of the group. I enjoyed the large wrap around deck and there was plenty of deck furniture to go around. There was a very nice gas grill that could easily cook 30 hamburgers or 20 steaks. In speaking with Mike, I learned there will be a large outdoor jacuzzi hot tub installed (it may already have been done, since we stayed there in late April). If you are looking for a place that can handle 4 families and all the kids (the loft bedroom also had 4 double beds in it) I heartily recommend BOC's River Wind Lodge. Your comfort will be assured, and you will be close to many of the major activites such as hiking, horseback riding, canoeing, and just relaxing. Give Mike a call and make a reservation for the fall colors! If you would like to read another review of The Buffalo Outdoor Center click here.
