As published in The Florida Villager
There is something to be said for simplicity and here in the Ozarks, it reigns supreme. Whether you are spending a couple of hours quietly canoeing or feeling the thrill of zip lining, the Buffalo River Valley has it all.
My first couple of nights was spent in a cabin at the Buffalo Outdoor Center. I listened to the sounds of the night from my window in the loft as sleep overtook me. My days there were filled with leisurely canoe trips just floating down the Buffalo River. My foot dangling in the cool water and the sculpted river bluffs looming above me, I felt like a character out of a Mark Twain novel.
If you’re a real morning person, you can drive to see elk in the meadows. I, however, decided to sleep in and enjoy the crisp air while drinking coffee on the porch and then head out to the Tree Canopy Tour. This is the “premier wilderness zip line experience in the state” and I was not going to miss this opportunity. Oh, did I mention I had never done this before and scared does not even come close to how I was feeling? Standing on that first platform I felt sheer terror. I’m sure it was only a few minutes before I finally gave in and stepped off but it felt like an eternity. What a feeling! As I zipped through the trees I couldn’t believe I had waited this long to experience such a freeing feeling.
If zip lining is not your thing, you can still explore the outdoors by hiking the Whitaker Point Trail/Hawksbill Crag or taking a scenic drive over to DeVito’s Italian Restaurant where you can fish your own trout and cook it up.
Breakfast at Gilbert’s Café in the very small town of Gilbert was delightful. As I walked down the street to the country store, a dog ran up behind me and enticed me to play with him as fall leaves drifted down from nearby trees. After a hearty Ozark breakfast, I headed for a 2-hour horseback ride on some of the most alluring trails I have seen through creeks, valleys and hillsides.
My next adventure took me to the White River/Bull Shoals Lake area. Gaston’s White River Resort would mark my final destination in this beautiful region. The resort began 50 years ago and now encompasses 400 acres with 2 miles of river frontage, 79 cottages, an airstrip, 70 boats, nature trails, restaurant, swimming pool and duck pond. It was here that I took a fly fishing class and kayaked Bull Shoals Lake.
Now, here is something you don’t hear everyday, “I ate award winning pizza.” Nimas Pizza was where I was lucky enough to have lunch. They were the International Pizza Challenger Winner in Las Vegas several years running and I can see why as his pizzas are delicious and his various designs are very clever.
My final night there I spent on a houseboat complete with slide, drinks and a catered dinner by the 178 Club Restaurant. The wine selection was from Raimondo Winery that specializes in Italian wines, fabulous extra virgin olive oils and balsamic vinegars. Renting a houseboat and cruising a lake was something I had never considered until now; I immediately added it to my bucket list.
Worthy of mention is that the Ozarks is a beautiful place to ride a motorcycle and so it was that shortly after disembarking the boat, I jumped on the back of a gleaming Harley and made my way through the mist and grazing deer back to the river at Gaston’s for one last glimpse of the Arkansas sky.