Our Little Mid-Week Getaway: Kayaking on the Illinois River! Wouldn't This be Lovely in the Fall? And the Inspiration for My Soap Rocks!

I hinted in my last post that the hubby and I were able to get away for a few days, but I didn't elaborate. Well, we went kayaking on the Illinois River by Tahlequah, Oklahoma. It was so incredibly beautiful, and peaceful, and relaxing. Sigh. Wish I were there right now...

The weather was beautiful, the water was clear. This river can really be a traffic jam on the weekends, but during the middle of the week, right after school started, was wonderfully peaceful. I think we passed a few rafts floating the river, a fisherman or two, and several people enjoying the river from a few of the public access areas.

That's hubby over there. We rented nice, one man sit-upon kayaks so we wouldn't kill each other. They had great back support, and were $28 each. We chose the 12 mile trip and took our time. We rested on several of the many gravel banks along the way, had a snack, and played in the water. 



The water was pretty shallow and clear for the most part. We saw alot of gar and carp and trout. Will was kicking himself for not bringing a fishing rod. (Yes, that's me paddling away. No comments about my lack of skill, please!)

 

We even got up close and personal with the geese.

This is a shot of the front of Arrowhead Resort, where we stayed. Arrowhead was once featured in Southern Living magazine, and I got to meet the owner, Jack Spears. Jack enjoyed a long career in education, beginning right here at Lawton High in the late 50's as a football coach, and ending at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah.  He was a pleasure to visit with and a fountain of information, and he pointed out that Arrowhead is open year round, unlike the other camps up and down the river. All of the staff at Arrowhead were helpful, even directing us to the downtown area where we enjoyed dinner at a darling restaurant called Sam & Ella's Chicken Palace where they went overboard on the chicken theme in a very cute way! And had great food to boot!

This is where we chose to stay. Called the "Hideaway" Jack told me it is actually a converted chicken coop, part of a larger family camp he bought out. It's a cute little cabin up the hill from Arrowhead camp. I liked the privacy, and the bedroom window looks out into the woods, kind of giving you a tree house feel.

If you decide to go to the camps along the Illinois, and there are many, most of them are just that...camps. No towels, no cookware, no dishes, no soap, no toilet paper, no TV... nothing. We had a microwave, a coffee maker, and a mini fridge in our little cabin, but you need to come prepared. We took breakfast stuff, and stuff to make lunch, but we ate in town for dinner. (Hey! I was on vacation! I absolutely was not going to cook, okay?!) You could, however, stay in Tahlequah and rent a kayak or raft from Arrowhead, you just have to be there and ready to go upriver to be dropped off by 10:00 a.m. if you're doing the 12 mile trip.

So that leads me to the Soap Rocks! I get asked alot about the Soap Rocks! Most of the soaps I make are inspired by something else. This is true for the Soap Rocks! You know that first picture at the top of this post? There you go...that was my inspiration! Scented with all natural essential oils, and colored with dirt loving clays, Soap Rocks! are good for your skin, and hopefully will get the little ones (or big ones!) washing their hands and polishing those rocks. Such fun! $4 a bag for a dozen rocks, and I will have them at the Farmer's Market. 


















We had Hughes Net installed today, so hopefully my access to the internet will become a permanent thing. And I can catch up on my blog posts. There's so much to share!

Until next time,
Cathy