January 2016 - Beavers Bend Cabins Broken Bow Oklahoma

Ripped Off In Beavers Bend

Mountain Vista

“How do I keep from being ripped off when choosing a luxury cabin in Beavers Bend?”

I received this sentence in an email from someone who has stayed at Mountain Vista many times. His family recently stayed at another cabin, we were booked, but they needed a quick getaway to see the towering pines in Beavers Bend.

They chose a cabin that looked great on the website. Nice interior and amenities, but upon their arrival, SURPRISE! It looked like the Beverly Hillbillies were living in the backyard!

“Several junk houses were around the cabin, trash in their yards,” he said.

It’s one of the most common mistakes Beavers Bend luxury cabin visitors make when reserving a vacation rental…not thinking about what’s near the property perimeter. There are many cabins that look fantastic on a website, but another cabin is a bowling ball throw away.

Make sure you see a video or picture of the property-front, back and sides. There are still scores of cabins being built in Beavers Bend and many areas will have you packed in like sardines. There are very nice cabins that are very close to other cabins, but you’ll never see this on their websites.

There is nothing wrong with asking for additional pictures of a cabin if you don’t want to meet the Beverly Hillbillies. Before renting, ask “What will I see several hundred yards in each direction?” You don’t want to travel four hours and spend several hundred dollars per-night only to be disappointed by Granny, Jed, Jethro and Elly picking banjos in their front yard!

Mountain Vista’s Deck View

The Broken Bow Lake area has many great luxury cabins. It’s easy to not get ripped off in Beavers Bend. Just do your homework, ask for references and ask about cabin views. You don’t want a view of Jed Clampett!

Weekends are booking fast at Mountain Vista; only six are available until July. Spring Break dates are nearly full-Memorial weekend and July 4th is currently available.

Contact us at BeaversBendVacations.com and see why Mountain Vista is one of the most popular luxury cabins in Oklahoma. We feature free s’mores kits and Starbucks Coffee.

Unlike the Clampett’s, you won’t hit “Texas Tea” on our acres of seclusion…but you’ll enjoy a variety of gourmet teas…on the house!

admin2016-01-26T14:41:13+00:00January 26th, 2016|Luxury vacation rental tips|

Cedar Creek Golf Course Update

A brief Cedar Creek Golf Course update after the recent flooding in Beavers Bend…

Course superintendent Kurt Adams tells me “15 holes are open and it will be a week or two on the other three.”

That’s great news, Cedar Creek is truly a wonderful tract and gets rave reviews from our guests at Mountain Vista cabin.

Don’t forget to pack your clubs on the next trip to Beavers Bend and Broken Bow Lake. It’s one of Oklahoma’s most gorgeous golf courses.

admin2021-09-14T13:14:03+00:00January 23rd, 2016|oklahoma golf|

Museum of the Red River

Here’s a nice feature on the Museum of the Red River in Idabel, OK. It’s a 15-20 minute drive from Mountain Vista cabin in Beaver Bend State Park.

For a list of all activities near Beavers Bend State Park and Broken Bow Lake, download our free app.

admin2019-07-05T17:10:47+00:00January 21st, 2016|Oklahoma museums|

Broken Bow Lake Flooding Update-January 21

BROKEN BOW LAKE FLOODING UPDATE-JANUARY 21

Good news…Beavers Bend Marina is reporting the boat ramps are open at Broken Bow Lake.

admin2016-01-21T14:48:31+00:00January 21st, 2016|Oklahoma flooding|

Resort Fees

I’ve written about resort fees in Beavers Bend for years. Resort fees are bogus add-on fees that can raise your bill at a luxury rental property 20-30 percent.

Maui, our favorite place on earth, has been charging these for years at some hotels. Somehow these guest-gouging tactics made their way across the pacific and landed in Beavers Bend over the past few years.

Our favorite hotel in Maui, the Makena Beach and Golf Resort, has said no to these charges…just like we have at Mountain Vista. We’ve never had add-on fees.

Checkout their recent post about resort fees. Do your homework before choosing any luxury property. Lookout for the “gotchas.”

Our winter special continues through February. Check-in on Sunday-Tuesday and receive a 20% discount at Mountain Vista luxury cabin.

Our busy season for bookings is here. We’re getting numerous reservations each day. Make sure you secure summer and holiday dates immediately. Weekend’s are like gold at Mountain Vista, rarely do we have an opening on Thursday-Saturday.

We highly recommend the Makena Beach and Golf Resort in Maui and are happy they’re doing the right thing.

admin2018-09-26T20:46:19+00:00January 20th, 2016|Dallas vacations, dfw travel, luxury rental property blogs|

Moon Tower Bar and Grill Review

I enjoyed a couple of outstanding meals last week at the Moon Tower Bar and Grill in Beavers Bend.

Chef Tabb Singleton, a two-time champion on the Food Network, delivered quality meals on both occasions. I had the Mac-N-Cheese seafood special on Monday and it was delicious. It was loaded with huge, fresh shrimp and a terrific sauce. The dish included the best tasting ham and bacon I’ve experienced. Chef Singleton told me he has great connections from his days as a top chef in New Orleans, and its evident he demands only the best from suppliers.

Sweet Asian, roasted garlic-red pepper,
mango-habanero, ghost pepper…50 cents wings until sold out

Wednesday was wing night at The Moon Tower Bar and Grill and I started off with each of Chef Singleton’s creations. They were excellent and each was very different in flavor. Chef Singleton even stopped by my table and let me know which I should try first to last. It was amazing and my palate was treated to wing flavors from around the planet!

Blackened catfish, black eye pea “Hoppin’ John, green tomato relish and lemon aioli

I ordered the blackened catfish after downing a few wings and it was simply the best dish I’ve experienced in Beavers Bend. I’ve been dining in the area since 1972! The taste was outstanding as the rice and peas complimented the catfish tremendously. These weren’t normal peas…they provided my taste buds with an extraterrestrial trip that you can only experience at the Moon Tower!

The staff is tremendous, the restaurant and bathroom were spotless, and I was able to view other dishes coming out of the kitchen during my stay. The Mountain Fork Burger was a site to behold…holy cow, it looked incredible!

A local told me it was the best burger on earth and the meat was tremendous.

Thanks to Chef Singleton, Brian Farley and the gang at Moon Tower. I’ll definitely be back often!

A reminder that our winter special at Mountain Vista luxury cabin continues through February. Arrive Sunday-Tuesday and receive a 20% discount.

Join the thousands taking advantage of VIP special offers on our Beavers Bend app. Download the free app that features tourist information and the latest news from Broken Bow Lake and Beavers Bend State Park.

admin2019-07-05T17:10:46+00:00January 18th, 2016|Food blogs, Oklahoma Travel Blogs|

Broken Bow Lake Fishing Update

A boat ramp is open on Broken Bow Lake after recent flooding. No one is better qualified to give a fishing update than my pal, Bryce Archey of BrokenBowLakeGuide.com.

The Carson Creek boat ramp is open after recent flooding and from the pic of Bryce’s catch this week, fishing is very good on Broken Bow Lake. Bryce is the premiere guide on Broken Bow Lake, and as always, knows the scoop…

“The North ramp is open on Carson Creek. The lake level is 614.95 and normal pool is 599.50, so we have a way to go. The lake level is dropping almost one-foot-per-day due to the releasing of 7,850 cubit feet per-second (from the dam). Two other ramps should be open by end of the week. The lake should return to normal pool elevation in about 12-14 days, barring no more rain.”

Spawning season is approaching on Broken Bow Lake and there is no better guide to learn and laugh with than Bryce. He has years of experience after floods on Broken Bow Lake.

“Fishing can be really productive while the lake is extremely high. You can catch a variety of fish under flooded conditions, even during the winter months of January and February. The high water has fish up, moving around and looking for food to forage on. This makes your chances better than normal for catching quality fish,” Bryce reports.

If you want a tremendous outing on Broken Bow Lake, Bryce is a great choice for novice or professional anglers. Contact him at 870-582-4561. He’s our favorite guide on Broken Bow Lake!

admin2016-01-17T22:03:17+00:00January 17th, 2016|Oklahoma Fishing|

You Don’t Want To Feel The Noise…

Tourism is booming in Beavers Bend, low oil prices seem to have little impact on cabin building in Broken Bow. New cabins continue to pop up everywhere…low to high-end.

It’s a good idea to map out exactly where your luxury cabin rental is located before making your reservation. Many are being built near busy highways. Surprise! The sweet sounds of logging trucks and 18-wheelers zooming by at 65 miles per hour isn’t exactly my definition of a relaxing getaway in the forest!

Cabin websites don’t mention this, but it’s something to consider if you don’t know the lay of the land in Beavers Bend. Ask for a 360-degree video of the property before you book a cabin. Don’t simply believe pictures on a website. This will eliminate all surprises upon arrival.

One of the biggest complaints for first-time cabin visitors to Broken Bow is a lack of seclusion. Many are located mere feet away from another cabin. Others are located near a bar or restaurant with loud music playing nightly. How will you know for sure? Ask for the video and do your homework.

Quiet Riot was a great old band, but you don’t want to “feel the noise” when staying in Beavers Bend!

We love logging trucks in the Kiamichi Mountains of Southeastern Oklahoma. They’re a staple of our economy, but there’s no need for them to be cranking by your cabin on a busy highway. Demand seclusion when staying in Beavers Bend.

We offer acres of seclusion away from noisy highways at Mountain Vista. Our 20-mile views and loyal following have made Mountain Vista a popular getaway for several years.

There are plenty of cabins in the area that won’t remind you of C.W. McCall’s hit, Convoy!

Reserve your stay at Mountain Vista soon. Breaker, breaker 1-9…you’ll truly have a “Quiet Riot!”

admin2016-01-09T19:46:20+00:00January 9th, 2016|Texas Travel, travel blogs, travel promotions|

5 Things To Never Pay For In Beavers Bend

There are 5 things to never pay for in Beavers Bend when staying at a luxury cabin rental.

2016 has arrived and it is time to plan your cabin getaway to Broken Bow, OK. There are a few things to consider while researching top cabins in Beavers Bend. New add-on fees keep popping up with many cabin management companies.

Never pay…

Firewood Fees: We left free firewood for our New Year’s Eve guests and they appreciated it so much they sent us this picture around the campfire. Many other cabin management companies will charge you over $100 for a few sticks of wood. It’s on the house at Mountain Vista. Our guests knew how to build a nice fire!

Cleaning Fees: This add-on fee began about a year ago in Beavers Bend. Scores of cabin management companies are now charging $70-$100 extra in order for their maids to mop. If you pay this fee, you deserve to be “taken to the cleaners!”

Resort Fees: One of the most clever add-on fees to hit the Broken Bow luxury cabin market in years. I’m still not sure what it means, but there’s no need to pay this.

Restocking Fees: Another cleverly coined fee. Everyone must “restock” their cabins. We don’t charge you for this one either. Ask your cabin management company “What’s the difference between a resort and restocking fee?”

S’mores Fees: We provide free s’mores kits to all guests staying at Mountain Vista. Others charge you $50-$100 for a couple of sticks and a bag of generic marshmallows.

Insurance Fees: This “gotcha charge” began in Beavers Bend a few years ago. Countless management companies are trying to play State Farm Insurance agents when you book a cabin in Broken Bow. Like a good neighbor, we were the first to write about this fee years ago. Do the math and you’ll realize it’s a bad deal for you and a great one for them.

There will undoubtedly be more add-on fees in Beavers Bend in 2016. Never with us…Hopefully, the next up-charge won’t result in a guy wearing a trench coat visiting your cabin and asking, “Hey, want to buy a watch?”

Reserve your holiday and peak dates soon at Mountain Vista. Our calendar begins to quickly fill during the next few weeks. Our winter special continues through February…Arrive on Sunday-Tuesday and receive a 20% discount.

Remember to do your homework before reserving a luxury cabin. Take into account these 5 things you should never pay for in Beavers Bend.

Winter is wonderful at Mountain Vista! Contact us at 405-535-8055 or reserve online to experience our 20-mile view of serenity. One thing you won’t experience is add-on fees!

Jerry & Sherri Isbell & “Kula” the Grand Champion Show Dog.

admin2019-03-30T20:43:18+00:00January 4th, 2016|Dallas spring break, Dallas travel, Dallas travel blogs|

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! All the rain in Beavers Bend has been fantastic for the creek on our Mountain Vista property…it’s full!

We invite you to take advantage of our winter special. 20% off when arriving on Sunday-Tuesday in January and February.

Sherri and I wish you a healthy and prosperous 2016.

admin2016-01-01T17:55:44+00:00January 1st, 2016|Travel Deals, TravelOK, vacation blogs|