Activities in Beavers Bend State Park

Food Network Champion Chef Opens Beavers Bend Restaurant

Beavers Bend Food Network Champion Chef Tabb Singleton Update 7-3-20:

Chef Tabb Singleton returned to New Orleans for a few years, but is back in McCurtain County. His new concept is Phat Tabb’s BBQ in Idabel.

Idabel is a convenient pit stop for DFW visitors traveling to and from Beavers Bend State Park. Enjoy world-class BBQ on your next trip to Beavers Bend!Chef Tabb Singleton's Phat Tabb's BBQ

Pic of Chef Tabb Singleton's BBQ

Picture of Chef Tabb Singleton's BBQ

Picture of Chef Tabb Singleton's BBQ Chef Tabb Singleton's BBQ

Chef Tabb Singleton's sausage
Chef Tabb Singleton's sausage

The Moon Tower Bar and Grill, led by executive Chef Tabb Singleton, has opened to rave reviews near Beavers Bend State Park and Broken Bow Lake.

Tabb Singleton Beavers Bend chefSingleton, a native of Southeastern Oklahoma and former executive chef in New Orleans, won the Food Network’s “Chopped” in 2012 and was also crowned champion of  “Deep Fried Masters.”

The fame of winning these nationally televised shows skyrocketed his career.

“The process of getting on “Chopped” took about four-months. They (Food Network) had recruiters in the area checking restaurants out…a group came in to eat and I was running the restaurant for Emeril Lagasse, (world famous chef)) that night. They were sitting close to the kitchen. I had to tear into one of the line cooks verbally because he wasn’t doing what he was supposed to be doing, and they got a kick out of it,” Singleton said.

It had been Tabb’s long-time goal to appear on the Food Network. His dream would soon become a reality. Everything was about to change. That line cook’s blunder became a metamorphosis leading to millions realizing Tabb’s tremendous talent in the kitchen.

Chef Tabb Singleton was now a rock-star…the rest is history.

Suddenly, a guy from the tiny town of Idabel, OK was a celebrity and shooting a TV show in New York City. Everywhere he went, he was recognized.

Tabb says the fame of winning both shows led to a hectic life. It catapulted him into the limelight throughout the Crescent City and United States.

“We had a lot of people coming in to take a picture with me at the restaurant in New Orleans. I did a lot of autographs. When you win a national television show, you have everybody coming out of the woodwork,” he said.

Moon Tower Bar and Grill Broken Bow                                     Moon tower Bar and Grill

I toured Tabb’s beautiful new restaurant recently before his lunch-hour rush. The Moon Tower Bar and Grill has been open for a few months and it’s the talk of the town among locals and tourists. Tabb has dreams of opening restaurants in larger markets, but wants to keep a firm hold on the culinary scene near Broken Bow Lake.

“I love this area, it’s my home…this is the first place I want to get something started,”

Tabb’s tremendous success and fame in New Orleans made it difficult to leave, but he felt it was time to venture off and open his own restaurant. The lure of returning home to the lush forests of McCurtain County became a powerful force. A force he couldn’t resist.

He couldn’t turn down the opportunity to be the biggest fish in a huge tourist pond. Tabb now caters to two-million people visiting luxury cabins in Beavers Bend State Park annually. He’s the biggest game in a town that hosts millions of visitors every year.  No one in the area can legitimately say they’re able to compete with him, or compare resumes. He’s the king.

https://vimeo.com/149315297

The Moon Tower Bar and Grill features indoor and outdoor dining and has a beautiful amphitheater for live music.

Moon Tower Bar and GrillSingleton calls his menu “an open floor plan” and it’s constantly changing. “We do old classics and new stuff.” He was trained under famous chefs in the Bayou and boasted…”I throw in some Cajun!”

Fresh seafood is delivered several times weekly from his gulf coast connections and Chef Tabb is proud of the new flavors he’s creating in Beavers Bend. It ranges from upscale bar food to gourmet delicacies. The Ouachita Mountain region now features world-class dining.

Singleton attributes his success as a chef to “trial and error and the school of hard knocks.”

Here’s his advice for us that enjoy tinkering on the grill and smoker…

“I push people to experiment more than anything. If there’s a rub you see, try it. If  you don’t think you have enough salt, add more salt. Don’t be afraid to experiment.”

IMG_7743

Chef Tabb Singleton’s latest venture has been a huge hit with our guests at Mountain Vista Cabin. The Moon Tower Bar & Grill should be your first stop for cuisine when visiting Beavers Bend State Park. It’s located off Highway 259N, a couple of miles north of the Steven’s Gap Exit.

 There’s no doubt Chef Tabb Singleton will reign as king for many years around Broken Bow Lake. Welcome home Chef!

By |2022-10-12T16:58:03+00:00July 3rd, 2020|dfw travel, food|

Beavers Bend Tourist Tips

I had a great couple of days enjoying our Mountain Vista vacation home in Beavers Bend this week.

The cabin rental market is booming in Broken Bow. Dallas and Oklahoma City visitors frequently flock to the area for R & R.

Businesses are flourishing and McCurtain County’s Kiamichi Mountains continue to titillate luxury cabin guests. Visit Broken Bow on a Friday and you’ll see tourists lined in droves at the few red lights in town.

Tourist Tips When Visiting A Beavers Bend Luxury Cabin

We have a few weekdays available at Mountain Vista in September and only two weekends are open until December. Fall foliage dates are filling in October/early November.

Beavers Bend Tourist Tips

Mountain Vista Features Three Deck Levels

Pay Attention to Resort Fees & Add-On Charges

Here’s a great article from the USA Today about needless fees in the travel industry.

There are plenty of cabins in Broken Bow that do not charge needless fees, including us!

Pay attention to the terms and conditions before reserving any property. Look for things such as “We provide you a starter supply…” At Mountain Vista, we give guests free firewood and have no additional charges for insurance, cleaning or incidental fees. We don’t penny-pinch our guests by counting the number of trash bags and bars of soap provided. 

Beavers Bend Tourist Tips

A Mountain Vista Visitor!

We created the Beavers Bend app to provide you with area information and special offers. Download the app and you may receive a great Beavers Bend deal!

One of the most popular times of the year in the Broken Bow Lake area is just around the corner. We hope you can visit Mountain Vista in the fall.

Beavers Bend Spring Break Cabins

Beavers Bend Spring Break cabins.

Mountain Vista Luxury Cabin

Mountain Vista Luxury Cabin

We’re currently have availability March 1-10 and are booked on the 11th-18th. Peak reservation season is nearly here. At times we’ll book 15-20 nights per day beginning at the end of January.

If you’re considering visiting Beavers Bend State Park in Broken Bow, OK during spring break, download our app.

The Beavers Bend app will give you essential tourist information. We list everything from restaurants to fishing guides. Our app fans also enjoy VIP offers to Mountain Vista luxury cabin.

Remember to do your homework before choosing a luxury cabin in Broken Bow, OK. Website pictures are often deceiving and don’t indicate how secluded your cabin will be. Always ask for pics of the entire property before making your reservation.

 

Pay close attention to add-on charges when researching cabins in Broken Bow. Many management companies mimic hotels across the country by adding resort fees. This is an extra charge for nothing…it simply pads their pockets.

Other gouging techniques include incidental, insurance, cleaning, and hot tub charges. We never bill our guests these needless fees at Mountain Vista.

Seek references when considering Beavers Bend spring break cabins. Ours are fantastic! Holidays are highly popular at luxury cabins in Broken Bow. Scores are unable to vacation in our area because they wait too late to book a cabin. Don’t wait too late to make your plans.

Beavers Bend Spring Break Cabins

Bryce Archey

I visited with our favorite fishing guide, Bryce Archey of BrokenBowLakeGuide.com. He tells me bookings for the spring spawning season are going swimmingly. Bryce is the most popular guide in Broken Bow. I already have a few dates booked with him this year!

There are a plethora of great cabins in Broken Bow. We have a tremendous advantage over many due to our fantastic 20-mile view and acres of seclusion. Make your plans to visit Mountain Vista soon and remember…we never charge add-on fees!

 

By |2017-01-22T20:31:41+00:00January 22nd, 2017|Dallas Spring Break Destinations, Luxury travel blogs|

Top 5 Beavers Bend Memorial Weekend Tips

Top 5 Beavers Bend Memorial Weekend Tips

Mountain Vista Luxury Cabin

My Top 5 Beavers Bend Memorial Weekend Tips will enhance your stay while visiting a cabin in Beavers Bend State Park.

  • Grab coffee and breakfast at Adam & Eve’s Coffee House. We love their freshly ground coffee’s and breakfast items…great sandwiches during lunch. If you forgot something from home while visiting a Beavers Bend cabin, they’ll probably have it.

  • Visit all the wineries in Beavers Bend. Broken Bow now has three and all are great places to sip a little vino. Girls Gone Wine, Vojai’s Winery and Fish Tales Winery and Vineyards. Many visit all three in a day. Each location is only minutes apart.

  • Meet Food Network Champion Chef, Tabb Singleton at his Moon Tower Bar and Grill. To say this globally renowned chef is popular is an understatement. Over 1-million people have read my piece on him since December.

  • Get on Broken Bow Lake in a boat. You can’t truly enjoy it until you’re on the water. Seeing the lake from a roadside or bank isn’t the way to experience Oklahoma’s most beautiful body of water.

  • Don’t drink and drive/speed. Beavers Bend will be packed during Memorial Weekend. Have patience and realize that filling up with gas and having your dinner served will be delayed with the large crowds. Law enforcement is always out in full-force during holidays near Broken Bow Lake cabins. Be smart and kind to one another.

Your cabin management companies will be stretched to the limit during this holiday weekend in Beavers Bend. I’ve written extensively for years about what you should be looking for before reserving a luxury cabin. Hopefully, you did extensive research and will be pleased upon arrival at your getaway.

Oklahoma City visitors traveling to Beavers Bend, checkout SpannMan’s BBQ in Antlers. The blue food truck on the main drag through town is one of my favorite eateries on earth. SpannMan is a champion BBQ chef and scores of Broken Bow Lake cabin visitors have enjoyed his cuisine for years. SpannMan has been featured multiple times in the Oklahoma Today Magazine.

I’m feeling generous…here’s a sixth tip; Ride the duck! The Broken Bow Lake Duck boat tour is one of the hottest tourist attractions in Beavers Bend State Park.

You won’t go wrong with any of my Top 5 Beavers Bend Memorial Weekend Tips. Enjoy the holiday and we invite you to visit Mountain Vista cabin in Broken Bow soon!

By |2020-12-17T15:44:56+00:00May 25th, 2016|DFW Memorial Weekend Travel Tips, Luxury travel marketing|

Limbs For Life Foundation

Former FEMA Director Michael Brown and Jerry Isbell

Former FEMA Director Michael Brown and Jerry Isbell

My favorite charity is the Limbs for Life Foundation. I’ve served on their board of directors for about 10 years. As chairman of their governance committee, charged with recruiting talented new board members, I’m thrilled with our latest additions.

Michael Brown, former FEMA Director under President George W. Bush and native Oklahoman, joined our board along with national speaker and philanthropist, Adrianne Haslet.

I began talking with Michael about the Limbs for Life Foundation late last year. I was immediately impressed by his great heart and desire to help us provide prosthetics for needy amputees around the world.

Michael brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise that will benefit the Limbs for Life Foundation across the globe. He hosts a popular radio show in Denver that is syndicated on iHeartRadio. He is a frequent guest on national television and a popular event speaker.

Limbs For Life Foundation

Adrianne Haslet

Adrianne lost her leg in the Boston Bombing terror attack and became a fan of Limbs For Life.  We became bigger fans of her. She developed a great relationship with our staff and has raised thousands of dollars to benefit Limbs for Life. Adrianne has been a world-class ballroom dancer for years.

A tremendous athlete, she recently received international media attention by finishing the 2016 Boston Marathon while running with a prosthetic device.

I heard Adrianne speak at a Limbs for Life luncheon in Dallas a couple of weeks ago and was floored. I know a rock-star when I see one…and asked her immediately to join our board.

Adrianne has an inspiring story, is a world-class speaker, and has been a tireless advocate for our foundation. She will take the mission of Limbs For Life to an entirely new level with her talent and dedication.

There is no research dollars spent with our foundation. All the research has been done…the cure is a prosthetic limb.

Click here to learn more about the Limbs for Life Foundation.

By |2020-03-24T12:01:04+00:00May 19th, 2016|Charities, Prosthetic Foundations|

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.

By |2019-07-05T17:10:47+00:00January 21st, 2016|Oklahoma museums|

Beavers Bend Area Museums

Visiting Beavers Bend area museums is a great activity in McCurtain County…especially when it’s  pouring rain!

The weather in Beavers Bend hasn’t been very kind to Spring Break visitors this week. We love watching the storms roll in from 20-miles away high atop our deck!

 

Weekends are filling quickly at Mountain Vista cabin in Broken Bow but April 9-12 just became available. We only have a handful of weekend dates open until August. Summer weekdays are also beginning to fill.

Most experienced visitors to Beavers Bend realize the importance of reserving luxury cabin dates months in advance. Remember to do your homework prior to choosing a luxury cabin. Checkout the owners and cabin management companies thoroughly. Make sure you will have seclusion and search for references.

Check-in Monday or Tuesday in April and receive 20% off at Mountain Vista. This will be the last promotional pricing for many months. Download our app for local tourist information and special offers in Beavers Bend. Thousands have downloaded it over the past few years. We designed it in conjunction with Mobile Roadie in Los Angeles. Mobile Roadie has created apps for Madonna, The Rolling Stones and Bon Jovi. If they’re good enough for them, that’s good enough for us! They did a fantastic job with ours and we’ve used their state-of the-art technology to enhance the Beavers Bend experience for many people over the past few years.

If you’re looking for the best places to dine or visit while vacationing in Beavers Bend State Park, they’re on our app. I’ve also written extensively about many tourist attractions in Broken Bow here on our blog. Scroll back a few years and you’ll find loads of information.

Mountain Vista always features free s’mores kits and firewood along with no add-on charges for insurance or resort fees. We would love to help plan your Beavers Bend getaway. Contact us at 405-535-8055.

Remember, even when it rains during your vacation there’s always something to do in the Kiamichi Mountains. Make sure you visit Beavers Bend area museums while you’re ridin’ the storm out!

 

Beavers Bend Area Museums

By Jerry Isbell (With a little help from “Kula” our Champion Show Dog)

 

By |2019-07-05T17:10:37+00:00March 19th, 2015|Luxury travel, travel blogs|

Broken Bow Lake Fishing Guide

Broken Bow Lake Fishing Guides

Searching for a Broken Bow Lake fishing guide? They are highly sought after near Beavers Bend State Park. I recently had the great experience of spending several hours on the lake with Bryce Archey of BrokenBowLakeGuide.com. I now understand why he has been lauded as the best in Southeastern Oklahoma for many years.

Bryce, a graduate of Southeastern Oklahoma State University, is a charismatic bass fishing expert. As we hit the lake in his decked out boat, the learning, laughter and good times began immediately. We scorched across Broken Bow Lake and hit the first fishing spot around 7:00 a.m. Bryce knew exactly where the bass would be schooling and the lures and presentation to use in order to get them to visit the friendly confines of his livewell tank.

.Broken Bow Lake Fishing Guide

My buddy along for the trip landed a nice bass on his first cast! Bryce knows Broken Bow Lake like the back of his hand and provided excellent education regarding how wind, weather and lake levels impact having a successful venture on the water.

“I get tremendous satisfaction from teaching people how to catch fish on Broken Bow Lake,” Bryce said. He has fished Southeastern Oklahoma his entire life and considers Broken Bow Lake to be the top lake for anglers in our area.

Broken Bow Lake Fishing Guide

Bryce paid his dues along the way in his quest to become the premier fishing guide in the Beavers Bend State Park area. “I used to fish nearly all night, park the boat in a cove and catch a few hours sleep, then hit the lake again at daybreak,” he recalled.

When you visit Beavers Bend State Park and the Broken Bow Lake area, hire an expert if you truly want to catch fish, have lots of laughs, and learn about bass fishing. I grew up on Broken Bow Lake but have not had the opportunity to bass fish in several years. One outing with him and I was hooked…So were several nice fish! We had such a tremendous experience that we booked him for second outing.

Broken Bow Lake Fishing Guide

We caught over 30 and kept 17 nice bass. Bryce will fillet the fish for you at the end of the outing and trust me, lunch was amazing! Contact Bryce Archey at 870-582-4561. He has gift certificates available and accepts credit cards. He also provides fishing equipment.

If you have always thought about hiring a Broken Bow Lake fishing guide, I highly recommend Bryce Archey. His kindness and professionalism are top notch and I promise you it will be fun!

He is in high demand and everyone has spoken highly of him for years…except the fish in Broken Bow Lake!

If we can help arrange a Mountain Vista luxury cabin stay and fishing trip with Bryce for you, contact us at BeaversBendVacations.com or 405-535-8055.

By |2014-08-17T20:53:56+00:00August 17th, 2014|Dallas travel, fishing|
Go to Top