HELP - Arkansas Resorts

[btcctomtb Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close btcctomtb]

I have too many choices.

All the units below are avail for my last week to book in the summer 2008. Never Traveling to Arkansas it is tough to decide from so many choices. I am traveling with my 3 kids and would like to keep them occupied. anyone have experiences at any of the resorts listed. My kids top 5 in order are Blue Ridge Village, any Massanutten, any Gatlinburg, The Fountains in Orlando, and a tie between French Lick, Fox River in Illinois and Fairfield Glade. They absolutely love on site activities or crafty things no matter how goofy. They still like hiking, and of course swimming. Blue Ridge is the Favorite because of the Gem Mining which is the big draw to Arkansas. Any and all suggestions welcomed...

Escapes! to Bella Vista Village (#1927)
Bella Vista, AR 72714, USA

Wyndham Resort at Fairfield Bay (#0071)
Fairfield Bay, AR 72088, USA

Crown Point Condominiums (#5087)
Horseshoe Bend, AR 72512, USA

Crown Point Resort (#4044)
Horseshoe Bend, AR 72512, USA

SunBay Resort (#1922)
Hot Springs, AR 71913, USA

The Wharf (#1923)
Hot Springs, AR 71913, USA

South Shore Lake Resort (#5023)
Hot Springs, AR 71913, USA

[btcctomtb Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close btcctomtb]

SHOOT!!! Wrong room sorry to the moderators

[mshatty Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close mshatty]

Here's a link to the South Shore Lake Resort website. It will give you a pretty good idea of what it is like there.

http://www.southshorelakeresort.com/

The studio units are actually large 1BR units.

[rapmarks Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close rapmarks]

are you a golfer? if so, I would go to Bella vista.
Otherwise i would choose something in Hot springs.

[Pstreet1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pstreet1]

We've been told by people who used to live there and go back to visit that South Shore is the nicest of the bunch. We're going to be there next week so I can report then, but I'm sure you'll want to secure your spot before Monday when we get there.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Sorry I didn't answer sooner.

It's strange to see AR on a different board than Branson, since we are less than 10 miles to the state line.

All the resorts are in similar areas, Arkansas retirement developments. As such, most folks you see will be old folks. Hot Springs and Bella Vista are Cooper developments. If you would add Cherokee Village, that would be all the AR Cooper developments. They each have multiple golf courses and lakes, and are nice.

We have been to Hot Springs once, on our very first timeshare vacation, an RCI Bonus Vacation last century. We have been to Bella Vista 20 times or more.

One not listed is Table Rock Landing at Holiday Island, 30 miles from our front door (30 miles, and a few feet, from our back door ). It is a very nice resort, of course with lake and golf.

The Crown Point Resorts are one resort with different unit amenities, sharing common public amenities. It is a very nice place on a 600 acre lake, with the decent Turkey Mountain Country Club golf course nearby. Crown Point has a nice indoor pool, a beach, canoes, paddleboats, stuff like that. It is in Horesehoe Bend, not far from Cherokee Village. Before we bought our place at the lake it is where our extended family spent our Spring getaway.

They all have golf and lake or lakes in common.

Bella Vista and Hot Springs have more other things to do in the area.

[Arkansas Winger Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Arkansas Winger]

Sorry I didn't answer sooner.

It's strange to see AR on a different board than Branson, since we are less than 10 miles to the state line.

All the resorts are in similar areas, Arkansas retirement developments. As such, most folks you see will be old folks. Hot Springs and Bella Vista are Cooper developments. Bella Vista and Hot Springs have more other things to do in the area.

Need to make a correction here. Hot Springs Village is a Cooper Development and is located about 18 miles north of Hot Springs. Hot Springs is the only city in America that is also a National Park.Hot Springs National Park

Crater of Diamonds State Park keep what you find in this finders keepers diamond mine is located within about 1 hour drive. Of the three resorts mentioned by the OP. I would consider South Shore to be the nicest.

[ronandjoan Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ronandjoan]

Not SunBay - you might get in an older unit and it was awful. I won;t go back at all due to that exchange.

We stayed at Escapes in Cherokee Village and were told that the Escapes! units were all the same so that Hot Springs Village would be nice - Cherokee Village was WONDERFUL so I would not hesitate to go to Hot Sp Village

There are 2 Crown POint resorts - the reviews say the newer one is nicer

I second the idea for Holiday Island

Arkansas was a great place to vacation in --- I was surprised my self

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

I assume the correction you are referring to is that it is Hot Springs Village, not Hot Springs, that is the Cooper development. I just abbreviated, assuming folks would know that Hot Springs is a town/city.

FWIW, I am reluctant to refer folks to places like Cherokee Village, Horseshoe Bend, Fairfield Bay. . . Most folks would like some civilization somewhere nearby. Most folks want to do more than watch the grass grow, or, in the case of so many of the retirees yards, watch the rocks grow.

If I bragged on those places, I can just hear folks from, say, New Jersey, pulling into Horseshoe Bend, saying, "Oh my God. What has JLB gotten us into?"

Hey, get over it. There's a Wal Mart down the road, on the way to Cherokee Village.

I have met with folks from inner city areas back east when they come to Branson. They just love it here in the Wild, Wild West.

Need to make a correction here. Hot Springs Village is a Cooper Development and is located about 18 miles north of Hot Springs. .

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

October 21 we went over to Rogers to have lunch with Okie friends doing the War Eagle weekend craft shows. We went by Holiday Island, and the place looked like it always does.

The next week I was talking with some tourist golfers and they said there were signs up along the road at Holiday Island saying the place, and the golf courses, were closed down. I asked if they meant the executive course on the island and they said no, the whole place.

Guess I need to go check.

Four or five years ago while we were on our annual January Florida thing, we happened to catch an infomercial on TV. They were offering free weekends, flying folks in to a mountainous AR area for the purpose of selling them lots. It went on and on, and everything they showed really looked familiar. It was Holiday Island.

When we did the War Eagle craft shows, Donna Douglas from the Beverly Hillbillies had a show there.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, Little Rock is a Cooper Development.

[shaggy Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close shaggy]

I would like to go to the War Eagle craft show some fall. Is it always the same time each year? shaggy

[jericap Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close jericap]

October 21 we went over to Rogers to have lunch with Okie friends doing the War Eagle weekend craft shows. We went by Holiday Island, and the place looked like it always does.

The next week I was talking with some tourist golfers and they said there were signs up along the road at Holiday Island saying the place, and the golf courses, were closed down. I asked if they meant the executive course on the island and they said no, the whole place.

Guess I need to go check.

I would be interested in knowing as we are supposed to be staying at Table Rock Landing at Holiday island in May.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Yes, the third full weekend in October, I believe counting Thursday and Friday since the main shows start on Thursday. That makes it around the 20th.

Check a website to be sure of future dates. Here's several sites:

war eagle farm craft show - Google Search

The original show is War Eagle Farm, which started in 1954. We did that once, our last year. They don't invite you back if you are at another War Eagle location, so that year we burnt our War Eagle bridge. At that same location, across the river, are War Eagle Mill and Sharp's Show. We used to be set up at the retaining wall next to the river at the Mill. That is here:

http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp...ode=72738-9260

I suggest using a mapping site for driving directions, as it's easy to get lost on those Ozark roads.

Timeshare-wise, Escapes at Bella Vista is the best. There are other shows within 30 miles of War Eagle and this is a good place to hang your hat. Some shows are inside and some are outside.

Anything in Branson/Hollister/Kimberling City is a couple hours. Table Rock Landing at Holiday Island is a really nice place to hang your hat, too, plus you get free golf, or at least you use to.

I would like to go to the War Eagle craft show some fall. Is it always the same time each year? shaggy