| TRAVEL THE OZARKS |
HIS PLACE
When we arrived at His Place we were welcomed by owners, Julie and Steve. We felt as if we were visiting old friends
from the moment we met.
Upon opening the door to our cabin, we were greeted with the smell of good old-fashioned cleanliness. The place was
immaculate. To top it off, there was a large plate of welcoming cookies on the table.
Julie had made arrangements for us to try our hand at trout fishing with one of their experienced guides. Our first time
to ever fish for trout and we caught our limit! The guide was a delightful young man!
We so enjoyed our stay that we chose His Place for vacationing with our grandchildren from Houston, Texas. Again
Julie fixed us up with a fishing guide. He was so patient with the children and assured that they caught their limit of
trout. They're hooked. This time we selected a 2-bedroom cabin which, again, was immaculate and comfortable. The
kids loved that they had a room with twin beds. The youngest, age 7, said, "I want to live here!"
Our third trip, my husband and I, along with some friends from Oklahoma, chose His Place for our accommodations as
we cooked in the Dutch oven Cook-off at Bull Shoals-White River State Park (watch for that review coming up). Our
friends fell in love with His Place too. As we were leaving on Sunday morning, we decided we wanted to do some trout
fishing on the spur of the moment. Julie got on the phone and stayed there until she found a guide to take us out....all
the time with a smile on her face.
The Bald Eagles were a sight to see and we enjoyed watching them as we fished from the private trout dock.
We give His Place 5 stars. It is a very kid-friendly place with many interesting things to do and see nearby (watch for
those reviews). CLICK HERE to visit their website for more information and get to know these fine Ozark folks, you'll be
glad you did!
When we arrived at His Place we were welcomed by owners, Julie and Steve. We felt as if we were visiting old friends
from the moment we met.
Upon opening the door to our cabin, we were greeted with the smell of good old-fashioned cleanliness. The place was
immaculate. To top it off, there was a large plate of welcoming cookies on the table.
Julie had made arrangements for us to try our hand at trout fishing with one of their experienced guides. Our first time
to ever fish for trout and we caught our limit! The guide was a delightful young man!
We so enjoyed our stay that we chose His Place for vacationing with our grandchildren from Houston, Texas. Again
Julie fixed us up with a fishing guide. He was so patient with the children and assured that they caught their limit of
trout. They're hooked. This time we selected a 2-bedroom cabin which, again, was immaculate and comfortable. The
kids loved that they had a room with twin beds. The youngest, age 7, said, "I want to live here!"
Our third trip, my husband and I, along with some friends from Oklahoma, chose His Place for our accommodations as
we cooked in the Dutch oven Cook-off at Bull Shoals-White River State Park (watch for that review coming up). Our
friends fell in love with His Place too. As we were leaving on Sunday morning, we decided we wanted to do some trout
fishing on the spur of the moment. Julie got on the phone and stayed there until she found a guide to take us out....all
the time with a smile on her face.
The Bald Eagles were a sight to see and we enjoyed watching them as we fished from the private trout dock.
We give His Place 5 stars. It is a very kid-friendly place with many interesting things to do and see nearby (watch for
those reviews). CLICK HERE to visit their website for more information and get to know these fine Ozark folks, you'll be
glad you did!
| COTTER, ARKANSAS - TROUT CAPITAL OF THE NATION |
| Relaxing at our cabin |
| Granddaughters try out their room |
| Emily's First Fish |
| The second one isn't so scary |
| Savannah's First Fish |
| Yummy welcome cookies |
| ACCOMMODATIONS IN COTTER, ARKANSAS |
| CASSVILLE, MISSOURI |
| CRYSTAL SPRINGS TROUT FARM Bob & Rosemamry Krause Cassville, Missouri (417) 847-2174 |
On a beautiful afternoon we were out for a drive in the Ozarks when we noticed a sign that read
"Family Trout Fishing, no license required." Always on the look-out for places to take our
granddaughters on their summer vacation with us, we decided to check it out. We stopped in
Cassville at a convenience store and asked whether they could direct us to the farm. They could.
With directions in hand we made a pleasant 10 or 15 minute drive and came to the farm. There we
met owners, Bob & Rosemary Krause, lovely country folks who made us feel right at home. After
chatting with them awhile, they fixed us right up with fishing poles and bait and told us to fish
anywhere along the beautiful, spring-fed creek where comfortable chairs were provided. The whole
area was well-kept with a beautiful view to go along with the fishing. My husband summed it up when
he said, "this place just makes you feel at peace."
Using corn kernels, pieces of hotdogs and marshmallows we soon discovered that the fish were quite
hungry and what a fun time we had catching a total of 11 trout over a period of a couple of hours.
There is no doubt this is a place we will take our grandchildren next summer. What a great place to
let kids learn to fish without the expense of tackle and licenses. The best part is that you pay only for
what you catch. At $4.95 per pound this is a bargain. Just call for directions.
When we had caught our "limit" (State limits do not apply as this is a private, stocked creek), Bob and
Rosemary cleaned out fish and packed them in ice for our trip home. They even gave us some
recipes. We wasted no time on our return home in cooking up the trout using one of their recipes
which I have taken the liberty of copying below. I guarantee that even people who say they hate fish
will love trout prepared this way:
BUTTERMILK FRIED TROUT
5 pounds trout fillets (we used whole trout and just cooked them a little longer)
Salt and pepper to taste
Buttermilk to cover fish
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ground sage
Oil for frying
Drain the trout strips and season to taste with salt and pepper. Marinate strips in the buttermilk for 30
minutes. Combine flour, cornmeal, garlic and onion powders and sage. Pick up strips and shake off
excess buttermilk before dredging in flour mixture and frying in hot oil. DO NOT OVERCOOK. Drain
well and serve.
For a wonderful family outing that won't break the bank, give Bob and Rosemary a call.
"Family Trout Fishing, no license required." Always on the look-out for places to take our
granddaughters on their summer vacation with us, we decided to check it out. We stopped in
Cassville at a convenience store and asked whether they could direct us to the farm. They could.
With directions in hand we made a pleasant 10 or 15 minute drive and came to the farm. There we
met owners, Bob & Rosemary Krause, lovely country folks who made us feel right at home. After
chatting with them awhile, they fixed us right up with fishing poles and bait and told us to fish
anywhere along the beautiful, spring-fed creek where comfortable chairs were provided. The whole
area was well-kept with a beautiful view to go along with the fishing. My husband summed it up when
he said, "this place just makes you feel at peace."
Using corn kernels, pieces of hotdogs and marshmallows we soon discovered that the fish were quite
hungry and what a fun time we had catching a total of 11 trout over a period of a couple of hours.
There is no doubt this is a place we will take our grandchildren next summer. What a great place to
let kids learn to fish without the expense of tackle and licenses. The best part is that you pay only for
what you catch. At $4.95 per pound this is a bargain. Just call for directions.
When we had caught our "limit" (State limits do not apply as this is a private, stocked creek), Bob and
Rosemary cleaned out fish and packed them in ice for our trip home. They even gave us some
recipes. We wasted no time on our return home in cooking up the trout using one of their recipes
which I have taken the liberty of copying below. I guarantee that even people who say they hate fish
will love trout prepared this way:
BUTTERMILK FRIED TROUT
5 pounds trout fillets (we used whole trout and just cooked them a little longer)
Salt and pepper to taste
Buttermilk to cover fish
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ground sage
Oil for frying
Drain the trout strips and season to taste with salt and pepper. Marinate strips in the buttermilk for 30
minutes. Combine flour, cornmeal, garlic and onion powders and sage. Pick up strips and shake off
excess buttermilk before dredging in flour mixture and frying in hot oil. DO NOT OVERCOOK. Drain
well and serve.
For a wonderful family outing that won't break the bank, give Bob and Rosemary a call.
| BRANSON, MISSOURI |
A WORD OF CAUTION: As frequent visitors to the Branson area, we finally succumbed to the
telemarketers continued calls. For only $129.00 (later reduced to $29.00) we could enjoy a 3 day,
2 night stay in a 1st class motel, receive a $50 voucher to pay for your gas and receive 2 tickets to
a top-rated show. All you have to do is attend a 1-1/2 hour presentation. Upon telling them we
had no intention of buying anything at this time and being assured that no purchase was required,
all they really wanted was for us to tell others if we liked what we saw, we agreed.
We should have known better. It all started when we stupidly entered a contest in the local mall
where a car was being "given away."
Having attended the sales pitch as we had agreed (the salesman was probably too good at selling
to sell used cars), I can sum it up in 2 words.......RIP-OFF. Imagine paying $27,500 for ONE
WEEK per year in a 2-bedroom house. Multiply that by 52 weeks in a year! On top of that each
"free week's stay" will only set you back $129, plus you pay a mere $439 per year for maintenance.
Again, multiply that by 52 owners. That is RIP-OFF of 52 people.
The pressure was so hot that I think had I not stated in a rather loud voice, " We are not going to
buy anything, I am tired, when I get tired I get grouchy." At this point the salesman and his
supervisor were only to happy to hand over our "prizes" and allow us to leave. Do I need to say we
did not sign on the dotted line?
BEWARE OF OFFERS OF FREE VACATIONS OR IF YOU ACCEPT THE FREE VACATION,
BEWARE OF THE SALES PEOPLE.
telemarketers continued calls. For only $129.00 (later reduced to $29.00) we could enjoy a 3 day,
2 night stay in a 1st class motel, receive a $50 voucher to pay for your gas and receive 2 tickets to
a top-rated show. All you have to do is attend a 1-1/2 hour presentation. Upon telling them we
had no intention of buying anything at this time and being assured that no purchase was required,
all they really wanted was for us to tell others if we liked what we saw, we agreed.
We should have known better. It all started when we stupidly entered a contest in the local mall
where a car was being "given away."
Having attended the sales pitch as we had agreed (the salesman was probably too good at selling
to sell used cars), I can sum it up in 2 words.......RIP-OFF. Imagine paying $27,500 for ONE
WEEK per year in a 2-bedroom house. Multiply that by 52 weeks in a year! On top of that each
"free week's stay" will only set you back $129, plus you pay a mere $439 per year for maintenance.
Again, multiply that by 52 owners. That is RIP-OFF of 52 people.
The pressure was so hot that I think had I not stated in a rather loud voice, " We are not going to
buy anything, I am tired, when I get tired I get grouchy." At this point the salesman and his
supervisor were only to happy to hand over our "prizes" and allow us to leave. Do I need to say we
did not sign on the dotted line?
BEWARE OF OFFERS OF FREE VACATIONS OR IF YOU ACCEPT THE FREE VACATION,
BEWARE OF THE SALES PEOPLE.