Ideal location...

[Randy Dodson]

I thought you quit paddling your Ocoee :myday"

If you're retired you should leave Springfield and get a cabin (with a guest room) close to a great river. Then we'd have Dale's bunkhouse near Richland, Dennis' cabin near the Saint and your place near ???

[Prairie Tater]

I thought you quit paddling your Ocoee

Randy, I'm not really sure if I can paddle any open boat now. I'm hoping that I can at least do short runs. I'll just have to see how my knee reacts to kneeling for an hour or more at a time. May need frequent breaks. We will see.

And yes, I'd love to have a place on the river...if I could find the right place for the right price.

[Gordon Kumpuris]

Clarksville or Ozark would be I think the two best locations for physical access to whitewater, mountain biking and rock climbing. Little Rock is where I live and due to ample employment and housing, and because it is a really great city in and of itself I lean toward LR. A couple of things to consider: As noted above, the Cossatot is in the wettest part of the state. So if kayaking is your deal then access to the Tot is something you need to be aware of. But you also need to consider overall quality of life. LR offers a lot of outdoor stuff without having to drive. The river trail, Pinnacle Mtn, Access to the nearby Ouachita Trail etc makes it pretty sweet. Also, I think most people want to surround themselves with like minded people. If you are a truck driving, gun toting country boy then Ozark or Clarksville might be your thing and that's cool.. If however you lean left, appreciate the arts, night life etc when you are not enjoying nature then LR or Fayetteville might be your thing. And don't rule out Hot Springs. It is a great town too. My only reservation is that it is a bit tough to drive from HS to the Central Ozarks, i.e. Richland etc.

My two cents.

[Gordon Kumpuris]

Clarksville or Ozark would be I think the two best locations for physical access to whitewater, mountain biking and rock climbing. Little Rock is where I live and due to ample employment and housing, and because it is a really great city in and of itself I lean toward LR. A couple of things to consider: As noted above, the Cossatot is in the wettest part of the state. So if kayaking is your deal then access to the Tot is something you need to be aware of. But you also need to consider overall quality of life. LR offers a lot of outdoor stuff without having to drive. The river trail, Pinnacle Mtn, Access to the nearby Ouachita Trail etc makes it pretty sweet. Also, I think most people want to surround themselves with like minded people. If you are a truck driving, gun toting country boy then Ozark or Clarksville might be your thing and that's cool.. If however you lean left, appreciate the arts, night life etc when you are not enjoying nature then LR or Fayetteville might be your thing. And don't rule out Hot Springs. It is a great town too. My only reservation is that it is a bit tough to drive from HS to the Central Ozarks, i.e. Richland etc.

My two cents.

[Ouachitoff]

Clarksville or Ozark would be I think the two best locations for physical access to whitewater, mountain biking and rock climbing. Little Rock is where I live and due to ample employment and housing, and because it is a really great city in and of itself I lean toward LR. A couple of things to consider: As noted above, the Cossatot is in the wettest part of the state. So if kayaking is your deal then access to the Tot is something you need to be aware of. But you also need to consider overall quality of life. LR offers a lot of outdoor stuff without having to drive. The river trail, Pinnacle Mtn, Access to the nearby Ouachita Trail etc makes it pretty sweet. Also, I think most people want to surround themselves with like minded people. If you are a truck driving, gun toting country boy then Ozark or Clarksville might be your thing and that's cool.. If however you lean left, appreciate the arts, night life etc when you are not enjoying nature then LR or Fayetteville might be your thing. And don't rule out Hot Springs. It is a great town too. My only reservation is that it is a bit tough to drive from HS to the Central Ozarks, i.e. Richland etc.

My two cents.

I echo pretty much everything Gordon says. I like being in the middle of the state but part of that is being at least an hour from anything, but you're not "too far" from anything.

[Moniker]

I like the Ft.Smith area,I would'nt want to live in Ft.Smith again but I like being close.I split my time between my place in Mena and my place in Dayton(Mansfield area,20 minutes south of Ft.Smith).
It's an easy drive to all my favorite places from Dayton,whether it's a mid size town,the Mulberry,Jack's Creek,Cove Lake,White Rock or just some small lake like Hinkle.