nwaas.com

While I do not have a plethora of information yet, here is some preliminary information about lodging if we choose Cane Creek:
I can only find information for one motel in Star City, the closest town, which is a Super 8. It would appear the closest besides that is in Pine Bluff which is 18 miles away. It has a much greater variety including Holiday Inns and a Hampton.
There is an option which I believe would appeal to most, though it may not go quite far enough for those who do not camp. Cane Creek has a single RV which is available for rent. Here is the description of it:
The campground at Cane Creek features 29 campsites (Class B) and one Rent-An-RV, and a modern bathhouse with hot showers. Cane Creek is one of the Arkansas State Parks system's four parks that offer a Rent-An-RV. This 30-foot RV features heat and air-conditioning; beds for eight persons; a fully-equipped kitchen including stove/oven, refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, pots and dishes; satellite TV/VCR/DVD and built-in sound system with CD and radio. The unit also includes a slide-out area. Alongside the RV is an 11' x 11' wooden deck equipped with a table, chairs and a cooking grill. The RV is permanently set up on a campsite featuring water, electric, and sewer hookups.
It rents for $70 a night. If this is an option we wish to pursue we will probably need to make a decision fairly soon though since I'm sure it fills up pretty quickly once people start planning summer trips.
Here is a link to more info about the park:
http://www.arkansasstateparks.com/park-finder/parks.aspx?id=34

If we go (no reason to believe we won't), we will be tent camping.

I'm really looking forward to this trip!

I missed the introduction of what this will be but sounds fun. If we can come, we're good with tent camping.

Is this a Sat-Sun thing? Collecting? Snorkeling? Floating? Ghost stories?

My father-in-law owns an RV. I haven't asked him yet, but this sounds like a good time for me to 'borrow' it for the weekend.

Kevin

btw, do we even have a tentative date for this? My summer is filling up pretty fast, definitely faster than my bank account is.

Kevin

No dates have been set, other than we're planning it for June to time it with the peak of the water lily blooming season. Cane Creek is a 1675 acre lake. I've never been there before-- some others here have-- but I believe I read that it's about one third covered with water lilies. It should be a great place for observing aquatic wildlife and plants. They have kayak/canoe trails marked through the lake, and the park rents kayaks and canoes. Sharon and I will be bringing our own, which we will be happy to lend when we are not using them.

We need to start thinking about whether this will be a weekend or weekday event. I should be available for any time. The weekend of the 13th will be out, due to that being the week of our club's general meeting. Perhaps y'all can start posting the best days for you, or days that won't work, and we can come to a consensus to maximize the event before people make other plans.

Gail and I will probably be in Nebraska from June 8-12th (planning on being back just before our meeting). It looks like the weekend of June 5-6th is the only early June time unless we want to go during the week. Other than our Nebraska trip, we (or I) could go just about any time. Denny

I have two weeks spoken for in late May and early June. Neither one of those events has set a date yet though.
All I know is that those two have priority over this one.

Kevin

Okay, so we need to start thinking about dates. Is there anybody who is interested in going who could go on a weekend and NOT a weekday? I'd hate for the collector extraordinaire to have to miss so if the middle of the week would work for others it would be good. It would also help avoid the crowds.
Also, do you want me to look at other location options that are closer, or are we good with Cane Creek?

Looking at the posts so far, August 8-12 is out for Denny, 12 is out for club meeting, and Kev says early June may be out. Since Walmart usually has it's annual shareholder's meeting the first week of June, that week is probably out for Sharon.

So why don't we shoot for the third week of June? I, too, prefer the middle of the week to avoid the crowds.

I could do the middle of the week. Last weekend is out, gotta go to Iowa for family reunion.

week day, week end, doesn't matter to me in the summer

Kevin

Don't know at this point if Mark will be able to go at all, as he will be working as a supervisor for the Census Bureau, but I am flexible.

I won't be available June 8-12, but I wouldn't base everything on whether I can make it or not. There probably isn't going to be any date that everyone can make. You should just pick the date that the most people can make. I won't take it personally if it's at a time I can't be there. I may not even know until the last minute whether I can go. Just pick a date. Denny