Well it's May 2021 and Ben and I are finally out of quarantine. Which should mean we are back to vacationing!
Unfortunately, post-Covid travel looks pretty different and big vacations for us may not start up again until later this year. Everyone in the U.S. seems to have cabin fever, hotels are booked, trails and beaches are crowded and car rentals are scarce. Although travelers are ready, many places they want to visit are not which has meant long lines and advance reservations and in many cases, pre-travel Covid testing.
None of that appealed to us so when we were ready for a getaway this year, we decided to head back to Broken Bow which we fell in love with last year. After the past year, we just wanted an easy vacation a short drive away.
On the road again!
We didn't book early enough to get our first choice of cabins, so we ended up renting a two-bedroom cabin called The Trees. It certainly lived up to its name!
Having a two-bedroom cabin was really nice because we got more of everything like towels, plus we each had our own bathroom. Even though this cabin wasn't one of the newer ones, it was so quiet and felt so secluded, we ended up really liking it.
Our cabin was within walking distance to some shops and restaurants so we walked over to check it out and find some dinner. This was the first trip we felt comfortable going into shops and restaurants so it was nice to be able to see more of the town on this visit.
We decided to check out Mountain Fork Brewery so Ben could try one of their local beers. There are two breweries in Hochatown, but only this one serves food.
We walked around and checked out the patio but it was too crowded to sit outside and a band was playing so we sat inside and had a drink.
By the time we were ready to order food it was an hour wait! We have learned that we just can't eat out on a Saturday night in Broken Bow. So we walked back to the cabin and Ben grilled hot dogs.
Then it was time to hit the hot tub!
Sunday was chilly and rainy but we knew Monday would be warm and sunny. So we decided to save hiking and the lake for Monday. Sunday morning, I had my tea looking out at the trees.
We lazed around all morning talking about what we should do. We decided to get to our favorite pizza place right when it opened. We were only a little late and the patio was already full. We figured people must be stopping here to eat on their way out of town.
Which is a great idea because the pizza here is soooo good!
Next door to the pizza place is the other local brewery, Beavers Bend, that has a big patio. So we decided to go over there next.
It had a nice view from the top.
We decided to go to the Choctaw Casino in Broken Bow to have a little fun playing until the rain stopped.
We played video poker for quite awhile, once hitting four of a kind!
Then we had a chance at a Royal Flush! We didn't win but it was still exciting!
We cashed out even after playing for about an hour. As we were leaving, I saw my favorite machine, Kitty Glitter. I almost always win on this machine and this time was no exception. We walked away with a cool 30 bucks!
I love going home a winner!
As we made our way back to the cabin, we decided to stop at the shops by our cabin. We got some ice cream and then had a drink at a little cocktail bar.
Then it was back to the cabin for burgers and the hot tub.
Ben's burgers are the absolute best!
Even though it was cool and rainy, we ended up having a great day!
Monday was our last day and it was warm and sunny so we got up early to go hiking and then to the lake. We started with our favorite hike, the Friends Loop, and just like always, we were the only ones there!
We always pass this creek bed, but this was the first time it was really flowing since we had gotten rain the day before.
The Mountain Fork River was as beautiful as ever.
After the hike, I asked Ben to pull into the little overlook next door so I could get a picture of this sign.
We decided to do one more hike that we had not done before called the Tree Trail. It is located at the Forest Heritage Center at Beavers Bend State Park. We went in to use the restroom and decided to look at some of the exhibits there. We had never toured the center before, due to Covid.
The center had a display of old artifacts, including this 100 year-old log cabin.
With a 100 year-old phone!
Part of an old post office.
And a whiskey still.
Then it was time to tackle the Tree Trail, which was mostly a hike through the forest with a small creek running through it.
It was a fun hike that we got to check off our list!
We decided to eat lunch before going to the lake so we headed over to Mountain Fork Brewery for some loaded cheese fries -- our reward for all that hiking!
On a Monday there was hardly anyone there, although it was starting to get crowded when we left.
We went back to the cabin to pack up and head to the lake. We always go to the exact same spot at the lake, but when we got there, we saw that the road was closed, possibly because of the rain. So now we had to find a different spot.
We started at a place called Gator Point which was very pretty and we had it all to ourselves.
Unfortunately, the flies and mosquitoes here were terrible and even our Repel could't stop them. So we went to another part of the lake where we knew we would be closer to the water.
This is more like it!
The water felt cool and refreshing on this 84-degree day!
We left the lake around 5:00 and ended up back at Grateful Head pizza for dinner -- we can never get enough of it!
That night, we went back to the cabin for some hot tub time and then watched the storms that evening while also keeping up with the weather here at home. Luckily there was nothing severe either at home or at the cabin.
The next morning it was time to leave and I was sad as always. We decided to drive back to the state park to have breakfast at a little restaurant there called Foggy Bottom Kitchen.
It was a cute little place and it had a beautiful view of the river. I love breakfast with a view!
Then it was time to make our way home. We had another great trip to Broken Bow. We are not sure where or when our next vacation will be but we know Broken Bow is a place we can always come back to.
Until the next vacation remember.....
