Island View Lodge - Airbnb Vacation Home

Well, the spring season is officially open! After a short hibernation, we opened up to welcome three groups over spring break this month. Thank you Andrea, Aaron, Jason, and families for choosing to stay with us!! Tomorrow our family is heading to the house for a work weekend to give a couple of bathrooms a face lift, hang some shelves, slap on some fresh paint here and there, and see what other DIY projects might be in store. April is sure to be busy as we prepare to welcome five more groups, one of which will be staying with us for 9 nights! Welcome spring guests, I look forward to hosting you!!

Well, it was a crazy fun, busy spring and summer! I'm making an effort to get back on here to get caught up with all the things at Island View Lodge and thought I would start with this incredibly fun group of gentlemen I had the privilege of hosting for a weekend! They stayed at the house, played some golf in Pea Ridge one day and then hired me to be their boat guide out on the water for some tubing, knee boarding, and surfing another day. Thank you, Nick, for choosing to make your memories with your very best friends at Island View Lodge!! It was truly a pleasure!!

Sometimes all we need is a blank canvas and a view to inspire.

As the sun sets on one year and rises up with the next, I reflect on the challenges and many rewards of life running a business such as this in 2020. And I realize I can guage the temperature of our societal climate throughout the year just by looking at my reservation calendar.

It began quiet as the winter snows in January and February... We started to lift our heads and emerge from hibernation in March, yet, as we stretched and yawned and rubbed the sleep from our eyes, we saw the storm on the horizon and quickly took cover in April and May... June offered hope for normalcy, July and August brought a sense of rebellion against all that had been holding us down and a pursuit of the things we love to do... And September thru December were met with an "I gotta get out of this house, I need to go SOMEWHERE, I need to do SOMETHING, I don't care what is going on in the world any more, I want to be with my people in a safe place SOMEWHERE ELSE!!" type of attitude.

And so was the evolution of a year unlike any we have seen before and an Airbnb reservation calendar that spun like the reels of a Vegas slot machine. Some guests gave up on 2020 early saying, "We'll try again next year." Others had faith in the future safety of travel and rescheduled for later dates. Sometimes a guest would cancel, and another guest would book up those dates within hours. Other times a booking would come through and then cancel before I had time to get in contact with them. It was apparent that, for every guest terrified to travel, there was another anxiously waiting for something to open up. And there is absolutely no judgment here! Because there is no right or wrong in these unprecedented times...only what is right for you and your family...and nobody has the right to tell you otherwise! Regardless of the situation, however, the only thing I knew was etched in stone was the fact that nothing was etched in stone.

The gratitude expressed by so many of my guests for the opportunity to safely get away with their families, friends...their people...at a time when society didn't feel safe leaving their homes, was heartwarming and provided confirmation that this has become more than a business... This type of "getaway" has become just that...a way to get AWAY... A necessity in stressful times and sometimes the only means for families and friends to be together and feel safe. And, as the owner of a little slice of heaven tucked away and socially distanced in the Arkansas hills on a magnificent lake, I feel the responsibility to share with those seeking solace, who otherwise would be unable to find it.

I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to serve others... To provide refuge... To share nature, the beauty of God's work... To meet so many wonderful people and share in their joy... I thank each and every one of you who trusted me to host you and to provide a safe space for you and your people in 2020, and I look forward to all the new, wonderful opportunities 2021 may bring!! Happy New Year, friends, may God bless us all!!

Susie and her family were blessed with a rare snow day as six inches of the white stuff beautifully blanketed the hills and prevented them from being able to check out on their scheduled day. Resulting in an extra day for making family memories with their newly adopted granddaughter. So excited to welcome this sweet family back for Thanksgiving 2021!!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, spending time with family and friends! Island View Lodge is happy to welcome Charmaine from the United Kingdom for the holiday! Stay safe and have a wonderful weekend friends!

Know anyone looking for a Thanksgiving getaway? Dates just opened up!

airbnb.com/h/islandviewlodge

Beaver Lake Arkansas ~ Social Distancing Getaway! - Houses for Rent in Garfield, Arkansas, United States Entire home/apt in Garfield, United States. Set in the Arkansas hills on one of the state's most spectacular lakes, this 4000sf home is ideal for relaxation and social distancing at this toug...

So happy to welcome Christopher from New York, reuniting with his Texas family to enjoy a quiet holiday getaway together!

Excited to host Calli and her group of 12 friends from Texas for a 3-night stay! They are looking forward to connecting over "coffee and views" and visiting nearby Eureka Springs. Excellent plan, welcome Calli!!

So happy to welcome Emily from Harrisonville, MO to Island View Lodge with 13 of her friends for a girls' weekend!

My favorite things about hosting is "meeting" people from all over as they plan their visit to the Beaver Lake area and being a part of helping a family or group of friends to escape the realities of this crazy world we are living in right now. Though we operate with contactless, self check-ins, our interaction online prior to and during a guest's stay is always fun, and I love seeing where everyone is traveling from. We have had guests from coast to coast and almost as far north and south as you can reach within the United States! And this year, in particular, Texas is giving Kansas and Missouri a run for their money in the "number of out-of-state bookings" category. That said, with the onset of COVID, the number of in-state bookings has increased this year as well. Many people are looking for that getaway that isn't too far away, yet just far enough... Others are looking to get away and explore new parts of the country they wouldn't otherwise visit, if they felt safe traveling abroad... No matter the reason, more travelers than ever are looking for homes to rent on vacation, so they can have their own space and not have to risk the exposure they might encounter at a hotel or resort. It's a challenging time we are living in, and I am beyond grateful to have the opportunity to share our favorite hideaway with others, so they may be able to escape their daily struggles.

Me every October

Enjoying our fresh view of the island from the lower deck! Thank you Garfield Tree Service for expanding our horizons... Literally!

DATES JUST OPENED FOR NEXT WEEKEND!! The fall colors in the Ozark Mountains are turning, and temperatures are predicted to be in the 80's during the day, 60's at night. A beautiful time of year at the lake, and a rare opportunity to book last minute, who needs a getaway?! (PM me for details)

Autumn colors already beginning to emerge... It's going to be a beautiful fall in the Ozark Mountains!

And so another busy season, dominated by adrenaline junkies and sun worshippers, gives way to a new season...a more quiet time on the water, soon to be canvassed by the fall colors of the surrounding hills. The calm can be felt everywhere, even in our neighboring wildlife. And the silence is a blessing. In a world where turmoil and illness lurk, this place knows of no such disturbances. COVID is not a word at a house tucked away in the woods, in a boat on the lake. And it's more than refreshing... It is a necessity to escape the chaos, the stresses of the times we live in... And my heart longs to go back. Soon..very soon these hard times will most certainly soften. And we will reflect on the blessings of every season, as they each have their own unique offering. And each will make us better in some way. And we will be forever grateful. Grateful for the lessons learned. Grateful for the strength attained. And grateful for this place that remains unchanged in an ever changing world. Thank you, good Lord, for this place.

8.25.20 - School bus headed east on 12 Bridge. A nice sight to see.

I have been really impressed with the measures Airbnb has taken to ensure guest and host safety during this pandemic. Here are just a few pages out of the "Commitment to Clean" handbook Airbnb has provided for hosts to help us navigate these difficult times safely. Just one example of why staying in an Airbnb home on vacation is absolutely our first choice for accommodations when we travel. Especially now.

All clean, cool, and quiet, ready for the first guests of the 2020 Airbnb vacation season, Part 2!!

No island in view right now, however, the calming sound of the rain on the screened porch makes rainy days at the lake some of the most relaxing.

airbnb.com/h/islandviewlodge

There are still some September-December 2020 dates available, and 2021 bookings are starting to roll in! Who needs to get away?
airbnb.com/h/islandviewlodge

https://www.watertemperature.net/united-states/beaver-lake.html

Beaver Lake water temperature : Forecast & current water temp 14 Days Weather Forecast Beaver Lake Beaver Lake Climate Picture Copyright: Flickr CC 2.0 gardener41

Sunset surfing

Nothing quite as peaceful as a moonlit ride home on the water.

Interesting article on the history of Monte Ne, the mystical underwater resort that was flooded and almost completely submerged when Beaver Lake was first formed, and its seemingly quirky founder/creator. Can't help letting the imagination run wild, just thinking of what took place there in the early 1900's. Only a couple of structures can be seen now, and the famous amphitheater begins to reemerge when the lake level is at 1,111 feet. Just paid a visit last week and took this pic of the remains of the Oklahoma Row tower.

https://onlyinark.com/places-and-travel/monte-ne-arkansas-underwater-resort-revealed/

Always a great day for Striper fishing at Beaver Lake!

The clouds parting to make way for a beautiful sunset after a day of rain (view from the upper deck)

These mamas and babies have taken up residence on our property and occasionally make a visit for handouts. Yesterday's treat... Apples!