Summer Getaway: The Buffalo National River Near St. Joe, Arkansas

Visiting the Buffalo National River, which is located a mere 2 hours north/northwest of Little Rock, Arkansas is the perfect weekend getaway. The Buffalo River offers fun, outdoors and a lot of peace and relaxation. It is a great place for a quick (or lengthy) escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

The weekend before the 4^th of July, my husband and I found out that he was going to get two days (July 3^rd and 4^th) off of work. Since he rarely gets two days off in a row, I immediately put in for vacation days well. We started thinking, Where would we go for two days that was close enough to drive? Living in Memphis, we had several options. We are within a few hours of many different places - Nashville, Jackson, Little Rock, the Mississippi Gulf, Gatlinburg, Knoxville, Louisville, St. Louis.

I remembered that when I was younger, my family took summer trips to Branson. Every time we went, we stopped for a night or two is a very small town called Gilbert. It was right on the Buffalo National River. We stayed in cabins and canoed the Buffalo River, which is the closest this city girl would ever get to camping. I mentioned this to my husband, and he seemed to like the idea.

After doing all of the planning, we decided to drive to Conway (about thirty miles from Little Rock) and spend the night in a hotel on the first night. We got up early on the 3^rd and drove two hours to get to the Buffalo National River. Right before the town of St. Joe's is a place called the Buffalo River Outfitters. I had called ahead of time and reserved a luxury cabin and a canoe rental. I would highly recommend calling ahead for all reservations.

When we got to the Buffalo River Outfitters, we found out that due to rain earlier in the week, the river was high and fast. Being that my husband and I do not regularly canoe, I was a little concerned. After discussion, we decided to take a 10 mile canoe trip that generally lasts about six hours (if you do not stop along the river). Buffalo River Outfitters offers two other canoe trips that are shorter as well.

We loaded up our cooler with water, beer, sunscreen, waterproof cameras and our cell phone. We then were driven about ten minutes to the drop off point. The river was actually very calm, even though they had said it was fast. There were a few spots that moved very quickly - we sure learned how to paddle! The 10 mile trip ended taking us right around seven hours to complete - we stopped several times to enjoy nature. The Buffalo River was the most peaceful place I have been to. There were not very many people out, but the ones that were out that day were very nice and friendly.

Our ten mile canoe trip ended in Gilbert, and there was someone from Buffalo River Outfitters waiting to take us back to our car. When we got back, we received the key to our luxury cabin. To get there, we drove a mile or two on a gravel road - that was really out in the woods to me! I loved the peace that we found there. The cabin was very nice - it had a whirlpool Jacuzzi in the bathroom and a porch swing out back. All we heard were sounds of nature - no hustle and bustle of the city. It was the perfect getaway.

The next morning, we went a few miles up the road and have a wonderful country breakfast. Then, we headed south - back towards Memphis. If we had more time, we could have toured caves as well. There is also an old Drive-In movie theatre close by that would have been fun. But we had to get back.

Going to the Buffalo National River was the bet weekend getaway I have found, and I could have certainly stayed much longer had I had time. The cost to go up there was minimal. The luxury cabin at Buffalo River Outfitters was only $140 per night. That came complete with a furnished kitchen, fireplace and DVD player as well. Buffalo River Outfitters does have non-luxury cabins that run about $100 a night. The cabins in Gilbert (www.gilbertstore.com) start around $65 per night. They all sleep at least four, and some sleep more I believe. The canoe rental for the two of us was only $45 for the entire day (we did get a small discount since we were renting a cabin though).

If you are looking for a great getaway, The Buffalo National River is a wonderful place to go. It is perfect for a couple that wants a short (or long) romantic getaway. It is the perfect place to take your family - everything is kid friendly! Just be prepared for the outdoors (Off, sunscreen, etc). It is the perfect place for friends that want a quick trip together. It is perfect. The next time you a looking for a place to go year-round, look at the Buffalo National River!