Within minutes after arriving I knew that I’d picked the right place.  A long rock road winding its way along a Ouachita Mountain ridge for more than a mile finally delivered us to the two-story lodge. 

photo by Russell Graves

Perched on a rock ledge, Thunderbird Lodge sits at the edge of the Mountain Fork River north of Broken Bow, Oklahoma.  To the south are acres and acres of southern pine forests.  Just a few feet from the deck, cypress trees, with their asymmetrical trunks and curious “knees” that stick out of the water around the trunk’s periphery, loom over the water’s edge.  Just a few feet from the bottom step of the lodge, my feet were at the edge of perfectly clear water, easing past at a perfectly leisurely pace.

This is magnificent.

The river is wide at this point - around 100 yards across.  Maybe a foot underneath the water and 40 yards wide, a broad gravel bar stretched away from the bank and save for a deep water slot that bisected the bar three quarters of the way across, the depth was uniform.  Instinctively, my kids and the kids of my lifelong friends Garry and Teresa Mills took off their shoes and stepped ankle deep into the water.  Reflexively, they each squealed at the coolness of the water.  But the temperature settled nicely with them and within minutes, they were wading away from the lodge, skipping rocks, splashing one another, and having fun on a hot Saturday morning.

Meanwhile, me and my wife along with Garry and Teresa settle onto the broad deck overlooking the river and watched our kids play while we caught up with the goings-on in each other’s lives.

Later we convene inside the lodge.  As suspected it is spacious and well equipped.  A vaulted ceiling great room was plenty of space for the kids to play board games and visit with one another.  Adjacent to the great room are three big guest rooms, each with its own bathroom.  Named for natural elements the guest rooms are comfortable and clean. 

The kitchen is big as well.  With appliances and utensils provided, we were well equipped for dinner and even better equipped to sit around the serving bar and enjoy each other’s company.

While we were at Beaver’s Bend State Park, we hiked a bit, took canoes down the river, and saw the beautiful sites.  However, the lodge kept calling us back.  For one perfect weekend, the adults talked about the things that make life good while our kids played with boundless energy and learned to love nature even more.

In the end, time at the lodge brought us all together as a family.  No grand amusement parks and no over the top tourist trap to distract any of us.  A perfectly placed lodge along a lazy river were all the ingredients we needed for an incredible weekend away.

For more information about Thunderbird Lodge, check out www.lakemountaincabins.com.

Any questions or comments?  Contact Russell at russell@russellgraves.com or visit his website at www.russellgraves.com