OSH alternative - weekend ideas?

[Becca]

So husband's work schedule might interfere with our ability to leave for Oshkosh with enough time to enjoy ourselves (e.g. spend more than 1 full day there). We won't know until the last minute - but I am trying to create a back up plan. But I still have some vacation time in front of me and he will be home with enough time to still have a long weekend, so I am soliciting destination ideas that we can go somewhere instead. Constraints: (1) must be within 500 nmi of Houston (e.g. 1 tank of gas) (2) must be cooler than Houston in August or at least refreshing weather (no desserts, south padre, etc. in August, but if its as warm as Houston must have something like a lake for swimming) (3) Moderately civilized (we'll camp or stay in a nice hotel, either or, but husband isn't quite an outdoorsman, so if we camp, must have nearby groceries + showers).

If we do this, we'll have two full days wherever we go and two travel days on either end (so 4 days total)

Suggestions?

 

[1964-M20E]

Come on down to New Orleans I'd love to meet the both of you and it is only a 2 hour or less flight.

WWII musem is real nice and they have a number of planes there.

 

Sorry but I can't do anything aobut the weather.

[thinwing]

I cannot think of anything within 500 nm of Houston...santa fe maybe...was therelast month and temps were in the high 70 low 80s...all the thunderstorms really helped to cool off

[Jeff_S]

Becca, I've got an idea for you. Have you ever heard of or been to Gaston's in Arkansas (3M0 is the airport code, http://www.gastons.com).  This is a great little resort nestled in the Arkansas Ozark mountains right next to the White River.  They have lodging and I think camping, and water sports and the like. There is a nice restaurant as part of the resort.

 

The runway is well-maintained turf, so you'd have to decide if you want to take your Mooney to a turf strip. But I landed there in my old Warrior and it is fine shape...they get all sorts of retractable gear planes there.

 

This should satisfy your requirements of <500 miles and somewhere cooler than Houston, for sure. Check it out.

[N601RX]

Has anyone been here before?  I had some friends go a few years ago. They were able to taxi up to the front door of their cabin and tiedown.

 

http://www.highvalleyresort.com/airport.asp

[MB65E]

Gastons is really cool! Beautitful strip on the river! Branson Mo area ozarks would be nice.

[Becca]

  On 7/25/2013 at 6:18 PM, MB65E said:

Gastons is really cool! Beautitful strip on the river! Branson Mo area ozarks would be nice.

 

If you have no fishing equipment and no experience fishing in southern rivers, what else is there to do at Gastons?  (It looks beautiful...)  Hiking? Swimming? Tubing?

 

(And by no fishing.. I actually mean my husband is afraid of fish and last time he insisted I filet a fish for him, he proceeded to tell me how cruel I was for killing the fish, so this isn't really an activity for us..)

[1964-M20E]

  On 7/25/2013 at 6:28 PM, Becca said:

If you have no fishing equipment and no experience fishing in southern rivers, what else is there to do at Gastons?  (It looks beautiful...)  Hiking? Swimming? Tubing?

 

(And by no fishing.. I actually mean my husband is afraid of fish and last time he insisted I filet a fish for him, he proceeded to tell me how cruel I was for killing the fish, so this isn't really an activity for us..)

 

Well I guess that puts New Orleans higher on the list drinking, partying, musems and listening to good music.

And most of the time we are semi civilized.

[Txbyker]

John, I will be in NOLA KNEW in a couple of weeks.  Where is the WWII museum?  Two nights so at least one night of drinking, partying, museums, and listening to good music.

 

Becca, ever been to the Hard Rock in Biloxi?  Fly into Gulfport.  Looks like some good entertainers coming about that time.

 

Russ

[Jeff_S]

I guess if you're not much into fishing then maybe Gaston's isn't the best fit unless you just like to relax and enjoy pleasant countryside. You could use it as a resting point and explore out from there either by car or by plane. The resort gets good reviews on TripAdvisor and other sites.

[yvesg]

  On 7/25/2013 at 4:54 PM, Becca said:

So husband's work schedule might interfere with our ability to leave for Oshkosh with enough time to enjoy ourselves (e.g. spend more than 1 full day there). We won't know until the last minute - but I am trying to create a back up plan. But I still have some vacation time in front of me and he will be home with enough time to still have a long weekend, so I am soliciting destination ideas that we can go somewhere instead. Constraints: (1) must be within 500 nmi of Houston (e.g. 1 tank of gas) (2) must be cooler than Houston in August or at least refreshing weather (no desserts, south padre, etc. in August, but if its as warm as Houston must have something like a lake for swimming) (3) Moderately civilized (we'll camp or stay in a nice hotel, either or, but husband isn't quite an outdoorsman, so if we camp, must have nearby groceries + showers).

If we do this, we'll have two full days wherever we go and two travel days on either end (so 4 days total)

Suggestions?

Becca, come to Oshkosh... we really want to meet you both :-)

Yves

[Becca]

  On 7/25/2013 at 8:15 PM, yvesg said:

Becca, come to Oshkosh... we really want to meet you both :-)

Yves

 

I do.  I am tempted to go with out him.  Single pilot operations into Osh are hard though.  Bet I could find a hitchhiker to ride along though.

[KSMooniac]

NOLA is fun an easy from Houston... if you're even remotely a history buff than that museum will *easily* occupy most of a day.  We spent about 4 hours in it and only got through half or less before needing to get back in the plane for the long flight home.  Music on Frenchman street is awesome.  Good food everywhere.  Avoid Bourbon Street IMO.  Take some bicycles if you can.  KNEW is convenient and easy, and one FBO there offers $1 discount with the Airboss program.  

 

Or expand your horizons to two tanks and go anywhere!  We went to DE and NYC over the last 6 days and did NYC--Dayton--Wichita yesterday afternoon/evening with ~ 8 hours of flying time.

[aaronk25]

  On 7/25/2013 at 9:02 PM, Becca said:

I do. I am tempted to go with out him. Single pilot operations into Osh are hard though. Bet I could find a hitchhiker to ride along though.

I flew in last year single pilot....you fly alot more than I do. Just don't let the cubs at the low altitude pattern slow you up.....hit the gas and go up to the higher and faster flight path....

.....I'm gonna be really slow....Motorhome style this year I think

[moodychief]

Petit Jean, AR (special camping area for pilots). Taxi to tie down and walk through the gate to your camping spot. Has hiking trails available. Quick 20 minute flight to Little Rock for dinner. Or just stay in Little Rock with lots of hiking, museums, River Market area for evening dinner, etc.

Hot springs, AR.

Branson, Mo. Shows, dining, amusement park, shopping, etc.

[moodychief]

I would cation you about Gaston's. It is one way in and one way out. We spend 10-days every year at a resort downstream that isn't as commercialized. There has been a wrecked plane on the field every year we have been there. One year a 6 place Piper crashed on takeoff killing all aboard.

My wife made me promise to never fly in there. If you decide to go there, be careful as there is a small depression about the middle of the runway that runs the full width. Hit it wrong on landing in a Mooney and you might have some issues.

[1964-M20E]

  On 7/25/2013 at 7:17 PM, Txbyker said:

John, I will be in NOLA KNEW in a couple of weeks.  Where is the WWII museum?  Two nights so at least one night of drinking, partying, museums, and listening to good music.

 

Becca, ever been to the Hard Rock in Biloxi?  Fly into Gulfport.  Looks like some good entertainers coming about that time.

 

Russ

Russ

 

WWII museum is downtown not all that far from the French Quarter. Stay at any downtown hotel on Canal or Poydras street or French Quarter hotel and cab rides are not bad most likely you will spend less than if you rent a car and pay to park it multiple times throughout the day.

Send me a PM when you are coming down and if possible I'll meet up with you for a drink or two.

As mentioned by someone else the best place for laid back live  music is Frenchmen street but if you want wild and crazy party go to Bourbon St.  Flight line First is good at KNEW if Wendy is there tell her John with the Mooney sent you that and $5 might get you a Starbucks coffee.  

[Becca]

Follow up trip report:

 

Just wanted to make a follow up report.

We decided to go to hill country.  Landed at New Branfuels, which is hardly an hour flight from Houston.  Within an hour we were tubing on the Comal which was a remarkably peaceful experience given the "party" reputation of tubing in Texas.  There were certainly other people there, but we weren't shoulder to shoulder with other tubes and there was no general spring break style craziness, and it was nice and refreshing change from the heat.  We picked the Comal over the Guadaloupe mainly because every time we called a Guadaloupe tube operator and asked them the difference between tubing the two rivers, the response was "you can still bring your jello shots to the Guadaloupe!"  Yeah, no thank you.  Since we have been tubing on the Guadaloupe before, that one has a bit more natural beauty while the Comal is in the middle of town.  On the other hand, the Comal makes up for that with tube chutes and because of its "civilized" nature less likelihood of water mocasins, something that made the husband very happy.  Also, having done this from Houston, this would totally be achievable in a normal length "day trip".  Get in your at a normal morning time, get to KBAZ by 11, have an early lunch, on the river by 12:30 pm, off the river by 5 pm, you could be home in Houston before a summer sunset.  We may be doing exactly this in the future.

After that, we drove about 45 minutes to stay here:

http://www.innaboveonioncreek.com/

Which is in Kyle, Texas, near Wimberly, TX (which is a hill country area known for its B&B's).  If we were just going there, the San Marcos airport would have been closer.  It was a pretty romantic B&B.  We spent the next 24 hrs walking around on its trails, its gardens, and swimming in its lovely pool.  They provide dinner and breakfast with your stay, both of which were fantastic.  They were simple, but you could tell everything was fresh and homemade - from the hollaindaise sauce to the apple pie.   They had a large garden, and the vegetables and side dishes clearly came from whatever was being harvested.  We staying in the Nance Suite, because of this awesome bathtub:

http://www.innaboveonioncreek.com/images/romantic-inn-05.jpg

A few notes on the KBAZ airport.  We arranged an Enterprise rental car that met us at the airport.  The new terminal building is quite nice.  Self serve fuel is on the opposite side of the field from the terminal, which is a pain in the neck.  Its near the run down restaurant that you may have been too.  The guy at the terminal said the city was looking to make the place nicer and have a restaurant that was open regularly and tasty rather than on-again-off-again.  $5 overnight fee (waived with fuel).