Page 6 - TRAVEL-BUDDY

MUST SEE
By Vanessa Westmoreland
Today they own Wishes & Fishes which showcases woodcarvings to purchase and classes along with fly fishing and guided trips. Bull Shoals has 4 parks and the newest one is a natural park with exercise equipment for the outdoors and it is also handicap accessible. They are hoping to provide more access to fishermen to the river also. It is about a half mile stretch. It is mostly a retirement community, but there are 60-70 school-aged children who attend the schools in Flippin, AR, about 9 miles away. Any child under the age of 16 can fish Dry Run Creek where they don’t need a fishing license and can catch some big and plentiful trout.This fishing Mecca showcases 4 species of trout on the river, bass and walleye, ozark bass and crappie to name a few. The fishing was what hooked Mayor Nixon over 30 years ago. He was a Dean for Oklahoma State University. When he was being recruit- ed, he wasn’t interested at first, because there wasn’t much fishing in Oklahoma. He was told that they would take him to Arkansas to solve that problem. That is when he was introduced to Bull Shoals. He would visit every other weekend and one month during the summer until he finally retired and made Arkansas his home. He also enjoys being a wing shooter of pheasant and quail.
Mayor Nixon said: “It is a huge lake with more shoreline than the entire Gulf shores and includes walleye and crappie and the White River has brown trout.” You will also find bald eagles nesting along the river. They have an Eagle Cam that you can watch online and can even go kayak and look at the eagles. They also have migrating birds and a Wildlife Preservation. A very impres- sive part of the town is it becoming one of the first all-fiber optic cities in the country. If you work from home and fast internet is a requirement, you need to look no further than Bull Shoals. The town is looking for more IT entrepre- neurs and would like it to bustle with young business professionals. They are also working to build a new waste water plant. Mayor Nixon says: “It is a natural setting with 21st Century infrastructure and the charm of a 19th century village.” There is shopping spread out along the highway, a golf course and a hiking trail network that includes 100 miles supported by the city. These trails include mountain biking also. RV campsites are located on the river and the lake and there are a variety of restaurants in town including a New Orleans style, Big Daddy’s Fish House.
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