April 2005 Newsletter

http://www.gastons.com/news/newsletterapr05.htm 

Spring Time!

Now that Spring is officially here, we are getting a lot
more fly-in guests.  Yes, airplane traffic increases, but
I am talking about the wild birds that reside here this
time of year, such as the Purple Martin, Barn Swallow,
and Tree Swallow.

The Purple Martins are starting to come back.
We have one of the largest  and oldest colonies
of them in the Ozarks, located near our pond.

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/programs/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Purple_Martin.html

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/programs/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Barn_Swallow.html

The Barn Swallow is the most abundant and widely
distributed swallow species in the world. It 
breeds throughout the northern hemisphere
and winters in much of the southern hemisphere.

http://birds.cornell.edu/programs/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Tree_Swallow_dtl.html

The Tree Swallow winters farther north 
than any other American swallow, and 
it returns to its nesting grounds long 
before other swallows come back. Its 
ability to use plant foods helps it survive 
periods of bad weather.  Locally we have
one of the first colonies of Tree Swallows
to be found in the Ozarks since the 1890's.

We have many wild turkeys here at the resort.  They can be
spotted fairly easily along our Ozark Woodlands Nature
Trail if you are really quiet.  It is not uncommon to see as
many as 50 in one day.  We also have a lot of deer that can
be seen in the evening or early morning along the nature trails.

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/programs/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Wild_Turkey.html#sound

We also get a lot of guests that like to camp or stay in their
RV's.  Fortunately, there is an excellent State Park just up
the road from us that caters to the RV and camping crowd.
Many campers eat in our restaurant or walk our nature trails.

For more information on the Bull Shoals-White River State Park,
click the following link:

http://www.arkansasstateparks.com/parks/photo_tour.asp?id=8&pg=1

And of course, with Spring comes nicer weather, which is perfect
for a day out on your motorcycle.  We get people from all over
the country that come to our area to ride bikes.  This group came
to visit us from St. Paul, Minnesota.  They are a motorcycle club
and this trip was put together through a Harley dealer in their
city.  There are about 60 bikes total and they ride to different
locations each day.  The Ozarks are perfect for motorcycles!

Gaston's is One of the South's Favorite Spots

According to Southern Living, we are one of the
favorite places to be in the South.  We are very
thankful for having such an amazing location
along the beautiful White River and in the
amazing Ozarks.  For the full article, you can
pick up the Spring 2005 issue of Southern
Living, available on newsstands April 15th.

Visitor Information Center Update

The groundwork has been completed at our new VIC
overlooking Bull Shoals Dam, and now construction
has begun.  We are still shooting for a completion
date in Spring 2006 and things are going very well
at this point.  We will really start to see some changes
now as construction continues.  This will be the largest
Visitor Information Center in the state and with the
amazing overlook of Bull Shoals Lake, the largest lake
in Arkansas; Bull Shoals Dam, the largest dam in this
part of the country; and the White River, world-renown
for it's trout fishery and crystal clear waters, how could
you not be excited about stepping foot into this new
facility and learning about the history of our unique area?!

FLW Tour

On April 6 through the 9th, the FLW Tour will be
having a professional walleye tournament on 
Bull Shoals Lake!  There will be over $471,000
given away and a chance to compete in the FLW
Walleye Tour Championship in Moline, Illinois
this September, where there will be $650,000 
given away!  We are very excited to have this 
tournament coming to Bull Shoals Lake, as 
well as the two tournaments this summer as 
part of the Professional Walleye Trail (PWT)
Tournament.  Our area is very thankful for all 
of the coverage and tourism involved with 
these great tournaments and of course we 
always enjoy seeing the superstars of the 
tournament fishing industry when they come
to stay at our resort and dine in the restaurant.  

Upcoming Events

Here is a list of upcoming events at the State Park.
For more information on any of these events, please
contact the State Park at 870-431-5521 or Email Them.

Ozark Springtime Wildflower Weekend - April 22nd - 24th
Enjoy the beauty of springtime wildflowers in the Ozarks!
Activities include guided wildflower walks, edible/medicinal
uses of wildflowers, lake cruises, evening slide shows and
more.  All activities are free except for the lake cruises.

Ozark Birder's Springtime Retreat - May 13th - 15th
See the Ozark's springtime birds in action.  There are
activities for everyone from the beginner to advanced
birder.  Scheduled activities include guided walks,
evening slide programs and basic birding clinics.
All activities are free except for the lake cruises.

50th Anniversary Celebration - May 27th - 29th
Help Bull Shoals - White River State Park kick off
our summer-long 50th Anniversary Celebration!
Join us for a weekend chocked full of activities
ranging from tours, guest speakers, special music,
and nostalgic photos of the park and campers from
way back when! 

Remember: White River Trout Fishing
Is OPEN Year Around.
NO CLOSED SEASON !!!!

For the most recent fishing conditions and information, please
check out our White River fishing report, updated each Friday.
http://www.gastons.com/gfr.html
The oldest and most complete White River fishing report on Internet ... Since 1995!

Free Information on Arkansas, The Natural State

Free Arkansas Fishing Guide
http://www.arkansas.com/helpful-info/free-vacation-kit/

Arkansas Vacation Kit, Living in Arkansas Guide and MORE

For detailed information please click on the link below. 
http://www.arkansas.com/helpful-info/free-vacation-kit/

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With Best Wishes,
Danny Gaston

http://www.gastons.com