Arrowhead Resort at Lake Whitney

Texas Highways

noreply@blogger.com (Melinda Crow) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:00:00 +0000

Texas Highways Magazine has featured the lake and Arrowhead Resort in their October issue. The story describes all the fun things you can do in the area as well as mentioning our Friday night buffet. The author also seemed to have a fondness for the fried bananas, but then who wouldn't?

End of Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Melinda Crow) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:44:00 +0000

Another busy season has come and gone. This makes 12 for us! It has been a summer of economic worries for the whole country, low lake levels for Whitney, and concerns over the H1N1 flu. Through it all we have enjoyed seeing those of you who shared the summer with us. We hope that however brief your visit was that it brought peace, comfort, and joy to your life. We truly believe that we have a little slice of heaven and love sharing it with you.

If you didn't make it this summer please know that we missed you. I was thinking just yesterday about the families that we did not see. It's almost as if there's no real closure to our summer without seeing some of you who have become like extended family to us. You are in our thoughts and we hope to see you soon.

The leaves are already falling and sometimes in the early morning I can almost smell the change of seasons. The quiet is settling in and as much as we like sharing summer, we LOVE sharing fall! Hope to see you soon!

A word or two about online reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Melinda Crow) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 23:16:00 +0000

Ever get a punch in the gut when you least expect it? That's how we feel today. Someone left a nasty review about us on one of those review sites. There's no telling what actually set them off. Maybe they spent more money than they intended. Maybe the kids screamed all the way home. The bothersome part is that their review included false statements.

We can take valid criticism. Come on, give it to us. If you stay with us and something is wrong with our cabins or our service we EXPECT to hear about it at the time it happens. AC not cool enough? Tell us and we'll do our darnedest to fix it. Can't get the VCR to play? Call 254-580-3044 and we'll come running. It's what we do, but we can't read minds and we can't fix something for you after you leave.

If you feel the need to share your experience here with the world, good or bad, our only request is that you not exaggerate either way and that you give the whole picture. Give people a balanced view.

These people ate our chocolate chip cookies, fresh cinnamon rolls, and got a special brushing session with Dixie and Crystal, but do you think they mentioned any of that in their review? How could they not have liked those cookies? And Dixie & Crystal are downright insulted to have been left out.

We not only get our feelings hurt by inaccurate sucker punches, but it hurts our livelihood. This place is our life. We give it EVERYTHING we've got. So if you've got something to say, please say it to us first.

Concerns About the Lake Levels-- Come on out the water's fine.

noreply@blogger.com (Melinda Crow) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:53:00 +0000

We are getting lots of calls about the lake levels so I thought I'd answer some questions here. Keep in mind that Whitney is 108' deep at normal level. Twelve feet under normal means there's still 96' of water in the main body of the lake.

1. Can we launch boats? Gary has gone to launch our 21' pontoon boat as I type this. There have been a few ramp closings around the lake, but many are still open.

2. Can we swim in the lake? Several public swim areas have been closed due to safety reasons, but guests staying at Arrowhead have access to a wonderful area, perfectly suited for swimming-- low boat traffic & no sudden drop offs.

3. Are you still renting canoes? Yup. Water levels on the lake don't affect our canoe rentals because we are on wide open lake.

4. Can we leave our boats in the water? Lower lake levels are actually better for guests with boats at Arrowhead. Since we don't have docks, our guests beach their boats and tie them up. Lower water levels have exposed any potential hazards that were previously submerged and leave quite a nice stretch of shore for beaching boats.

5. Can you still see the lake from the cabins? Our cabins are situated roughly 200 yards from the water at the current level and no views of the lake have been changed.

Lake Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Melinda Crow) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:48:00 +0000

Need some fun in your life? Lake Whitney is the place to find it. We think this picture kind of says it all. Even falling here can put a smile on your face!

Sweet Mimosa

noreply@blogger.com (Melinda Crow) — Sun, 31 May 2009 14:54:00 +0000

The smell of mimosa blooms in the quiet of the night is one of my favorite summer things. I don't know if they actually release more scent after dark or if I am just finally still enough to notice.

We have three mimosas on the property, one at the Bunkhouse, one at Cabin #3, and a rogue growing in a large pot at our personal deck which refused to be removed so many times that we finally left it alone and let it live. I guess someday we'll cut the pot away.

This week we lost 1/2 of the one at #3. A windstorm on Tuesday night broke two of the four main trunks. Gary carefully trimmed up what was left and we hope it's strong enough to survive. It's always been an interesting looking tree-- mostly hollow with multiple twisted trunks, but now it borders on artistic. And it still smells nice.

Tribute to the Kitchen Staff

noreply@blogger.com (Melinda Crow) — Sun, 24 May 2009 13:07:00 +0000

We wanted to take a minute to say thank you to the Mel's Steakhouse kitchen staff. We are picky about who we allow into our kitchen family and I am not an easy boss to please.

These folks work tirelessly in a very hot kitchen week after week. They must either be crazy or truly share our passion for serving good food. It's probably a little of both. Even though they are responsible for the quality product we offer, they rarely get to bask in the glow of customer praises or the weekly excitement of converting first-timers to repeaters.

Crystal is our grill chef. She has been with us off and on for more than eight years. Her real job is raising four energetic girls. She has done every job in our kitchen at one time or another, but the grill is where she shines. It's hot. On busy nights the pressure to keep steaks, chops, & grilled seafood coming off the grill perfectly cooked at the appropriate time is intense, but she does it with a quiet smile. Did I mention it's hot? The grill is 2' x 4' of flame-heated ceramic bricks and her only relief from it is reaching into the nearby cooler for more steaks to put on the grill. She is also responsible for food cooked on the stove -- veggies, sauteed mushrooms, and pan seared fish or chicken. It's a big job and she does it almost effortlessly.

Deborah is our prep and fry cook. She works the longest hours in the kitchen, starting on Thursday receiving trucks, toasting croutons, and whipping up that lovely cinnamon butter. Actually, her week starts on Monday morning when she arrives first thing to face the task of draining the fryers and detailing them until spotless, followed by grueling hours of steam cleaning the red tile floor in the kitchen. She hand cuts and breads every piece of catfish, every chicken fried steak, every onion string. She handles hundreds of pieces of catfish for the Friday buffet every week! Her quick zingers keep the dining room staff on their toes, but the quality of food she prepares is testament to her love of the job.

Kelly takes care of the salad bar and desserts so efficiently that to the untrained eye it looks easy. It is anything but. She manages the production and supply of almost 50 food items and does it while maintaining spotless conditions in her area. She is the kitchen staff member most visible to dining room guests and she always has a smile for everyone. She is first and foremost a mom to Haley and Jenna , but we are thankful to have her as part of our family on Friday and Saturday nights.

Denise is our Saturday expediter. That means she sets up every plate in preparation of the food being cooked. When a steak comes off the grill or a chicken fried tenderloin comes out of the fryer, Denise has a warm, decorated plate waiting for it with steak knife, side dish, and accompaniments in place. Her job allows Crystal and Deborah to focus on creating their food magic without worrying about the finished plates. Denise has been with us for seven years. She is currently the Bakery Manager at the Hillsboro Walmart. We are extremely proud of her accomplishments there, but happy that she chooses to continue as part of our family here on weekends.

Donald keeps clean plates, soup bowls, silverware, glassware, and cookware flowing. His speed and efficiency are hard to fathom. We simply could not operate effectively without Donald, and on the very rare occasions when he was not here we all suffered. He works in a kitchen full of women and does so with quiet humor and grace.

That's our crew. We don't thank them often enough, but without them Mel's Steakhouse would not be possible.

Thanks gang. See you next Friday.

Treehouse Cabins Video Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Melinda Crow) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 22:08:00 +0000

Double Cabins

noreply@blogger.com (Melinda Crow) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:51:00 +0000

Ads On Our Site

noreply@blogger.com (Melinda Crow) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:17:00 +0000

I wanted to take a minute to talk about the advertisements we now have on our website and here on the blog. We thought long and hard about doing this. Our goal is the same as it always has been-- provide our valued long term and potential customers with the absolute most information we can to help make your vacation or weekend getaway the best it can be.

We have chosen ads from companies we trust, most of whom offer products that could improve your Lake Whitney stay like Maps.com and USAFlorist.com. There are also a few ads, like for GoDaddy and Dish Network that are on the site just because we use their services and can vouch for the quality of their product. A few others are listed on a separate product review page.

We get a lot of questions about our website and have built a page dedicated to sharing information abut how we build and maintain the site. On the Arrowhead Home Page click on About Our Website to get the insiders look at our site.

Bottom line is that we hope the ads aren't too intrusive. Please know that they are there to hopefully benefit you. We aren't getting rich off of them, that's for sure. They are simply another way we felt we could offer you more. Let us know what you think.

Jacuzzi Cabin Video Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Melinda Crow) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 16:54:00 +0000

Bird's Nest Cabins Video Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Melinda Crow) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 20:59:00 +0000

Single Cabins Video Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Melinda Crow) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 20:36:00 +0000

King Cottage Video Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Melinda Crow) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 14:08:00 +0000

Pay For Your Vacation With Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Melinda Crow) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 23:44:00 +0000

Maybe not right away, but if you love photography, have a good digital camera, and a good eye you might be able to turn your vacation photos into a little spare cash. We have the scenery, the horses, and the peacocks. You just need the talent and a weekend with camera in hand.
Click here to find out more.

Bunkhouse Combo Video Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Melinda Crow) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 20:47:00 +0000

Deluxe B&B Single Cabins Video Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Melinda Crow) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 00:30:00 +0000

Cabin 17 Video Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Melinda Crow) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 23:02:00 +0000

Complete Arrowhead Cabin Descriptions

Arrowhead Out Takes

noreply@blogger.com (Melinda Crow) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 23:42:00 +0000

Funny things happen around here that most guests never know about. Some of those things we'll just keep to ourselves, but we have decided to share a few of our moments-- starting with the one that happened this evening.

Between mountains of Spring Break laundry, Gary had been working on the 25' boat this afternoon, which had been having an issue with starting. Once he had it running on dry land he took it for a test drive on the lake. Being the thoughtful hubby that he is, he decided that I might like to end the day by taking the short 15 minute ride from our shore back tothe launch at Lofers Bend with him. He beached the boat below us, walked up the hill and tackled more laundry while I got horses fed, customers situated, etc.

It was a lucky glance out the restaurant windows that saved the day. The boat had come loose and was slowly drifting away. Choice words were said as he grabbed a canoe paddle and we headed down the hill. He quickly caught up with the wayward pontoon boat, climbed aboard, and after a few short moments of breath holding, coaxed the engine to life. He then returned the canoe to me on the shore.

I turned once as I lugged the canoe to its resting place to watch Capt. Gary motor away in to the setting sun. Oh well. There's always another day for a boat ride.

Twitter Explained

noreply@blogger.com (Melinda Crow) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 01:06:00 +0000

Gary and I love to tell the story about the difference in the way the two of us communicate. Some people feel compelled to get right to the point when they speak. They tell stories in shorthand and write succinctly in Readers Digest style. We call these people pointers.

Then there are the people who paint word pictures with broad strokes of verbal genius. Their narratives, both verbal and written, are rarely short. We call these people painters.

I paint; Gary points. Bloggers paint; Twitterers point.

The question that remains now is whether or not I can become a pointer and thus an effective Twitterer. If you haven't looked around Twitter very much take a look at our page at www.twitter.com/arrowheadresort. Click on some of the pages we are following for a good cross section of what is being done with Twitter. I see lots of "pointers" briefly telling us what they know, do, eat, sleep, read, and listen to. I also see lots of apparent painters who simply redirect followers to their blog or website. Both approaches are valid. The whole Twitter concept is just getting it said in 140 characters or less, any way you can.

Gary thinks that Twitter will replace blogging. I think not. There are far too many words out there waiting to be painted into masterpieces, and a work of art often requires far more than 140 letters, dots, dashes, and symbols. But I also think that as an alternate means of getting to the point, Twitter has huge potential.

I shall learn 2 point.

Wow It's March!

noreply@blogger.com (Melinda Crow) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 17:24:00 +0000

Has this year been flying by, or what? March! The purple martins arrived in full force last week and are enjoying the warm weather this week. Their cheerful song always heralds the beginning of spring around here.

But they aren't the only ones tweeting. Twitter is taking hold here at Arrowhead. The best news is that if you aren't into the whole Twitter thing yet it's okay. Our tweets will be posted here on the blog, on the Mini Mares blog, on our restaurant webpage, and on the Arrowhead home page. Our goal is to keep you up to date about incredible cabin specials that won't be found anywhere else, let restaurant fans find out what soup we're cooking and what the Saturday specials will be. The Mini Mares just want to play on the computer.

Follow along as we leap forward technologically once again and work harder than ever to keep you informed about happenings at the resort.

Sunsets are a Reason to Visit Any Month of the Year

noreply@blogger.com (Melinda Crow) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 20:04:00 +0000

We took these photos yesterday. Sunsets around here aren't limited to any one season.

We hope you can join us in our little piece of paradise when you can!

7 Reasons to Visit Arrowhead Resort in February

noreply@blogger.com (Melinda Crow) — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 14:14:00 +0000

1. Valentine's Day falls on the weekend. There really is no better reason to come than that. Think of the romance. We'll supply the sunsets, the wonderful dinner, we'll even supply the flowers if you'd like. Couldn't be easier.
2. Celebrate January being over. Let's face it, does anybody really like this month? It's cold. It's the start of tax season. Blah! But February is a different story. It's almost Spring!
3. It's quiet. Fewer people means even more peace and quiet for you.
4. Sales at the Outlet Mall in Hillsboro. Winter clothing will be at the lowest markdown and the Mikasa store is going out of business so you can shop for spring tableware!
5. Fishing is usually great. Bring a boat or rent ours because the fish are almost always hopping in February.
6. Football season is over with. No more Saturday playoff games; no reason to hurry home on Sunday.
7. The peacocks are getting their tails back. February is the perfect month to see these guys strut their stuff. Bring your camera!

2008 Review

noreply@blogger.com (Melinda Crow) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 17:08:00 +0000

It's hard to believe that this year is speeding past. It's been an emotional year for us-- we lost our friend Hoover in April, we had yet another fire on the property in July, and we continue to deal with the ups and downs of our road fight with the county. We rely heavily on our dear friends, family, and wonderful guests to raise our spirits when things are challenging.

We also love to share our life's high points. We gained another miniature horse this year, enjoyed taking care of Mama Rose and Joey for four months, and remodeled cabin 16's bathroom.

Thank you all for being part of our lives! Click on 2008 Review on the right for a look back at our year.

Do I Look Like a Turkey?

noreply@blogger.com (Melinda Crow) — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:09:00 +0000

Well, yes you do Hank. But we promise it's not a peacock in the fryer, just your distant cousin that we bought at Walmart! Happy Thanksgiving!