[kld1981]

i don't mean this to be a slam to camden. but. is there anything here? we've been here for a week. the bowling alley is apparently closed, and from what we've noticed, everything but walmart and mcdonalds shuts down at 9pm. even a bar we were going to go to on a friday was closed by 9:30. maybe i'm wrong in my impression, but it seems like a depressed, sinking little town. and it seems to me that it could be a great place. there's a nice river running through town, and some beautiful little shops in the downtown area. the people, for the most part, seem friendly, except for the ones we've encountered working the gas stations. we had wanted to experience this town being that we were here for work...but didn't really find anything to experience. el dorado seems better...it at least has an applebees and a mexican restaurant that serves margaritas. plus a home depot, radio shack, and super walmart. and a hallmark store. while camden is in the process of getting a super walmart, the town seems to have a veeerrrry strange layout. idk. maybe i just got a bad 1st impression...at least i sure hope so.

[20yrsinBranson]

Originally Posted by kld1981

i don't mean this to be a slam to camden. but. is there anything here? we've been here for a week. the bowling alley is apparently closed, and from what we've noticed, everything but walmart and mcdonalds shuts down at 9pm. even a bar we were going to go to on a friday was closed by 9:30. maybe i'm wrong in my impression, but it seems like a depressed, sinking little town. and it seems to me that it could be a great place. there's a nice river running through town, and some beautiful little shops in the downtown area. the people, for the most part, seem friendly, except for the ones we've encountered working the gas stations. we had wanted to experience this town being that we were here for work...but didn't really find anything to experience. el dorado seems better...it at least has an applebees and a mexican restaurant that serves margaritas. plus a home depot, radio shack, and super walmart. and a hallmark store. while camden is in the process of getting a super walmart, the town seems to have a veeerrrry strange layout. idk. maybe i just got a bad 1st impression...at least i sure hope so.

I do not live in Camden, nor have I ever been there, but I do live in the sticks in Missouri, and I would be willing to wager that they are similar.

From what I can tell by your post, I think I understand the problem. Anyone that thinks Walmart, Applebees and Home Depot is a *good* thing, obviously does not appreciate the small town environment. I'm guessing you moved there from a much larger town and have the same expectations that may new comers have when moving into a relatively undeveloped area.

First of all, you need to make friends. Most decent people do not hang out in bars or bowling alleys until the wee hours of the morning (ok some do - once in a while - but certainly not every night). If you make friends you will find out that in the country most serious partying goes on at people's houses and in the summer, down by the creek or out by the old cave, or something like that. If people are not friendly to you it is because you have not given them time to warm up to you. Again, you have to get to know folks to be accepted, and having an attitude like Home Depot is some kind of big box God, isn't going to win you any points with the locals, for sure.

My advice to you is to go down to the local store/feed store/gas station (whatever you have) and get to know people. Go to church, if you are into that kind of thing. Join the volunteer fire department, get to know the folks at the library, city hall, the police station, etc. Introduce yourself, buy a John Deere ball cap and chew on a toothpick. And for chrissakes, quit complaining. Life (and Camden) is what you make of it.

20yrsinBranson

[kld1981]

actually, i'm from a town of 1500 in illinois. i would never want a walmart there...there is one 20 miles away and i'm fine with that. i just was hoping there was something to do here other than hang out in the hotel room. we're going back to illinois tomorrow.

[Dwatted Wabbit]

I used to go to El Dorado frequently. Once or twice I've been through Camden. It looks like one seriously depressing dump.
The one person I know who harks from there is insane.

Hope that helps!

[anjoe]

just so happens I've lived in and around Camden for 40+ years now. My spouse has a high paying job and I have a decent job. That's the only reason I'm still here is because my spouse doesn't move very easily. We've make a decent life here. Our kids go to a small private school. We have a great church and a great church family. There's good people here. You just have to look for them. Our economy is slow here. Sometimes, we have to go elsewhere to shop and that also hurts Camden's economy. It's a shame indeed!

[Bail_Khan]

I was looking up Filipino restaurants in Arkansas earlier today and Camden and Fayettville seem to be the only places here to have one. Is anyone familiar with the place?

[anjoe]

There used to be a small drive-in diner in Camden a few years ago at Topper Hill, called the Manila Dinner, but not anymore. Hope this helps some.

[RogMar]

Originally Posted by kld1981

i just was hoping there was something to do here other than hang out in the hotel room. we're going back to illinois tomorrow.

I think a lot of people are surprised about the lack of "things to do" in a lot of the areas here.

I was born and raised in a town of 100,000 people. We had a bunch of movie theatres, restaurants, a simply incredible park system...pretty nice.

When I was in high school, many would constantly complain about "nothing to do". My friends and I were not among them.

When I look at the relevent forum for that town now, I see "nothing to do". I also see that in forums for large cities near it.

My son, after he got done with the paper chase, took a position in Chicago. I was working and living in the area, and we sucked every drop of "City" out of there that we could, over the years leaving enough money in bars and restaurants to pay for a luxury car.

He then relocated to Europe, and I eventually to "the sticks".

Last summer he came to visit. Probably wasn't all that impressed with the scenery, the eateries, or the dirt roads.

After a dinner of grilled venison loin, sweet potatoes and veggies straight from the garden, we retreated to the west deck to watch the sunset.

Now, from that deck, which with the house sits on the side of a hill, one gazes over the tops of about 2 miles of nothing but trees to watch the sunset.

We're drinking Hendricks gin martinis, and smoking cuban cigars, both of which he brought with him, and we discuss the very limited external entertainment options.

He looks at me in disbelief, and says, "Is that *all* there is here?", and starts recounting the years of nights on the town we shared.

I had to grin for a bit, and reminded him of the pollution, crass people, the expense, the fact that you had to pay $5.50 to go to the top of the Hancock to get a "view", $40 parking fees, and then summarize the evening we had just had.

Great food, great drink, and my bewildered son sitting at my side.

I explained to him that it doesn't get any better than that, and if challenged, I would trade every second in every venue I had ever been in to have this evening.

We have discussed that on the phone and e-mails a number of times since then, and I think he understands now that in a world of uncertainity, uncertain of waking up alive, having some lunatic detonate a nukie, having a jet park on your house, getting the "big earthquake" that is in constant discussion, developing a medical problem that takes your sight or hearing, or any of the other countless threats we live in the shadow of, there is so much to do...

Watch the sunrise, taste the coffee, smell the woods and the flowers, watch the deer in the yard, listen to the birds sing, watch the multi-colored woodpeckers working for their meals, relish the warmth of the sun on your face while noting the very faint moan of a diesel tractor on the neighbors farm, talk with the friend that just stopped by, watch the sun set, kiss your signifigant other and tell them you love them, .....

Rinse & repeat....

Yes, there's lots to do.

Even though they gave us an "extra second" this year, I still don't feel like there's enough time to do it as much as I want to.

I cannot imagine having "nothing to do".

[anjoe]

especially after we drove 'via' Northwestern Arkansas from Oklahoma to Camden during the holidays. The traffic was just stressful during 5pm rush hour. We didn't see anything that we were missing at all! We're starting to appreciate the slower pace here in Camden and our secure jobs also.