Grove/Peninsula/Langley/Spavinaw/Lake Hudson/Pryor/Vanita (Tulsa, Duncan: house, condos)

[Kurt]

Well, I am back in Florida and the job after 3 weeks on South Grand Lake. So, let me report the news of the area as I see it. First, Grove. The downtown is really torn up in the area where they are putting in the "urban renewal" nautical theme district. It will be sort of a Cape Cod of the Midwest atmosphere with touristy shops. They have a flavored coffee shop called Java Dave's--hey, you can get that $5 latte right there in Grove. And people sit at little tables just like they were in Seattle or Portland! lol

They are in the process of making the road to Sailboat bridge a four-lane to relieve congestion. Lot's of utility work going on along the side of the highway as cables are going underground. It looks like the Indian Nation Casino is going to go in down by the bridge. Some of the Miami business--that town is really reeling from the floods--may go in there. A planned retirement village is going in on the lake north of Grove--very nice. Grove is on the move!

Now, the Peninsula. From some of the posts I get the idea that the fancy development may be on hold for now. Another development called Pointe Marin--4 story condos-- is going in at the tip of the island and is completed. Also, Port Duncan on Monkey Island has been sold to a developer. The "Shangri La" crowd had all the state legislators and Governor Henry out for a big weekend of hoopla to drum up more support for the Peninsula. I think it will go through despite some wrangling over tax breaks. Here is why. The leading historian on Will Rogers lives on Monkey Island in a Shangri La tower condominium. He is 75 years old but was feted by all-concerned on his birthday. Will Rogers is like Abraham Lincoln around here. The Will Rogers crowd and some old oil money families will push this deal. I talked to one realtor who admitted that things had run into a few glitches with the Peninsula--but it is all about allocation of money and municipal services, et. al. It will be worked out. People are coming down here from Kansas City. The don't like Lake of the Ozarks as it is too crowded and pricey.

People always say the water in Grand could be clearer. The whole time I was there it stayed sorta ginger ale colored on the southend and did not clear up entirely. That was a result of the huge rains and flooding in the North. But the water was not "dirty" so-to-speak and people were swimming and jet skiing all over the place. There is not dangerous bacteria in the water and it is being flushed out more everyday as the rivers clear up.

I read the post about why Lake Hudson? When you can do this--jet ski--on Grand. Made me laugh. That is written by a younger man. I have no desire to jet ski. I am on Grand for the view of the water and an occasional dip in the water. Not to mention a prime rib dinner once-and-awhile at 2 new restaurants in nearby Langley--Artichoke and Crabby's. I also went over to Shebang on Monkey Island. I thought it would be crowded--but like everything else on Grand--Friday and Saturday nights in the Summer are hoppin'--then the lake really quiets down and you have the place to yourself for the most part.

Now I went down to Locust Grove--the "Grove" of Lake Hudson. Hudson is a much smaller lake but is very scenic amongst the hills. You can own down-to-the water and there are some really nice places on the lake. It is mostly the fishing crowd with less noise and recreational traffic. Grand gets really busy in the Summer on the weekends. There were times on Saturday and even Sunday afternoons that I was glad I had insulated Anderson windows on my sunporch. A big boat would go by trailing a huge wake and about 10 jet skis would be roaring behind it jumping the wake. Lake Hudson does not have that much activity. Of course, I am on the main lake channel and in a prime recreational boating area. Don't get me wrong--the busy periods are not overwhelming--but it seems like everyone in Oklahoma hit that lake on Saturday and Sunday morning. By Sunday afternoon they are packing up and going back home.

On the Pryor side of Lake Hudson there is still lots of undeveloped land. Pryor is the county seat of Mayes County--the dam itself is actually in Mayes County. They have a huge industrial park and have attracted Gatorade bottling and apparently 500 jobs are coming in from Google in California. That will bring in more money and business as these jobs will pay well. Oklahoma has cheap power, water, low taxes, and central location. Pryor is just a typical Oklahoma town on the plains--although there are hills and Lake Hudson nearby. Not touristy at all.

While I was there I realized how far I was from Grove--about 30 miles north of me. So, I did most of my shopping in Langley--which is up-and-coming with their new visitor center scheduled for construction in about a year. The Super Walmart is in Vanita--a real cow town about 20 miles from me. It does have a medical center and a big rodeo event--I guess they serve fried "Rocky Mountain Oysters" there and are especially proud of it. Vanita saw some oil money once, but things are slower now. They are trying to spruce it up some. They do have a Holiday Inn Express. Stay here if you are interested in South Grand. If you are closer to Grove stay at the Best Western. It is a good road and a short trip to South Grand from Vanita. Once again, it is on the plains and not overly scenic--but nice in a pastoral sort of way. They call themselves the "Gateway to Grand Lake" for the Tulsa Crowd. Grove is the Gateway for the Kansas City/Witchita Crowd.

Vanita and Pryor do not have a "lakey feel to them." They are simply old Oklahoma towns. You have to go to Grove or Langley to get a resort-feel.
Ketchum, Cleora, and Bernice--between Langley and Monkey Island are seeing a bit more growth. New bank branches are going in to store retiree money. You look around and see lots of gray heads in the restaurants.

I just got a call from a guy that was selling a boat house on Spavinaw Lake for about 4 grand. Spavinaw is about 10 miles south of me and between Grand and Hudson. It is part of the water supply for Tulsa and no swimming or recreational boating allowed. Purely a fishing and canoe lake. Very beautiful and clear. City of Tulsa owns most of the land around it--as they do another lake nearby--Eucha. Very quiet. A few homes but nothing really allowed right on the lake. Spavinaw is the hometown of Mickey Mantel. No sewer sysem there. Very rustic and sort of quaint. I think it will grow. Land is very hilly and scenic. Some owned by the state, some by the Cherokee Nation, some by the City of Tulsa and some privately owned

Get a load of this--185 acres of woodland with road access and spring for 175K--less than a grand an acre! Some warned me that it was still pretty isolated and moonshine and meth would be your neighbors. But as an outsider, I cased the area and can simply say--in another 5 years everything will be changed. If you want to know more, let me know. I say this because this area is south of Grand and in that corridor between Grove and Tallequah--the area for major future growth. Oh, Tallequah--about 45 miles away and I just never made it down there. That is for a future trip.

On the East side of Grand--Zena and Jay. Still talk of that new road coming in from Bentonville or Walmart Town. If you fly into the area do not go to Tulsa. Fly into the new airport in Northwest Arkansas. Not as congested and great facilities. It is named after Mrs. Sam Walton--at first I thought it was a bronze bust of Ameilia Ehrhart in the reception area!

Zena seeing some fancy gated communities around Woodard Hollow. You can see a cooridor between Grove and Jay develop. Jay is actually the county seat of Delaware County--not Grove. Jay has quite a bit of Native American influence. Native American land is not open to developers but the people of the Indian Nation are not rude to outsiders. They have lots at stake in regard to Casinos and I believe they have plans to develop their own resorts--down by Lake Eucha--that is pronounced OO CHEE. There is alot of mixed blood--whites and Indians--and if you mention the Native Americans people that have some of their blood always tell you so. Very proud people but not in-your-face. Never, ever go on Indian Nation land without permission. That is when you can expect trouble. You have to know the territory. All for now.

[nmnita]

Great review; you certainly did cover everything for us. As for Vanita, I am named after the town, but thought it was spelled Venita, either way, that is where my aunt was born, she was named after the town and I in return, named after her. No wonder she was my favorite aunt and I, her favorite niece, I wasn't impressed with the town on either of our trips.

I love Grove, it is the town of the future I am sure. Too bad DH liked Bella Vista better and our kids made us an offer we couldn't refuse, if we move to Bella Vista. Actually, that isn't true, we can choose wherever we want, but I know they want us to do the Bella Vista thing.

Again, thanks for your report.

Nita

[Jammie]

Kurt, what an in-depth report and I really want to thank you for sharing it all with us. Yea, Grove just kind of stole our hearts, too. My main concern there would be employment, but that won't be your situation at all. I can honestly see it really growing and turning into quite a resort area when word spreads farther.

I know you already own your future home there, but do you know yet when you'll actually be able to move? Will you be teaching one more year?
Thanks again.

Do you have the addy to the new casino that is being built? Are you referring to the bridge that you cross when you leave Jay and enter Grove?

[jessaka]

Great post. So unlike what I would write since I am all about shopping. Ha. Grove will be neat when it gets those touristy shops. I think your report would appeal to a wider audience than mine will. I should be going to Grove next month.

[Kurt]

Originally Posted by Jammie

Kurt, what an in-depth report and I really want to thank you for sharing it all with us. Yea, Grove just kind of stole our hearts, too. My main concern there would be employment, but that won't be your situation at all. I can honestly see it really growing and turning into quite a resort area when word spreads farther.

I know you already own your future home there, but do you know yet when you'll actually be able to move? Will you be teaching one more year?
Thanks again.

Do you have the addy to the new casino that is being built? Are you referring to the bridge that you cross when you leave Jay and enter Grove?

The bridge you are referring to is called the Honey Creek Bridge. The Sailboat Bridge is the high bridge that you take to go to the Monkey Island side.

I don't have the address for the Casino. But the Grove Visitor's Center or Chamber should be able to give it to you. I know there will be jobs associated with it. Will write more later. Thanks to all of you who posted the good comments.

I am committed to work another year. But my contract comes up for renewal for an additional year in January. I will decide then if I will or not. It is nice to have the money but it is also not good to wait too long to pull the plug here. I am getting a bit impatient and unless I get what I want in regards to teaching I will probably simply leave. Not sure what I would do around Grand Lake. Am sure something would turn up. Be friendly and ask questions and things have a way of working out.

[Synopsis]

Wow. Fantastic read Kurt. Thanks very much!

[Kurt]

[quote=nmnita;1263941]Great review; you certainly did cover everything for us. As for Vanita, I am named after the town, but thought it was spelled Venita, either way, that is where my aunt was born, she was named after the town and I in return, named after her. No wonder she was my favorite aunt and I, her favorite niece, I wasn't impressed with the town on either of our trips.

I love Grove, it is the town of the future I am sure. Too bad DH liked Bella Vista better and our kids made us an offer we couldn't refuse, if we move to Bella Vista. Actually, that isn't true, we can choose wherever we want, but I know they want us to do the Bella Vista thing.

Again, thanks for your report.

Well, it is not Venita or Vanita but Vinita. It advertises itself as where the Ozark foothills meet the golden prairie. Well, ok. It is a friendly town and does have that Super Walmart that is closer than the one in Grove for me on the south end of Grand. The medical center is affiliated with Craig out of Tulsa. They have the new--albeit small--clinic in Langley. Vinita is the county seat of Craig County. Your namesake town is a few more years from being "touristy" but it will probably get there. It does have a couple of antique shops downtown. That is a sign of something.

[nmnita]

[quote=Kurt;1264960]

Originally Posted by nmnita

Great review; you certainly did cover everything for us. As for Vanita, I am named after the town, but thought it was spelled Venita, either way, that is where my aunt was born, she was named after the town and I in return, named after her. No wonder she was my favorite aunt and I, her favorite niece, I wasn't impressed with the town on either of our trips.

I love Grove, it is the town of the future I am sure. Too bad DH liked Bella Vista better and our kids made us an offer we couldn't refuse, if we move to Bella Vista. Actually, that isn't true, we can choose wherever we want, but I know they want us to do the Bella Vista thing.

Again, thanks for your report.

Well, it is not Venita or Vanita but Vinita. It advertises itself as where the Ozark foothills meet the golden prairie. Well, ok. It is a friendly town and does have that Super Walmart that is closer than the one in Grove for me on the south end of Grand. The medical center is affiliated with Craig out of Tulsa. They have the new--albeit small--clinic in Langley. Vinita is the county seat of Craig County. Your namesake town is a few more years from being "touristy" but it will probably get there. It does have a couple of antique shops downtown. That is a sign of something.

you are right, now that I think about it; amazing thing< my grandmother spelled it Vanita as well. By the time I had visited the little town, grandma was in heaven so I couldn't ask her why the different spelling, actually my aunt was gone as well.

Nita

[briansgi]

Originally Posted by Kurt

Well, I am back in Florida and the job after 3 weeks on South Grand Lake. So, let me report the news of the area as I see it. First, Grove. The downtown is really torn up in the area where they are putting in the "urban renewal" nautical theme district. It will be sort of a Cape Cod of the Midwest atmosphere with touristy shops. They have a flavored coffee shop called Java Dave's--hey, you can get that $5 latte right there in Grove. And people sit at little tables just like they were in Seattle or Portland! lol

They are in the process of making the road to Sailboat bridge a four-lane to relieve congestion. Lot's of utility work going on along the side of the highway as cables are going underground. It looks like the Indian Nation Casino is going to go in down by the bridge. Some of the Miami business--that town is really reeling from the floods--may go in there. A planned retirement village is going in on the lake north of Grove--very nice. Grove is on the move!

Now, the Peninsula. From some of the posts I get the idea that the fancy development may be on hold for now. Another development called Pointe Marin--4 story condos-- is going in at the tip of the island and is completed. Also, Port Duncan on Monkey Island has been sold to a developer. The "Shangri La" crowd had all the state legislators and Governor Henry out for a big weekend of hoopla to drum up more support for the Peninsula. I think it will go through despite some wrangling over tax breaks. Here is why. The leading historian on Will Rogers lives on Monkey Island in a Shangri La tower condominium. He is 75 years old but was feted by all-concerned on his birthday. Will Rogers is like Abraham Lincoln around here. The Will Rogers crowd and some old oil money families will push this deal. I talked to one realtor who admitted that things had run into a few glitches with the Peninsula--but it is all about allocation of money and municipal services, et. al. It will be worked out. People are coming down here from Kansas City. The don't like Lake of the Ozarks as it is too crowded and pricey.

People always say the water in Grand could be clearer. The whole time I was there it stayed sorta ginger ale colored on the southend and did not clear up entirely. That was a result of the huge rains and flooding in the North. But the water was not "dirty" so-to-speak and people were swimming and jet skiing all over the place. There is not dangerous bacteria in the water and it is being flushed out more everyday as the rivers clear up.

I read the post about why Lake Hudson? When you can do this--jet ski--on Grand. Made me laugh. That is written by a younger man.

I have no desire to jet ski. I am on Grand for the view of the water and an occasional dip in the water. Not to mention a prime rib dinner once-and-awhile at 2 new restaurants in nearby Langley--Artichoke and Crabby's. I also went over to Shebang on Monkey Island. I thought it would be crowded--but like everything else on Grand--Friday and Saturday nights in the Summer are hoppin'--then the lake really quiets down and you have the place to yourself for the most part.

Now I went down to Locust Grove--the "Grove" of Lake Hudson. Hudson is a much smaller lake but is very scenic amongst the hills. You can own down-to-the water and there are some really nice places on the lake. It is mostly the fishing crowd with less noise and recreational traffic. Grand gets really busy in the Summer on the weekends. There were times on Saturday and even Sunday afternoons that I was glad I had insulated Anderson windows on my sunporch. A big boat would go by trailing a huge wake and about 10 jet skis would be roaring behind it jumping the wake. Lake Hudson does not have that much activity. Of course, I am on the main lake channel and in a prime recreational boating area. Don't get me wrong--the busy periods are not overwhelming--but it seems like everyone in Oklahoma hit that lake on Saturday and Sunday morning. By Sunday afternoon they are packing up and going back home.

On the Pryor side of Lake Hudson there is still lots of undeveloped land. Pryor is the county seat of Mayes County--the dam itself is actually in Mayes County. They have a huge industrial park and have attracted Gatorade bottling and apparently 500 jobs are coming in from Google in California. That will bring in more money and business as these jobs will pay well. Oklahoma has cheap power, water, low taxes, and central location. Pryor is just a typical Oklahoma town on the plains--although there are hills and Lake Hudson nearby. Not touristy at all.

While I was there I realized how far I was from Grove--about 30 miles north of me. So, I did most of my shopping in Langley--which is up-and-coming with their new visitor center scheduled for construction in about a year. The Super Walmart is in Vanita--a real cow town about 20 miles from me. It does have a medical center and a big rodeo event--I guess they serve fried "Rocky Mountain Oysters" there and are especially proud of it. Vanita saw some oil money once, but things are slower now. They are trying to spruce it up some. They do have a Holiday Inn Express. Stay here if you are interested in South Grand. If you are closer to Grove stay at the Best Western. It is a good road and a short trip to South Grand from Vanita. Once again, it is on the plains and not overly scenic--but nice in a pastoral sort of way. They call themselves the "Gateway to Grand Lake" for the Tulsa Crowd. Grove is the Gateway for the Kansas City/Witchita Crowd.

Vanita and Pryor do not have a "lakey feel to them." They are simply old Oklahoma towns. You have to go to Grove or Langley to get a resort-feel.
Ketchum, Cleora, and Bernice--between Langley and Monkey Island are seeing a bit more growth. New bank branches are going in to store retiree money. You look around and see lots of gray heads in the restaurants.

I just got a call from a guy that was selling a boat house on Spavinaw Lake for about 4 grand. Spavinaw is about 10 miles south of me and between Grand and Hudson. It is part of the water supply for Tulsa and no swimming or recreational boating allowed. Purely a fishing and canoe lake. Very beautiful and clear. City of Tulsa owns most of the land around it--as they do another lake nearby--Eucha. Very quiet. A few homes but nothing really allowed right on the lake. Spavinaw is the hometown of Mickey Mantel. No sewer sysem there. Very rustic and sort of quaint. I think it will grow. Land is very hilly and scenic. Some owned by the state, some by the Cherokee Nation, some by the City of Tulsa and some privately owned

Get a load of this--185 acres of woodland with road access and spring for 175K--less than a grand an acre! Some warned me that it was still pretty isolated and moonshine and meth would be your neighbors. But as an outsider, I cased the area and can simply say--in another 5 years everything will be changed. If you want to know more, let me know. I say this because this area is south of Grand and in that corridor between Grove and Tallequah--the area for major future growth. Oh, Tallequah--about 45 miles away and I just never made it down there. That is for a future trip.

On the East side of Grand--Zena and Jay. Still talk of that new road coming in from Bentonville or Walmart Town. If you fly into the area do not go to Tulsa. Fly into the new airport in Northwest Arkansas. Not as congested and great facilities. It is named after Mrs. Sam Walton--at first I thought it was a bronze bust of Ameilia Ehrhart in the reception area!

Zena seeing some fancy gated communities around Woodard Hollow. You can see a cooridor between Grove and Jay develop. Jay is actually the county seat of Delaware County--not Grove. Jay has quite a bit of Native American influence. Native American land is not open to developers but the people of the Indian Nation are not rude to outsiders. They have lots at stake in regard to Casinos and I believe they have plans to develop their own resorts--down by Lake Eucha--that is pronounced OO CHEE. There is alot of mixed blood--whites and Indians--and if you mention the Native Americans people that have some of their blood always tell you so. Very proud people but not in-your-face. Never, ever go on Indian Nation land without permission. That is when you can expect trouble. You have to know the territory. All for now.

Thanks! I never considered 50 to be old either! There are alot of us "younger " men and women who ride jet ski's, give it a try!!

[TraciK]

Hey, thanks for the information! We actually are looking into Pryor right now.