There are not enough stars in the clear night sky at Karen’s Country Cottage to give as a rating for this property and giving 5 stars almost feels disrespectful. Yes, this slice of Heaven here on earth is just that good.
We didn’t just get a property while staying at this location - we got an entire experience. From comfort, to wildlife, to hospitality, this place has it all.
When we arrived, we were greeted by Ray who is just the sweetest. Ray and Karen are unbelievable hosts. I am convinced they have never met a stranger. They are kind, welcoming, considerate and just so wonderful. Their hospitality is unmatched. We spent our last night on the front porch of the cottage speaking to them both and it felt like we were just catching up with friends.
We fished the ponds in the evening, watched the wildlife out of the sunroom in the morning, played in the creek in the afternoon and star gazed at night. The view of the Milky Way was unreal out there.
It is quite a drive to the city; about a half an hour to a Dollar General and over an hour to a Walmart so be mindful of that, but Karen has this cottage stocked full of amenities just in case something you need runs out. She has really just thought of everything.
The beds are extremely comfortable; not too hard, not too soft. It was all we could do to get out of bed in the morning to get going. The comfort level was perfect.
If you are rockhounds, the Avatar, Wegner and Crystal Vista mines are just over a half hour away. Avant is about 45 minutes away.
There is no wifi and cell service can be tricky, but do yourself a favor and just unplug and reset. It’s so relaxing out there. (The best reception we got for AT&T was in the sunroom on the couch.)
The only negative thing we had to say about this stay was that it certainly was not long enough. We are kicking ourselves for not staying longer and are already trying to find time on our busy calendar to come back.
Ray and Karen are humbly proud of their beautiful property and it’s apparent. They work hard to maintain it and were excited to offer us a tour of their natural springs, adjacent properties and wildlife.
We would book this property over and over again. With as much as we gushed about it to our friends one asked if we had a million dollar vacation opportunity given to us in Bora Bora or a quaint trip to Ray and Karen’s what we would do.
We’d be packed up and on the road to Arkansas :)