Kayaking at Mammoth Spring

About to Leave for Mammoth Spring

This past Saturday, June 20th I had my first trip kayaking. I’d call the trip a success - I didn’t flip over, fall out, get sore or get a sunburn. It was one of the hottest days of the year thus far with temperatures reaching about 100 degrees, but we still managed to have a pretty good time.

I went with my friend & co-worker Steven, his son Daniel and their dog, DJ. Steven and Daniel have been on a few kayaking trips and have even started a website for kayaking in Arkansas, aptly named, kayakingarkansas.com. It’s a really awesome blog sure to be full of kayaking info and pics in the coming weekends. Our trip to Mammoth is the current featured entry.

kayakingarkansas.com

We put in at Dam #1 at the Mammoth Spring Visitor Center and got out at Dam #3. I’d highly recommend getting out at Cold Spring instead, check out Steven’s post on Kayaking Arkansas for full details. We also went swimming in Hardy on the South Fork of Spring River. The water was much warmer and you could stand up in most spots. We also got to see some interesting sights…such as a dock  of drunks with a motor on it that barely reached the water. We also got a few “what kinda dawg is that?” ’s and we heard more than one, “I lost my beer!!!” coming from the waterfall.

Kayaking near Dam #3, photo by Steven Trotter

Tulsa Time: Aerosmith and ZZ Top

It’s only been a decade, but I’m going to see Aerosmith again! This time it’s for my birthday. Everything old is new again, and thanks to a little game called Guitar Hero (maybe you’ve heard of it?) Aerosmith, along with buddies ZZ Top are having a full blown tour this summer.

I’ve been an Aerosmith fan since I was about 13, and their 1999 concert at The Pyramid in Memphis was the best arena show I have ever seen. Steven Tyler knows how to put on a show and makes the best monkey noises in the business. (think about that part in Dude! Looks Like A Lady) If only he held cymbals when he did it.

They also have one of the best biographies in rock. It’s a page turner, check it out, it’s called Walk This Way. I remember buying it at the Searcy Hastings when I was still in high school and reading it all in one night, it’s awesome.

This time around the closest they are hitting in the Arkansas area are Tulsa, OK and Houston, TX and ticket prices have increased 100% in the last 10 years. Here’s the full date list for the 2009 Aerosmith Tour. (I checked out the rest of the Aerosmith site and I have to say, this door mat was probably my best find , along with a Ma Kin fake tattoo just like Steven Tyler’s.) I’m catching them in Tulsa, a scant 6 or so hours from where I’ll be leaving. I think it will be well worth the drive…and I’ve always wanted to listen to “Tulsa Time” at least once and mean it…

We’re also staying at a Hyatt…I’ve wanted to stay at one ever since watching Led Zeppelin: Behind the Music. Okay, so Tulsa is pretty far away from the Sunset strip, but maybe they will throw in a complimentary TV to throw out the window. A girl can dream. Also, I am sure you all know that Tulsa is home to the World’s Largest Fishing Lure! Oh, Yeah! I’m so there.

Let’s Rock this Weekend: Star Trek & Edgefest 2009

Nationally this weekend’s big ticket is the highly hyped movie Star Trek, which opens Friday, May 8th.

Locally, however, the big ticket is the 4th rendition of the outdoor hard rock show Edgefest - Edgefest 2009, in Little Rock, AR on Saturday, May 9th. It’s presented by The Edge 100.3fm and is billed as, ” The Biggest Show You Won’t Remember the Next Day,” it’s just in time for post finals celebration for most high school and college students. Think a small scale Woodstock for hard rock lovers of the South. Last year attendance was estimated at 10,000 people, a pretty big deal for a single outdoor show in these parts.

This year the venue has changed to Cooper Farm as last year’s show earned the nickname ‘gravelfest’. The line-up includes Slipknot, Staind, Chevelle, All That Remains, Drowning Pool, Hurt and Dirtfedd and is sure to be the largest rock show of the year in Arkansas.

Edgefest 2009

I’m sure this sounds like a promo piece, but I certainly had no idea a show of this caliber took place in Arkansas. It’s certainly a noteworthy event. Sounds like heyletsrock.com should be there taking photos or something, right? Well, rain, 10,000 people in various states of enlightenment, mosh pits and port-a-potty lines aren’t the best environment for camera gear. Which is a nice way of saying, mud, a pit of smelly strangers, and port-a-potties? Ewwwww. I am a girl after all. LOL I’m sure fans of outdoor rock shows will have a blast though.

Pictures from this years event will be posted on the events site, www.edgefest.edgelittlerock.com. Pictures from last years show are available for viewing on the site now.

Tickets are available in advance at ticketmaster.com for $35, plus service charges, which comes out to roughly $354.67, or you can pick them up with no extra charges at select places in Little Rock. Check the site. $40 day of show.

Since I won’t be in attendance, if you see either one of these fellows:

James Gage, Jimmy Starzy

take a pic and send it to heyletsrock(at)gmail(dot)com, @khara on twitter, or to my facebook and I’ll send you a special prize.

Hey, Let’s Rock! for the first time in ‘09!

As we all know, “designing and hopefully launching a new site in the coming weeks”, actually means, “I’m not going to update my site for 6 months and you guys are going to get really sick of looking at a cheeseburger.” Enough time has passed since my last post that my parents have facebook and twitter accounts (@claytonc & @sheriabc) . My dad even has a blog with more posts in it than mine now.

I got busy! Okay, more like lazy. Oh, I don’t have the newest version of WordPress, oh, I need to get a new theme. Blarf! Excuses! I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive my technological transgressions…this time.

WordPress is acting very crazy on me tonight. I’ll have to do my first “real” entry over the weekend after I get the newest release installed.

It involves She-Ra. Get psyched!