Arnold's Park Boat Show July 25

Jim · Joined: 14 Nov 2005 Posts: 151 Location: Austin, TX

I hope it is all right to post this question since it is not particularly regarding Chris Craft. If not, please delete. I am thinking about warm summer weather and making a trip to this show. All the accomodations I have found are very nice and very expensive. Does anyone know of a reasonable motel on or near the water with dockage for a 25' boat? This does not have to be much as I am going with 3-4 male friends. ( It does not need to meet my wife's specifications, i.e. room service etc.). Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Don Ayers · Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 12:57 am Post subject:

Jim;

Great question. I would like to hear any ideas as well. Was thinking of going to that show as well. About 600 miles from me.
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Don Ayers
1959 Riva Ariston
1931 Gar Wood 28-40

John DeVries · Joined: 22 Sep 2006 Posts: 111 Location: George, IA

Just do an 'okoboji" google and you'll get several sites with the info you need. For affordable lodging, the further you can get from West Okoboji, the better. The one exception I can think of would be Picks Resort (just west of the Park) and docking a 25 ft. boat shouldn't be a problem. There is also a place called Trigg's on East Okoboji that should have reasonable rates. I haven't seen dollar figures for a while, so I could be wrong. Across the street from Trigg's is a public access into Upper Gar Lake. From there, it's about 7-10 minutes by water to Arnolds Park. The access seems popular with people trailering to the show.

We now have a fifth-wheel in a campground on Upper Gar, but before that, we would stay at a Ramada up in the town of Spirit Lake - it was new and rates were very reasonable because it was off the lakes. It's about 10 minutes by car to the Park. The town of Milford is about 5 minutes south of the Park.

If I can get to the campground manager when he's in a good mood, there maybe space available for a few boats on the campground docks.

John

Bill Basler · Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 10:44 am Post subject:

John, I have not been to this show in years. I am almost in Illinois after all, and you're almost in Minnestoa/South Dakota! Seriously, I would like to get over to this show this summer. I know Okoboji and Spirit Lakes pretty well. For the benefit of others can you describe the lay of the land....water? Also, have you attended the show recently, or consistently? Can you give us an idea of what to expect?
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Bill Basler
Director of Marketing and Membership
Chris-Craft Antique Boat Club

Mark Christensen · Joined: 19 Jul 2006 Posts: 267 Location: Sag Harbor, NY

I'm planning on going to the show this year. I don't know anything about the hotels in the area though. Let me know what you find.

Mark
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1942 17' Deluxe

Don Ayers · Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 2:15 pm Post subject:

John;

thankf for the post. Is this an ACBS run show and if so how/chapter puts it on? All I know is that the lake has a rich boating history and there is a museum close by that has a 1939 Barrel Back that sunk in 1945 on display.
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Don Ayers
1959 Riva Ariston
1931 Gar Wood 28-40

Mark Christensen · Joined: 19 Jul 2006 Posts: 267 Location: Sag Harbor, NY

Yeah i tried to goto that museum last year in the fall, but they were only open monday to friday.... makes alot of sense for a vacation town.... :/

Hopefully i can see it this year though.

Mark
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1942 17' Deluxe

Thommyboy · Joined: 21 Dec 2005 Posts: 106 Location: Minneapolis

The Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum is right smack in the middle of the vintage boat show site. The Arnolds Park Amusement Park (think old time Coney Island) is right there too. It's a wonderful venue for a vintage boat show. And it gets bigger each year.

The museum has great displays and they have the archives of the late Mr. Bob Speltz. Mary Kennedy is curator and she will open up the museum for ya if you make an appointment if you can't make the regular open hours.

Sadly for me, it's the same weekend of two other major shows I'd rather attend.

It is a show sponsored by the Jerry Dyrkopf Iowa Great Lakes chapter of the Antique & Classic Boat Society.

Andreas

Don Ayers · Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 6:12 pm Post subject:

What great information!

All this makes me think we should have a forum topic for Shows only.

Bill Balser....your thoughts?
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Don Ayers
1959 Riva Ariston
1931 Gar Wood 28-40

John DeVries · Joined: 22 Sep 2006 Posts: 111 Location: George, IA

Well, Andreas did a great job of covering the Park, so I'll add something about the show and the lakes.

The Wood Boat Show is put on by the Jerry Dyhrkopp Iowa Great Lakes Chapter of ACBS. It's held on the docks in front of Arnolds Amusement Park. There is a cocktail party on Friday night, a Saturday morning breakfast on the 75' excursion boat QUEEN II, and the boats start coming in with the sunrise. There are usually 45-55 boats, with an all-time high of 70 boats one year. Sunday is a rain date.

The judging has "Best CC/Century", Skipper's Choice", etc., but no class judging. Each boat is given a number and spectators (normally about 2000) are encouraged to vote for the boat of their choice. The top six vote getters receive a Peoples Choice award.

The show ends around 3:00 with a parade from the Park over into East Okoboji and back. A lot of boats gather in the bays to watch this and DNR restricts traffic under the two bridges for the parade, so when it's over and normal traffic resumes, the water is very rough, to say the least. If you have a really small boat, be forewarned.

The main pieces to the Iowa Great Lakes are: Spirit Lake to the north and landlocked, and a chain of lakes including West Okoboji, East Okoboji, Upper Gar, Minnewashta, and Lower Gar. The glacial activity that created this made a lot of smaller lakes, too numerous to mention. The lakes listed above add up to 12,700 acres with 70 miles of shoreline. West Lake is the deepest with a maximum depth of 134 feet. As with any facts or figures on the Lakes, there are probably at least three versions, so . . .

So far, the Lakes have been able to avoid milfoil infestations. At the public accesses, you will probably have somebody from DNR looking over your shoulder. They are extremely vigilant. Also, the blood/alcohol limit for boating in Iowa has been lowered to .08 which can make you over the limit pretty fast.

If your circumstances allow, the best time for crusing on the lakes is early Sunday morning before the Bajas, waverunners, and tubers make the lakes look like a bathtub full of four-year old boys. 7:00 to 11:00 works very well and it's well worth planning for it, if possible.

John

Jim · Joined: 14 Nov 2005 Posts: 151 Location: Austin, TX

I have answered my own question. After finding one place for $1,700 for four nights, I thought maybe I would look further. I found Four Seasons Resort ( fourseasonsokoboji.com ). They have lots of docks and the motel type rooms are $140 for lakeview or $100 for parking lot view. It is not Motel 6 pricing but does not seem too bad for waterfront. Bar and restaurant on site and walking distance to the boat show and other attractions. I'm in!