"The newest 'it' spot, a small gem of a restaurant, an undiscovered hotel or a new spa -- when you come across one of these you have a sense of excitement, an eagerness to share the find with your friends and family, but also the urge to keep it secret, for yourself.  I am going to overcome that urge and share with all of you my newest gem -- a lakeside resort spa which I predict, a year from now, won't need any introduction from me.  Sitting on the shores of Lake Ouachita, Mount Ida, Arkansas, 23 miles west of Hot Springs, Arkansas is the Mountain Harbor Resort and Turtle Cove Spa, family owned since 1955, and hosted by Bill and Debi Barnes.  I visualized and planned my next non-working spa vacation before I'd even left the property, and felt I'd found both a yearly vacation destination, and new friends."

 -- Kevin McClain, Director, Spa Index Media, LLC

Nestled in Arkansas' Ouachita Mountains on the shores of pristine wilderness at Lake Ouachita, Turtle Cove Spa at Mountain Harbor Resort is more than a day spa; it is a destination spa for body and soul. Indulge in spa retreats unlike any you've ever experienced—from romantic spa getaways for couples or spa vacation packages for you and your friends—to outdoor adventure with a dose of pampering. Turtle Cove Spa is a place where you can reconnect with nature and do something good for yourself.

This family owned and operated full service resort and spa offers guests luxury lodging with attention to detail and a 50 year tradition of highly personalized service. In addition to the resort spa's broad array of spa treatments, including massages, facials, body treatments, crystal energy work, spa pedicures and manicures and more, you can enjoy the great outdoors in many ways—experience yoga in a wooded pavilion overlooking Lake Ouachita, or work out with fitness experts in a unique "outdoor gym." Hike or mountain bike on one of many nearby trails; hone your boating skills on the beautiful Lake Ouachita; take a trail ride on horseback; eagle watch from the back deck of your lake view cottage; or simply breath in the fresh, clean air from a vista overlooking Arkansas' most beautiful lake.

Mountain Harbor Resort and Spa, home of Turtle Cove Spa, is located in Montgomery County in the west central part of the state of Arkansas, and near the center of the Ouachita National Forest.  The Ouachita National Forest is the south's oldest and largest national forest, covering a sprawling wilderness area of 1.6 million acres. Only 22% of the land in Montgomery County is privately owned.

Lake Ouachita  is a Corps of Engineers lake, and the largest manmade lake in Arkansas, with almost 1000 miles of shoreline, over 49,000 surface acres of water, and, over 200 islands that allow for unrestricted camping and day use.

The lake serves as a watering hole for the abundant wildlife found in the county, including deer, turkey, red fox, and black bear, and consistently ranks as one of the country's top ten largemouth bass lakes.  In addition, the American Bald Eagle makes Lake Ouachita its winter home and can be seen from mid October to early March.

Montgomery County is virtually unpolluted.  The air and water have received the highest ratings given by the EPA for purity.  Lake Ouachita is rated as one of two of the cleanest lakes in the United States. It is truly a pristine wilderness paradise.

"After spending several days at this lake, I had to ask myself 'how could I not know about this?' There is the feeling one ought keep it unsullied by not adding to an influx of visitors, but at the same time, this is too beautiful a resource not to share.  Lake Tahoe aficionados will find a kindred water spirit here. What Lake Ouachita lacks in depth or natural origins, it more than makes up for in purity, clarity, and natural beauty."

"The Mountain Harbor Resort boasts an incredible variety of accommodations to suit everyone from the solo traveler, small and large families, to corporate event and conference planners.  Every contingency has been well planned and prepared for.  To say I was impressed is an understatement.  I called my staff to report 'I've found our next conference location.' "

Harbor House is a piece of local history, and was the last residence of Hal Barnes, the founder of the resort.  Harbor House has now been extensively remodeled and is open for groups, families, and meetings.  The 1970's modular home sits on nearly two acres, in a park-like setting, and features furnishings and antiques from the original owners, lake-edge access, spacious decks with an outdoor fireplace, a hot tub, and a rock patio.  The home features three bedrooms, two baths, a fully equipped kitchen, and a washer and dryer. 

Also available at the resort are:

▪Standard motel rooms overlooking the lake

▪Kitchenette Studios

▪Poolside Cabanas (adjacent to the pool and under the restaurant for families who don't mind a more energetic and cheerfully noisy experience)

▪Lakeview Lodge Cottages with native stone fireplaces, hot tubs, charcoal grills, decks, fully equipped kitchens

▪Forest view Lodge Cottages with native stone fireplaces, hot tubs, charcoal grills, decks, and fully equipped kitchens

▪Harbor North Cottages, with two and three bedroom plans, ideal lake views, fully equipped kitchens, large decks, hot tubs, and charcoal grills

▪Condominiums in the woods, with two, three, and four bedroom floor plans, native stone fireplaces, fully equipped kitchens, decks, and charcoal grills.

"Bill and Debi Barnes describe their lodgings as 'cottages', and because this was an Arkansas lake resort, I admit I expected a quaint Jean Shepherd inspired vacation cabin or summer camp environment.   What I was ushered into, however, far exceeded my expectations. 

Each cottage has been personally outfitted by Debi and her staff, who pick out rustic but elegant and comfortable furnishings from Texas furniture makers.  My 'cottage' had 17 foot ceilings with a new native stone fireplace.  Off the entry way was the dining room and kitchen area, with new and top of the line appliances. The Arkansas knotty pine floor was easy on the eye and feet. The upstairs loft bedroom had a queen size bed with a shower and tub bathroom. On the lower level, an ADA approved bathroom and a master bedroom with a king sized bed and large screen television housed in an armoire. On my bed, scatted rose petals, a luxury branded robe, and dipped chocolates. 

If this were not wonderful enough, the clincher was the wrap around porch with a hot tub which could easily fit 6 or more.  My trip to Arkansas had been rather long and arduous, and came on the heels of an international trip.   Before I fell into bed, I turned on the jets, got in the hot tub  while the outside March temperature was only 28 degrees, and stared at vibrant stars in the unpolluted, dark night sky. I thought 'How did my staff know how much I needed to come to Arkansas?' "

"The resort and spa offer a varied menu of day spa and overnight spa vacation packages.  The best representative package for family vacations, however, is the Family Fun Spa Package, which reminds us, actually, of a Surf and Turf package."  It includes:

• Lodging for two nights in a beautiful two bedroom, two-bath condominium with fireplace, deck, fully equipped kitchen, washer and dryer. 

• One 50 minute spa service. Pamper Mom with some "Ahhhhh!" at Turtle Cove Spa. She gets her choice of a pampering service such as the "to die for" TCS Signature Facial, an indulgent body therapy (excludes Moor Mud treatment), or a relaxing 50-minute Swedish massage. 

• On the turf -- four trail rides--Enjoy the natural beauty of the Ouachita National Forest with a guided horseback trail ride.

• On the surf -- one day's use of a 25' party barge (fuel not included). What better way to enjoy the beauty of Lake Ouachita than to spend a day out on a boat? 

The Lodge Restaurant features both southern-style cooking and healthy cuisine in a rustic setting with a beautiful lake view. While the resort is known for its family-friendly casual dining, featuring catfish and steaks, tasty salads, hearty sandwiches, summer weekend breakfast buffets, ice cream socials and homemade desserts, they are passionate about the Mountain Harbor Burgers -- the area's most famous cheeseburgers.

With its health conscious spa guests in mind, Turtle Cove Spa at the resort also features Spa Cuisine entrees, prepared with fresh ingredients, herbs, and spices, artfully crafted for the spa diner. 

Representative entrees include Turtle Cove Open Faced Tuna Sandwich with Mango Salsa -- a tender tuna grilled steak with herbs, the Turtle Cove Spring Vegetable Frittata -- an egg white frittata with fresh spring asparagus, peppers, zucchini, light cheeses and herbs; Herb and Ricotta Stuffed Chicken Breast (enlarge photo, below).

For guests wishing to remain in their lodgings, the Lodge Restaurant is happy to deliver meals.  Specialty Catering is also available. 

Lake Ouachita is rated by the EPA as one of the cleanest lakes in the nation. With 49,000 surface acres, over 1000 miles of wilderness shoreline and over 200 islands, Arkansas' largest lake is host to a variety of water activities.

"Mountain Harbor Resort and Turtle Cove Spa offers an ideal location from which to take advantage of a truly impressive array of  outdoor activities, which will entertain every member of the family.  Sports enthusiasts, spa enthusiasts, nature enthusiasts, and water enthusiasts will all be accommodated. I'd easily describe this as one of the best family spa and lake vacation destinations in the United States."  

Activities include:

Diving and Dive Certification -- Yes, get scuba certified in Arkansas! The resort's PADI certified dive shop, Ocean Extreme, offers scuba diving lessons and certification, and has all the gear you will need, or bring your own! They can even show you a place where you can feed the fish!

Underwater Spear Fishing -- One of the few lakes where spear fishing is allowed.

Boating, Water Skiing, Jet Skiing and Tubing -- Explore Lake Ouachita with one of the resort's own rental deck boats, pontoons, or fishing boats.

Fishing -- Walleye, Crappie, Catfish, Bass and Striper make their home in Lake Ouachita.

Island Adventures -- Pack a picnic lunch and claim your own island -- you have over 200 to choose from! Most of the islands have gentle sloping shell shorelines -- and plenty of area to hike and explore. It's perfect for a day outing or overnight camping.

Swimming -- Enjoy swimming in the clean lake (pick an island beach as your outpost or one of the designated campground swimming areas) or swim in one of the swimming pools at the resort. Just a few minutes away are recreational areas with good old fashioned "swimming holes," fed by cool clear underground springs.

Kayaking and Canoeing -- Paddle peacefully in the cove behind Turtle Cove Spa or take to the nearby Ouachita or Little Missouri Rivers for some exhilarating fun!

Horseback Riding -- Mountain Harbor Riding Stables offers a 45 minute guided trail ride through the Ouachita National Forest with surprising lake vistas. Available for groups or individuals.

Eagle Tours (winter season only) -- Enjoy an interpretive barge tour to watch the majestic bald eagle in his winter home. Marvel at the geologic formations that created the Ouachita Mountains and learn about the flora and fauna of the area.

Star Gazing -- In the wilderness setting the celestial sky is spectacular! Take a moonlight boat ride to view the stars as you have never seen them before.

Hiking -- The Ouachita National Forest covers 1.8 million acres of land in central Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma and features over 700 miles of trails. Turtle Cove Spa at Mountain Harbor Resort is centrally located in the Ouachita National Forest region with easy access to several hiking and biking trails. In addition, old logging roads abound around the resort area and along the lake shoreline for easy to challenging hikes and mountain bike rides.

Tennis -- The resort has 3 lighted tennis courts for use year round. Equipment is available.

Horseshoes, Volleyball, Half Court Basketball, and Golf.

Crystal Digging -- The Ouachita Mountains was considered a mystical location by the Native America Tribes and today geologists say that Arkansas and Brazil have the best quality quartz in the world. 

Montgomery County proudly boasts the largest quartz crystal ever mined -- currently on display at the Smithsonian Institute.

Many "dig-your-own" crystal mines are close by in the Hot Springs and Mount Ida area. Hidden beneath a think layer of topsoil, along the Crystal Mountain range of the Ouachita Mountains, lie millions of tons of beautiful clear Arkansas quartz crystal -- more than a billion years old.

"Owner Debi Barnes presented me with a large, lovely and remarkable piece of crystal from a nearby mine as a reminder of our visit.  It resonates with beauty and energy and reminds me of Bill, Debi, and my tour, every time I hold it.  Not surprisingly, Debi taps into this valuable resource on her spa menu with Crystal Energy Work."

Eastern healing principles dating back thousands of years teach that there are seven main energy centers of the body, called Chakras. This treatment utilizes minerals placed at the Chakra points. Turtle Cove Spa therapists facilitate the flow of energy and free up blockages through rotation of a locally mined quartz crystals you personally select. A tuning fork is used with your crystal to create vibrations that complete the restoration of balance to the body's energetic system. The Ouachita crystal is then laid in the palm of your hand, yours to keep, a souvenir of your journey.

Just an hour drive from Turtle Cove Spa is also the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, the only public diamond mine in the world, Crater of Diamonds offers you a one-of-a-kind adventure and the opportunity to hunt for real diamonds and to keep any you find. You'll search over a 37-acre plowed field, the eroded surface of an ancient, gem-bearing volcanic pipe. Since diamonds were first discovered on the site in 1906, over 75,000 diamonds have been unearthed.

Mountain Harbor Resort and Turtle Cove Spa is located 25 miles west of Hot Springs, AR at Mountain Harbor Resort on beautiful wilderness Lake Ouachita.  The website for the spa and resort offer helpful driving directions from a variety of starting points.

"Spa Index Media thanks Jana Greenbaum, Communications Manager for the State of Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, and Bill and Debi Barnes and their wonderful staff, for our memorable spa vacation.  We'll see you again soon." -- Kevin McClain, Director, Spa Index Media