The Jeepers Are Awesome – And So Are Grand Lake Businesses

Did you check that out last weekend?

All those jeepers and 4×4 and off-roaders that found their way to South Grand Lake and Disney.

It started on Wednesday…with gas stations in Disney and Langley being stacked up with people getting fuel and supplies.

Then Thursday there were more people, and Friday and Saturday…WHOA!

This has been building for a while…but it’s safe to say that there has not been a time since around the opening of the Pensacola Dam were there were as many people jammed on to Disney Island as there were last weekend.

I personally talked to more people that day that were from Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas than I did that were from Oklahoma.

And they all like coming to Grand Lake.

Not for the fishing or boating – although they probably like that as well – but for the awesome off-roading that is available in Disney.

It all started years ago with the vision of one Disney resident, Russ Hogan, who because of his love of off-roading started creating trails and mapping the trails below the dam.

And people started coming, then more people, then more people until now it’s the biggest single day/weekend in Disney.

Bigger than Memorial Day. Bigger than any boat show. And yes, bigger than July 4th.

And the best news is that this has a trickle effect for the economy of the whole area.

I ‘heard’ that hotels were full from Pryor to Joplin. And, I know that businesses in Disney had their biggest days of the year. Maybe biggest days ever.

I also talked to one guy whose family just bought some property in Disney. And other people who don’t just come on this weekend, but come several times a year.

And why does this matter to the people hanging in the yacht clubs or golfing at Shangri-La or doing things in Grove.

Because every single time there is a big event like this, the money these folks are spending stays right here at Grand Lake as the wages paid to employees, the money made by businesses and the good will that is developed as these people want to keep coming back.

So to everybody that came from out of town last weekend, Thank You…and we sure hope to see you again soon.

And to all the businesses and workers in Disney and throughout South Grand Lake that worked their tail off to make sure to provide the goods and services to these people…a BIGGER THANK YOU from the entire Grand Lake community.