The Legend of the River Dance

This is to answer all the questions about meals on the float trip.

(If you want the minimum effort, this note is too long, simple meal solution, skip to the bottom and read the 17th Annual Eskridge Memorial Day Float EZ Meal Plan.)

On the drive up we usually stop in McAlister for a sandwich or a taco, for Saturday lunch.

After setting up camp there will be a Cajun boil for Saturday dinner. This is the one big community meal.

I provide a big kettle, propane burner, potatoes, corn, garlic, and spices. Everyone else brings their own "seafood" to throw in the pot and I ask for a little help shucking corn and prepping potatoes.

Good choices to bring are: shrimp, sausage, crab, lobster, clams, mussels.

Shrimp and sausage are very common and tend to get shared in a big heap, and thus are cooked first. More specialty items get batched by themselves after the large masses are batched through.

Crawfish are a special case. If you want to deal with keeping them alive through the drive, keeping them from crawling in tents, and purging them before they go in the pot, it's ok by me. But since they do muddy the pot, they will be in the last batches, after all the other food is cooked -- which isn't that bad, you'll have corn and 'taters to munch on from the start. (If you don't know what "purging crawfish" means, you probably don't want to bring them.)

The other meals everyone fends for themselves, or in small self-arranged groups. Usually everyone brings too much and there's a lot of sharing going on. Breakfast Sunday and Monday ranges from breakfast burritos (very popular) to sweet rolls. Mimosas have caught on in a big way as of late.

Dinner Sunday night is usually something grilled, ranging from steaks to hot dogs. There are no built in grills, only open fire rings. If you need a grate, charcoal, a spit, or a stove, you need to make arrangements. A lot of people bring these, but you can wind up waiting a while for them if you haven't arranged ahead of time.

Sunday lunch is on the river. We'll pull over on a gravel bar, haul out the ice chests, sit down and eat. Sandwiches, cookies, fruit, etc. are common. Water-tight or water-resilient are the key here. If you don't want your bread to become cold-bread soup, double zip-locks or a zip-lock inside tupperware is a GOOD IDEA. There will not be fires on the river to heat food.

In general, for all the meals, the simple preparation with as few utensils as possible. The nearest running water is the river. The nearest treated running water is a water hydrant 400 yards away. If I need chopped onions, chopping before you go and putting them in a zip-lock is a good idea. If you are having kabobs, skewering them before you go and putting them in tupperware is a good idea. I'm sure you get the drift.

I've mentioned several good ideas, so I'd better mention several bad ideas.

Any glass container on the river is a bad idea. There are lots of rocks and tumps and spills, besides that, the river is patrolled and there is a stiff fine.

Speaking of fines, fishing without an Oklahoma license is a bad idea (as was discovered last year).

Styrofoam ice chests on the river are a bad idea. I think I've seen a styrofoam actually survive the entire float, but I can't remember what year that was. Whoever owned it probably had it bronzed. They usually wind up as several very pathetic floation devices.

Whew! I just read back through that and it looks kind of daunting when it shouldn't be. So here's the EZ Meal Plan.

Legend* Caravan* Shirts* Meals* Camp

Canoes are $10.55 per person (tax included)

Camping went up to $3.50 per person per night. I negotiated it back to $7.00 per car load per night.

We can park by the office and drive folks down to the camp. Especially for those who do not have 4 wheel drive.

Camp stuff you might need

map, tent, drop cloth, sleeping bag, sleeping pad or air mattress, pillow

flash light & lantern, matches, repellent, bottle opener/cork screw, knife,

Food & drink (there are store within 5 miles of campsite) all cooking is over campfire or cookstove so bring appropriate food and equipment to cook your food. Saturday night is a cajun boil. Till I hear different from the cook, bring your prefference sausage, shrimp, lobster, or crab legs.

Keith said he will have a seperate pot if you want to do mussels.

Other things you may need is a change of clothes, earplugs, camp stools or lawn chairs. Soap ect. (primitive bath & showers are available). Bring any special medication you may need.

NO GLASS ON THE RIVER. IT'S A $50 PER BOTTEL FINE.

Buy can beer. You can have bottle liquor in camp. Bring a plastic flask if you want hard stuff on the float.

underwater cameras, OJ & champaign, wet naps, paper towels, a doo rag or hat.

FOR CANOEING

water tight food containers, ice chest with latching lid, garbage bag or dry bag to keep snacks and clothes dry. Bungee cord, old belt or cord to tie stuff in canoe. Old shoes that you can lace up or aqua sox (thongs, flops and sandals will last seconds in the current). Sunscreen, sunglasses with a cord (only as expensive as your willing to lose). Hat, koozie, fresh water, disposable underwater camera. Plenty or beer and ice.

REMEMBER BEER IN OKLAHOMA IS ONLY 3.2. You might bring plenty of good ole Texas beer.

Legend* Caravan* Shirts* Meals* Camp
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