October 13-14, 2021
Kathi Erin drove down to Bentonville fro Grand Lake, Oklahoma, picked us up and we drove to Eureka Springs. Rain was expected for the entire adventure but we were not to be deterred!
We stopped at the breathtaking Thorncrown Chapel, a sylvan church designed by E. Fay Jones and constructed in 1980. The design brings to mind his mentor - Frank Lloyd Wright and brings the outdoors inside making it a perfect setting for the many weddings performed here.
We found the Passion Play grounds and gift shop looking for Jesus of the Ozarks and - well - it was just through the parking lot! We sort of ran down to take a couple of pix and then found the old historic district, dealt with the impossible parking issues and then had lunch at the Cat House Lounge - attached to the Pied Piper Pub and Inn - a well know biker bar! Food and service were great!
We checked into our motel - the Best Western Inn of the Ozarks - really good deal - very satisfied and a great restaurant in the motel for a delicious breakfast!
But we couldn't linger because we had an Underground and Downtown tour booked of Eureka Springs. We met our guide David at the park under the flag and took off climbing thousands of stairs, steep hills and down trails with uneven stones - oh and it was raining - for the next 2 hours. But the time flew and we learned so much about Eureka Springs - the actual springs, the people who inhabited the area and the history connected to their stories. We ended up underground and learned as the town's roads filled up with mud in floods they kept building the town higher. Yep, they made the first floor the basement, the second floor the first floor and raised the road up a level and allowed the river to run under the town. It is all very sketchy and best not to think about it too much till you are safely out of the area!
Dr. Jackson made the magic of the spring water famous when he claimed it made a blind girl begin to see! Carrie Nation was a well known fixture of Eureka Springs and we visited a little chapel currently serving the local folks as a food bank, made out of boards from her home which did not survive a fire.
We visited hotels, shops, restaurants, bars and met many friendly, lovely residents and tourists along the way. The Crescent Hotel, up on the top of the hill was amazing but really old and probably not very comfortable when it's hot and the only air conditioning is a room unit in the window. We shopped till we dropped - literally and simply enjoyed every minute of our time with sister Erin and in Eureka Springs. We will be back soon and often!!
Gabi
