September 29-October 4th
Out of the blue we decided to finally, at long last visit a place we've been wanting to visit for 2 years. Eureka Springs. We've heard a lot about Eureka Springs and so decided that now was the time for us to visit there. We stayed at Wanderlust RV Park. http://www.wanderlustrv.com
This campground is very clean and well run. It is central to everything you'll want to see in this area. They have 90 sites. 57 are pull throughs and 41 have 50 amps. Cabins are also available. Clean bathrooms, laundry and pool. However, they are located on a ridge in Carroll County, AR. which is known for being windy. They do not recommend leaving your awning up while you are away due to the wind. Another downside is that the sites are extremely close together. If you plan on sitting outside much you can expect to be sitting next to your neighbor's sewer.
After arriving and setting up camp we drove into Eureka Springs. This town is very unique. While there are tons of shops and restaurants it is all presented in an eclectic way that draws your eye and makes you want to explore more. Below is the Flat Iron Building at the intersection of Main St & Spring St.
The history here is amazing. The town was founded because of all of the springs in the area. In the Victorian era many people came to this town for the healing waters of the springs. Below is a collage of all the springs we visited.
While we were there most of the springs were dry. I'm not sure if this is normal or if it was because of lack of rain but it was still interesting to see all of the springs and read about the history. You can visit all of the springs by walking Spring Street. It's about a mile and a half if I'm not mistaken. This will also give you some great views of downtown and shopping opportunities.
After touring the springs we stopped for lunch at a local restaurant called Devito's. It was a small Italian restaurant. http://www.eureka-springs-usa.com/devito/ The food was good and affordable.
After lunch we did a driving tour of the town. We took the historic loop which starts at the city limits and loops all the way through town up to the Crescent Hotel and back. There are some of the most majestic houses you will see on this drive. Below is a college of some of my favorites.
The next day we went to The Crescent Hotel. It is the highest location in Eureka Springs and is notably America's Most Haunted Hotel. The hotel was built in 1886 to house the visitors coming to sample the healing spring waters and has had many ghostly sightings. There are nightly ghost tours available or you are welcome to tour the hotel on your own. You can purchase a Walking Tour Booklet for about $3. We did this. The booklet mostly covers the history of the hotel but there is a section dedicated to spirits of the hotel. Below are some pictures we took of the hotel.
Hotel Sign
Spooky Hallway
Sculpture of Michael a young man who died in room 218 while the hotel was being built.
They say room 218 is haunted by Michael.
Outside view
After our visit to the hotel we had reservations for lunch on the Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway.
What a treat! For $24 you get to choose between beef stroganoff, chicken salad with fresh fruit or a hot deli sandwich for lunch. Entrees are served with rolls, drink and a special dessert. Plus you get to ride in a real dining car from a by-gone era. They also offer dinner rides.
From the balcony of the hotel the day before we saw a very large statue of a man across the mountain and were curious about it so we asked the desk clerk and she told us it was The Christ of the Ozarks. We found the statue at The Great Passion Play, which was just a minute down the road from our campground. The Great Passion Play is a live outdoor drama of the last week in the life of Christ. there is also a Holy Land Tour, museums and of course the Christ.
The Christ of the Ozarks is a 67 foot tall statue of Jesus with His arms outspread. It is quite amazing to see! It is a free attraction and is lit at night.
After seeing and being amazed by the Christ statue we went to War Eagle Caverns on Beaver Lake.
It's about a 30 minute drive from Eureka Springs to the cavern. You'll see some beautiful countryside on the way. It's $15 for adults to tour the cave. They offer other specialty tours as well. You can also visit the maze or go gem panning here. The cave has lots of bats! The ceiling is very low in places so you'll be able to see the bats up close. As a matter of fact your tour guide will caution you to be careful of knocking them off the ceiling. These bats are very small. About the size of a mouse and could be injured if they are knocked off. Seeing the bats was the most interesting thing for me as I've never seen them up close and personal.
Bat
David in the cave
This was pretty cool. I'm standing inside the cave and looking out this "window".
The next day it was time to head back home. We really did love Eureka Springs and we encourage all to visit if you can. Here's Hercules in his sweater enjoying the cooler temps.
To see even more pictures of our trip click here:
