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GREETINGS FROM EUREKA SPRINGS, Arkansas (AR) USA
We apologise for the short break in transmission. Last night’s stay had no internet so we had to talk to one another instead ! Having moved on we are back on air –
This area is in the very northwest of Arkansas in the Ozark Mountain region.
The “Ozarks” are the main “mountainous region” between the Appalachians in the east of the US and the Rocky Mountains in the west, and run from the southern parts of Missouri down into the northern corners of Arkansas and Oklahoma. The highest point is only about 2,500 feet but when everywhere else in the middle states of the US is as flat as a tack, that’s high !
After leaving Hot Springs, the first part of the drive skirts through the Ouachita National Forest (pronounced Wash-ita – and it is in fact the French spelling of the native Indian name and means “good hunting grounds”). It is the oldest National Forest in the southern states.
And a large part of our drive today was along “Arkansas 7” – Scenic Byway 7 – which covers 4 of the state’s varied geographical regions – well eventually – the navigator got sidetracked and we started heading off in the wrong direction to start !
Whoever wrote the guidebooks for Arkansas must have led a sheltered life. They describe the “7” as “one of the most scenic drives in the country”. Whilst it was quite a nice drive, I think we stopped counting when we got to double figures of others “we” consider more scenic ! There were certainly some nice sections though however – probably because it lacks the height – not many scenic outlooks along the way.
One of the few “Scenic Overlooks” along the Arkansas 7
The first section from Hot Springs to Interstate 40 was a mixture of nice forested sections then not particularly attractive tiny towns. North of the Interstate, the scenery improved through the Ozark National Forest and beyond. Two very nice spots though were through the Ozark Mountains -around Jasper – which describes itself as the “Grand Canyon of the Ozarks” – but it ain’t ! Scenic but not in the league of the Grand Canyon !
The bikers certainly enjoyed the drive
Just north was the Buffalo River where we stopped for coffee and a brief stroll along a pretty riverbank – before it started to rain. And between here and Eureka Springs, we ran into quite a bit of rain and a serious storm ! At one point you could hardly see out the windscreen even with the wipers working overtime and through one little town a few sections of the road were starting to get water flooding across the road ! But it went as quick as it came and we hadn’t gone far before the road was dry again !
The peaceful Buffalo River
Eureka Springs is a town which can’t make up its mind. It has historically been called “The Little Switzerland of America” and “The Stairstep Town” because of its mountainous terrain and the winding, up-and-down paths of its streets and walkways. We were staying in a section with steep winding streets filled with Victorian-style cottages and manors. The old commercial section of the city has an alpine character, with an extensive streetscape of well-preserved Victorian buildings. The buildings are primarily constructed of local stone built along streets that curve around the hills and rise and fall with the topography in a five-mile long loop. Some buildings have street-level entrances on more than one floor. The streets wind around the town, and no two intersect at a 90 degree angle.
The “strip” along the main highway though, before driving off down into the “Victorian” section, is a combination of 50’s throwback “motels” – some functioning, some not, “bikers welcome” haunts, wannabe “Swiss Chalets” and a variety of others. The area is in fact quite a haven for bikers with all the twisting and turning mountain roads. In fact, there were two hotels being utilised specifically for two different bike exhibitions/road test functions.
As the name suggestions, it was also a “therapeutic” destination and in the “Victorian” section a lot of the buildings – including where we were staying – were originally boarding houses for those “seeking the healing power of the springs”. In fact in 1889 it was the 2nd largest city in the state. More recently, Eureka Springs has become known for a couple of other “structures”. In the late 1960’s, a 7 story “Christ of the Ozarks” statue was built. It coincided with the commencement of what is now a popular outdoor performance called “The Great Passion Play” during the summer months. The other I’ll cover in tomorrow’s post.
Christ of the Ozarks statue
The northwest and west of the state is certainly the most scenic part of the state from what we have seen. When we arrived in Eureka Springs, we walked around part of the town, admiring the beautiful old buildings, and on the way back bought a few provisions to make our own dinner. Our stay for the night was at the “Peabody House” – a cute little building part of an old boarding house built in 1883. The original boarding house burned down but was rebuilt. The section we were in was the old cookhouse – now converted to a tiny upstairs/downstairs cottage. Very nice – despite the enforced “technology detox” !
The Peabody House …
And the cookhouse at the back
Today’s Trivia – Each of the floors of the seven story Basin Park Hotel in Eureka Springs is a “ground” floor. It is built against the hillside and each story opens onto the hill at a different level !