The Balcony Restaurant, Eureka Springs, AR |
Spring Street, Eureka Springs, AR |
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I was really looking forward to this trip. I had heard a great deal about the beauty of the Ozarks and Silver Dollar City and I was anxious to see them for myself. I had also heard a great deal about the great tourist trap Branson. Anybody who knows me knows I love a good tourist trap, and it just seemed wrong that I hadn't been to one of the most famous tourist traps in the country. Further adding to the anticipation was the opportunity to see what Mark had done with his new house. I had seen plenty of pictures and video of the place, but I knew that the pictures wouldn't do justice to the landscaping in his yard or his mountain view. My journey started on Friday at 4 in the morning. I had to drive to Charlotte for an early (and seemingly endless) flight to Dallas, followed by a quick jump from Dallas to Northwest Arkansas. My first thought as we were landing in the Northwest Arkansas airport was, "Well, this is...flat! Where are the mountains?" Upon being greeted by Mark, I was informed that we were not yet in the Ozarks and that I would just have to wait patiently to see what he calls "the pretty." We got in the car with the moon roof open and the windows down and started on our way. It wasn't long before I realized the REAL reason Mark was drawn to this area of the country. That reason is: the predominate smell wafting through the air everywhere we went was.barbecue! I mean you could smell barbecue being cooked EVERYWHERE! It smelled delicious and made me hungry. I'm surprised Mark hasn't gained 100 pounds with his favorite food being cooked on every corner. I lost track of time, but I believe it was about a half an hour to 45 minutes before we hit the "Big Bunny" (a big plaster bunny that sits, naturally, in front of a barbecue stand), that, according to Mark, marks the beginning of the Ozarks. Now we were on a winding, two-lane, mountainous road that offered amazing panoramic views of the surrounding mountains, forests and lakes. When the trees parted long enough to give you a good view, it was breathtakingly beautiful. I could already see why Mark loves it there so much. The road wound quite a bit, and I thought a lot of it seemed a little harrowing. The sharp drop-offs and lack of guard rails would have made me a nervous wreck driving down that road. Mark, who usually despises driving, seemed to take it all in stride and seemed to actually be enjoying winding his way along. I was glad he was the one doing the driving on this trip. It wasn't long before we started seeing the signs of Eureka Springs. Little cottages and inns dotted the hillside, offering promises of being the perfect "honeymoon hideaway" or "romantic getaway." I was a little surprised to see two immaculate, beautifully painted Victorian houses high on a hillside and I commented on them. Then Mark reminded me that Eureka Springs is dubbed both the "Victorian Village" and "Little Switzerland." I would see why when he took me on a little driving tour of the town before heading to his house. "Charming" is the only word I can think of to describe Eureka Springs. It's on the National Register of Historic Places, and it's easy to see why. All of the buildings seem to have historic significance and are beautifully maintained to contain unique shops and restaurants. "Little Switzerland" does seem to be an accurate title, as all the buildings are neatly nestled into the mountains as the town winds its way in layers up to the top. Some buildings even use part of the mountain cliffs as their foundation! The streets are narrow and quaint, a town that's better suited for walking than for driving. As we took our driving tour, Mark pointed out various significant buildings, his favorite shops, and the best known restaurants. The town became a destination because of the believed "healing" properties of its many springs, and each spring is situated beautifully in its own small park that provides benches, shade trees, and flowers that visitors can enjoy. The Crescent Hotel looms at the top of the town. It is both beautiful and ominous. The stonework and signage is beautiful, but something about it, maybe its age, gives it an air of being haunted. I believe local lore holds that it is indeed haunted. I think Mark told me that Ripley's Believe It or Not had done a segment on the haunting of this hotel on TV before. We meant to come back here later in my trip so I could see more of it, but time got away from us and, unfortunately, we never made it back. I guess I'll have to see it on my next visit. It's safe to say that I liked Eureka Springs a great deal, even after this quick viewing. There's nothing I hate more than seeing how every town in America is starting to look the same, with a Wal-Mart and McDonalds on every corner. You'll find none of that here. There are no chain restaurants, no chain shops, only local merchants and eateries, something that in and of itself makes it a wonderful place in my book. With the quick tour of Eureka Springs complete, it was time to head to Holiday Island to see Mark's new home. More winding through the mountains on another scenic drive finally led to the turnoff to this resort community. You're greeted by a view of a beautiful looking golf course that property owners can play for free! Nice houses line the course, which makes it a little intimidating for this bad golfer. I'm sure I'd take out a few windows if I ever got the courage to play there. Mark's house is not among those at the bottom of the mountains near the golf course. He started taking me on seemingly deserted roads, turning this way and that, going higher and higher up the mountain. At one point, I turned and asked, "Are there any actual houses up here?" It just seemed that we had gone a long time without seeing any signs of dwellings or other people. Of course there are several houses up there. They are just further apart and more isolated than those at the bottom of the mountain. We finally reached the turn to Mark's street and headed up his driveway. It was just like driving into his pictures! The house is beautifully situated at the ridge of the mountain, providing a panoramic view of the surrounding mountains. Unfortunately, this view is blocked a bit at this time of year due to the summer foliage, but it was beautiful none the less. The house is very modern, with high ceilings, unique bright colors, and windows everywhere. Every window provides an amazing view of his gardens and the surrounding mountains. The house is decorated with items that suit the house perfectly and reflect Mark's interests and personality, including a "diner" area that includes a diner booth and neon signage. Just looking around made me wonder how he ever manages to drag himself out of the house to get anything done! It's comfortable and inviting and makes you want to just sit and stare out the window. Then he took me into his garden, showing me his frog pond, flowers, trees, swing, hammock, and anything else you can think of that makes a garden pretty. I couldn't begin to list the varieties of flowers and plants he has growing there. First, because I don't know enough about plants to remember what they're called, and second, there are just too many to list them all! There are stone pathways that lead through the various segments of the gardens, and, I know I'm overusing this word already, but it was absolutely beautiful. The hammock on the far side of the house is officially "mine." I won it in a bet we had that neither of us remember the nature of. Since Mark's view was partially blocked by the summer foliage, he decided that I needed to see "THE View" from a house at the top of the hill. We hiked up his steep street to an A Frame house that appeared to be deserted. On their back deck, there is an incredible view of the mountains and lake. It was definitely worth the hike in the heat to see that amazing view. Mark knew that I'd been up since 4 a.m., so he made the offer of letting me rest through the afternoon. For me, though, the phrase "restful vacation" is an oxymoron. Why spend my time "resting" when I could be out "doing?" So, we hopped back into the car and went to meet his sister and brother-in-law (who were also in town visiting) for a drink at the Basin Park Hotel. The Basin Park Hotel is a very cool place to have a drink. The restaurant/bar has balcony seating that allows you to look out at the mountains and shops in the town below. It's a good place for people watching, too, if you enjoy that kind of thing. We spent a good portion of the afternoon eating, drinking, laughing at embarrassing Mark stories, and people-watching. When we'd finally had our fill, we decided to go look in some of the shops. We had spent a little too much time with our drinks, however, since most of the stores were already closed. One store, I think it was called Quick Silver, was open, and Mark found and purchased a very nice gong to hang over his fireplace. It was a good purchase as it looks just right hanging there. Since Mark's brother-in-law had not seen his house since he moved in, we headed back out to Holiday Island for another tour of the house and gardens. I skipped the second climb to the A Frame for "THE View," but both his sister and brother-in-law agreed that it was worth the hike. It was starting to get late and we needed to head back to town in order to get to the restaurant we were dining in before it closed. We did a quick driving tour of more of Holiday Island first, though, and debated over which lakeside houses each of us liked the best. The more I saw of Holiday Island, the more I liked it. I don't think there's a spot there that would give a bad view of either the lake or the mountains. Ermillio's, an Italian restaurant in a quaint old house in Eureka Springs, is where we went for dinner. We managed to get there just in time for the last seating of the evening. We all liked that they brought out the ingredients for us to make our own garlic butter for the bread. I can't imagine how strong Mark's concoction must have been, since he used two cloves of garlic to my one. The menu allowed you to choose from at least 10 different sauces and 10 different pastas to create your own Italian dish. Since decision-making has never been my strong suit, I copped out and went with the special that night, eggplant parmesan. Mark's sister Dee Dee followed my lead, despite never having eaten eggplant before, while Mark and Tim were able to make up their minds and choose their own sauces and pastas. We all enjoyed our meals, and I'd like to go there again and actually make a choice from all the sauce and pasta varieties. When we were asked if we wanted dessert, both Dee Dee's and my eyes popped out of our heads when they said they had cannoli, so we each ordered one. This was my first glimpse at Dee Dee's sweet tooth, and I have to say that no one who has given birth and enjoys sweets as much as she does should be allowed to be so thin! I have always hated Dee Dee. ;-) It was getting very late but the evening's events weren't over yet. Mark has a hot tub on his front deck, and despite the fact that I had been awake for nearly 20 hours, I just couldn't resist getting a good whirling before going to bed. It was an incredibly clear night, and the stars were shining brightly in the sky. We spent nearly an hour just whirling in the warm water and staring at the sky. I was definitely going to sleep well. I had been warned that the frogs out in the frog pond could be exceptionally loud. In fact, I had heard them once when Mark called me just to prove how loud they could be. Fortunately, the frogs were away for the evening this first night, so all that could be heard were the more serene sounds of the water in the frog fountain and some crickets chirping. In fact, it was so peaceful that the noise that provided the biggest shock was when a very rare car would happen to pass by on the road. Since I've been home, I've been disappointed to notice that all I can hear outside my apartment is cars going by. I already miss the more serene nature sounds at Mark's house. Considering how little sleep I had gotten the night before and how late we stayed up on Friday, 8:30 was an early rising time for me on Saturday morning. It was nothing compared to Mark's rising time (as he has freakishly become a morning person since he moved), and I found that he was already outside sipping coffee on the bench by the frog pond by the time I got up. I fixed my own beverage and joined him. I couldn't tell you how long we sat there. I can only tell you that I could have sat there all day. It was just pleasant and relaxing to sit by the fountain and watch one frog try to work his way out of the pond, or stare at the various plants in the garden, or just listen to the sounds and smell the smells all around you. I mentioned to Mark that I could absolutely see why he loves it there, and that I really don't see how he drags himself away from his house or his garden. He told me that he does spend a lot of time sitting in the garden, on the bench or in the swing, and I can totally see why. If I lived there, it would be very difficult to drag me away. It had to have been at least a couple of hours before either of us got motivated to do anything but sit there and talk and stare at the garden. Finally, though, we decided that we both needed some exercise and decided to take a run before meeting Dee Dee and Tim for lunch. Mark took a turn on the treadmill first, and I'm pretty sure he didn't enjoy the distraction of me sitting in the swing relaxing while he was working his butt off running (you can see the swing in the garden while running on the treadmill). :-P He eventually gestured me inside under the guise of getting him a towel, but I think he just didn't want to see me in the swing while he was working so hard. Mark's a much better runner than I am, so I took a bit of a nap while he finished his workout. When it was my turn, I'm not sure whether it was the view or his treadmill or what, but I ran farther than I had in a long time, and it felt great! After our respective runs and showers, I think we were both feeling more energetic and ready to face the day. Of course, it was now close to 2:00 in the afternoon, so I guess we should have been awake by then! We went back to the Basin Park Hotel to meet Dee Dee, Tim, Tim's son Derrick, and his friend John for lunch. Since it was late afternoon and we knew we were going to have a big dinner, Mark and I split a Monte Cristo and an order of fries. The sandwich was good, the fries were better. As with the day before, the conversation was pleasant and I got to hear more funny family stories about Mark. After lunch, the youngins went off on their own to sightsee while the ol' folks gave shopping another try. There are plenty of unique shops in Eureka Springs. I'm not very good at describing such things, but there seem to be enough handcrafted items, home decor shops, knick-knacks and brick-a-brack to please even the most seasoned shopper. Mark's favorite shop is Silly Chili's, a shop that specializes in sauces, salsas, chili mixes and all that hot stuff that sets your tongue on fire. I don't know why it is, but I always feel a little intimidated in these kinds of shops. I'm always afraid to buy some new sauce or seasoning, afraid I'll get it home and not like it. I suppose I should be more adventurous. We were lured into one shop because the bubble machines pumping bubbles into the street drew our attention. While I liked many of the items sold in the shop, it turned out to be a mistake going in there. Never in my life have I encountered such high pressure sales people! We went into the basement so Tim could show us a unique painting he admired, and not one but two salespeople followed us down there. One of them told Tim that if he liked that painting he'd "better buy it today because the artist is taking it out next week. I imagine she'd practically give it away for just $2000." When we went back up the stairs, they followed us up, ready to recite the entire history of any piece we just happened to glance at. I, quite seriously, barely GLANCED at a clock they were selling and heard a recitation of how it was made, who made it, and how wonderful it would look sitting in my living room. Mark mentioned that he liked a little fairy doll they had, and was forced to endure the history of their making, pointed to all the different fairies hanging around the shop, and on and on and on. We were approached by at least 8 salespeople each. It was absurd! Let me look! If I want to know about something I'll ask! I really couldn't handle being followed around like that and the attempts to pressure me into buying something. Mark and I finally beat it out of there while Dee Dee and Tim were trapped in a corner, surrounded by the pod people. Let them save themselves! We can't help them! ;-) Fortunately, the salespeople in that store were the exception rather than the rule. Most of the salespeople in the shops around town were just friendly and helpful, not out to cram something down your throat. All in all, if you enjoy shopping and unique shops you would love Eureka Springs. Just be sure to avoid the shop with the bubble machine if you don't want a salesperson in your face the whole time you're there! Dinner that night was at Rogue's Manor, the Inn where Dee Dee and Tim had spent the night before. It's a charming looking Inn and the restaurant had a variety of steaks and seafood to choose from. The bar area has an amazing wall featuring a rocky waterfall, and had it not been the smoking area, that's where we would have opted to eat. The rest of the restaurant is pretty too, but the spectacle of the waterfall would have been nice to dine under. Mark had raved about the seafood chowder and I followed his lead and ordered some for myself. Not being the world's biggest seafood fan, this was probably a mistake for me. Don't get me wrong, it was very good. It just isn't the kind of dish I like best. Next time I go there I'll opt for a steak. Everything else was wonderful, the salad, bread, vegetables, etc. Though the cheesecake sounded very tempting, Mark and I managed to resist because Mark had ordered us a butterscotch pie from a restaurant called "My Mother's Place" that we were going to indulge in later. Dee Dee couldn't resist the temptation of the cheesecake, however, and this nicely provided us the opportunity to have a taste. I would definitely like to have some the next time I'm there. Dinner was followed by outdoor theater. Eureka Springs is home to the "New Holy Land" which, among other things, features "The Great Passion Play," which chronicles the life of Jesus Christ from the crucifixion through the ascension. I'm ashamed that I had not done my "Roadside America" research before going there, as the complex also features what we dubbed "the Big Jesus," though it's officially named "Christ of the Ozarks." I suppose it's best that I didn't realize I would be seeing this before I got there, as it came as a terrific surprise for me. Here is how Roadside America (www.roadsideamerica.com) describes the statue: "Christ of the Ozarks, Eureka Springs, AR This Big J stands along a ridge near the Great Passion Play amphitheater, New Holy Land, and the Christ Only Art Gallery. He is probably the 'World's Tallest Uncrucified Christ,' standing seven stories and weighing two million pounds. He was completed in 1966, and according to 'The Story of the Building of the Great Statue,' as many as three cars could be hung on either wrist without damage. Visitors report that the eyes seem to move, but this is explained as the movement of the sun, not another incredible miracle. At night, attendees of the four-hour-long Passion Play walk off cramps around the eerie illuminated Messiah. The whole cavalcade of Bible treats was founded by the late radio racist Reverend Gerald L. K. Smith." The inaccuracy in this description is that the Passion Play is only 2 hours long, not 4, but we did indeed walk around it and gawk after the show was over (as well as a piece of the Berlin Wall that is also on the property). As for the play itself, I was absolutely stunned at the size and scope of the set. It was enormous! I expected some kind of small amphitheater, but instead it took up an entire hillside. The "Big Jesus" was illuminated and was visible through the trees to our right as the show took place. It seemed fitting. The show was visually stunning, particularly the resurrection, Christ's appearances after the resurrection, and the ascension. The show features a cast of 250 performers and who knows how many animals. It was very impressive. The acting and the sound were a little weak, but the visuals more than made up for it. I also left the show feeling a little more educated than I was going in. It made for a nice evening. After the show we all returned to Mark's house for more talking and much pie eating. The butterscotch pie from "My Mother's Place" was very good, but I wouldn't quite put it on the same plane as the butterscotch pie at Dean's Diner in PA. Still, it was very tasty, and the fact that "My Mother" made it led to many jokes with that play on words. "My mother makes great pie." "My mother would be ashamed of your pie cutting ability," etc. The next day, when we were all finally motivated to get dressed and ready, we went to brunch at one of Mark's favorite area restaurants, Myrtie Mae's. It seemed strange to me that restaurant with such good food was located in a Best Western. Somehow, "Best Western" and "good food" just don't seem to go together well. Still, it was VERY good. The brunch buffet featured an omelet station, hand carved meats, fried chicken, various breakfast items, various vegetable options, an incredible-looking salad bar and many different kinds of desserts. I was particularly fond of the fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and a dish they dubbed "burrito pie." We made absolute PIGS of ourselves and spent the rest of the day wishing to die! It was discouraging to see rain falling outside as we ate, since Mark and I had planned on going to Eureka Springs Gardens that day. Luck remained on my side for once, though, and the rain let up as we finished our meal. Tim and Dee Dee were, unfortunately, heading back home, so we bid them goodbye and headed off for the gardens. Because rain had been falling all morning, ours was practically the only car in the parking lot. They said they were open, so we headed in. Mark discovered that locals get to go in for free (what a great deal!), I paid my fee and we headed inside. I'm not sure I have the words to describe what a beautiful botanical garden this is. I definitely lack the knowledge of flora to go into detail about the kinds of flowers and plants that can be seen there. The most impressive feature for me was the "Blue Spring," located in the middle of the gardens, that flows deep with blue water stocked with trout. We took some time to feed the fish and then started working our way around the spring. One sign said that it's believed that some of the water may come from as far away as the Pacific Northwest! It also maintained that the water temperature averaged 54 degrees, which made it vital for us to find a place to stick our hands in the water. It did feel incredibly cool and refreshing. There were many interesting aspects to this place. The land it occupied was part of the Trail of Tears. There were cliffs jutting out that used to provide shelter for primitive Indians. There was a site of an old mill. There were rock gardens, wild flowers, beautiful bushes and walkways. It definitely impressed me and was worth the very small admission price. It was only 4:00 by the time we went through the garden, so we needed to find a way to have MORE FUN! I suggested going to Branson, as I was finding it hard to wait for my chance to see it. Mark was game, so we got in the car and started the trek. The route we took was a bit rural, and offered some interesting sights along the way. My favorite was a billboard in Missouri with a right-pointing arrow that proclaimed "Jesus: One Block." As we got closer to Branson, I found the billboard advertising the shows hilarious. I feel sorry for some of the "comedy show" guys who have stupid looks on their faces plastered all over billboards for months at a time. I liked that one show advertised "The Grand Ladies of Country Music," had a list of their four names along with their pictures. I hadn't heard of a single one of them! Now I'm not the biggest country music fan, but you'd think that if they were indeed the grand ladies of country music the average person should have at least heard of them! We decided to drive the strip before deciding on which touristy attractions we should visit. While Branson is indeed a tourist trap, I wouldn't say it's as tacky as some others I've been to. Yes, it has its share of go-cart tracks, t-shirt shops, cheapie souvenirs and miniature golf courses, but the place is mainly about shows so it features mainly show buildings. Personally, I'd rank it number 4 or 5 on my list of big tourist traps. We drove through town, laughing at various signs and the types of shows being offered (Waltzing Waters, Yakov, Andy and Glen: together again). One of our favorite sights was a hotel that's shaped like a steam boat. At least, it's shaped like a steam boat on one side! The other side is a flat wall! It's hilarious! The best named shop, in my opinion, was "Cakes and Cream: Dessert Parlor." Now THAT'S something to name a place! Unfortunately, it looked like the "cake" was funnel cake and the "cream" was ice cream, so it's not quite the "dessert parlor" I was dreaming of when I saw the name. After our tour of the strip, we decided on a few stops we wanted to make. We stopped to see a hotel that advertised an indoor water park. I really wasn't expecting much, but considering it was indoors, it was really nice! It had two hot tubs, two tubes slides, a lazy river, one of those buckets that dumps water on everybody, various guns and buckets you could shoot at people below, a separate pool for water basketball.it was really quite impressive! Near the hotel was a souvenir "market" that also featured a frozen custard stand. We foolishly tried to duplicate a Ted Drewes Hawaiian Concrete at this place and ended up bitterly disappointed with the watery concoction they handed us. We should know by now that the only place we can get Ted Drewes frozen custard is at Ted Drewes. I guess we're just going to have to go back to St. Louis. Our next stop was a go cart track and arcade. The track was not so great, but we foolishly paid our six dollars anyway. We actually had more fun in the arcade, where Mark was appalled at my hideous skee ball playing. I SUCK at that game! My balls were going everywhere. Twice one rolled back to me and one time it even landed in the next lane over! I have no idea what was wrong with me, but my hideous play sent us both into fits of laughter. Mark also proceeded to kick my butt at both air hockey and basketball. My pride was shattered. I have no idea how, but I managed to win some tickets anyway, and we made off with some loot that ended up making good toys for Mark's cats. Next up was "Lost Treasure" miniature golf. There is a miniature golf course of this same name in Myrtle Beach, and both feature a train ride that takes you to the top of the course. BONUS! Here, my pride was slightly restored in the fact that I finally won something, but really it was just fun walking around the course and going through the skull head.stuff like that. It was really dark by the time we finished playing and it looked like it was going to rain, so we finally started back to Holiday Island. We got panicky about driving on dark two-lane roads with so many deer in the area. It was shocking that we never actually laid eyes on any deer, though Mark saw a couple of "phantom" deer and nearly sent me out of my skin when he slammed on the brakes. We made it home safely, though, and I took advantage of some more hot tub time before finally calling it a night. The frogs were out in full force Sunday night. You really wouldn't believe how loud they can be (and there was only a small population out there that night), so it took me awhile to get used to the sound and allow myself to fall asleep, but I managed. This was a fantastic trip, and I really fell in love with the Ozarks. Everything was beautiful, fun and, much like Mark's house, comfortable and inviting. I will definitely be coming back! Cindy Stout
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Email: MarkinArk@earthlink.net
