Saw this post of Facebook, Thorncrown Chapel wins award from Architect Magazine. Just about 5 minutes from the Heartstone Inn, it is a “can’t miss” attraction in Eureka Springs. Especially pretty in Spring with the flowering trees, put this on your list of things to see when you are here.
http://www.architectmagazine.com/design/buildings/arch-madness-2015-thorncrown-chapel-wins_o
Small town Americana is alive and well across the entire United States. With thousands of sleep towns and beautiful villages, a new idea of an American downtown has emerged. Gone are the days of a downtown area with a post office, market and police department. What has taken the place of this outdates notion are unique and eclectic downtown areas full of energy, entertainment and accessibility for Americans of all ages. Small towns have become the central gathering places for residents and visitors of the many small towns and cities across the country. Many of these downtowns have rich history and culture attached to them. In addition to their history, many of these small downtowns are now places to shop, unwind, dine, attend festivals, hear music and so much more. Read more about it here:
http://www.bestchoicereviews.org/50-best-small-town-downtowns-in-america/
The Snow Train Village Returns to Eureka Springs
The largest privately owned Snow Train Village in the United States will return to Eureka Springs, beginning on Saturday, November 15th, and running through Tuesday, December 23rd. The exhibit consists of well over 300 buildings which take you back to a 1930’s to 1950’s landscape of small town America, with three Lionel 0 scale trains, a Lionel 0 scale trolley, and a Polar Express train.
Open generally from 5:00pm to 7:00pm on Fridays, (1:00pm-7:00pm on the Friday after Thanksgiving), 10:00am to 6:00pm on Saturdays, and 11:00am-5:00pm on Sundays, with additional days and hours in December, it will be located at the Gaskins Switch Village, 2051 East Van Buren in Eureka Springs.
Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for children. This event is a fundraiser for the Eureka Springs Historical Museum, and is hosted by Larry and Cathy Handley, owners of the display.
For details on dates and hours call 479-253-9417 or visit www.eurekaspringshistoricalmuseum.org
We’ve mentioned Crystal Bridges Museum before, it is a wonderful day trip here from Eureka Springs. It takes about an hour door to door and is scenic along the way.
They have announced new temporary exhibits for next year that sound really great! We’ve taken the time to wander the museum, the trails and even see a few of the special exhibits. Well worth the trip and we think you’ll enjoy it too. This link talks about the special exhibits for next year and gives you the dates in case you’d like to make a trip.
Rick and I recently took some time to enjoy this beautiful area that we live in. One area quite close to Eureka Springs is Dogwood Canyon Nature Park. It is about 30 minutes north of town, on the way to Branson, MO. 10,000 acres of nature preserve owned by the Bass Pro folks. There are many, many things to do here. We had fun on the Segway Tour. You arrive at the park, there is a café to get a quick lunch if you like. We had a short course on how to ride a Segway, (it is really easy), and off on our guided tour of the park. We drove past waterfalls, wedding chapel, trout fishing streams, more waterfalls, through covered bridges, over stone bridges, past caves, and ended up at the Glory Hole. This is a beautiful pool with waterfall and huge trout. It was very fun and we plan on doing it again on an even longer trail!
Besides the Segway Tour, you can walk or rent a bicycle to travel the paved trails. There is horseback riding at their stables, a tram or jeep tour of more of the acreage. You can fish from the banks of the river, or go deeper into the park with a guide. This area will be absolutely beautiful this fall! Ask us and we can help you make your plans.
