Christ of the Ozarks statue turns 50

Happy Birthday to the largest statue of Jesus in the United States! Many of you have enjoyed the Passion Play here in Eureka Springs which is where the statue is located on Magnetic Mountain. You can view it from many spots all around town, and then walk to the base of the statue to get a great photo of it. There is also a scenic overlook at the location to view the downtown and mountains surrounding us. Our statue is 67 feet high with an arm span of 65 feet.

Below is a great article about our statue, and the others throughout the world.

http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2016/aug/21/christ-of-ozarks-statue-turns-50-201608/

Heartstone Inn in the News

The Lovely County Citizen, our local newspaper, shared our new award in this week’s newspaper. Samantha came and interviewed us last weekend.

Rojeks happy to win TripAdvisor award

Wednesday, March 9, 2016
By Samantha Jones

Rick and Cheri Rojek’s dedication to Heartstone Inn has clearly paid off.

Recently, the inn won a 2016 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice award. The only property in Arkansas to win the award, the inn ranked 23 out of 25 in the bed and breakfast category.

Rick and Cheri Rojek, who have owned the inn since 1999, credited the achievement to the customers. The customers, Cheri Rojek said, are what makes working in tourism so rewarding.

“You build a relationship with the customer. We know they have other choices to stay, but they choose to stay with us over and over again,” Cheri Rojek said. “That’s a great thing.”

Rick Rojek recalled working in the hotel industry for years before purchasing the inn, saying his experience in corporate tourism helped prepare him to own a bed and breakfast. Having worked on a larger scale, Rick Rojek said, he has much more appreciation for the personal relationships he creates through Heartstone Inn.

“It’s much more personalized for sure. We can truly take care of each and every guest and really figure out what their likes are,” Rick Rojek said.

An example of that, Cheri Rojek explained, is getting to know what type of beverages customers prefer.

“You try to remember what they drink. Somebody drank iced tea today. I’ll make sure I have iced tea for her tomorrow,” Cheri Rojek said.

Getting to know the customers, Rick Rojek continued, makes them want to return to to the inn. Cheri Rojek recalled one couple that married at the inn 16 years ago, saying the couple returns every year to celebrate.

“It’s become a tradition for them to come back here, which is cool. It’s really special to be part of their lives,” Rick Rojek said.

Cheri Rojek pointed out that the customer reviews are the reason the inn won the award. This, Rick Rojek said, makes the award even more worthwhile.

“It’s such an honor. It inspires me to be better, honestly,” Rick Rojek said.

Moving forward, the couple said they hope the inn continues to bring more people to Eureka Springs.

“We are cheerleaders for this town,” Cheri Rojek said. “It’s an awesome town, and we want to be sure people are enjoying the restaurants and shopping local. That’s good for everybody.”

Evening Entertainment

When you visit this year you may be surprised by how many new shows we have in town. There is definitely something for everyone. If you are interested in magic, cabaret, country or variety we have loads of entertainment for you in the evenings. Don’t forget the Great Passion Play is also open for the season and Opera in the Ozarks begins its 65th season June 19!

Just up the street from us, held in a beautiful old stone church is Intrigue Theater. They just spent all winter in the Caribbean as part of the entertainment on a cruise ship, and now they’re back in Eureka Springs for their 3rd season. A very entertaining show of Illusion, magic and mind reading!

The George Brothers are performing at the Pine Mountain Jamboree this season. They used to headline the Ozark Mountain Hoedown with great success, so successful they eventually went on tour. They’re back this year with P.Nut and Ponytail and are putting on a great show!

Lovin’ Every Minute is a variety show in the Auditorium downtown this year with big production numbers. Steve Kinworthy and his talented cast of singers and dancers perform exciting live stage production numbers. It’s eye popping production and vocals are backed up nightly by incredibly talented musicians.

Mark Wayne Beers is a singer,songwriter and drummer who started a new theater in the Gaskin Switch Shopping Center this year. Mark’s concerts are up close and personal in his small 50 seat theater where he performs 50’s Rock and Roll, Country and Gospel music.

The Saucy Cabaret is a variety comedy show with three performers who have decades of professional show business experience between them. It will be held at the Main Stage Theater downtown, mostly on Monday nights.

New exhibits coming to Crystal Bridges Museum

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.

http://www.arkansasmatters.com/story/d/story/new-temporary-exhibits-for-crystal-bridges-in-2015/39207/5oessB2djU2R2MQRoWQ8gg

Fun @ Dogwood Canyon Nature Park

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.

479-253-8916

Experience Eureka Springs, AR