Eureka Springs, Arkansas

We had heard that Eureka Springs is a cute little town, so it was one of the places we wanted to visit during our stay in Bentonville.  Eureka Springs is in the heart of the Ozark Mountains, and quite a scenic drive from Bentonville.

We had to drive up and around the series of connected rivers and lakes that flow through northern Arkansas – the road was curvy and hilly, winding our way through the mountains. 

Just outside of town, we stopped at the Thorncrown Chapel – it’s a beautiful little chapel in the woods, made entirely of glass and timber.

We drove through downtown Eureka Springs, and quickly determined that parking was at a premium, due to narrow streets and tiny parking lots.  The Visitor Center offered parking, and a shuttle into town and to several other nearby attractions.  We decided that was the best option, and paid for our parking and shuttle tickets.

We walked along the main street, admiring the historic buildings and interesting landscape, and browsing through the shops.

Hanging baskets adorning the balconies of some buildings,

and in other areas . . . tomato plants!

We spotted this guy in a doorway, just chillin’ out in the heat of the afternoon!  Too cute, and he didn’t get up when I took his picture – barely opened his eyes!

We walked through the downtown area for a couple hours, then found a place for a late lunch before catching the trolley that would take us up the hill to the historic Catholic Church.

We got dropped off at the historic Crescent Hotel, and the trolley driver told us to just walk through the lobby and we would find the catholic church out the back door and down the hill.

It’s a beautiful church, surrounded by rock walls, gardens and statues.

We planned on going to mass while we were here, and I had seen on the website that the Saturday mass was held in the Parish Center rather than the Church, so Tom and I looked around for the Parish Center . . . but we couldn’t find it.

Tom asked in the Gift Shop, and it turns out that the Parish Center is several miles away!  That’s a first!  Well, since we rode the trolley and didn’t have our Jeep, we couldn’t get over there in time, so we would need a plan B!

We waited for the next trolley, and rode back to the Visitor Center, and then started the scenic drive back to the campground.  It started raining on the way back, and rained through the whole night . . . we were glad it had held off long enough for us to enjoy our afternoon in Eureka Springs!

Meanwhile, up in Michigan, Bryce was getting ready for the basketball season with their annual Izzone Camp-out.  With lots of rain predicted there for the overnight, too, the campout was moved inside, though, and everybody was allowed to go back to their dorms/apartments rather than staying overnight.  They still had a great turnout, though!

Bryce was actually easy to find for a change!  As the Student Athletic Trainer for the team, he got a good spot right up front!

And in Virginia,  Nicolas’ long underway wrapped up with some exercises with other members of the Carrier Strike Group, and they posted some excellent pictures on facebook.

This is a really cool picture!

Sounds like they had a successful underway, but I’m sure they were all happy to get home . . . I know Nicolas was!