Eureka Springs, Arkansas may not be the town time forgot, but it still represents all that was best about traveling when I grew up in the 1960s and 1970s. Trips were a rare opportunity to eat out, and when we did, we didn’t stop at McDonald’s or Applebees, we stopped at a local restaurant that we had perhaps never heard of.
In Eureka Springs today, you can still find more independent establishments than chains. This is certainly a great reason to visit, but add the warm hospitality you find plentiful, a good selection of historic inns, more modern hotels and Route 66 type motels coupled with fun shopping, with a big emphasis on independent retailers that aren’t pedaling cheap “Made in China” junk that becomes obsolete the minute you walk out the door, Eureka Springs makes a great weekend getaway.
Feeling Brave?
Check out the Basin Park Hotel Ghost Tour where you will learn the stories of the colorful characters who stayed, worked, died, and perhaps remain here at the “People’s Hotel”. The tour includes exclusive access to the hotel’s rooftop, the underground cave that stored bootleg whiskey.
Eureka Springs also boast many spas from which to choose. All of this is set in historic buildings and the Ozarks. Eureka Springs simply has all the ingredients for a great weekend with your honey or best girlfriends. And it gets better from there, relatively speaking costs here are a bargain, so next time you want a short escape, think Arkansas.