Tuesday, October 13, 2015. To Eureka Springs, AR.

It didn't take long to get to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, in the morning. Part of our vacation plans have been to see some of the sites Chris remembers going to several times with his Mom and Grandmother when he was small. But we aren't sure whether it might be Eureka Springs or Hot Springs, so we plan to see both during this vacation.

Yes, Eureka Springs is definitely a tourist town. Most people know this, but it's possible that someone that doesn't travel much might not be aware of that. But that can even be fun for those of us that aren't big shoppers, in a kitchy sort of way.

Before we even got to town we stopped at the Thorncrown Chapel outside of town. This chapel opened in 1980 and contains 425 windows and over 6,000 square feet of glass. It's surrounded by woods. They ask that you simply enter, sit, and keep talking to a minimum and quiet. There were quite a few people there when we arrived. The atmosphere and view are inspiring and peaceful. Although we didn't find any mention of it in the promotional literature, we feel there are definite nods to some of Frank Lloyd Wright's work.

On entering town we discovered Fresh Harvest Tasting Room. They have lots of various olive oils and balsamic vinegars to taste and purchase we had lots of fun tasting, especially the vinegars. Although they have the basics, most of the items are either fused or infused with all sorts of other foods. We found a number we really liked, but both really liked the Espresso Balsamic Vinegar. That also happens to be their best-seller!

We then went to a store called The Amish Collection. Kathy wanted to go in and drool over the furniture. So we did. I'll gladly take at least one of everything in the store, if someone is willing to bankroll me! There were scads of simply beautiful pieces; but even if we wanted to purchase something large we couldn't get it back in the camper van. It looks like a trip to Yoder, Kansas, is now on the agenda to look at their furniture.

We did purchase one smaller item: a table that can be pulled up to a chair or couch to eat, etc. OK, it's maybe a glorified TV tray, but it's beautiful wood! We think it will come in handy when all the family is at our house and those sitting on the family room couch need a place for drinks rather than the floor! We also discovered that it actually makes eating in the camper easier for Kathy. However, moving it from the bed to the driver's seat and back each day/night is somewhat irritating.


We called for reservations at the Eureka Springs KOA and then proceeded to go on in to the historic downtown area of Eureka Springs. We walked around mainly, bought some chocolate candies, and then decided to eat some supper in town. We ate at the 1905 Basin Park Hotel. We found the meals to be simply OK. Walked around a bit more and headed to the campground.

We're watching our way through season one of The Blacklist, in addition to reading...