We played hokey on Friday and took a trip to Eureka Springs - a place I always love to visit. Eureka Springs was a summer home for many of the rich landowners and agriculture barons who lived in the Arkansas Delta years go. They discovered the beauty and coolness of the Ozark Mountains, as well as the natural healing springs that we everywhere in the area. They came by the hundreds, built their beautiful homes, established businesses and churches where they could escape the heat and humidity of Southern Arkansas. Tough times for Eureka Springs came after the turn of the century. People’s attitudes were changing, putting more faith into science and new medical discoveries and less into healing waters. Though the automobile brought a resurgence of tourism in the 1920s, the Great Depression of the 1930s dealt a heavy blow. Many buildings were abandoned or torn down. ES was little more than a seedy semi-ghost town until the 1960s, when hippies discovered it at about the same time as Christian fundamentalist Gerald L. K. Smith. The Great Passion Play opened in 1968 in the hills above ES. Hippies revitalized the downtown section and springs, bringing art, music, and alternative ideas. In the 1970’s, while teetering on the brink of disaster, the town’s civic leaders decided to consult with theme park experts to see if some grand attraction could be lured to the area. To their surprise, they came to understand that Eureka Springs, Arkansas is a theme park. Efforts began immediately to preserve what was left of the Victorian Village that had been built nearly a century earlier. The whole of the Historic Downtown Eureka Springs and most of the buildings in it were placed on the Registry of Historic Places, one of only two such places in the country. Many of the buildings now house quaint stores and shops - hours of browsing can take at least an entire day. My favorite places are the quilt shops and "Two Dumb Dames ( a sweet
shoppe with the best fudge ever!!!).
a refreshing sight along the way - the American flag billowing in the breeze
the road cut through the rocky Arkansas soil
a bit of topsoil - the rest is rock
the road to Eureka Springs is crooked and steep for miles - one of the many warning signs
the beginning of an adventure
amazing architecture
one of many picturesque streets -
a palatial home - now a museum
love this building - a person is always walking up or down streets
Historic Basin Street Hotel - said to be haunted
one of the smaller homes built into the hills
entrance to the Great Passion Play - a must see if you visit Eureka Springs
On the way home we stopped at War Eagle Mill, another fun place to visit. A renovated undershot grist mill which is actually a working mill. Many types of stone ground flours and mixes are available for purchase, as well as a gift shop, many antiques, and a restaurant on the top floor which features beans and cornbread, and pecan, blackberry, or apple cobblers!
the working grist mill
an undershot mill - the water enters from below and turns the water wheel
Today was our last Sunday at out home church - Prairie Grove Christian Church as well as out last Sunday School Class until we return next year, Pastor Vance finished his series in I Corinthians, reminding us to be intentional stewards of our money - always aware of the resources that He blessed us with. Our awareness should be on how we use these resources and our willingness to be cheerful givers. God rains blessings on us everyday - we need to return these blessings to Him - not only 10 fold, but however it is laid on our hearts to do. Stewardship is an act of worship, not a weekly chore! The more blessings He pours out on us, the more blessings we need to give back. We do not know what the future holds - our country is changing daily - but we need to keep on what we are doing for the Lord because our hope is in Jesus Christ.
Pray for us as we return to the valley - that everything we do is for the glory of God and nothing is a reflection on ourselves.
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