Eureka Springs, AR

Thursday, January 28

Today began at the Osage Prairie Campground in Nevada, Missouri. It’s a weird feeling seeing a place for the first time with the morning light. It was dark when we arrived last night around 8:00pm, so this morning was the first time we set our sights on our surroundings.

The campground was nice with lots of amenities and activities for kids. Of course, all of that is closed for the off-season which is fine since we were just passing through anyway. Andi found a way to install my new exercise control track to a light pole, so I was able to start my day with a workout. That always puts me in a happy mood! Meanwhile, Andi de-winterized the RV since we’re confident we’ll now be traveling in above-freezing temperatures. He also fed and showered the kids, then assigned them each some research questions about the Ozarks and Arkansas as we’re heading there later today.

The Osage Prairie campground host suggested we stop in for breakfast at the restaurant next door — a breakfast cafe that also serves burgers, Chinese food and salads — must be good, right?! — but, we didn’t have time for a restaurant breakfast this morning. We cruised by the local Wal-Mart on our way out of town. Andi ran inside to grab a few things while Tory, Aden and I stayed inside the RV and did school for the day. Then, we hit he road for Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

We stopped for lunch just north of the Missouri / Arkansas state line in a little town called Stark City. The sun was shining and the snow was gone from the ground — it felt like spring! Thirty-seven degrees & sunny outside.

The minute we crossed the Arkansas state line, the landscape changed dramatically. Suddenly, we were driving through rolling hills and along very curvy roads. Tory started to feel car sick, so she sat in the front seat with me for a little bit. Luckily, she felt better once we arrived in Eureka Springs, AR.

Our first stop was Lake Leatherwood in Eureka Springs to check out the camping. The city park was beautiful with lake views and a big playground. The kids loved climbing around the statue of a big ape (Big foot?).

Even though there was camping inside the city park, the roads were pretty bumpy and there wasn’t a great place to turn around. We drove by the office / marina to check-in for camping and it appeared to be closed. Andi and I decided to drive into Eureka Springs to check out a private RV park that was highly reviewed. Google Maps took us through downtown Eureka Springs which was very narrow and not at all RV-friendly! Both Andi and I agreed there must’ve been a better way to get to the RV park on the other side of town. I can’t imagine big rigs taking this same route.

Andi reserved us one night’s stay at Wanderlust RV Park in Eureka Springs. The property was expansive — situated on top of a ridge overlooking the Arkansas valley below. Once we were settled into our campsite, the four of us walked about a mile to The Great Passion Play where the campground host told us we’d find some hiking trails.

What we found was a very large outdoor performance complex with a petting zoo! Who would have guessed? The gates were open, but it was completely absent of any people. As we walked along the sidewalk, we could hear goats bleating nearby. Eventually, we stumbled into a courtyard filled with biblical garden stones, water features and a large animal pen filled with llamas, goats, sheep, chickens, turkeys, and rabbits. A quick Google search told us that The Great Passion Play is an event venue that reenacts the last week of Jesus’ life on Earth. The animals are part of the play which runs daily May-October.

This is one of my favorite things about traveling — you never know how the day might unfold! Who would have guessed we’d discover a Jesus petting zoo on our walk today and have the place all to ourselves?

After watching the animals for a while, the four of us walked further into The Great Passion Play complex to see the 4,100-seat amphitheater. Then, we followed signs to the “Christ of the Ozark” statue which we could see in the distance.

The Christ of the Ozark statue stands 67 feet tall and 65 feet wide. The afternoon was sunny and clear making the white statue stand out against the bright blue sky. The sculpture was built by hand in 1966 and has since looked over the town of Eureka Springs atop Majestic Mountain.

After one last stop by the petting zoo to say good-bye to the animals, the four of us walked back to camp at Wanderlust RV park. Aden was disappointed we wouldn’t be stopping for ice cream as it appears that most of the businesses in Eureka Springs shut down during the months of January and February. Judging by the size of the RV park we’re staying at and the number of cottages there are in town, I’d guess Eureka Springs draws quite the crowd of people during the warmer months.

Back at camp, Andi grilled pork chops and cauliflower for dinner while I baked dinner rolls in the RV’s convection oven. It worked really well! Can’t believe we never tried using the convection oven in our past RV.

That evening, we watched a few episodes of When Calls the Heart together and took turns challenging each other on Aden’s Nintendo Switch. Both lifestyles have their perks, but Andi and I can’t get over how much more “quality” time we spend as a family when we’re traveling in the RV. Back at the cabin, we’d each be busy doing our own activities & in the RV we’re together 24/7 for better or for worse. Mostly for the better, I’d say.

Friday, January 29

Andi and I spent most of the morning on a financial call while Tory and Aden quietly watched their iPads. Once we were finished, the four of us drove the RV into town and parked in one of the free parking lots available. Well, actually, parking isn’t always free but when Andi went to pay the attendant said, “Oh, honey, it’s the wintertime! You don’t need to pay.” Perks of traveling during the off-season!

Once our RV was parked in a safe location, we walked about a mile into downtown Eureka Springs. The town is adorable with lots of old buildings made of stone. Eureka Springs grew in popularity during the late 1800’s when visitors flocked to its springs thought to be “healing waters.”

After we walked around downtown for a bit, we decided to grab lunch at Local Flavor Cafe. As only true northerners would, we asked to be seated on the patio because the sun was shining and the fresh air really did feel good. It was a little chilly — about 45 degrees outside — but still enjoyable. The restaurant food and service were fantastic at Local Flavor Cafe. Andi and I ordered salads, Tory had a cheeseburger and Aden has grilled chicken.

After lunch, we made our way out of town to Devils Den State Park in Fayetteville, AR. There was still so much more to see and do in Eureka Springs, but unfortunately most of it was closed due to either COVID and/or the off-season. I guess that gives us a reason to come back to Eureka Springs someday!