Back in the 1800s, Europeans and local settlers used to come to Eureka Springs because of the supposed 'healing powers' of the spring waters. Today, people come to Eureka for the spas, neat little boutique stores, and eclectic mix of people and lifestyles.
As we parked in one of the local lots, we figured we were in for an interesting time...
The city has a very unique mix of characters. There were very obviously gay locals, super-friendly artists and hippies, and a bunch of homeless people just chillin' out in this small town in the middle of nowhere.... it was a neat group of people.
The locals pointed out to us the fact that bikers (read: Harley riders) always ride through their little town on the weekends...
Eureka Springs was a neat little mix of small, trendy stores with lots of hand-crafted goodies made by the locals. As you can see, the Harleys were everywhere.
The European influence and Victorian architecture was seen throughout the little town, for both the little shops as well as the homes in the local neighborhoods.
They weren't kidding when they said that none of the roads meet at right angles! Here's a shot of a spa/hotel that has been a "Eureka Springs place of interest" since the 1800s!
For a second there, we thought we were back in Rio de Janeiro! Eureka Springs, oddly enough, is home to the Christ of the Ozarks, erected in 1966 as part of a planned religious theme park!
It was interesting that Eureka had such a religious flavor, as it is one of the most gay-friendly cities in the South; there are four annual Diversity weekends hosted by the city!
We saw a bunch of cute little stores on our drive out to Eureka. The names of the stores were cracking us up!
Here's a nice spot, Road Dawgs, to get your authentic leather biker apparel...
Shout to Web's boy Ant Guido... Fat Guido's is a popular pit stop for BBQ...
On the way back to Fayetteville, we stopped by the Thorncrown Chapel, built in 1980.
As many of you know, we are pretty big fans of Frank Lloyd Wright. This chapel was built in homage to him. Note the use of symmetrical patterns and abundant natural lighting throughout the building...
The chapel is situated on the side of one of the mountains overlooking the valleys beneath the Ozarks, in the midst of the trees. It was beautiful inside and out.
The chapel was selected for the 2006 "Twenty-Five Year Award" by the American Institute of Architects, recognizing structures that have had significant influence on the profession. We sat inside, made a donation, and enjoyed the peace and serenity that comes with being close with God.
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