The Right Turn - by Ken Rundel

First posted on 08-13-2008

Photo: Located on Spring Street in Eureka Springs, the original Flatiron building was built in 1880 and destroyed by fire in 1890. Shortly after a new building was erected and also destroyed by fire. The currently standing building was built in 1987.

Life is about choices. You come to a fork in the road and you must decide. Do I go left or right? In deciding which way to go it helps to have a little information. Well, here’s a story about a choice I had to make once. I hope one day it’ll help you make the right turn.

Thirty years before I made my right turn I was in first-year law school at the University of Arkansas. I had come from Dallas to Fayetteville and was sharing a house with two other students. One night over dinner, I was telling them how I needed a break from it all. Since our spare time was so precious, they knew I wanted something that would provide as close as possible to a guaranteed good time.

Arnold Goodman, an Arkansas native and one of my roommates, asked me if I’d ever heard of Eureka Springs. I told him that I had not. His eyes lit up like a father who’d hidden the ultimate Christmas present and was now about to reveal it to his child. He could hardly contain himself as he began describing it.

“Well, it’s this amazing little place way up in the Ozarks. These incredible mountain roads take you there—you won’t believe the scenery. And when you get there, it’s mind-boggling how they built this whole town on the side of a mountain. These great old Victorian homes, row after row of ‘em. All kinds of arts and crafts and specialty shops. It seems like half the town is artists and musicians and other creative types. Lemme see, what else ...” He paused to reflect but waved his hands so no one would interrupt. “Oh! Excellent restaurants! And lots of outdoor stuff, too. Really beautiful lakes and rivers, so there’s swimming, hiking, boating, hunting, fishing ...”

He caught his breath and then resumed with renewed intensity. “And maybe the best thing about Eureka Springs is how it makes you feel. It’s like the weight of the world’s been lifted off your shoulders. First of all, the people are fantastic! They just make you feel right at home. And the town itself is sooo relaxing. I don’t think there’s even a stop light. And even though there’s so much to do, it’s like nobody’s in a hurry.”

Well, those may not have been his exact words. It’s been a few decades, after all! But I can feel even today the awe with which he spoke of Eureka Springs. In that little thirty-second speech he totally convinced me to go.

But I didn’t. Unfortunately, I never found the time for that break during first-year law. And at the end of that year I moved back to Dallas to complete law school at SMU.

(At this point in writing this article, I asked my wife, MJ, to give me some feedback. After reading what I’d written thus far, she said, “Sounds like you made the mistake of your life—going back to Dallas instead of going to Eureka Springs!” I reminded her that, had I done things differently, we may not have met! And things do have a way of working themselves out.)

Fast-forward thirty years. I moved from Dallas to St. Louis where I met and fell in love with MJ. While driving from St. Louis to Fayetteville one weekend to visit her mother, we came to a fork in the road. A left turn would take us to her mother’s house and a right turn to Eureka Springs. I told M.J. how my old law school buddy had raved about this town. We had some time to spare. And so, after talking it over, we made the right turn. We’ve never regretted it.

I’ve lived most of my life in the city. After taking that right turn, I felt different. I felt like I’d traded gridlock, road rage and massive freeway traffic jams for dazzling winding roads that slither up the mountain, car exhaust fumes for deliciously clean mountain air, and concrete, asphalt and steel for tall trees, lush countryside, beautiful lakes and scenic rivers! As we climbed limestone-walled roads with incredible vistas at nearly every turn, I felt like I’d died and gone to driving heaven.

Don’t get me wrong—you’ve got to pay attention when you’re negotiating your way up, down and around these mountains! Do not underestimate the degree of difficulty here.

For the most part, though, traffic in and around Eureka Springs is a breeze. Once in town you’ll appreciate the fact that there are still zero traffic lights in Eureka Springs! One caveat, though—there’s so much to look at and you almost can’t keep your eyes on the road. My neck was constantly turning back and forth, craning up and down, taking in all the magnificent sights of this enchanted place.

Roads magically carved out of the mountainside snake past beautiful 19th Century Victorian homes. They’re perched precariously on cliff edges as if carefully placed there by the hand of God. This wonderfully quaint Victorian mountain village resonates with the elegance and pace of an earlier era. It is at once unique, majestic, breathtaking, inspirational and unforgettable.

I later discovered that this amazing historic architecture has been featured on Restoring America (1999) and in Architectural Digest. Eureka Springs Historic District was first listed in 1970 on the National Register of Historic Places.

One of the more recently built structures, Thorncrown Chapel, has also received national acclaim. It was named the 1981 “Design of the Year,” and “Best Architecture of the Decade” (1980’s) by the American Institute of Architecture. Ranking fourth on the list of the “Top 10 Designs of the Century,” this often-photographed, beautiful chapel is truly one of the most spectacular buildings you’ll ever see.

But there is so much more to love about Eureka Springs than just the buildings. Where should I start—the wealth of indoor and outdoor activities, the unmatched shopping, the award-winning restaurants and eclectic accommodations, or the wonderful way this place makes you feel? (My wife said to start with shopping, and she’s almost always right!)

On our first visit we only had time to see a dozen or so of the over 150 incredible, locally-owned specialty shops. You won’t find stores like these in any mall. Eureka Springs is a shopping mecca and a shopaholic’s dream! Jewelry, boutiques, antiques, leather goods, crafts, footwear, bath supplies, candy, lighting, smoke shops, pet supplies, teddy bears, local pubs, coffee shops,...the list is seemingly endless! And there are more art galleries here per capita than anywhere else in the country, displaying the works of more than 250 local artists.

You can spend your whole weekend shopping and not hit all the unique stores. Ask M.J.! My wife is enthralled by Eureka Springs shopping. She’s found items here she simply cannot find anywhere else. It’s one of the many reasons we keep coming back.

We’ve returned to Eureka Springs dozens of times over the past few years, enjoying the wide variety of accommodations the area has to offer. We’ve stayed in some of the major hotel chains on US Highway 62, the grand hotels in historic downtown, and in the secluded little cabins nestled in the woods in town. (There are 2,700 hotel and motel rooms and 125 B&B Rooms in or near town.)

On October 16, 2005 we were married in a Bed and Breakfast on nearby Misty Mountain. Our honeymoon suite was an absolutely magical place—a rustic barn whose loft provided an eye-popping view of the valley and adjacent mountains drenched in the morning mist. Inside, the loft had been transformed into a luxurious suite filled with modern conveniences. It was an absolutely unforgettable experience, although it certainly was not unique. We learned that over 6,000 weddings are performed here each year!

That’s partly due to the “romance” of the city and partly due to the wealth of amazing photo-ops Eureka Springs has to offer. Couples can get married on horseback (several choices), under the giant Christ of the Ozarks (The Great Passion Play), in an architectural masterpiece (Thorncrown Chapel), underground (Cosmic Caverns), among ghosts (historic Crescent Hotel), have a wildlife wedding with lion and tiger attendees at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, or at any one of a hundred special places in (B&B’s, chapels, gardens and springs) and around (Beaver Bridge, lakes and rivers) Eureka Springs.

The city’s restaurants offer as much variety as the accommodations. I think it was on our second trip to town that we discovered the Oasis. A merchant suggested we try it for lunch. It’s a tiny place that’s only open from 10 am until 2:30 pm. But the awesome eats that they serve up in those four hours are equal to or better than any food we’d ever tasted. The cuisine is self-described as “Ark-Mex,” and it was last year declared the “Best Home Cooking In Arkansas” by one of the state’s leading newspapers. It may be the best food on the planet!

But, as we found out, that was just the tip of the iceberg. Eureka Springs has over 75 restaurants providing excellent examples of every type of cuisine. We’ve visited many of them and have never been disappointed. At Café Soleil, Gaskin’s Cabin, Café Santa Fe, and Carribe, just to name a few, we’ve found cuisine on a par with the best found in any major metropolis. Minus the big city attitude! Eureka Springs is as much as a gourmet heaven as it is a shopper’s paradise, offering mouth-watering meals of every kind and description.

Life, however, is more than just shopping and eating—right? And we discovered that there is a seemingly endless list of things to do here!

Three lakes, Beaver, Table Rock and Leatherwood, and two rivers, Kings and White, offer excellent sites for boating, fishing and swimming. You can hike in and explore one of the largest city parks in the U.S.—Lake Leatherwood. It’s over 1600 acres, spring-fed, and formed by one of the largest cut-stone dams in the country.

Simply enjoying the incredible nature of Eureka Springs is almost a full-time job! There’s a decent chance you’ll see some wildlife. Don’t worry. The deer are as relaxed and friendly as the people! You feel healthier being just close to nature. You may even find that you sleep better.

Eureka Springs has four distinct seasons, and each has its wonders. There’s the stark beauty and the enhanced panoramic views of winter, the awesome, joyous rebirth of life in the spring, brilliant summers with deliciously cool nights, and the glorious explosion of colors in the fall. Special treats are the spring flowers and dogwood trees that bloom about April 10th and the fantastic fall foliage, which peaks around October 20th.

And should you ever tire of this unparalleled of outdoor majesty (God forbid!) there’s always more to do in Eureka Springs than you’ll have time for! The city is host to an amazing number of world-class musicians performing blues, bluegrass, folk, opera, country, rock and jazz. We scheduled one of our trips here to coincide with Arlo Guthrie’s concert at the Auditorium last fall. What a great place to see a show! Arlo (Woody’s son) and the whole Guthrie clan rewarded us with a memorable performance.

Musicians, TV and movie stars and other national leaders and celebrities also come here to enjoy the variety of experiences that can only be found in Eureka Springs. Special visitors have included: President Bill and Hillary Clinton, Stephen Spielberg, Robin Williams, the late Ray Charles, Bill Cosby, Bryant Gumble, Dave Brewbeck, Carrie Fisher, Mary Steenburgen, Billy Bob Thornton, Allison Krauss, Taj Mahal, Richie Havens, Ani DeFranco, Emmylou Harris, Chick Corea and more.

Visitors here face some tough choices on how to spend their valuable time. Besides the incredible specialty shops, art galleries and outdoor activities, they must decide between the numerous concerts and music festivals, world-class theatrical shows, 6 attractions cited in Ripley’s “Believe It or Not!”, a number of spa resorts, The Great Passion Play, local wildlife refuges, and the “haunted” Crescent Hotel, just to name a few!

On our second trip to town we made the serpentine climb up the mountain to the magnificent Crescent, which was built between 1884 and 1886. The TV show “Ghost Hunters” did an episode on the Crescent and say that their thermal camera detected a soldier who haunts the basement! Ghost tours are available. We didn’t see anything from beyond the grave while we were there, but it may have been their day off! Besides, we didn’t come back here to see dead people! In fact, one of the main reasons we keep returning to Eureka Springs is because of the live people here. They are, by far, the city’s most valuable asset.

The 2,278 people who reside at this altitude of 1,417 feet are, to me, as rare and precious as any gem. They made M.J. and I immediately feel right at home.

There’s a small town vibe here; the folks are friendly and cheerful. Lots of smiles! They seem to give you energy rather than extract it from you. The feeling is relaxed, peaceful and secure. Watch out, though. That feeling is infectious. If you’re not careful you may take some of it home with you!

Taken from the Greek, “Eureka” means “I found it!” Perhaps now you can begin to understand why that name is so appropriate. If not, you will when you get there. In the meantime, may all your turns be the right ones for you, and may all your journeys be as pleasant as ours to Eureka Springs have been.