Eureka Springs, Arkansas

June 23 to 26, 2011        


Wanderlust RV Park offers an "Escapees" discount and was on the trolley/bus route for the city of Eureka Springs. I had a reservation for 3 nights, $25.00 day, back-in full hookups. The pull-thru sites were near the road.  My site was in a back row with a wooded area behind my coach.

On Thursday morning, I rode the bus to the downtown depot, I walked up North Main Street (the town is very hilly and you walk up and down all day), stopping at the different stores and galleries and went to Basin Spring Park, the site of one of the "springs". I also went to the 6th floor of the Basin Hotel to look out over the city.

On Friday, I rode the "blue" bus to the downtown depot and then got on the "purple" bus to go west of town to the Thorncrown    Chapel. A timber framed chapel that has walls of glass.

The buses comes around every 30 minutes, it was just enough time to sit in the chapel for awhile, then I rode back downtown and had the bus drop me off on Magnetic Street and walked to the "Magnetic Spring" and to the Train Depot.

 Magnetic Spring

I rode the "purple" bus again and transferred to the "red" bus - this red route goes around the historic district and several of the springs. I rode the bus to the top of the hill, and then walked along the streets, stopping at the different springs. There were many older, Victorian style homes, some large and some small cottages. I walked up another long incline until I reached the Crescent Hotel and  waited for the bus to take me around the rest of the Historic Loop.

Grotto Spring

I had a late lunch at a downtown cafe and then went to the Historical Museum. I asked the volunteers at the Museum about another route on the map that the buses did not go to. There were several springs in this area, they said the route was not difficult to walk. I'm glad I decided to do this extra walk. I came upon a large pond, with a sign that said "Keep off Dam" - not sure what the source of water was. There were hundreds of blue dragonflies all around the edge of the water. I tried to take pictures, but they did not come out very well. 

Cave Spring

There are 62 springs within the city limits, and 13 on the map of the downtown area. I only missed one of the 13 springs, the description for the Soldier Spring at East Mountain Overlook said it was a difficult walk and I had already been walking all day, so I decided to just finish walking the loop I was on and to head back downtown to catch the bus back to the RV Park.



I went to the RV office to ask about a late checkout on Saturday morning, I saw a sign for a craft and quilt show and wanted to take the bus there in the morning and didn't know if I would be back in time for an 11am checkout.


I never made it to the craft show. I woke up around 5am Saturday feeling very sick, either a 24 hour bug or some mild food poisoning. I called the RV office and told them I needed to stay another day, that I was not well enough to drive, and would stop at the office on Sunday morning.


5 am Sunday morning, I felt 90% better and decided to stay at the campground another night. Whoever came up with "24 hour bug" was very accurate. I don't ever remember being sick like this before. 


Eureka Springs is a town I would visit again, I like the idea of the bus system. They have four different routes. The buses stop at motels, campgrounds, restaurants, the grocery store and many other places. I enjoy walking and I was able to spend many hours walking each day, even though it was very hilly - it was a good workout. 


The RV Park had a sign about WorKamping, I may have to check it out in the fall or spring, it was too hot in June and I'm sure July and August are even hotter and they do get snow and ice in Jan. & Feb.


If not this year, maybe another year - there are so many places I want to visit.