We went on a short vacation to visit friends in Eureka Springs, Arkansas from last Thursday to this Monday. We managed to pack a pretty good amount of stuff into those few days, including helping out at the AK State Chili Cook Off. So, this week, for our Wanderings, I am going to give you links to some of the places we visited.
One of the first places we visited was the Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge. They rescue big (and some not so big) wild cats from bad situations and give them a place to live where they are safe and protected. They have lions, tigers, and bears! Oh, my! As well as a monkey, bobcats, and cross breeds like ligers. It’s a pretty cool place. They not only give the cats large enclosures to live in, but also toys and places to climb so they have some enrichment, as well. It was an awesome place!
Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge
We also spent some time walking around downtown Eureka Springs. It’s a neat little town with steep, windy, narrow streets. There are a lot of cute little shops and none of the big department stores. Eureka Springs was first populated because of the natural springs in the area that were thought to have many health benefits. There are small parks around several of the springs, and the whole area is still a historic district. Houses surrounding the downtown area have to be maintained in a historically authentic manner. There are old hotels and other buildings that are beautiful examples of architecture. (The web site has a link to the city’s web cams at the bottom.)
We also visited Thorncrown Chapel, which is a beautiful open chapel set in a wooded area. It is mostly glass so you can see the beauty of nature all around. It’s peaceful and serene, and a really good place to replenish spoons if you need to.
One of the biggest attractions here is the Christ of the Ozarks, the large statue of Christ that looks out over the area. You can see it from almost everywhere. It is quite impressive up close. The statue was recently refinished, so it is really beautiful right now. We could see it from our bedroom at our friends’ house.
On Monday, since we had a late flight home, we went to Cosmic Cavern. Our friend, Steve, is one of the tour guides there. He’s a geologist, so it’s a good job for him. We’ve been to other caves, but they are all different, and I always learn something new.
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