Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
$7.50; 10am-5pm Mar 1-Nov 30)
is strictly for the young and wild at heart.
The spectacular
Blanchard Springs Caverns
( 870-757-2211;
www.blanchardsprings.org
; NF 54, Forest Rd, off Hwy 14; adult/child Drip Stone Tour $10.50/5.50,
Wild Cave Tour $75; 10:30am-4:30pm; )
, located 15 miles northwest of Mountain View,
were carved by an underground river and rival those at Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
Three Forest Service guided tours range from disabled-accessible to adventurous three-
to four-hour spelunking sessions. The welcoming and historic 1918
Wildflower B&B
(
870-269-4383;
www.wildflowerbb.com
; 100 Washington; r incl breakfast from $89; )
is
right on the Courtsquare with a rocking chair-equipped, wrap-around porch, and cozy
down-home trappings.
Tommy's Famous Pizza and BBQ
(cnr Carpenter & W Main Sts;
pizza $7-26, mains $7-13; from 3pm)
is run by the friendliest bunch of backwoods hippies
you could ask for. The pulled-pork BBQ pizza marries Tommy's specialties perfectly.
Eureka Springs
Artsy, quirky and drop-dead gorgeous, Eureka Springs, near Arkansas' northwestern
corner, perches in a steep valley and is one of the coolest towns in the South. Victorian
buildings line crooked streets and a crunchy local population welcomes all - it's one of
the most explicitly gay-friendly towns in the Ozarks and an island of Democratic blue in
a sea of Republican red. On the surface, art galleries and kitschy shops compete with
commercialized country music and the 70ft
Christ of the Ozarks
statue for your atten-
tion. But bend a local's ear and find out who's playing at the nearest pub, or the location
of their favorite swimming hole, and this idiosyncratic village will take on new dimen-
sions. Hiking, cycling, and horseback-riding opportunities abound. There are no red
lights or perpendicular cross streets, so zipping around its historical beauty is a breeze.
Well, except for those steep hills.
Hwy 62 E; 9am-5pm)
has information about lodging, activities, tours and local attrac-
ES & NA Railway
( 479-253-9623;
www.esnarailway.com
;
299 N Main St; adult/child $14/7;
Tue-Sat Apr-Oct)
puffs through the Ozark hills on an hour-long tour three times a day
(four times on Saturday).
Thorncrown Chapel
( 479-253-7401;
www.thorncrown.com
; 12968 Hwy 62 W; donation
suggested; 9am-5pm Apr-Nov, 11am-4pm Mar & Dec)
is a magnificent sanctuary made of
glass, with its 48ft-tall wooden skeleton holding 425 windows. There's not much
between your prayers and God's green earth here. It's just outside of town in the woods.
