Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
You can nest downtown at the historic
New Orleans Hotel and Suchness Spa
(
479-253-8630;
www.neworleanshotelandspa.com
; 63 Spring St; r from $89; )
, which
would send you reeling back in time, except for the New Age, chakra balancing spa in
Buren St; cottages $149-169; )
offers gorgeous sunlit, Jacuzzi-equipped tree houses
(that are more like cottages on stilts) in the woods on the canyon rim.
Tue)
, downtown, the coffee drinks and breakfasts are renowned. After dark, find
Chelsea's Pizzeria
( 479-253-8231;
www.chelseascornercafe.com
; 10 Mountain St; mains
$10-20; noon-10pm Sun-Thu, to midnight Fri & Sat)
, for good pies and Mediterranean fare,
and an excellent live music scene in the cavernous bar downstairs.
DON'T MISS
A LOVELY LOOP
Downtown Eureka Springs is beautiful in and of itself, but the town's real coup is its
easily overlooked
Historic Loop
, a 3.5-mile ring of history through downtown and
neighboring residential neighborhoods. The route is dotted with over 300 Victorian
homes, all built before 1910, each and every one of them a jaw-dropper and on par
with any preserved historic district in the USA.
Pick up a Six Scenic Walking Toursbrochure from the visitor center in Eureka
Springs, rent a bike from
Adventure Mountain Outfitters
( 479-253-0900;
www.adventuremountainoutfitters.com
;
151 Spring St, Eureka Springs; half day from $50; 9am-5pm
child $6/2;
9am-5pm Jan-Apr & Nov-Dec, to 8pm Sun May-Oct)
.
Buffalo National River
Yet another under-acknowledged Arkansas gem, and perhaps the best of them all, this
135-mile river flows beneath dramatic bluffs through unspoiled Ozark forest. The upriver
section tends to have most of the white water, while the lower reaches ease lazily along -
buff
)
has 10 campgrounds and three designated wilderness areas; the most accessible is
through the
Tyler Bend visitor center
( 870-439-2502; 8:30am-4:30pm)
, 11 miles
north of Marshall on Hwy 65, where you can also pick up a list of approved outfitters for
self-guided rafting or canoe trips, the best way to tour the park and see the gargantuan
limestone bluffs. Or simply seek out
Buffalo Outdoor Center
(BOC;
800-221-5514;