The Beauty Around Us

VROC Reunion Rally 2015: Downtown Eureka Springs

By Linda G. on September 16, 2015

Today is Day 6 of our 13-day vacation.  We are in Eureka Springs, AR attending the annual Vulcan Riders and Owners Club (VROC) Reunion motorcycle rally.

Bob and I rode to downtown Eureka Springs this morning. Downtown Eureka Springs is an enchanting place.  I love the architecture and the overall quaint feeling of the downtown area.

We parked in a privately-owned lot, along S. Main Street, near the Cathouse.

Neither Bob nor I were familiar with this type of parking meter.  I learned that this parking meter is known as an “honor box”.  Owners monitor honor boxes to make sure that for each space in which a vehicle is located a payment has been made.  Nonpayment at one of the private lots may result in your vehicle being towed.

The Cathouse

The Cathouse is a popular Eureka Springs bar.  It is where the second half of Susan’s bachelorette party was held last night.

I liked this metal motorcycle, located in front of the Cathouse.

Please join Bob and me, as we walk along S. Main and Spring Streets.

S. Main Street
Walking toward the Carroll County Courthouse

S. Main Street
Walking toward the Carroll County Courthouse

Downtown Eureka Springs is a shopper’s mecca, a shopping community.  Whether you like to shop for clothes, jewelry, fine art, gourmet food, kitchen supplies or home decor, Eureka Springs has it all.  We explored many stores during our walk along S. Main and Spring Streets.  It took willpower, but we made only one purchase.  I purchased a Route 66 shoulder bag.

Carroll County Courthouse

Carroll County actually has two county seats (Eureka Springs and Berryville) due to the seasonal swelling of the Kings River, which divides the county in a nearly vertical line. Historically, this made the river non-navigable and severed the county in two. Modern bridges solved this problem long ago, but the twin county seat solution remained.

Continuing our walk along S. Main Street, we discovered a mural.

This historic mural (12 feet high by 55 feet wide) dramatizes the early days of Eureka Springs; from the Indians who first camped here and discovered the curative properties of the many springs to the tourism of the early 20th Century. This painting was done by members of the Eureka Springs Guild of Artist and Crafts people. It was designed and supervised by well known artist and muralist Louis Freund, longtime resident.

Located on Spring Street near its intersection with Main Street, Humpty Dumpty sits on a wall.

The Humpty Dumpty sculpture weighs 500+ pounds.
I hope he doesn’t have a great fall!

Continuing our walk along Spring Street, we approach the Basin Spring Park.

Approaching the Basin Spring Park (on the left)

Basin Spring is a legendary Indian healing spring known to Native Americans and early pioneer settlers.  It is now the heart of Eureka Springs.

Basin Spring Park

Basin Spring Park
looking toward Spring Street

Basin Spring Park

Basin Spring Park offers a picture-perfect resting place for busy shoppers. There is often live music performed in the bandshell.

the Doughboy statue at Basin Spring Park

At the intersection of Spring and Center Streets,
we discovered a building that reminded us of a similar building found in our hometown of Warren, PA.

I read that the Flatiron Building is one of the most photographed buildings in Eureka Springs. The original building was built in 1880 and was destroyed by fire in 1890. Shortly after, a new building was erected and also was destroyed by fire. The current building was built in 1987, constructed entirely of concrete. Can you see why this Eureka Springs building reminded me of the flatiron building found in my hometown?

Standing on the corner of Spring and Center Streets

This is the Basin Park Hotel.

Last night’s bachelorette party began here, with dinner at The Balcony Bar & Restaurant.  We ate outside, under the green awning.

 

What follows are six more photographs that I took, while walking up Spring Street.

Looking back to the Spring and Center Streets intersection
You can see a small piece of The Balcony Restaurant’s green awning.

 

I hope that you enjoyed walking with Bob and me in downtown Eureka Springs.  Bob and I certainly enjoyed our walk and hope to return to downtown Eureka Springs sometime again!