My kind of town: "I think I’m gonna like this town", I thought as I read the feature story in the October 2004 Eureka Springs Flashlight about the bicycle cop Kouakou Yao, in the U.S. 10 years from Ivory Coast, performing and teaching dance and drumming when he’s off-duty. What is not to like in a town with stores named Two Dumb Dames (a fudge factory) and a collection/museum/store named Frog Fantasy devoted completely to frogs and toads? Where else could you find a Vintage Ladies of the Red Hat Society (who wear purple and red)? I was sure I liked it when ES natives waved and greeted us obvious touristy types skulking around back streets with our cameras, offering to take our picture, and one guy even crossed the street to tell us about a beautiful forested, leafy trail between two of ES’s many springs.

The Historic Loop (maps available at most local businesses) is a great introduction to Eureka Springs. As it winds its way around Victorian homes and bed-and-breakfasts in various states of repair and disrepair, every turn leads to more crooked offshoot streets and surprises. Drive it with your compact car or ride the Red Trolley Route. Historic, renovated, and grand, Crescent Hotel was one of my favorite attractions, with its extensive lovely gardens and grounds, a most unusual church down the slope, and a mysterious and somewhat dark past. Farther along, the loop turns into Spring Street, another highlight due to the profusion of natural springs landscaped with largely old stone walls built when ES was just beginning. Yet even farther down Spring Street, you’ll find unique shops and art galleries with everything from bronze sculptures to folk art to contemporary fine art.

Surprise! As the home of the Great Passion Play, I’d expected to find ES a fairly straight-laced, conservative town but was delighted to find old hippies and other nonconformist and colorful types in a relaxed atmosphere on the crooked streets and in the shops and galleries of the town itself. Modern spas have taken the place of healing springs. Several we ran into were New Moon Spa at Crescent Hotel, Serenity Spa at Basin Park Hotel, and Palace Hotel and Bathhouse.

Nearby places of interest we placed on our list for next time: Leatherwood Lake and City Park, Quigley’s Castle, and Blue Spring Heritage Center. ${QuickSuggestions} Free Parking: Lots of places charge to park, and most street-side parking in or near downtown is restricted to 1 hour or 20 minutes. We got a tip from someone who parks near the Carnegie Library on Spring Street, about the closest to downtown where you can park on the street for free. Besides, it’s a pleasant walk if you’re reasonably fit. (Downhill to downtown and uphill back.)

Nightlife? – What nightlife? We were just about ready to grab a bite before 4pm and found a likely looking eatery, where we were told, "You better order quick, ‘cause we close at 4pm." He said Eureka for the most part doesn’t have much of a night scene. (Festival weekends are another matter, however.) However, a bit farther down Spring Street, a tea house remained open for dinner (a bit pricey), and on the corner of Spring and Central, the Basin Creek Hotel upstairs dining room was another option.

GBLT-friendly: ES, largely revived by an influx of hippies in the ‘70s, prides itself on its open-mindedness and diversity. In fact, the town was just about to have its bi-annual (spring and fall) Diversity Days, celebrating people of all races, religions, and sexual orientations. ${BestWay} Getting there: Eureka Springs is deep in the Ozarks. The closest interstates areI-540, in Bentonville, I-40 in Little Rock, and I-44 in Springfield, Missouri. These are long miles on winding mountain roads (frequent 35 mph curves). It’s a pretty drive (just over 1 hour) from popular Branson, and many make this a day trip. Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport is the nearest airport between Bentonville and Fayetteville, 46 miles west, with five airline carriers. Car rentals at the airport are Avis, Budget, Hertz, National, and Thrifty.

Getting around in ES: Eureka Springs has a delightful trolley fleet that traverses almost every inch of town and then some. Trolley "Park and Ride" lots are on the north and south ends of town. The six color-coded routes and stops are well-marked. They come by between every 15 to 25 minutes. An adult ticket costs $3.50 for a day pass; children are $1.

Wear your walking shoes: ES is MADE for people on foot. There are all kinds of trails and stairs winding up and down the steep terrain and among the springs right in town. Every corner you turn leads you to a new surprise or delight.

From journal Ozark Surprise: Eureka Springs, Arkansas