Arkansas Vacation - Day 4

 Good Morning once again!  We are sad to be leaving Eureka Springs, but also excited for what this day will bring.  It's chilly today and I'm route planning in my pj's coat and shoes.  Doesn't that make sense to everyone??  Time to dress, pack, and have one last look around the place.  We definitely wish to return.  Perhaps in a way people would least expect.

During another drive through town last night, we spotted another coffee shop and are going to give it a try this morning.  Luckily, we found a parking spot right on the street and are able to peek around a bit.

Now for that coffee.  This little shop sits right over a spring stream and we are able to basque in the beauty all around us while enjoying our coffee and planning the remainder of the day.  

Inside is pretty cute too.

After we are finished, we discover that there was an overlook with a gazebo that we could have sat in.  A quick walk over to it shows that we would have been directly over the spring.  Drat.

It is quite a distance below.

Well, the plans are set, the coffee is gone, and we are ready to depart.  Right before I get into the car, I notice one of the many hidden staircases right across the street.  One more moment of love for this town.

Before we leave, I want to mail my daughter's birthday card and right across from the post office is all this amazing color.  Oh, it's all making it so hard to depart.

Driving through the streets one last time, Mister says to take a picture of the angle we are on as we go back down to Main Street.  THIS is what we were doing the first night -- on a dark and cloudy night.  No wonder we giggled so hard.  These streets are truly whack-a-doodle and I love them all.

Bye Eureka Springs -- 

Once out of the downtown area, I want to make one last stop.  Quilter's Cottage is finally open and a peek is required.  I do that in a separate post which you can get to with this LINK.  Now, we are ready to leave (but isn't this just the best overlook to sit and sew on?).

We are backtracking just a wee bit first thing today, but the last place (you could say it was the first place on our list here) we want to see was closed as we arrived both of the last two days.  This time -- we're good.  It is Thorncrown Chapel and we are getting closer.

The area around it is absolutely phenomenal.  I could sit here all day.

Ahhh, finally - 

Outside view and inside view - 

From their website:  "Nestled in a woodland setting, Thorncrown Chapel rises forty-eight feet into the Ozark sky. This magnificent wooden structure contains 425 windows and over 6,000 square feet of glass. It sits atop over 100 tons of native stone and colored flagstone, making it blend perfectly with its setting. The chapel's simple design and majestic beauty combine to make it what critics have called "one of the finest religious spaces of modern times."

Since the chapel opened in 1980, over seven million people have visited this woodland sanctuary. Designed by renowned architect E. Fay Jones, Thorncrown has won numerous architectural awards such as the American Institute of Architects’ Design of the Year Award for 1981 and AIA’s prestigious 25 Year Award. Additionally, members of the American Institute of Architects placed Thorncrown Chapel fourth on its list of the top buildings of the twentieth century."

They are celebrating their 40th anniversary this year and I would love to visit after dark - I bet it is magnificent, glowing in the dark.  What an amazing place for a wedding.

As we sit and and enjoy the building, I try and take as many different pictures as I can.  This place is wonderful and Mister is loving the architecture.

There is also a separate worship hall on the property and I trek down for a quick look.  It is built in the same style and sits majestically among the trees as well.  It is not open, but I'm glad I walked down.

Okay -- NOW we are officially leaving the area.  We have opted for many scenic drives as we go southward towards home.  It will take us a couple of days, but the hope is that the eye candy will make it, oh so worthwhile.  One of the spots that Mister researched is Whitaker Point - or more commonly knows as Hawksbill Crag.  We read all about it and brought the right kind of clothing and shoes and daypack for a hike.  Today, we are en route.  It is not very far from Eureka Springs, but once we locate the turn-off (GPS quit working so we were relying on the directions I wrote down), it is 6 miles of a crazy dirt road that is uphill most of the way.  Our little red car (which is low to the ground) is doing the "I think I can, I think I can" routine with Mister at the wheel.

Fortunately, the road is dry most of the way and we do arrive a little dirtier than before, but no other issues.  There are a TON of cars up here as this area is very popular to visit.  It's a 3 mile round-trip hike so time to get going.  Where is that marker? --- oh, there we go.

It's almost all downhill and there are lots of roots in the path.  You do have to watch where you are going.

We stop now and then for a picture or two.

Each time, I get more excited at the view.

Ooooh, I can see it in the distance.  We're closing in.

Mister holds back and sends me on ahead to the Crag --- this is incredible.

He joins me and locates another little nook and walks over to it.  While I wait --- selfie time.

His new view of me - 

Out on the Crag together.

After a snack and Mister taking people's pictures for the, about 1/2 an hour has elapsed and we are ready for the trek back.  It's gorgeous out -- I'm loving every step we take and stop to collect memories more often than on the way up.

We have gone about 15 minutes when we run into friends on the path.  How bizarre, right?  Out in the middle of the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas?  It's almost surreal.  Fun, though and Mister backtracks to the Crag with them to take their pictures.  I didn't get pics of us together or Mister on the Crag, so I want others to have that chance.  Fun moment Elisabeth and Jim.

Once Mister returns, I am ready to go.  A restroom would be divine.  As we are walking, a snake lifts its head and hisses right in front of me and then slithers off into the leaves.  Yes, I jumped.  Yes, I almost peed my pants.  Oh my goodness.  I tried to get my act together and take a picture, but this is the best I could do.  It's a black snake in case you're confused.

That's it -- no more pictures.  Let's move it.  We are back out the path quicker than we went in, which is pleasing since it was an uphill exit.  Whew.  Back into the car, we retrace our drive as there is another location along the way which would be fun to check out.  The Red Dirt Road song keeps going through my head along the way.  It does lead back to pavement and we are soon back on the highway once again.  We are surrounded by sheer beauty.  I don't know what else to say.  My soul is being fed daily on this trip.  Things don't pan out for the stop we had planned, but the Pig Trail Scenic Byway is well worth the miss.  Oh my.

A chance to stop -- and a story to tell.  It has been 2 1/2 hours since we left the trail.  EVERY single town we went through had a sign.  That's it.  No evidence of a town.  The one chance we had, not a single place was open and no gas station in sight.  Things are getting mighty uncomfortable in this car AND we are hungry to boot.

As we drive down the road SOME MORE, this place comes into view and has an OPEN sign on.  We are laughing so hard at the whole thing.  We are in the middle of nowhere.  Honest.  Finally, we can't take it anymore and backtrack.  Any food would be good right now.  We won't die, right?

Mother Nature's needs are met and on we go.  No need for more detail than that -- it's a story for me and my sweetheart to laugh over.

This picture needs to be shared though -- we laughed pretty hard over this.

Well, as you can tell -- other activities didn't happen and that's okay.  The day is done and so are we.  We had hesitated to book a room for tonight as we just didn't know where we would land.  Therefore, it's a hotel in Ozark, Arkansas and we feel like we just went back to the 60s.  Crazy right?  Oh well, it's sleep.  See ya in the morning.