THIS SPRING my FAMILy is gonna BRAKE FOR SPRING BREAK IN EUREKA SPRINGS
When we started planning for when the kids are gonna be out of school for spring break, Jane and I realiz
ed that both time and money were limited. So we looked for a place that could offer a lot to do in a small area. A place where there are fun activities that don’t cost a lot and a safe place for our kids to get out and explore on their own. And since special family time is so limited these days, we wanted a place that has a proven track record of creating lifetime memories. We wanted a family spring break that our kids might enjoy so much they would want to share it with their kids and grandkids. Well, after a lot of research of <eurekasprings> on-line, we chose the historic Victorian village in the Arkansas Ozarks that the National Trust for Historic Preservation has named one of America’s Distinctive Destinations.
There the kids can have what they call an “exploravacation”, a time when they can go off on their own and explore the historic downtown district of Eureka Springs (making sure that they travel in pairs and carry their cell phones checking in every so often).
The kids were excited about getting to “discover” Eureka Spring’s crazy staircases, unique stories, interesting looking buildings feeling like they were on an adventure akin to a fun 19th century scavenger hunt. (Jane and I quietly agreed that this would be much more appealing than filling spring break hours with just dropping the kids off at the mall!)
To give the kids a sense of what “discoveries” are out there, we found several walking tours like the Downtown-N-Underground Tour that traces the town’s history from its beginnings through the Civil War era, the days of Wild West outlaws, right on up to today. The downtown’s history museum, Eureka Springs Historical Museum (hope that “m” word doesn’t scare the kids!), offers numerous maps of hidden walkways and trails of “a city that time forgot”.
Mountain resort city parks abound in Eureka Springs. The largest is the 85-acre municipal playground called Lake Leatherwood. It has 40 miles of trails for hiking and biking. (Guess we’d better load up the bikes!) If exploring a cave is your thing, there are lotsa caves in the area too.
A couple things that caught our eye (and should supply great photo opps) are Turpentine Creek, a refuge for wildlife and the largest collection of lions and tigers and bears in the region; and nearby Pea Ridge National Military Park, giving the kids a leg up in history class when they start studying America’s Civil War.
And when we mentioned Eureka Springs to the kids, they immediately asked, “Can we go see that haunted hotel?” They had seen several episodes of those ghostly paranormal shows on TV that featured the 1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa, said to be America’s most haunted hotel!
So with the little bit of time and the little bit of expendable income we have, we are pretty sure that Eureka Springs is gonna be a great place to brake for spring break this year.
If you guys have any ideas or suggestions for us about Eureka Springs, the state Arkansas and The Ozarks (including the new Arkansas Art Trail), we would love for you to let us know. Thanx.
Here is a great place to check out the latest Spring Break Hot Deals!