Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Kenyon’s cousin invited us to her wedding that was being held in Eureka Springs, Arkansas in August of 2010.  The travel bug is always beneath the surface waiting for a chance to roam.  We decided “why not” and planned a trip east for the wedding.

I have never been to Arkansas and since the closest airport was Tulsa, Oklahoma, I was able to mark off two states I had yet to visit.  As anybody east of Idaho knows, it is very humid in the summer months.  Eureka Springs was no exception.

It is a beautiful small town full of character and flying rainbow flags all over the place.  I told Kenyon I could live here!  He said he would give me one summer and I would probably change my mind.  Perhaps!  We stayed at one of the smaller hotels in town and next door was a cute tea parlor.  That is where I tried cold strawberry soup for the first time.  It was divine!  I tried to recreate it but it just wasn’t the same.

Kenyon’s cousin ceremony was held at Thorncrown Chapel , a 48 foot tall structure with 425 windows and over 6,000 square feet of glass.  It was beautiful!  This photo does not do it justice.

 

 

The reception was held at the 1899 Crescent Hotel.  The front lawn was the perfect backdrop for her photos and even Kenyon and I took an opportunity to snap a photo.

 

 

 

 

 

I was obsessed with the choice of flowers and Julie, Kenyon’s cousin, did a beautiful job matching all the blue colors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both the wedding cake and the groom’s cake were delicious.

 

 

 

 

We had a great time at the wedding and reception.  This was my first time meeting Kenyon’s aunt, uncle, and cousins.  I feel like I fit right in.  I wish they all lived closer.

Since we had an extra day in Eureka we explored the sights walking around the small town.  We also rode the historic scenic train on the outskirts of town. 

 

We also explored an underground cave.  Our tour guide was quite odd and I am pretty sure he supports marijuana legalization!

 

The drive between Eureka Springs and Tulsa is about 4 hours.  So we had some time to kill before our flight left.  We visited an air museum on the grounds of the airport.  Kenyon loves airplanes so it was like being a kid in a candy store!
 

 I would love to visit Eureka Springs again.  It is also only an hour and a half from Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri.  If we had more time I would have loved to visit that as well.  I have not been to SDC since I was a kid!