Monday, 16 March 2020
I saw at least 30 vultures soar from a roost while we were on our first walk this morning. They all seemed to come from the same place and seemed to be stretching their wings, getting ready for the day. It was a remarkable sight, all these huge birds soaring overhead on the wind currents.
After I took the dogs back to the RV, I took the trash to a bin and saw several deer nearby. Sheer luck they weren't around a few minutes earlier.
Today is the real equinox for tonight's campground near Huntsville: sunrise at 7:23 AM, sunset at 7:23 PM.
 |
| today's route |
You can see I was taking a tour of Arkansas's northwest corner today, via Fayetteville and Eureka Springs to tonight's campground at Huntsville.
As we left the campground on US Route 71, we climbed above the campground into the middle of a cloud again. So tedious, driving on these tiny rural roads in seriously limited visibility.
We went through Greenland, Gateway to Northwest Arkansas, they say. And passed Drake (Air) Field, home of the Arkansas Air Museum.
A sign told me I'm on the Arkansas Heritage Trail called Butterfield Overland Mail Route Trail. It was a path established in 1858 by former stagecoach driver John Butterfield. His idea was to find a route that connected the Mississippi River with the Pacific coast, in order to get mail west faster than going by sea. It was supplanted in 1860 by the Pony Express but was certainly a good idea.
Fayetteville
I liked Fayetteville, even though I saw it entirely through a thick curtain of rain. It seems to be primarily a college town, since Fayetteville has a pop. of 73,580 and the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville campus, has 25,300 enrolled. I usually like college towns.
By this time, Google's directions had already failed me so I stopped at a nearly empty parking lot (thanks to the school being closed for the coronavirus) to consult the map. The dogs, of course, assumed we'd stopped so they could go for a walk and, knowing we still had a drive ahead, I pulled out Momma's umbrella and braved the rain. The parking lot was beside what the UofA calls The Gardens. I'm sure in the sun in the summer, these gardens are beautiful, full of flowers and so forth. But in mid-March in pouring rain, I couldn't see much that was picturesque about them. There were a few statues, though.
I got this photo online but it looks just like what I saw (except the rain's not heavy enough and the trees didn't have leaves). Weird-looking statue, isn't it? I know the razorback is their mascot, but this thing looks a little strange to me.
I drove on, past the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science Center (probably funded by Tyson), past the law school, to the local chapter of Phi Mu Fraternity. I know it's called a fraternity instead of sorority because I was a member back a zillion years ago when I first went to college. I figured in these days of virus concerns I shouldn't stop, but I was amazed at the size and elegance of their house. There's no uncopyrighted version of the online photos, I'm sorry to say, but it's pale brick, 3 stories high, with twin sweeping staircases leading up on either side of the 2nd story columned entrance. The school I went to was so small, none of the sororities had houses at all; we had meeting rooms.
I saw several parts of the town, thanks to getting lost, and it seemed to me an ordinarily thriving city geared around the college. I don't know what this virus will do to the local businesses, what with the school closure.
Back on the road
I found my way out of town and on north to the Missouri border. I passed through Springdale, pop. 70,747 (rivaling Fayetteville), and Historic Springdale High School. This is an imposing red brick building from the turn of the last century, originally the high school but now the administration building.
In Bethel Heights, pop. 2,372, I saw a liquor store with a large sign: "Stock Up Before Quarantine." Reasonable point of view and makes more sense than stockpiling toilet paper.
The public radio station played an interview with the one and only Dr. Demento. Actually, I never listened to him, but it sounds like I should have. He was telling the NPR interviewer (I think it was Steve Inskeep) that he'd gotten bored with the music coming out in the '70s and started playing some of the off-the-wall classics. I said Purple People Eater just 2 seconds before he said Purple People Eater. And then he listed off a couple of others, one of which was They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-ha. If those are a sample of what he was playing, I definitely should have been listening.
I passed Pea Ridge National Military Park, but still had a lot of driving to do, and it was still raining. On its website, the National Park Service says this battle, involving 23,000 soldiers, was "the most pivotal Civil War battle west of the Mississippi River and is one of the most intact Civil War battlefields in the United States." The Union soldiers won, and this helped the North to gain control of Missouri. With the coronavirus closing the Visitor Center, I didn't see any point in making a stop.
The town of Gateway, pop. 405, got its name from being on the border with Missouri.
I think I was on Busch Mountain, though I can't quite confirm that online. I know I passed the tiny town of Busch and started climbing into clouds again. This time, the sign said: "Crooked and Steep Next 6½ miles." And it was.
We crossed the White River (looks clear, not muddy) over a very high bridge (ugh).
Then "Crooked and Steep Next 2½ miles" downhill. And we came to Thorncrown Chapel.
Thorncrown Chapel
My clever sister-in-law Anna mentioned to me on the phone last week that there's a glass chapel out in the woods near Eureka Springs. And it only took a quick ask of Google to find it. It is indeed a chapel made of glass, just a few miles from Eureka Springs.
I thought the first building I saw from the parking lot was it, and wondered what the fuss was about.
Unusual, but not what I'd expected. Then I saw the sign saying this was a worship center, and directing me farther on to the chapel. This worship center was definitely closed to visitors when I was there, with yellow caution tape spread across the entrance bridge. I don't know if it was the bridge that was being repaired or the center, but either way I wasn't wanted inside. So on to the chapel.
A lovely environment (or will be in a few months) but still nothing to get excited about. But then I walked closer.
 |
| the approach |
 |
| the front doors |
 |
| the only altar is the outdoors |
 |
| the lights are a nice detail |
 |
| the soaring ceiling |
The chapel, opened in 1980, was designed by E. Fay Jones who had apprenticed with Frank Lloyd Wright. It has since won many architectural awards, including the 1981 Design of the Year Award from the American Institute of Architects, as well as their Design of the Decade Award (1980s) and their Twenty-five Year Award. That same group listed the chapel as #4 on its list of the 20th century's top buildings.
But it's more than just an incredible building. It is a lovely, inspiring, peaceful place, where it's easy to see why people who come here can have their faith in God renewed. It is, of course, the favored place for weddings in Eureka Springs.
I was very grateful to Anna for suggesting it and very glad I stopped.
On to Eureka Springs
I'd hoped to see several places in this town, pop. 2,073, and I didn't get to see any of them. Here's what I missed.
 |
| Basin Park Hotel is built into the hillside so all its rooms are (sort of) on the ground floor. |
 |
| St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church is the only North American church where the street-level entrance is through the bell tower. |
The reason I missed all these wonders is because of Eureka Springs itself: definitely not built for driving an RV in. As I was driving into town, I felt more and more like I was being shoehorned in. The streets got narrow right away, and the town being built on steep hills meant the buildings rose up along the sides of the road, allowing no leeway for wide vehicles. It's described as a Victorian village, and that's pretty accurate from the little I saw. The streets are probably laid out just as they were back when people used horses, not cars. No streets meet at 90° angles and Lord knows they don't need traffic lights - everybody has no choice but to creep along these roads.
It's probably a lovely place to come visit - in an ordinary car - and the lady at the chapel said she'd moved there 30 years before from Texas and loved it. Eureka Springs was the first Arkansas city to allow same-sex marriages, an ordinance that was quickly nullified by the state legislature, though the mayor said he was willing to defend the ordinance in court. Since the state law went into effect after the US Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell, it's likely the city would win, though apparently the state hasn't pushed it.
I stopped on my way out of town at the local recycling drop-off center, where I found they accepted glass! Clearly a progressive town. Getting to and from the drop-off center was a little scary, though, because the road (a state highway) seemed to be built on top of a ridge, with the roadsides dropping off sharply. I felt like I was driving on a tightrope, one with lots of curves. It was a steep driveway down to the recycle place.
I passed a hotel with a sign saying "Welcome - We have toilet paper." What on earth are we coming to?
I saw lots of hotels (many closed), liquor stores and antique stores. Looks like the town caters to travelers.
Back on the road heading south
I passed a sign directing me to Quigley's Castle, Ozark's Strangest Dwelling. Their website shows a pleasant-looking but ordinary house with a rock façade, but it says when the family built the house, they left 4' of dirt bare between the walls and the interior floors. Mrs. Quigley planted plants in that dirt 65 years ago; some now reach the upstairs ceiling. But they too are closed due to the virus.
I passed a church with the sign, "Sign broken - message inside."
I passed 2 large billy goats. Did anyone besides us have the Golden Book about Three Billy Goats Gruff?
I passed the town of Forum, where I was told I could turn left to the town of Alabam.
At tonight's campground, I was once again surprised by how many people were there. Not usual for a Monday. And unfortunately, tonight's campsite was not at all level, so it was hard to get comfortable. Added to that, there was once again no wifi signal. I was saved from a funk by remembering we were only here one night.
No comments:
Post a Comment