Downtown Eureka Springs, Arkansas

If you don’t mind having some extra guests in your room, and by guests I mean GHOSTS, then check in to the 1886 Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas this year! Right around Halloween would be very fun. This sprawling Victorian was constructed in (you guessed it) 1886, and it’s beautiful, spooky and charming all at once. The grounds are gorgeous, and the hotel is chock full of history (don’t forget to sign up for one of the walking tours!)

Rooms here are romantic but not overly frilly. You might want to check out the brand-new cottages which were finished in 2008, they’re supposed to be lovely. If it were me, though, I’d go for the Jacuzzi Suites. They used to be servant’s quarters, but now they’re much nicer. If you’re really going for a splurge,the Penthouse or the Governor’s Suite could fit the bill.

And don’t forget – this hotel also offers amazing, highly recommended spa services! It’s called the New Moon Spa. 7200 square feet of massages, body wraps scrubs and more. That way, if you’re tense and scared by ghostly activity, you can go back up to your room nice and relaxed.

A group of friends and I have decided to meet up once a year at an amazing supposedly haunted hotel in a pretty location…the 1886 Crescent Hotel is now at the top of my list!

Photo: Clinton Steeds

Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Any town with the name “Eureka” in intrigues me. And, as luck would have it, Eureka Springs, Arkansas looks pretty cute. I’m a sucker for all things Victorian (I’m plotting out my Victorian mansion with a wraparound porch I will own in twenty years – I even found the one I want in Alabama). Eureka Springs is a small town with Victorian buildings, tree-lined streets and an excellent, thriving arts scene. American Style Magazine recently named the town one of the nation’s Top 25 Small Arts Communities – right up my alley.

Eureka strikes me as one of those towns that would be really fun to plan a short romantic getaway. There are plenty of fun restaurants, galleries and nightlife options to explore, and since the town is in the middle of the Ozarks, there’s great hiking, too. There are quite a few Eureka Springs hotels to choose from, and for me, bed and breakfasts seem like a good option. How about something like the 1881 Crescent Cottage Inn? It’s a gorgeous Queen Anne Victorian and was home to Arkansas’s first post-Civil War governor. There are only four room, and there’s a “Murder Mystery” package which sounds fun!

I would imagine that Eureka Springs would be a good place to take the family, as well. The town is cute, and the family can go kayaking, hiking and hole up in cozy cabins. Something like Ozark Cabins could be a lot of fun with the family. There’s a river on one side and a lake on the other, so if you’re family loves fishing and boating, you’re set!

Ozark Mountains and Eureka Springs

Photos Credits: drGBBB, Clinton Steed