I am at The Writers Colony at Dairy Hollow. The Victorian resort town is called Eureka Springs. The city has been called “The Magic City,” “Little Switzerland of the Ozarks,” and “Stairstep Town” due to its mountainous terrain and winding streets. I am spending a week here meeting other writers in residence. This is located in the state of Arkansas, US
Some factoids about Eureka Springs
- Unusual Urban Planning: The city features winding streets that follow the natural topography, with no traffic lights and few right-angle intersections. Many buildings have street-level entrances on multiple floors due to the hilly landscape. The Basin Park Hotel has its front entrance on the floor below the first level, while its ground-level emergency exit in the back is actually on the fifth floor!
- Healing Springs History: Native Americans considered the springs sacred with healing powers, and European settlers later promoted the waters for their “magical” healing properties. By 1881, Eureka Springs had become Arkansas’s fourth-largest city, and by 1889, it was the second-largest city in the state behind Little Rock.
- Cultural Attractions: The city hosts Opera in the Ozarks (founded in 1950), and is home to the Great Passion Play, reportedly the largest-attended outdoor drama in the United States with an estimated 7.7 million viewers since its inception.
That stunning view of the mountains was taken from the Salt Lake City airport in Utah. You can see the Delta airlines plane in the photo below.
From Fayetteville to The Writers Colony
Fayatteville airport is 37 miles away from The Writers Colony. You pass Bentonville, the headquarters of Walmart. There is a piece of Walmart everywhere. Shari March is driving me from the airport to The Writers Colony.
I am getting curious,”So what happens here?” She gives a half glance back and tells me, “It is a place where writers come to get inspired and write. There are no distractions.”
Breakfast and lunch is meant to be by yourself. Dinner is served at 6pm and all writers show up in the dining room to eat and chat about their writing. There are no distractions. So I intend to do some serious writing. And learn from my fellow writers.
