Harvest Hosting to Our Final Summer Tour Destination - Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Elvis sang in his hit movie, Double Trouble, “There is So Much World to See”, and I couldn’t agree more.  So, we left Memphis, making our way to Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

 

Our first night was spent at St. Joseph Center, a wonderful Harvest Hosts location in North Little Rock, Arkansas.  Built in 1910, it was a Catholic orphanage for 70 years, then a nursing home, school, and day care—all run by Benedictine nuns.  The Catholic Church put the Center on the chopping block in 2008.  Thankfully, the community mobilized, created a nonprofit organization to purchase the property, and transformed 50+ acres into a sustainable farm.  The property is lovely.  With farm animals (cows, goats, donkeys, rabbits), vegetable and floral gardens, hiking trails, grottos and statuary, St. Joseph Center is an ideal source of spiritual, emotional, and physical nourishment.  We were happy to purchase freshly-picked veggies and high quality locally-sourced meats.

 

The Grotto of the Virgin Mary.

A statue of St. Joseph, after whom the Center was named.

Penny the herding dog keeps her goat friends on good behavior.

Mom was anxious to get some steps in, so she and I hit the hiking trails and stopped to photograph the grotto.  Now Mom may not be technologically- or mechanically-inclined, but the woman has an eagle eye.  Upon returning to the rig, she noticed something hanging from the rear axle and called Dad outside to check it out.  It turned out to be that a brake line had snapped at the fitting.  Thankfully, Dad always carries his tools, spare brake lines, and extra vehicle fluids.  So, he was able to make repairs on the spot.

 

Dad fixing the brake line.

After another day of driving, we overnighted at Thor Elite Shooting Range, a Harvest Hosts location in Van Buren, Arkansas, which offers better accommodations than some RV parks.  It has capacity for 2 RVs, including a site for an extra-large set-up like ours.  We parked on a level concrete pad with access to a covered picnic area.  Water and electricity are available for $35/night, but we did not partake, relying instead on our solar/battery system.  However, Dad patronized the Hosts by purchasing a guest pass for $25 to gain access to the outdoor shooting range.  The grounds have a nice pond, for which you can pay a fee to fish, but Mom and I just used its perimeter as a walking track while Dad did his target practice.

The next morning, we had an easy and relaxing drive along I-49 through the Boston Mountains.  Then we got on US-62, which made for a slow ride because of its switchbacks and hairpin turns, but offered some nice views.

The leaves were just starting to don their fall colors.

We arrived at our destination, Wanderlust RV Park in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.  This is an awesome, well-maintained family-owned park.  It has a welcoming and helpful staff, great mountain views, and a super clean laundry room.  We were assigned an easy-to-access roadside site, so we did not need to unhitch Suite Retreat from Big Boomer.  And it is just a few miles from The Great Passion Play, for which we purchased tickets. (We visited the grounds here back in 2020, but it was not a performance day for the Passion Play.  We vowed to return, and we kept our promise).

A small sampling of the Autumn/Halloween decorations displayed throughout the Park.

Some beautiful views...

...from the grounds of the RV Park.

I found this to be the most unique paint job I have ever seen on an RV!   The owner and fellow patron of Wanderlust RV Park gave me permission to take this photo.  What a work of art!

Though we experienced good weather during most of our time in Eureka Springs, that was not the case the evening when we attended the performance.  It rained steadily throughout the entire 2-hour OUTDOOR re-enactment of Christ’s condemnation, crucifixion, and glorious resurrection.  We were all quite wet, but that did not deter us (it was a minor inconvenience, especially when we reflect on what Jesus endured for all of us).  The performance was superb, and we are so grateful we had the opportunity to witness it.  Our ticket plan included a Holy Land tour prior to the performance, which provided insight to what life would be like during biblical times.  We learned about ancient pottery-making, blacksmithing, and hunting techniques.  We visited replicas of middle-Eastern vegetable gardens, buildings, and animal stables (like the one baby Jesus was born within).  The Bible Museum on the premises is a must-see.  Its collection holds 6,000+ copies of Bibles in hundreds of languages, including some very rare specimens like a 1535 Coverdale edition, which represents the first complete Modern English translation of the Bible.  We also visited the Sacred Gallery, viewing modern and ancient works of art depicting Jesus.  The grounds also include the beautiful Christ of the Ozarks statue.  Reaching 7 stories tall, the statue consists of 34 tons of concrete and 24 layers of white mortar attached to a steel frame.  No wonder it weighs more than 1,000 tons!

 

We arrived in Eureka Springs 2 weeks after their annual Jeep Jam and a few days after their Blues, BBQ, and Motorcycle Rally ended.  Though both would have been fun events to attend, we were glad to have missed all the crowds.  And since the leaves were just beginning to change color, the fall foliage fans had not arrived yet.  So, we felt the timing of our visit was perfect, especially to facilitate a visit to Thorncrown Chapel, where the serenity of nature and the spiritual belief in a supreme being unite.  Local resident Jim Reed commissioned architect E. Fay Jones, one-time apprentice to Frank Lloyd Wright, to fulfill Reed’s vision for a non-denominational meditation site for his 7-acre wooded parcel of land.  What a masterpiece of art!  Constructed of Southern Pine, the Chapel stands 4 stories tall and 60 feet wide, with “walls” of 425 glass windows.  Jones certainly held true to Wright’s Prairie style, bringing the elements of nature indoors.

 

Speaking of Frank Lloyd Wright, we took a ride to nearby Bentonville, Arkansas, to visit Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.  The Museum is stunning!  Designed by internationally-acclaimed architect, Moshe Safdie, it incorporates wood, glass, water, and soil.  I know everyone talks about the rich elitists and the big bad corporations, but thanks to Alice Walton (of the Walmart dynasty) and other corporate benefactors, admission is FREE to the public for the general exhibition areas, beautiful grounds, and art in the park.  However, if you wish to attend a special exhibit, a ticket is required.

 

So, you are probably wondering about my segue above and saying to yourself, “what the heck does Frank Lloyd Wright have to do with Crystal Bridges?”  Well, on the grounds of Crystal Bridges is the Bachman-Wilson House, designed by none other than good old F. L. Wright.   We have visited 6 Wright-designed buildings through the years (4 just this summer!), so we were compelled to buy the special tickets for this house tour ($12/adult). 

 

Wright was commissioned by Abraham Wilson in 1954 to build the 1,700 square foot house in Millstone, New Jersey, at a cost of $30,000.  The home incorporates Wright’s Usonian style designed for America’s middle-class residences:  affordable, practical yet versatile, modern yet simple.  Wright built about 1,000 Usonian-styled homes, of which about 60 are still in existence, the Bachman-Wilson home among them.  But if the house remained nestled along the banks of the Millstone River in New Jersey, this would not be the case.  You see, the house flooded on at least 6 occasions.   Thankfully, Lawrence and Sharon Tarantino, the purchasers of the home in 1988 who restored it meticulously to its original glory, wanted to preserve this piece of architectural history.  Hence, the home was acquired by Crystal Bridges.  An Italian firm was hired to laboriously disassemble the home, label each and every piece, relocate it to the grounds of the Museum, and reassemble.

A model of the home.

The front facade...

...of the home.

The back of the house.

 

Sadly, photography is not permitted indoors, but the docent encouraged attendees to view pictures/video on the home’s website (https://crystalbridges.org/architecture/frank-lloyd-wright-bachman-wilson-house/)

 

The home features original living room furniture, original lighting, radiant heating, and Philippine mahogany wood.  A terrific tour, well worth the ticket price.

 

After the tour, we enjoyed lunch at the café, then burned off some calories walking along the grounds and surrounding hiking/nature trails.  It was apparent that the area suffered damage from a recent storm.  Sure enough, we learned a tornado went through the property in May 2024. More than 500 trees were toppled, but, thankfully, the Museum building did not incur any damage.

Creative design made of recycled hand tools.

Yours truly, Rambling RV Rat, becomes part of Art in the Park!

Our planned itinerary had included visiting the site of the Battle at Pea Ridge/Elkhorn Tavern outside Fayetteville, Arkansas, which took place in March 1862.  However, we all agreed it made no sense at this point.  It was an early battle in the Civil War, and we had already completed touring the majority of major battlefield sites.

 

Well, I am done rambling for now!  But I’ll talk to you again soon!

Harvest Hosting our Way to Memphis, Tennessee to Tour Graceland

As I mentioned in an earlier post, we had a very unconventional route to our touring destinations.  We were trying to coordinate visits in between with friends/family who we have not seen in a while and probably will not have another opportunity to see again for quite some time. Hence, we found ourselves at Harvest Hosts, Hodges Winery, in Camp Hill, Alabama.  Surrounded by the natural beauty of flowering gardens, shade trees, ponds, and acres of grape vines, this park-like venue contains an event center and tasting room/wine store.  It has a wide entrance gate to facilitate easy access to the RV parking area, which contains full hook-ups free of charge for 1 night.  The accommodations here are better than many private, traditional RV Parks!   That is why we count this as one of our favorite Harvest Hosts and have returned for a second visit.  And despite the fact my parents are not big drinkers, they are always happy to generously support this host’s operation and make wine purchases to share while entertaining guests or to give as gifts. 

 

Staying at Hodges Winery also put us in great proximity for a quick visit with friends Guy/Sue, former full-time RVers who have come off the road this past year to return to sticks/bricks living.  It was so wonderful to have an opportunity to catch up!

 

We spent the next night at another Harvests Hosts, the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in Muscle Shoals.  Located along the banks of the Tennessee River in Northern Alabama, Muscle Shoals was a hotbed for the music business in the 1960s, transcending all music genres and positions in the industry.

 

I enjoyed taking the self-guided tour at the Alabama Hall of Fame.  I learned that so many great musical talents were born in Alabama: Nat King Cole, Hank Williams, Lionel Ritchie and his fellow Commodores.  Jimmy Buffett spent part of his childhood living in Alabama.  And, obviously, the music group Alabama is named after their home state.  Their musical accomplishments spanned over 2 decades.  With 42 Number 1 Singles and 75 million albums sold, they are cited as the most successful group in Country Music history.

Alabamian W. C. Handy was inducted here.  He was a famous composer and publisher of the Blues.   And Sam Phillips, Founder of Sun Record Company (which produced records for so many major talents: Elvis, Ray Orbison, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, to name a few) hailed from Alabama and started out as an announcer on a Muscle Shoals radio station.  Who would have thought that Alabama would play such a huge role in the music industry?

 

Some inductees into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.

The tour bus of the group Alabama.  And check out the horns on that Bonneville. It It belonged to Honky-Tonk Vocalist Webb Pierce.

Sam Philips began his career as a radio announcer.  He founded Sun Record Company and became a producer of some of the best-selling artists of the time.

That evening, we enjoyed watching a Harvest Moon from the parking lot.  Though too much artificial lighting in the area produced lackluster pictures, it sure was a nice way to end our night.

The next day we made our way to Memphis, Tennessee.  No staying in a Heartbreak Hotel for this Rambling RV Rat.  Instead, my parents reserved for us a pull-through full hook-up site for $59/night at the Tom Sawyer RV Park, situated along the banks of the mighty Mississippi River. 

My gal pal, Mademoiselle Rochelle, was singing “Burning Love”, “Love Me Tender” and “Are You Lonesome Tonight”.  I thought she was being amorous, but instead she was just hinting she wanted to visit Graceland, one-time home and now resting place to Elvis Presley.   This seemed a reasonable request to me, since we already visited his birthplace (Tupelo, Mississippi).  Being a very accommodating boyfriend, I presented a very convincing argument to my parents to pick up the tab for our tour tickets.  We settled on the “Elvis Experience” package for $84/adult, which included a tour of the Mansion, Elvis’s jets, and the Entertainment Complex.

 

I learned that Stephen Toof purchased 500 acres of land, naming the property after his daughter, Grace.  The property was divided up among Mr. Toof’s children upon his death in 1894.  Eventually, Grace bequeathed her parcel to her niece, Ruth Moore, who added the mansion in 1939.    In 1957 (at age 22), Elvis purchased the Mansion and 13 acres of grounds for his parents for approximately $102,000.

 

Elvis shared a strong bond with his mother, Gladys.  Gladys was his guiding light, an indelible influence.   To say he loved her deeply is an understatement (The term Mama’s boy comes to my mind).   Having been drafted into the U.S. Army, Elvis requested emergency leave from the armed forces in summer 1958 upon learning Gladys was gravely ill.  His request was only granted after he threatened to go AWOL (away without leave).  Elvis arrived at the hospital to see his mother on August 13.  Gladys, seemingly waiting to say goodbye to her beloved son Elvis, died the next morning at 3:15 a.m. at age 46.  Elvis fulfilled the remainder of his selective service agreement in Germany and was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army in March 1960 through Fort Dix, New Jersey. 

It was during his service in Germany that he met the future Mrs. Presley, Priscilla, 10 years his junior.  They married in 1967 right here at the Mansion after a 7-year courtship and welcomed 1 daughter, Lisa Marie, in 1968.  Their marriage dissolved in 1973.

Sadly, all the fame and fortune in the world did not save Elvis (or his family) from dying young.  Elvis died at Graceland in 1977 (age 42) and is buried on the grounds next to his mother.  Elvis’s father Vernon (who died in 1979 at age 63), Elvis’s only child Lisa Marie (who died in 2023 at 54 years of age), and his Grandson Benjamin (dead at age 27 in 2020) are also interred here.

I did learn, though, that Elvis was much more than an entertainer and singer: he loved horses, was a black belt in karate, an avid motorcyclist, and owner of his own jet, The Lisa Marie.  His business logo was “TCB”, which stood for “Taking Care of Business”.  Though he donned flashy outfits on stage, the “King of Bling” dressed much more casually and conservatively in private.

Mademoiselle Rochelle was quite pleased with the tour, and, by extension, quite happy with this Rambling RV Rat.  So, as a thank you to my parents for springing for our tickets, I treated us all to lunch at Graceland, ordering up every rat’s favorite:  a cheese pizza.

On another day, we walked around Memphis to take in the sights and the shops, including the Pro Bass Shop Pyramid.

Lots of adorable stuffed toys, but none quite as cute as yours truly!

Who doesn't love a food warmer in the shape of a cheese pizza!

We also stopped at the famed Peabody Hotel in the Historic District.  As we toured the hotel, I was mystified.   Everywhere I looked, there were paparazzi and throngs of people lining the lobby.  Now, the Peabody is quite lovely with its Italian Renaissance architecture, vibrant 100-year history, and unique boutiques and specialty shops.  But surely that wasn’t enough for my “financially conservative” parents (after they sprung for my Elvis tickets, I will refrain from calling them CHEAP!) to tip the concierge and get us a place at the bar in the center of the lobby.  And then I saw what caused all the commotion.  A bunch of English call ducks waddled across a red carpet to swim in the marble water fountain.   I learned from Keenan Walker, the current “Duckmaster” (he gets paid for this!) that this tradition of ushering the ducks from their penthouse digs to the hotel lobby started in 1933, the brainchild of the General Manager and his friend who consumed a bit too much moonshine!  Seriously?  This was the cause of all the fanfare!  What's that about?  These ducks don’t even write a blog like I do!   Where are my throngs of fans!   OK, I will end the Rambling RV Rat Rant.

 

The Peabody hotel is quite lovely...

Views from the rooftop...

Keenan Walker, the current Duckmaster.

Mom wanted to buy these for me, but this Rambling RV Rat will not be a part of this crazy fad.  No way am I wearing ducks on my butt! 

We couldn’t visit Memphis without a trip to Beale Street, home of the blues genre of music.  Unfortunately, we received some misinformation from folks about parking inexpensively at the Hard Rock Café (Apparently, they were not aware that the Café closed permanently in Summer 2023).  So, we shelled out $40 at a nearby parking garage and walked the mile and a half-long district.  The history here is cool, as are the performances by the street musicians.  But to me, Beale Street seemed like a combo of New Orleans’ Bourbon Street and Las Vegas’s Freemont Street, with feats, eats, lots of alcoholic beverages, and some bad behavior.  It just wasn’t our scene, so we left after 1.5 hours.  We chose instead to sit outside and watch the reflection of the stars in the waters of the Mississippi River.