Bob Walker's Official New Orleans Area Wedding Guide
YOUR ROMANTIC HONEYMOON IN THE OZARKS
Increasingly popular with New Orleans' honeymooning couples are the Ozark Mountains. And with good reason. On an Ozarks honeymoon you can:
· spend your mornings on a mountainside and your afternoons on a sunny beach;
· experience thrilling theme park rides one day and (explore quiet, wooded walking trails the next;
· travel deep underground into the caves beneath the hills, then fly high above the earth while parasailing, all in the same afternoon!
All of this, and more, awaits you in the Ozark Mountains, about 550 miles from New Orleans on the Arkansas-Missouri border.
Gorgeous mountain scenery stretches for hundreds of miles in majestic skylines of purple summits and intense green forests. Scenic roadside vistas are especially breath-taking in the spring when the dogwood and red bud trees blanket the mountains with white and pink blossoms, and in the autumn when the hills burst forth with flame-colored fall foliage.
For an up-close view, nature trails criss-cross the wooded hills. You can take in the beauty of the wildflowers and look for deer and rabbits. Or just marvel at the pristine lakes and clean air.
For a real adventure, you may want to try the sport of spelunking (cave exploring). The numerous caves and caverns in the mountain area can accommodate every explorer - from daring adventurists anxious to crawl through dark, damp passages that snake beneath the hills to those who would rather a narrated tour of one of the many well-lit, popular-attraction caverns. Either way, you'll see fascinating cave formations like stalactites and stalagmites, cave coral, and seemingly bottomless underground lakes and streams.
But don't stay underground too long because there's so much to do above.
Cradled within the ranges of hills is the magnificent wonderland of Ozark lakes. Taneycomo, Table Rock, Bull ShoaIs, and Beaver Lakes, along with the famed White River, are among the many waterways that meander through the mountains branching off along the way into uncounted streams and creeks. In some places sheer, towering cliffs surround the lakes making for spectacular overlooks.
Water sports abound. Swimming, water-skiing, sailing, power-boating, scuba-diving, parasailing, jet-skiing, and white-water rafting are among the possibilities.
Then again, it's always nice to spend a long, lazy afternoon on one of the numerous sunny beaches that line the shores of the lake.
Renowned as a freshwater fisherman's paradise for decades, the lakes and their tributaries are teeming with bass, trout, catfish, and other species.
Can't bear to leave the lakes at the end of the day? You don't have to. Rent a houseboat and spend your nights on the water too. These "floating accommodations" range in size from small to luxurious. Some even include deckside barbecue grills, swimming platforms, and waterslides in addition to their fully-equipped kitchens, living areas, and ship-to-shore communications.
For land-based accommodations, you can choose to spend the evening in front of a fireplace in one of the secluded honeymoon cabins tucked among the wooded hillsides.
Private resorts also dot the shores of the lake. The cottages located on the sprawling grounds of these self-contained communities often have amenities like Jacuzzis, fireplaces, saunas, and an inspiring view of the lake.
There are also numerous camping facilities in the mountains, including many state parks with boating, hiking, and fishing facilities.
Small towns in the area are gaining quite a reputation for the quaint charm of their numerous bed-and-breakfast inns. In the larger towns there are hotels, motels, and condo rentals.
Two places in the southern Ozarks (the area closest to New Orleans) that you won't want to miss are Branson, Missouri, and Eureka Springs, Arkansas.
The area known as Branson/Lakes is located just north of the Arkansas border. It is fast becoming one of the most popular vacation spots in America. Exciting theme parks, music shows, crafts, and three beautiful lakes are all located in the Branson area.
One of the area's most visited attractions is Silver Dollar City. Enter this theme park and you travel back in time to an 1880s Ozark village. Dozens of master craftsmen illustrate life as it was 100 years ago. The park also offers thrilling adventure rides, music shows, and marvelous restaurants.
As you walk the lanes of Silver Dollar City, you are walking atop Marvel Cave. Take a trip underground for a tour of the cave.
The city of Branson, world-famous for its country music shows, is known as "Music Country, USA." More than twenty theatres hosting thirty different music shows offer visitors a wide variety of choice, from traditional family music shows to big-name entertainers. Country music prevails, but all shows include pop, jazz, rock 'n' roll, and classical selections.
The city also boasts a newly-renovated lakefront along Lake Taneycomo, which flows through the heart of downtown. A marina with pontoon and boat rentals, beaches, and picnicking facilities are available.
Paddlewheelers schedule dinner cruises and daytime sightseeing tours. Feeling adventurous? Try the pirate cruise, a 70 minute narrated folklore cruise climaxed by a "live" pirate attack.
Other attractions in the Branson/Lakes area are famous Rockaway Beach, White Water theme park, and the Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Theatre, where each evening the nation's most popular outdoor historical drama is presented in an "under the stars" amphitheatre. Nearby Inspiration Tower, 230 feet high, offers an unmatched panorama of the surrounding mountains.
Also located in the Branson area are several craft communities where you can watch candy makers, potters, stained-glass artists, broommakers, glassblowers, coppersmiths, candlemakers, gunsmiths, quilt makers, wood carvers, and jewelers at work.
When you historic Eureka Springs, Arkansas, with its Victorian buildings and narrow, winding streets, you'll think you've been transported to some quaint European town. The city's Old World ambiance is evident in the lovingly preserved buildings of the downtown shopping/residential district, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Along with Victorian "gingerbread" homes are turn-of-the-century structures built of native limestone with walls up to 22" thick.
The appeal of Eureka Springs began well over 100 years ago, when tales spread about miraculous healings at the 63 mineral springs gushing from the rocky wilderness near this small town in northwest Arkansas. Eureka Springs is often called the honeymoon capital of the south, and rightly so. Millions of couples have sweetened their love affairs over the years with romantic interludes spent in Eureka.
For your romantic interlude, you can choose from quite a range of Eureka Springs hideaways, many of which offer honeymoon packages. Hotels are a delightful mix of old and new. A group of famous, historic hotels still accommodates visitors in a most elegant way. Indulge yourselves with a mineral bath, eucalyptus steam treatments, and a massage, much the same as hotel guests several decades ago. Newer establishments have private balconies, gardens and hot tubs.
Known as one of the finest bed-and-breakfast communities anywhere, Eureka offers several charming historic inns, complete with mineral baths and massage. Mountain cabins are located not far from the city, and camping is available in nearby state parks.
More than 150 unique shops line the streets of the Victorian downtown, where you can shop for white oak baskets, hand-thrown pottery, antiques, fine chocolates, mophead dolls, art, and many creations by talented local artisans.
The city trolley wends its way through the narrow streets, reminiscent of early Eureka when carriages were the principal mode of travel. But be sure to take a walking tour to see the city's gingerbread-trimmed, pastel-colored homes, the historic downtown district, the famed Palace Hotel and Bath House, mountain lookouts, and the city's natural springs.
On your tour take time to stop at the museums, where early residents' personal belongings, home furnishings, photographs, and documents trace the city's history from the time of the first wilderness settlements, to the Victorian health spa period, to today. There is also Victorian charm in Eureka Springs museums dedicated to antique dolls, bells, and bibles. A "living" museum re-creates the pioneer community of the 1800s including townspeople in period costume. Eureka's winery offers tours and free wine tastings.
There is quite a variety in dining with over 65 restaurants in and around the city. For a really unique experience, ride the full-size vintage train and dine in the turn-of-the-century dining car. After dinner, sample one or more of the city's rompin', stompin' mountain jamborees.
Known for its festivals, the city hosts a four-day Jazz Festival, a Folk Festival and Craft Show, and the Antique Car Show and Doll Show, among many others.
In the hills surrounding the city is Cosmic Cavern which holds the region's largest underground lake. Also nearby are Onyx Cave, known for its spectacular cave formations, and War Eagle Cavern with its unusual natural entrance and underground stream. Pivot Rock and Natural Bridge are two fascinating geological formations also located nearby in a tranquil wooded area.
Eureka's White River is a renowned trout stream, and Kings River is a favorite of canoeists. Beaver Lake has long been prized by scuba divers because of its crystal clear water. Take an excursion boat on the lake or rent a party boat to see Beaver Dam, The Cliffs, and Lost Bridge area.
So, whether you're planning a honeymoon filled with romance, relaxation, or thrill-a-minute adventures, consider the Ozarks - and have it all!
For more information, contact:
Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce & Convention
& Visitors Bureau
P.O. Box 1897, Branson, Missouri 65615
1-800-214-3661
http://www.bransonchamber.com/
- or -
The Greater Eureka Springs Chamber of Commerce Visitors
Information Center
137 West Van Buren, Highway 62 West, Eureka Springs, Arkansas 72632
(501)253-8737
http://www.eurekasprings.org/