Last week one of my cousins got married in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. When I first heard the news that he was getting married there, I was so excited. I've wanted to go to Eureka Springs since my co-worker told me he had done an internship at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge (TCWR). It opened in 1992 and is home to several big cats, two coatimundis, one primate, and at least 4 bears. But, the best part of TCWR is that they offer overnight lodging, with prices comparable to hotels in the area.
The Zulu Lodge area is adults-only. It is set away from the other lodging and has a hot tub and a covered area with a firepit. Every unit has a balcony off the back, because even if you're staying a Wildlife Refuge, you're still in the Ozarks, and the views are breathtaking.
All of the other lodging is family-friendly, and the Siberian and Bengal suites even allow pets. It is important to mention that pets are not allowed anywhere other than the area immediately around the lodging. They cannot go into the gated area or on the tours. Only service animals are allowed on the tours.
The Treehouse Bungalow is probably where I would stay if we go again. It does have an age restriction. Children must be at least 5 years old. The bungalow is 15 feet up and is directly across fom one of the tiger's night area. We walked by right before bedtime and she was out and about.
We chose to stay in the Tigris tent, next to its twin the Bam Bam Bungalow. These two are best described as glamping. It's an army tent on a platform. The Tigris has a bunk bed, a queen-sized bed, a mini-fridge, a table and chairs (inside, as well as on the porch), a coffee pot (Keurig-style), and a large selection of teas and sweeteners. The fridge was stocked with juice boxes, muffins, and water bottles. The tents are air conditioned and have ceiling fans and stand alone fans and space heaters.
They warn you that the tents will be hot during the day and suggest exploring Eureka Springs. When we got back from dinner, around 7:30 PM, it was still warm inside but it was cooling off outside. We sat on the porch and watched the sunset (both tents face west). Then we chased fireflies, sat by the small pond between the tents, and debated over whether or not to use the fire pit (we didn't). By the time we tuned in for the night, the room was bordering on cold, and it stayed nice and chilly all night. The only "roughing it" part of glamping at TCWR was that the bathroom was shared by both tents. It was a bit hot in the bathroom, but it wasn't bad. And it was about 10 feet away from our door. They go all out on the safari décor from the lodging to the bathroom.
While sitting on the front "porch" of the tent, we saw several rabbits and a couple squirrels. Then the big cats started "caroling," and it was magical. One we were in the tent with the air and fan on, the lion and tiger calls were muffled and did not disturb our sleep. In fact, the bed was very comfortable and we slept like rocks.
When you are a lodging guest, TCWR treats you like a VIP. There are gates that only employees and lodging guests are allowed through. The tours are included in your room cost, and you can go on as many as you want. With your room you also get a trolley ride (we did not do this). We went to the 4PM tour. It was very informative, and our guide shared the animals' rescue stories. There is also a self-guided discovery area where you may catch a glimpse of a black bear (they have 3 acres), cougars, bob cats, tigers, and, our favorite, a grizzly named Bam Bam.
The rates for the Zulu Lodge, the Bengal and Siberian suites, and the Treehouse Bungalow range from $175-210, depending on when you are staying. The Tigris Tent and Bam Bam Bungalow are $125/night, and there are a few RV spaces for $65/night. *All of these prices reflect 2 guests. The family-friendly lodging allows up to 4 guests, but it is an additional $20/guest, even if that guest is a child.
Overall, it was a great experience, and I am glad we did it. Even if you don't want to do the tour, the novelty of the cats calling and the gorgeous mountain views make TCWR an amazing place to stay in Eureka Springs. I just want an attached bathroom next time. :-)
After our night at TCWR and doing the discovery tour in the morning, we headed to Ozark Mountain Ziplines in Eureka Springs. From the call to reserve our spots to the ride back from ziplining, the customer service was absolutely amazing. You can book online and pay in advance, but if you call, they let you know there is a cash discount. And, for 3 people, it ended up saving us around $20, if not more. Kids under 12 are discounted, as well. Our tour guides were David and Skylar. David stayed at the far end of the line, guiding us to a safe landing, and Skylar sent us off. Both were very good with both the adults and the kids. We even had a small six-year-old in our group who got to ride with both of them. We highly recommed this experience. One of the 10 ziplines was the highest in Arkansas. I will admit that I was nervous all the way to the first line. They got progressively higher and longer as we went. One really cool thing about this experience is that we didn't have to hike or climb to any of the platforms. We were driven to the first, and then to the last three. I think the farthest we had to "hike" was less than 50 feet.
In between all of our adventures, we were able to explore Eureka Springs. The painted steps were beautiful in person. The mega mocha blended coffee at The Daily Roast was amazing. From a recommendation by Skylar at Ozark Mountain Ziplines, we ate lunch at Thai House. It was really good. A hidden gem we found East By West whose resident bunnies help give customers change. When they're not working, you can find Gumbo and Sushi hanging out, ready for pets. It was definitely a unique experience.
The morning of the wedding we decided to check out Float Eureka. We rented three kayaks for a half day and took the shuttle to the White River. Even though we road with a bunch of other people and groups, this was honestly the best family time we had. We were all inexperienced. And we all managed not to end up in the water. The water itself was around 45 degrees Fahrenheit. It was just short of painful to dip our hands in, and was absolutely painful to step in. However, it was exactly the right temperature for the paddle to dribble into the kayak while sitting under the direct sun. Because of the temperature difference between the water and the air, there was a nice breeze when it got just a little too hot. It was absolutely the perfect summer day activity. The only bad part of the trip was when my daughter got stung by a bee. Now why the bee decided the seat of her kayak was the place to land, I have no idea. But her thigh threatened to squish him, so he stung her. While we were in the middle of the White River. Thankfully, a family canoeing nearby offered a menthol cigarette to help the sting. Whether this really works or not, I'm not sure, but she did stop screaming and crying after we applied it to the site of the sting.
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