PASSION PLAY EXPEDITION!

If it has been a while since you visited the 667-acre campus of The Great Passion Play, (www.greatpassionplay.org), in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, I am hoping that this information will "put it on your radar", as a place you need to check out for the first time, or re-visit, if you have not been there in a while.  You will see this impressive sculpture, fountain, flower garden, and columned sign as you drive on to the campus. 

Shortly past this fountain, will be another sign, pointing you to the paved road, that leads to the Christ of the Ozarks Memorial Statue.  All cars stop of the gate-keeper kiosk, where a staff member will welcome you, give you a map, and happily provide information on making donations to this non-profit entity. 

There is ample parking, and clean restrooms, in front of this sidewalk, that leads to statue. 

As you start up the sidewalk, the statue will become visible, framed by trees:

The memorial stands 67 feet high, which is about the same as a seven-story building.

   

One of the reasons I wanted to revisit this memorial, was to get a photograph that focused on the 65 feet arm span of the statue.  I wanted it to serve as the visual aid to help me with one of my First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) memory verses that says, The Lord answered Moses,"Is the Lord's arm too short?  You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you."  Numbers 11:23

To put the immensity of the statue into perspective, this photo shows me at 62 inches, and the statue at about 13 times my height!

Yet another reason I wanted to revisit this campus, is because when my grandson and granddaughter toured their Holy Land replica (See September, 2017, in blog archives) the tour guide mentioned that they had just been awarded a grant from the Walton Foundation, to build a vast network of mountain bike trails on the property.  I was not surprised to hear this because I had read that the grandsons of Sam Walton (founder of the NWA-headquartered company of Walmart) were dedicated mountain bike enthusiasts, and had been heavily involved in making Northwest Arkansas, the mountain biking capitol of the USA.  However, when I saw the trailhead sign below, I realized it was the biggest and best trailhead sign I had ever seen, in all my treks around the USA!

I was impressed the way the creators of this massive structure, used bicycle wheels in both a functional and artistic way.  The information here will tell you that the trails are FREE, designed for ALL ages and skill levels.  One can go to www.GreatPassionPlay.org/trails to get up-to-date information on races, events, pictures, and trail maps.  In addition, you can interact with other users by typing "Great Passion Play Trails" into your Facebook search window. 

One of the trails will lead you to the area in the woods (marked by where the trails make an "X") that is just a few feet from the paved sidewalk beneath the statue, and quick access to the covered pavilion.

It is good to know that the 20 miles of trails also have enough room for hikers, as well!

Since there is a covered pavilion below the statue, that looks out over the town of Eureka Springs, you might consider this spot as a scenic place for a sack lunch!  It would also be a lovely place to enjoy a colorful Ozark Mountain sunset.  (The area is open from dawn to an hour after dusk).

Visitors are encouraged to stroll into the Cross Prayer Garden, that is adjacent to the memorial statue:

Nearby, one can also look into "Church in the Grove", which is reminiscent (both on the inside and outside) of many country churches I have visited:

A few feet from this little church, is a section of the Berlin wall, which represented the dividing line between Communist East Berlin, and the free West Berlin.  Notice the reference to the 23rd Psalm in the painting on it:

Another campus site I revisited, was the Bible Museum.  It is located beside the gift shop, and although there is no admission charge, donations are welcomed!  My grandson and I visited here on one of our grandma/grandson outings, and I was very impressed with his knowledge of the history of the Bible, that he had learned at his Christian parochial school.  He pointed out several items on exhibit that  he had learned about in his Bible history classes!  There was a great deal of publicity when The Bible Museum opened in Washington, D.C., a few years ago, but let me assure you, there are enough exhibits in this museum right here in the Ozarks, to occupy history buffs for a very long time!

It was a very gifted (and patient!) artist that drew this picture of Jesus, using 181,253 words from the New Testament.  The features of the painting are made to stand out by using variations of light ink and dark ink.

The Bible Museum has 7,000 Bibles in 625 languages and dialects.  The one shown below is in Hebrew.

The artifacts in this display case include cuniform writings, carved stone memorials, and writing on parchment .

The Bible often talks about scrolls, and an example is shown in photo below.  A tech-savvy  teenager today might think that the word "scroll" only means the movements they make with their finger, as they peruse (scroll) through their social media accounts. But the word originated long before social media!

The museum has a page of the Gutenberg Bible, and also this model of a Gutenberg printing press. 

There is also a copy of the Jefferson Bible.  For this publication, President Thomas Jefferson only included the words of Jesus.  He cut out texts and arranged them in order on blank pages.  He retained statements that clearly were the words of Jesus.  He did this for his own personal use, and it was not published until many years after his death.

The photo below shows the Martin Luther Bible, from 1534. 

Bibles brought over by the pilgrims are also on display.

 

An exhibit on William Tyndale teaches that this man played a significant role in making Bibles as accessible as they are today.

A display case of various forms of Gideon Bibles is on exhibit, and includes a one-of-a-kind 1898 Bible signed by all of the original Gideons. 

Hope this blog has provided some ideas for an expedition to see all the interesting features available at The Great Passion Play attraction .  To start planning your trip to Eureka Springs, visit www.EurekaSpringsChamber.com.  A visit there is sure to give you "MILES OF SMILES"!!  Tricia

 

EUREKA SPRINGS EXPEDITION!

I took this photo of downtown Eureka Springs, Arkansas, in 2017, during a recent summertime visit.  Except for the change in car models, its main street has looked mostly the same, for over 100 years.  Eureka Springs is a small town (population around 2,073 last census), in northwest Arkansas.  Native Americans and early settlers experienced medicinal healing from the numerous springs of the area, long before Dr. Alvah Jackson established a clinic in the area in 1850.  By the late 1870's, a busy resort had developed. You can learn more about the city's history and attractions, by visiting their website at www.eurekasprings.com or phone 800-638-7352. 

The arrival of the railroad in 1883 made the spa more accessible, and the sick and weary came from great distances to be healed.  Of course, all these people needed a place to stay, and this photo shows the historic 1905 Basin Park Hotel, that was built to accommodate the growing number of visitors to Eureka Springs.  I remember the first time to go inside this property was with my young son, when we were participating in an annual holiday tour, sponsored by the Eureka Springs Chamber of Commerce.  We learned that one of the unique features of the multi-story hotel, was that there was a "ground level" exit from each floor.  At the time, I was just learning to operate my new 35 mm SLR camera, so I persuaded my son to let me take his photo on the top floor, where the multi-colored stained glass windows that enclose the entire level,  provided colorful portrait lighting. The Basin Park Hotel ( www.basinpark.com ) continues to attract visitors, in part because of it being adjacent to its namesake, Basin Park.  I have fond memories of sitting in Basin Park, listening to live Blues music concerts, during the annual Eureka Springs Blues Festival. 

One of present-day medical benefits of visiting Eureka Springs, is the physical workout you will receive from traversing its numerous stairways!  I took this photo when I was with a local chapter of the American Volkssport Association ( www.ava.org ), as we followed a designated route that took us on a three-mile walking/stair climbing loop around the town. 

Many visitors to Eureka Springs, never venture out beyond the Main Street (Old Highway 62) that passes through the historic downtown.  However, if one has enough time, they can take a scenic drive on a road above the downtown, along the  east side of the town.  There you will find an overlook, where you can get a good view of the famous 1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa, as it sits atop the opposite mountain. 

I had the privilege of spending a couple of nights at the Crescent ( www.crescent-hotel.com ) while attending a tourism event recently.  A benefit of being a guest in their hotel, is the opportunity to enjoy the many amenities they offer, including the regular early morning "power walks", led by the Activities Director, Mary Howze, shown in this photo.  It was fun to talk to her about growing up locally in Carroll County, Arkansas, and her passion for encouraging folks to get outdoors.  In fact, she is part of an endeavor called "Outdoor Adventures for Women" (  www.OutdoorAdventuresforWomen.com ) that sponsors outdoor activities for both local, and out-of-state adventurers. 

Another free amenity the hotel offers takes guests throughout the hotel and grounds, to tell them the highlights of its historic past.  This photo shows our tour guide, and two of the other tour participants, on the expansive front porch of the Crescent. 

Our tour guide told us that the stone-covered walk shown in the photo, would have been the route taken by hotel guests of the 1880's, as they emerged from their horse-drawn carriages, and faced the impressive east facade of the Crescent Hotel.

Of course, this was long before the days of air conditioning, so a comfortable and breezy porch would have been a must. 

This photo shows me at one of tourist-type telescopes, located on an upper balcony.  Another one of my memories from Eureka Springs from decades ago, is coming to this balcony floor of the Crescent Hotel, to hear Eureka Springs infamous "Singing Sheriff" perform.  His unusual antics had been featured on nationally broadcast talk shows of the time, so I was delighted to get to hear and see his performance in person!

From the upper balconies, one has a nice view of the manicured grounds that contribute to the beauty of the property.  I was compelled to take this photo, because, although the C and H stand for Crescent Hotel, it is also the initials of my sister-in-law!

The ornate fireplace in the lobby is special to me, because of memories it brings back of taking my grandsons to visit Eureka Springs, when they were in college, at nearby Fayetteville, Arkansas.  Grandson Ryan took photos of the fireplace, which he posted on Instagram.  This required a quick "tutoring session" for his Grandma, who had no idea how to use the then new, photosharing social media site.  (He went on to finish college, and is now working as a professional photographer---so it turns out Instagram has been an appropriate platform, for him to hone his visual imaging techniques!)

Adjacent to the Crescent Hotel is the St. Elizabeth Church ( www.stelizabethar.org ).  You can read its complete history on their website, but it is noteworthy that its location next to the hotel, goes back to the fact that it was the spot where the hotel owner of the time, last saw his mother standing, as he embarked on a trip away from Eureka Springs.  The church is unusual in that it is entered through the bell tower.  Along the walkway are the Stations of the Cross.  A prayer garden at the side of the church provides a good view of the "Christ of the Ozarks" statue across the valley. 

A somewhat new feature of the Crescent Hotel campus, is that it serves as the trail head, for recently completed trails through the woods, that will eventually traverse the entire downtown area.  When I visited, the trails were well maintained and well marked. 

If you prefer paved sidewalks to hiking trails, there is access from the parking lot of the St. Elizabeth church, to a route that will eventually get you to the downtown area at the base of the mountain. 

No visit to Eureka Springs is complete without a visit to The Great Passion Play ( www.greatpassionplay.org ).  It depicts the days leading to Christ's death, followed by the resurrection and the ascension. 

The 550-foot stage represents the streets of Jerusalem, at the time of Christ. 

If you want the COMPLETE passion play experience, you can arrange for a backstage tour, which will give you the opportunity to see the back side of the stage set, as well as the barn area, where the live animals used in the performance are housed. 

These youngsters, dressed in appropriate costumes for the evening,  were assisting as ushers before the performance.  They were very obliging when I asked for a photograph.  When I was posting on Facebook the evening that I attended the outdoor drama, one of my friends commented that she had been a part of the play when she was a child, and she said it was an experience she will never forget.  Considering how many years The Great Passion Play has been in operation, I can imagine there are hundreds of folks who have felt its impact because they were a part of the cast. 

When my father was hospitalized near the end of his life, and I was visiting with him about various aspects of his life, he told me one of the few regrets he had, was that he had never attended The Great Passion Play in Eureka Springs.   Sadly, at that point in his life, he was too sick to arrange for his making the trip to see the play.  I felt guilty that I did not know about his wish earlier, so that I could have taken him to see it.  Therefore, when I heard about the "Save-A-Seat" fundraising campaign of The Great Passion Play, I knew I wanted to make arrangements to have a plaque put on a seat, in memory of my father. ( For a donation of $100 - $1000, you can have a seat designated with some one's name.  The play is a 501-3c organization, so all donations are tax deductible.)

The seat named in memory of my father  is in Section D, Row 6, Seat 25.  I want to thank Kent Butler for sending me this photo of the plaque, and the wide angle photo of the entire theater below:

The Great Passion Play in Eureka Springs, is America's #1 attended outdoor drama, and I am very thankful that I live close enough to be one of the fortunate people who helped give it that honor. 

The final scene of the Great Passion Play is Jesus' ascension into heaven.  Though his death on the cross, and subsequent resurrection from death, sin was conquered.  Likewise, WE can be conquerors, if we accept Jesus to be our Lord and Savior.   I am using the images I have fixed in my mind of The Great Passion Play, as my visual aid to learn my First Place 4 Health ( www.FirstPlace4Health.com ) memory verse that says, "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."  Romans 8:37.  Such divine assurance gives me "Miles of Smiles"!    Tricia