Heaven = a fountain of chocolate.

Each February around Valentine’s Day, Eureka Springs hosts a Chocolate Lovers’ Festival. Anyone is welcome, but it’s really for those of us who believe that chocolate is divine.

In 2012, the Eureka Springs Chocolate Lovers’ Festival takes place on Saturday, February 11. Plan to dive into chocolate fountains–or at least dip strawberries and other tasty treats into them. Taste a wide selection of chocolate, from the dense and dark to the sweet and white. There will be chocolate for every palate.

Bring your sweetie and your love of chocolate to our Eureka Springs Bed and Breakfast the weekend of February 11th, just before Valentine’s Day. It has been said that chocolate is an aphrodisiac. Truth or Fiction? Try it and see.

Wish for snow.

The weather’s been kind of crazy this winter here at our Eureka Springs Bed and Breakfast. One day we’ll have temperatures in the 60s, the next the high will be in the 30s. We pull out our winter coats one day, and wear short sleeves the next. It keeps us on our toes.

We’ve decided to make a game out of this whacky weather through the end of the month of January. If it snows during your stay at our Eureka Springs Bed and Breakfast, we’ll give you a discount. You’ll receive 10% off for every inch of new snow we receive during your stay (up to 4 inches and 40%).

Guests will also receive a discount if it’s colder than normal. The average January high is 40 degrees. You’ll receive 1% per degree per day: if the high temperature is 38 degrees, you’ll receive 2% off that night. If the high reaches only 35 degrees, you’ll receive 5% off that night. How fun is that?

Remember snow days when you were a child? That amazing feeling of waking up and learning that school was cancelled due to snow? You’d pull on snow gear and run out to play, then warm yourself with cookies and cocoa. Such days were some of the best of winter.

As adults, snow days are a great excuse to curl up with a book, or snuggle with a loved one while watching a movie. We have cocoa, we have cookies. The inn is cozy warm.

Consult the powers that be and make your reservations today; this special ends on January 31, 2012. It’s a gamble, but then so is life. And really, you can’t lose. Either you’ll have a delightful stay in Eureka Springs and balmy weather, or you’ll have a delightful stay in Eureka Springs, cold and snow, and a discount.

It's fresh! It's fun! It's Eureka Gras!

Eureka Gras

Mardi Gras Eureka Springs is not as well known as the carnivals in Rio, Venice, and New Orleans. It doesn’t draw quite the same crowd. We think that’s just fine. Folks who attend Eureka Gras enjoy more of the experience, with less hassle. Many events take place close to our Eureka Springs Bed and Breakfast.

The first 2012 Eureka Springs Mardi Gras event took place this past weekend, with the January 7 Kings Day Kick Off party.  Future highlights include:

• “Taste of N’Awlins”: cafe au lait and beignets will be served at Rowdy Beaver Restaurant. 4 to 5 p.m.

• Nite Parade: rolls down Spring and Main Streets, starting at 6 p.m.

• Hookers and Jokers Ball: Thursday, February 16 starting at 6 p.m. Costumes encouraged.

• Mardi Gras Parade: rolls through historic, downtown Eureka Springs at 2 p.m, February 18.

• Beaux Arts Masquerade Ball: Basin Park Hotel Barefoot Ballroom, 7 p.m. Saturday, February 18.

• Jazz Brunch New Orleans Style: Crescent Hotel, 11 a.m to 2 p.m, February 19.

• St. ‘Lizbeth’s King Cake Ball and Mardi Gras Supper: featuring Cajun food, live music by Naturally Brass, and Eureka Springs’ largest King Cake. February 18, 6:00 to 10:30 p.m.

Come on, laissez les boons temps rouler in Eureka Springs. Our little town loves to throw a party, and this is about the biggest party we throw. It’s fun. Additional information is available at Eureka Gras Mardi Gras.

Eureka Springs doesn’t fill up quite like New Orleans does during Mardi Gras, but it’s still a good idea to make your travel plans soon. Reserve a room at our Eureka Springs Bed and Breakfast today.

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.

There have always been excellent reasons to visit Northwest Arkansas. Now there is yet another: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art opened on November 11, 2011. Since that time, approximately 90,000 visitors have walked through its doors, including quite a few guests of our Eureka Springs Bed and Breakfast. The museum’s opening was “the event” of 2011; and it will undoubtedly continue to draw crowds in 2012.

Gracefully situated on a 120-acre wooded campus outside Bentonville, Crystal Bridges invites guests to commune with nature and explore five centuries of American Art. The museum, designed by world renowned architect Moshe Safdie, is nestled around two creek-fed ponds. Walking and biking trails traverse the woods, offering both places to stretch the legs and quiet spots to admire nature’s beauty. You’ll feel uplifted and inspired before you even walk through the doors.

Inside, a number of galleries highlight different periods of American art. The museum’s permanent collection, Celebrating the American Spirit, arranges pieces more or less chronologically, giving viewers an historical perspective as well an artistic one. Spend a full day here, or return again and again. We plan to visit it frequently.

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is open to all and free for all. It is a wonderful addition to Northwest Arkansas. Many guests of our Eureka Springs Bed and Breakfast have already discovered it; we hope many more will visit it in 2012.

Happy New Year, from Beverly and Doug.

Innkeeping is a curious profession. It involves inviting total strangers into one’s home for the night, and then inviting them to share a meal. In the present world, this sometimes seems strange. In fact, it is based on an ancient tradition called hospitality.

Many cultures knew (and know) how important hospitality is. At it’s most basic, it is simply good karma: do a kindness unto others, and you will receive kindness. Yet hospitality has always been more than that. It is a way to exchange news, share ideas, and discover new cultures. It is a way to build community.

We know that from experience. Our guests enrich our lives. You, our guests, come from all over the country and all over the world; and though you may not stay long, you stay long enough to swap a few stories. We wouldn’t do what we do were it not for you. Thank you.

To all guests of our Eureka Springs Bed and Breakfast, past, present, and future:

Happy New Year!

Beverly and Doug

Fall in step with the person you love. Pop the question in Eureka Springs.

You’ve met the person with whom you want to spend the rest of your life. You want to ask this person to marry you. Make the moment special; pop the question at our Eureka Springs Bed and Breakfast.

Whisk the object of your affection away for a night of romance. Eureka Springs is a charming, historic town nestled in the Ozarks, with beautiful architecture and a lovely ambiance. Stroll together hand in hand down the streets. Dine in one of the many fine restaurants (ask us for recommendations). Break out the ring once you’re back in our romantic Bed and Breakfast Eureka Springs, snuggling by the fire.

You may even decide to have your wedding here, or to celebrate your first anniversary here. Together you will share many wonderful traditions–why not create them from the start?

It will be unforgettable, and it should be. Your children and grandchildren will ask you about this moment. Make it a good story.

Our Eureka Springs Bed and Breakfast is ideal for romantic getaways.

Give this most romantic gift to your sweetheart, the one you love most in this world.

Give this most romantic gift to a couple you love, who had a baby some time ago, and who hasn’t had a minute of romance since. Offer to watch their child for a night or two, while they rediscover each other. You will not only make their day, you will make their year.

Give this most romantic gift to your parents. Give it to your child and his or her spouse. Or give it to yourself.

The truth is, many people would love to be whisked away for a romantic weekend at our Eureka Springs Bed and Breakfast. They’d love to find a bottle of champagne or sparkling cider in their room. They’d love to be treated to a 1 hour massage (for 2), and dinner at one of Eureka Springs’ best restaurants. Who wouldn’t be delighted by such a prospect?

So don’t battle pepper spray at Walmart or surf your way through Amazon for hours. Don’t spend hours stuck in traffic. Give us a call, and give a most romantic gift: a Romantic Getaway at our Eureka Springs Bed and Breakfast. Details are available on our Specials page.

Do all your holiday shopping in historic, downtown Eureka Springs.

Feeling spontaneous? Why not plan a Last Minute Getaway to our Eureka Springs Bed and Breakfast this weekend?

Eureka Springs is a great place for holiday shopping. The historic downtown area is picturesque, and the winding streets are lined with many art galleries and eclectic shops. There may well be better places to shop, but we can’t think of any that are more interesting. Check out The Jewelry Show for unique jewelry, and Cottage Caboodle for all sorts of fabulous home accessories. Zark’s Fine Design Gallery features the largest American blown glass collection in the Midwest, along with jewelry and pottery. Iris at the Basin Park offers art, jewelry, prints, and a fabulous selection of local music. There is a good chance you’ll find items in Eureka Springs that you won’t find elsewhere.

When you’re ready to rest your feet and enjoy some refreshment, try Casa Colina, Local Flavor Cafe, or DeVito’s, three favorite Eureka Springs restaurants among locals. Or head back to our Eureka Springs Bed and Breakfast and dip your hand in the cookie jar. We keep the jars full and the cookies fresh.

If you enjoy sweets, consider participating in the Sweet Treats Tour on December 10, 2011. Nine Eureka Springs Bed and Breakfasts, including our own Arsenic and Old Lace, dress in holiday best and fill our tables with, well, sweet treats. Participants nibble their way from one inn to the next, picking up holiday decorating ideas and holiday recipes along the way. It’s great fun, and a superb way to get into the holiday spirit.

Please see the Sweet Treats Tour for more details about visiting historic inns filled with holiday decorations and sweet treats.

To plan your Last Minute Eureka Springs Getaway, please call 800.243.5223.

It's worth the trip to Eureka Springs.

Come into show for the town and enjoy a fun-filled weekend at our Eureka Springs Bed and Breakfast. Sleep late, eat well, shop in the historic downtown, and find out just what “A Season of Celebration” is all about.

Two other fun holiday events will take place in Eureka Springs between now and December 10, 2011. The Tour of Homes on December 3 leads participants to festively decorated, historic homes, where docents in period garb will tell interesting tales. The Annual Sweet Treats Tour on December 10 invites participants into nine Eureka Springs Bed and Breakfasts, where they’ll find tasty sweet treats, holiday recipes, and fresh decorating ideas.

We hope to see you soon. Please visit our Eureka Springs Bed and Breakfast reservations page to book your room.

Please visit Pine Mountain Theater to reserve your seats for “A Season of Celebration.”

If you don’t yet have set plans for Thanksgiving, and if you’re ready for a change this year, consider spending Thanksgiving here, in beautiful Eureka Springs. Take a break from hosting or being hosted, and enjoy the long weekend at your leisure. Several Eureka Springs restaurants will serve Thanksgiving meals, some family style, some buffet style.

Eureka Springs restaurants serving Thanksgiving dinner, 2011:

• The Crescent Hotel. Roasted Turkey, rosemary and garlic Leg of Lamb, Steamship of Beef, Honey Glazed Ham, Mesquite Salmon, and a host of salads, sides, and desserts.

• Rogue’s Manor. A traditional dinner from 3 to 7 p.m..

• Grand Taverne Restaurant. Traditional Thanksgiving dinner in a romantic, Victorian atmosphere.

• Garden Bistro. A Thanksgiving feast guaranteed to be as delicious as their other food.

Thanksgiving Weekend is a festive time in Eureka Springs. The spirit of Christmas takes over, and colorful lights and decorations dress streets, homes, and shops. It’s a fantastic weekend to start your holiday shopping. The unique shops and art galleries in historic downtown Eureka Springs will be open all weekend. In addition, the Eureka Springs School of the Arts hosts their Winterfest Fine Art and Craft Show on November 25 and 26, from noon to 6 p.m., at the Inn of the Ozarks Convention Center. It should be easy to find unique gifts for your friends and loved ones.

We look forward to welcoming you to our Eureka Springs Bed and Breakfast during this holiday season.