Attack of the 43-Foot Rooster

The trees were beautiful, the weather was great, so it seemed like the perfect time for a November road trip with Todd, my brother, and sister-in-law! 

First up...the "most haunted" hotel in America...the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas!

Built in 1886, it was first a fancy hotel...

...then a college for fancy young women.

Finally, it was turned into a sketchy hospital that purported to cure cancer "with no x-ray, operation, or radium."  This is the original sign!

Norman Baker was the proprietor and a fascinating character.  After his cancer-curing venture failed, the Crescent eventually became a hotel again...and with such a storied past, it's got a few ghosts!  Is it just me, or do the hallway fire hoses look exactly like the ones in The Shining?

We went ghost-hunting with specialized readers, but alas, no nibbles!

Still, I loved the beautiful windows and all the original woodwork...

 

A great place for outdoor parties.

 

How can you not like a place that honors their cats in this way?

Next up, still in Arkansas...a 67 foot tall concrete Jesus that weighs over 2 million pounds!

Here's the view of it from the Crescent Hotel.

 And...who would think that I'd be able to see an actual piece of the Berlin Wall...in Arkansas?

We stayed in super cute tree house cabins.

Last stop in Arkansas was Thorncrown Chapel, a church in the woods that has over 6,000 square feet of glass!

Hello, Missouri!  Home of the world's largest rooster (43 feet tall)...

Beautiful lakes.

We went to a fish hatchery.  Trout!

On to Silver Dollar City!  Lots of shopping...

Christmas lights...

 

Local artisans...

 

 

There were roller coasters (I did a baby one, but was too chicken for the big boys) AND a singing train ride. Win-win!

We stopped by the College of the Ozarks to see the campus, the architecture, and, oh, the chapel where Boyz II Men filmed a video in the '90s!  Oh yeah!

 

Now we're home and slo-o-o-o-owly getting back to the old schedule again.  Tabitha is disappointed that we aren't going anywhere else this month...she was very involved in the packing process and was fairly sure that she was going to get to take a ride in my suitcase!  Maybe next time.

Have a great week!