2025 | The Season of Gold

Cue the dramatic voiceover: “As the sweltering embrace of summer reluctantly loosens its grip…”

I mean, honestly, could summer be more of a stage-five clinger? This year, it was like being stuck in an unwanted bear hug from a sweaty uncle at a family reunion. The humidity wrapped around us like a moist, uninvited cardigan. And yet, finally, the calendar whispers...

And oh, how I love autumn.

Growing up in New England (Greater Boston, MA) autumn wasn’t just a season, it was a full-body experience. It was childhood, nostalgia, comfort food, a Norman Rockwell painting come alive. It was leaves crunching beneath my feet as I sprinted to school, apple pies cooling in my grandparents’ sunroom, and steaming bowls of soup waiting for me after my brothers and I played outside until our noses turned pink.

Now, here in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, autumn does all of that, and then some. It sweeps across the Ozarks with all the flair of a Broadway diva making her final bow. And folks, trust me when I tell you, in Eureka Springs, you have front-row seats to this show.

Autumn Feels Like Magic

Let’s be honest: autumn is basically nature saying, “Yes, I’m dying, but I’m going to look fabulous while doing it.”

Like a master painter, the trees swap their greens for crimson, amber, and gold, decorating the world with a final encore before winter’s curtain falls. It’s dramatic. It’s poetic. It’s like Elton John walked into a forest and said, “You know what this place needs? Sequins.”

There’s a certain intelligence in it, too. Trees aren’t being extra. They’re being practical. If they held on to their lush summer leaves, winter would destroy them. So, they let go. They shed. They surrender what no longer serves them so they can survive and thrive again in spring.

Hey, it’s basically therapy in tree form.

Camus nailed it. But let me add: it’s also the season when your wardrobe stops sticking to you like cling wrap, your thermostat takes a breather, and pumpkin spice becomes a side-cult.

Here's My Personal Take on the Science

Now, before you start nodding off like it’s high school biology, let me make this fun.

Chlorophyll: It’s that green stuff we all doodled about in our notebooks. Its main gig? Turning sunlight into glucose (tree food). Chlorophyll is basically the barista of the tree world, always whipping up a latte of energy.

Anthocyanins: The divas of the leaf world. They strut in late, bringing the reds and purples. Think Cher at an awards show: “Surprise, darlings, I still got it!”

Carotenoids: These are the “beta-carotene bros.” They’re the reason carrots are orange, egg yolks are yellow, and autumn leaves glow.

When days get shorter, chlorophyll production stops, and the other pigments strut their stuff. It’s not death, it’s a glamorous costume change.

Eureka Springs: Autumn’s Hidden Gem

Now, here’s where things get really good. Autumn in Eureka Springs, Arkansas is a production so dazzling, so heart-grabbing, that it makes Broadway look like amateur hour.

Jeff and I didn’t know it back in 2018 when we packed up and moved here, but our “postage stamp of a mountain cottage” landed us smack dab in the middle of autumn heaven. Our neighborhood, our town, the entire Ozark region, it’s like being wrapped inside a snow globe of golden leaves, crisp air, and cozy small-town charm. Except instead of fake glitter, it’s real magic.

Peak Season in Eureka Springs

Mark your calendars, friends: mid-October is usually the sweet spot. That’s when the leaves put on their grand finale performance. Imagine strolling down Route 62 with rolling hills of fiery color on either side. Imagine sipping cider on the porch of the Crescent Hotel while watching the sun ignite the treetops.

The Taste of Autumn

Autumn isn’t just something you see. It’s something you taste, you smell, you wrap yourself in like a favorite sweater.

• Hot apple cider steaming between your hands

• Pumpkin pies wafting from every corner bakery

• Soup bubbling away in crockpots, filling the air with comfort

• Caramel apples that make you feel five years old again (sticky face included)

In Eureka Springs, restaurants and cafés embrace the season with local flair. You’ll find seasonal menus featuring butternut squash bisque, roasted root vegetables, and, yes, cider cocktails.

The Cozy Factor

Autumn gives us permission to slow down. Suddenly, it’s acceptable to light six candles at 2 p.m. for “ambiance.” You can wrap yourself in blankets so oversized you look like a human burrito, and no one judges you.

Eureka Springs has mastered cozy. Also known as hygge in Scandinavia. Between the boutique hotels, cabins in the woods, and historic inns, there’s no shortage of places to snuggle up with a good book ... or, let’s be honest, a good Netflix binge.

And when you’re done bingeing? Step outside.

The Ozarks become your personal backyard theater of color, complete with fresh air that feels like it’s been lightly sprinkled with cinnamon.

Recycling: Nature’s Autumn Trick

Fallen leaves don’t just make excellent jumping piles, they also break down into a nutrient-rich “humus-of-sorts” that keeps the forest floor healthy.

Those crunchy leaves that annoy you when you rake? They’re basically mulch with a master plan. Without them, spring wouldn’t be nearly as lush. Trees are smarter than we give them credit for ... they’ve built their own sustainability strategy, no corporate task force required.

Life Lessons from Autumn

If autumn had a TED Talk, here’s what it would say:

1. Let go gracefully. The trees don’t fight it. They shed what’s no longer useful.

2. Embrace change. Change doesn’t have to be scary. It can be breathtaking.

3. Celebrate the fleeting. Those few weeks of color remind us to soak in the present moment before it slips away.

Autumn is nature’s way of teaching us resilience, beauty, and the art of the dramatic exit.

Why You Need to Visit Eureka Springs This Autumn

If you’ve been craving a season that feeds your soul, you need to come here. Don’t just scroll past a million Instagram posts of foliage, make your own. Stand on the porch of the Crescent Hotel and watch the golden sun melt into the hills. Walk downtown as the crisp breeze rustles through the Victorian architecture. Take Route 62 at dusk and let the fiery hillsides steal your breath.

Eureka Springs in autumn is not a suggestion. It’s a commandment. Thou shalt not miss it.

And listen, it doesn’t matter if you’re a leaf-peeper, a foodie, a hiker, or just someone who loves to wrap yourself in a scarf for no reason. Eureka Springs has something for you.

Autumn has always been my season. It was magic for me as a kiddo in New England, and now it’s magic here in Arkansas.

It’s a time of warm soups and cool air, of brilliant colors and gentle goodbyes. It’s nature’s most dazzling performance, one that whispers to us about change, letting go, and finding beauty in every stage of life.

So, grab your pumpkin spice, pack your flannel, and head to Eureka Springs. Because here, autumn isn’t just a season, it’s an invitation to fall in love all over again.❤️