The Soul of 62
- John-Michael Scurio
- Sep 6
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 7
Listen to those tires hum as you switch-back. Top down, feel that breeze in your hair. Bask in the rolling hillsides dotted with cattle, deer and bales of hay.
When Route 62 curves into Eureka Springs, something happens. The hum changes on the pavement. The road narrows, twists, and bends as if it, too, has decided to slow down.
Suddenly, you’re not on a highway anymore, you’re inside a storybook. Winding Victorian streets climb hillsides like staircases to the sky. Historic stone buildings lean against one another as though sharing secrets from the 1800s. Balconies burst with flowers in the spring, and in autumn, the town glows in fiery reds and golds.
Eureka! You found it!
And the springs, which happen to be the very reason Eureka Springs exists, still bubble beneath the surface, whispering of healing waters that once drew visitors from across the country in horse-drawn carriages.
Artists, musicians, motorcyclists, wanderers and entrepreneurs have all found their way here, each leaving a mark and carrying away a memory. On any given day, you might hear emo jamgrass spilling out from a street corner, smell fresh coffee mingling with the scent of cedar trees in the air, or watch a caravan of motorcycles roll down Main Street.
It’s not just a stop, like a dot on a map; it’s a destination that makes you want to stay. Ironically, real-life stories dotted all over town, tell of visitors passin' through, that decided to stay and still reside here, having never left. For many visitors, just one visit is all it will take to feel that hard-to-explain, magical (got-a-hold) tug on your soul, connecting you to this corner of the world.
On its journey, Route 62 brushes past the grandeur of Carlsbad Caverns, drifts through Oklahoma City’s memorials and music, winds past Kentucky’s thoroughbreds, and meanders into Ohio’s Amish Country. It even ends at the roar of Niagara Falls.
Yet, as dazzling as these icons may be, none of them hold the same unexpected magic as what lies tucked into the folds of the Ozarks: a place where the highway doesn’t just pass through ... it breathes life into a town.
Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Highway 62 didn’t stumble into this role by accident. Over a century ago, before roads were numbered, the Ozark Trails Association (OTA) fought for scenic, accessible routes that would pull travelers straight into the heart of towns like Rogers, Mountain Home, and Eureka Springs.
They understood something profound: roads shouldn’t just connect dots on a map, they should connect people, culture, and local spirit. Thanks to them, Highway 62 wasn’t built to bypass Eureka Springs. It was built to lead you right into it. And that decision still shapes the town’s identity today.
Traveling Route 62 is a reminder that life isn’t always about speed. It’s about savoring. This is the kind of road that invites you to roll the windows down, let the mountain air in, and remember why road trips are America’s greatest tradition.
And when you let it guide you into Eureka Springs, you’ll understand why so many travelers call this quirky mountain town the soul of the Ozarks. It’s not just a crown jewel of Route 62 ... it’s the heartbeat.
What do to in Eureka Springs?
Explore Nature
Thorncrown Chapel → a glass sanctuary in the woods.
Lake Leatherwood → trails, fishing, kayaking.
Blue Spring Heritage Center → gardens, springs, and history.
Soak in the Culture
Eureka Springs Historical Museum → dive into Victorian past.
Galleries on Spring Street → local artists, handmade treasures.
Live music → from Basin Park to tucked-away bars, and taverns.
Shop Small
Quirky boutiques selling everything from crystals and clothes to handcrafted jewelry and home decor.
Antique stores brimming with curiosities.
Find uniquely Eurekan treasures on Etsy - as Eureka Springs has been featured as an Etsy maker city.
This route is certainly not the fastest way across America, but that’s the point. Route 62 is the highway that reminds us why we travel, not to hurry through, but to discover. And if you listen closely as the road curves into Eureka Springs, you’ll hear it: the sound of a timeless town that has been waiting, century after century, to welcome you.
So, the next time wanderlust whispers, don’t take the fastest route. Take the one with the most character. Take Route 62. And let it lead you straight to Eureka Springs, where the road itself feels like it’s been waiting for you.❤️
