More from the Ozarks...

The first time I saw this sign...it took me a minute to realize what it was.

At the time, it was closed to the public. (Renovations were underway...) Clinging to the side of one of the town's many hills, the Palace Hotel and Bath House was up a couple blocks from the center of town. On Spring Street, the main drag through what I guess is downtown Eureka.

The original owner/builder wanted it to resemble a European castle. Built of limestone by the same Irish stonemasons who built the Crescent Hotel, the miles of stone retaining walls, and the many other stone structures in town, the Palace opened in 1901. W.C. Fields was its most celebrated client, along with any number of mobsters coming to take the waters.

It was also a bordello in those early years - and the sign outside perfectly advertises the establishment. It's also historic - the first neon sign west of the Mississippi - and may have been crafted by the inventor of neon, a Monsieur George. It was painted by a local signpainter who had the last name of "Golly." He also had a sense of humor - he signed every creation "By Golly." (Which you can still see...) It's especially interesting at night...with the neon shining through the darkness.

On our recent sojourn through the Ozarks, Mr. D and I wound up in Eureka Springs and decided that, if they had a vacancy and it wasn't a million dollars, we'd stay. They did...and we did. A little pricey, but I'd always loved (and laughed at) that sign and wanted to see what the Palace was like inside.

My only disappointment is we didn't encounter the hotel ghost - Rosemary - who allegedly died "in the throes of passion," as the hotel information described. The rooms were lovely (a jacuzzi - more hot water!!!); they served a marvelous breakfast; and the bath house in the basement has been restored and is open for business.

I love old buildings - stayed over the years in several of Eureka's older establishments, including the big old white elephant of a hotel called The Crescent. Which also has a ghost. Which I think I encountered once when staying there alone. But that's another story...