Unlike some historic Main Street districts — tucked away off the beaten path, waiting for determined travelers to come take a gander — Eureka Springs’ Main Street district is the star of the show, pulling in over 750,000 tourists every year. It seems almost silly to mention that many of the Victorian-era buildings in Eureka Springs are listed on the National Register of Historic Places: The entire downtown was put on the Register in 1970. Simply put, Eureka Springs is one, glorious Main Street nirvana.

How long do we routinely drive through a place before we stop and get to know it? For me, the answer is about eight years. That’s how long I’ve been driving West on Highway 412 – usually on my way to Tulsa – and zipping through one small stretch of Siloam Springs, Arkansas without much more than a glance.