The Cabbage/Cabage Family Reunion in Eureka Springs, Arkansas

 73º and pleasant here at the Starvy Creek Bluegrass Festival grounds near Conway, Missouri at 10:15 am on Sunday.

Last Thursday we left Clarinda in a light rain about 7:15 am and then ran in to torrential rain going south on Highway 71 with high winds.  Just north of Maryville, MO we saw several fields of corn that were flattened by the wind.  We stopped in Independence, MO for a short visit, and lunch, with Ed Stanger.  He has had quite a bout with his health issues.  Has a nurse come in 3 days a week and drain fluid from his lungs through a tube they surgically implanted a few months ago.

We set up at Dam Site River Campground which is below the dam that forms Beaver lake southwest of Eureka Springs, Arkansas some 12 miles by road, but takes 24 minutes to traverse it.  There is not a single yard of road that does not curve, rise or fall in that entire areas!  Though we could get cell phone service in town, we could get none, zilch, nada, NO service at the campsite.  If you tried to make a call it simple said "You are not connected to any service".

We got to a room at a hotel in Eureka Springs a little after 7 pm where several of the Cabbage/Cabage family were, and more came as the evening went on.  Pictured at right is John V Cabage, who has been in charge of putting on the reunions every year for many years, along with his wife Marianne.  This year they turned over much of this year's organization to some of the younger generations.

They outlined some activities for the following day, Friday, which included a tour of Onyx Cave Park, Quigley's Castle, Turtle Back Ridge Family Fun Park, or Eureka Springs Tram Tour.  We elected to go to the Quigley Castle Click HERE for website -  This is a very unique house - 3 sides of it are 2-story high glass with plants of all sorts growing.  I took many photos and, with time, get many more of them edited and post. 

We went with John, Jr, Cabage and his wife Sue and daughter Hannah. 

We went to lunch with them and Phyllis & I went on the 1:00 pm Eureka Springs Tram Tour while they went with another couple on the 3:00 pm tour.  After our tour we drove around the downtown part where our tour guide had described the area.  He said Ripley's Believe it or Not company had declared Eureka Springs to not have one intersection on a 90-degree angle.  The town is build on such hills that many homes have as many as 3 stories with each one having a walk-out door.  Many of the houses we drove by we were looking at the 3rd floor, with the 2nd and 1st being below the street, but on the steep hillside.

The guide made the entire 1 and a half-hour tour very interesting; wish I had recorded him.  Have many pictures and will get the edited and post sometime.

Friday evening we gathered at LaFamilia Mexican Restaurant where there were about 24 gathered.

 

Visited over and after the meal and then we headed back to the trailer.  The road is unbelievable; I seldom got lower than 3rd gear or over 30 mph, even though they had a 50 MPH speed limit posted.  Almost a half-hour drive even though we covered 12 miles.

Saturday some 45-50 people met at a shelter set on the lake.  They were from Missouri, Illinois, Oklahoma, Iowa, Ohio, Tennessee, Indiana, and  Kentucky.  Many of the younger people only came on Saturday, and mostly stuck to their own group.  But, Phyllis was able to visit with many.

They are going to have 2024 near Washburn, TN and 2025 in a town just northeast of Columbus, OH.

We picked up the trailer and drove north, getting to the site here for the Starvy Creek Bluegrass Festival about 5:30 pm.  Lots of trailer already here, but we were able to get a really good site only some 100 feet from the stage and 25 feet from restrooms and showers.  We plan to go to Branson Monday and see Goldwing Express at the Shephard of the Hills tomorrow evening.

More later, Lynn