Red Roads State Pages
Hot Springs
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Overview of our visit to Hot Springs
Hot Springs
Overview of our visit to Hot Springs
On Wednesday, November 13, 2002, we set up camp near Hot Springs. A winding, steep, paved lane had led us to the campground, perched atop a hill. The panoramic view of fall foliage was breathtaking! About 2:30 in the afternoon, we headed into town for a walk around Bathhouse Row in Hot Springs National Park. The Fordyce Visitors Center was still open so we took a rather hurried self-guided tour of the museum.
The next day, we took a trail ride at the Castleberry Riding Stable. It was the first time any of us had done this! The stable advertises itself as "the only family-owned and operated riding stable that has been in continuous operation for 42 years." Ronnie, our guide, told us a little about growing up with his family's business. As he led us on a scenic
forty-five minute ride through tree-shaded terrain on the north side of Blow Out Mountain, he provided a few comments about the geography and geology of the area. Fall is my favorite time of the year, and I enjoyed the leisurely meandering through the woods on this warm, sunny day. My horse, Comet, knew the trail and the routine a lot better than I did, so I just went along for the ride.
After the trail ride, we went back to town and drove up West Mountain Drive, a climbing road with several scenic overlooks. This eventually brought us back to town, where we located the very winding Hot Springs Mountain Drive. We slowly and carefully navigated the many switchbacks on this four-and-a-half mile loop road. Near the top of the drive, by the Hot Springs Mountain Tower, we paused to enjoy the panoramic vista.
On our third day in Hot Springs, we went to the Hot Springs Health Spa for a modified "bathing" experience. Although we didn't use any of the exercise equipment or the saunas, we enjoyed a hot tub and the pool. The last day of our visit to the city, we spent an afternoon at the MidAmerican Science Museum. There were other family attractions in town, but most of them were closed for the season.
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Hot Springs National Park
The natural hot springs that flow from the southwest slope of Hot Springs Mountain have been used for over two hundred years for therapeutic purposes, to treat rheumatism and other ailments. In 1803, the United States acquired the area as part of the Louisiana Purchase. The next year, President Thomas Jefferson sent a scientific expedition, led by William Dunbar and Philadelphia chemist Dr. George Hunter, to explore the region. The report of the expedition was widely publicized and stirred up national and international interest in the hot springs. In the years that followed, more and more people came to soak in the uncontaminated hot spring water. In 1832, Congress set aside four sections of land here, the first U. S. reservation made simply to protect a natural resource. This was forty years before Yellowstone was established as the world's first national park.
Although I had a stereotypical mental image of a national park as wide open country, the focal point of Hot Springs National Park is the historic Bathhouse Row/Grand Promenade area right in town. As we walked along the west side of Central Avenue, we passed many historic buildings, now housing a variety of retail and service businesses. When we saw the historic Arlington Hotel across the street from us, we crossed Central Avenue and went to the National Park interpretive signs by a fountain and some pools. This is one of the few places in the park where open springs can be seen. The water was quite warm, of course. By walking on the uphill path, we reached the Grand Promenade. This we followed to its southern end at Reserve Street, noting the covered hot springs along the way. We turned back north on Central to see the majestic bath houses of a bygone era. The Buckstaff, “the only remaining continuously operational bathing facility on Historic Bath House Row,” was closed for the day, but we were able to enter the Fordyce Visitors Center.
With less than an hour until closing time, we picked up the walking tour paper and started on the third floor, so we could work our way down. Some renovations were underway, so the areas were not quite what they were supposed to be. However, by reading the signs as we explored, we got a pretty good idea of what this bath house was like when it was operational. The floors were all tile, of course. Beautiful wood, marble, and stained glass were generously used throughout, yet the style was elegantly plain rather than intricately detailed. People used the bath for therapeutic purposes as well as for socializing and the atmosphere made me think of a fancy hospital. Facilities for men and women were separate, with only a few common areas. At this website, you can take a virtual tour of the Fordyce Visitors Center. The pictures and descriptions are excellent!
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Hot Springs Health Spa
While we were in this city so well-known for so long for its "bathing," we decided to go to the Hot Springs Health Spa for an adventure. We did not attempt the traditional thermal bath experience, as we had read about at the Fordyce Visitors Center, although that is still offered several places in town. At the spa, we found a good place for a family to "bathe;" the pools were all co-ed and everyone wore a swimsuit. We didn’t use any of the exercise equipment or the saunas. First, we sat in a hot tub that was similar to any we’ve used in motels, except the water was the hot spring water. Then we went to the large pool where people walked back and forth, from one end to the other. The water was uniformly about four feet deep and not as hot as the tubs (about 95 degrees). We enjoyed about two hours of “bathing.”
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Mid-America Science Museum
With our ASTC membership, we were granted free admission to the Mid-America Science Museum. We arrived just in time for the 2:00 p.m.
The Perception section had one of those distorted rooms, where Bud could appear to be much bigger than his dad! In the Life section was an exhibit called "Land's Alive." It reminded me of a large sandbox, with controls in the frame that allowed us to change the course of a river or raise up a mountain. We followed the short outdoor nature trail, too, but it was getting cold, so we didn’t linger. However, we did end up closing down the place. We were the last ones to leave, just before 5:00.
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