Hot Springs, AR: Arkansas’ National Park
Arkansas only has one National Park, so when we moved here, we knew we would be making a trip to Hot Springs National Park. What we did not realize, was that it was going to be our last adventure in Arkansas before Amity’s contract ends. We are going to really take advantage of the unique elements of Hot Springs National Park. We booked a spa day at the Buckstaff Bath House. This would go down as an experience that we will not forget any time soon. If you have heard of or used a Sitz Bath, you may know some of this.
MIle: 45,232
Quote of the Blog: “For me this has been a glorious day. While I have been to Arkansas before this, my visits have been like a bird of passage and this is the first time I have seen the state at a closer range. I have seen your parks, I have seen the beauty of your mountains and rivers. Arkansas can claim every warrant to the name, Wonder State.”- President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Song of the Blog: “Hot Springs, Arkansas” - Ryan Cassata
Hot Springs, Arkansas is a couple of hours in the car from Fort Smith. This allowed for us to get their quickly and make the most out of two days. We found a AirBnb spot that was just outside of downtown Hot Springs. We had some time to kill before we could get into our rental, so we found some random stuff to do around town. We started our adventure at the Garvan Woodland Gardens. This was a beatutiful botanical garden that was massive. Walking into the entrance we were greeted by a beautiful Peacock. We walked through different variations of art, gardens and the occasional miniature train display. We also found a really cool tree house. We explored all around the park. Just outside the park entracnce is another area attraction, the Anthony Chapel. This church reminded me a lot of the one up in Eureka Springs. Large exposed steel beams supporting glass walls. Placed in the forest it has the ability to connect with the natural world. Unfortunately, there was a wedding happening and we were not able to go inside.
Most of the knowledge of these activities and places have come from Amity’s favorite website, Atlas Obscura. This led us to also finding the Hot Springs Mountain Tower. This is a lookout tower that stand at over 200’ giving you views of the entire valley and surrounding mountains. Since we had spent most of our morning in the car, we decided to take the stairs up (most people take an elevator). It was much easier than we expected it to be, and there was a nice breeze outside that was a pleasant relief from the recent scorching hot weather. At the top of the tower there was some information about the Hot Springs area, its history and how it became a national park. There was also an observation deck you can go outside and look around. This gave some amazing views of the area. The forests throughout Arkansas are so dense and lush. This makes for a beautiful rolling hills of bright green canopies.
We then headed down into the downtown area of Hot Springs and walked around for a little bit. We immediately witnessed a wedding in a park next to Hot Springs National Park Sign. We have walked into a couple weddings in national parks throughout the years, so this was less strange that it may seem. The main area of Hot Springs is divided by the main street. On the east side of the road is Hot Springs National Park. This area is lined with historic buildings and bath houses. On the west side of the street it is full of independent businesses. This makes it a little difficult to realize where the national park begins and ends. One of the facts we learned in the tower was that the area had a major New York Mob presence back in the early 1900’s. This was made clear as day while walking down the west side of the street. May business names referenced the mob, and there is a Gangster Museum that used to be a casino owned by the mob.
Another item on Amity’s list was the only brewery to be in a national park, the Superior Bathhouse Brewery. This is a great spot with a patio we got to take advantage of. The facility is an old bathhouse on the park side of the main road. We enjoyed a few brews and continued on out way. As we walked around, we picked up on more and more bits of information about the area. Famous baseball players started coming here in the early 1900’s, which led to the first “Spring Training” games to be played here. It was also famously frequented by the likes of Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson and Hank Aaron. We continually wondered where they ate and drank, and if they had sat in some of the old places we were in. Some of our favorite spots we stopped in were the Ohio House and Maxine’s Live. We chose to have dinner at Grateful Head Pizza Oven & Beer Garden. Each of these spots had their own style. The Ohio Club was a classic bar with live music and a lot of history. Maxine’s is more of a dive bar for the younger generations. Dogs are fully accepted there, which always makes Amity smile! The Grateful Head lived up to what you would expect it to be; a bunch of hippies making pizza loving Jerry Garcia and all things Grateful Dead! We were able to pack enough into our day that we were zapped and ready for bed. We knew we had some serious R&R planned for the next morning.
We woke up bright and early to get to the Buckstaff Bath House. This is a historical bathhouse in the park area of Hot Springs National Park. It was built in 1912, and by my observations, they have not done much to update it other than making sure it looks clean and nice. This generated a mix of a historical vibe with the noticeable need for updating and maintenance. They did not take reservations, so getting their early guaranteed we would be able to enjoy the amenities. We were separated at check-in to the men’s and to the women’s sides of the building. I did not know Amity was at the back of a long line she would be waiting in, while I would be in no line and moved through each part of the experience with speed and ease. This would give us much different experiences. I would jump from activity to activity seamlessly, while Amity would have long wait times between each one.
The experience starts with stripping naked and wrapping yourself in a towel. I was just told to wrap myself, while Amity had an assistant who wrapped and unwrapped her like a Greek goddess between each activity. We started with a long soak in a mineral bath. This is the classic soak of the Hot Springs Bathhouse experiences. What made this interesting was that both of our assistants drew our baths and were there to help us in as we stripped naked again and got in the tub. You just kind of throw the awkwardness aside and do what the experience calls for, and being naked in front of others is fully part of the experience. The bath was nice! Probably my favorite part about the whole thing. It did get a little weird when my assistant came into the bathroom and scrubbed my back with a luffa (which they tried to get me to keep as a souvenir, but it quickly met the next trashcan). I will forever remember this man saying, “Lean forward and let me scrub your back.” It was nice, but the awkward elephant in the room was always present. Next up on the list of activities was a steam box. We both cannot see these and not think about old cartoons. They have not changed the style of these tubs and boxes since the 1900’s. I don’t know how long I was in there, but it was not a long as it felt. By the end of it I was drenched in my own sweat. I was then wrapped in my white sheet and given some hot towels on some sore muscle areas. This was a point in which I almost fell asleep. After this, things got progressively weirder. Next up was the ultimate weird point in the day, a Sitz Tub. This is something that is exactly what it sounds like. A small tub that you sit in. I was told to get naked and sit in it and put my towel over my hips and legs. I was left there alone for 15-20 minutes. This could have easily been over in 30 seconds. Amity on the other side of the building had gone through her soak, wrapping, unwrapping, steam box and stiz tub. One of our major differences was that I was alone in this massive bath house, she was shuffling around other naked women wrapped in sheets. I can only imagine how weird that made the sitting in the sitz tub. These tubs are all but on the floor in an open stall. While sitting there, people are shuffling around their activities. All of this while water is just splashing onto your lower back and running down your back side in the tub. Weird is the only word to describe it. We finished our experience with a light massage. Amity’s masseuse talked to her a little while she got her rub down, while mine did not say a single word the entire time. As nice as it was to get a massage, it was a little awkward to be in a room with them for 20 minutes without any conversation. One more quick wrapping up in the white sheet and I was shuffled off to my locker to get dressed and be done. We both left our Hot Springs National Park Bath House experiences in a relaxed state of bewilderment.
Hot Springs, Arkansas has lived up to the stigma we have with any town that has the word “springs” in it. It seems like these towns have a unique and weird element about them. As if the springs themselves bring in the more eclectic and unique individuals. This builds communities that have very unique and sometimes off the wall characteristics. Whether it be Hot Springs, MT or Eureka Springs, AR or Colorado Springs, CO they are all places that will leave you wondering what it is like to actually live there. We felt like our time in Hot Springs fulfill our desires to explore one of the oldest national parks in the country. We will still wonder where the park starts and where it ends, but we will always remember the fun and unique experiences that came along with our weekend there. We headed back to Fort Smith for the last week of our time in Arkansas! We are excited to announce that we will be heading to New Jersey for the next three months!!! Thank you Arkansas for all the experiences, memories and lessons!