Hot Springs has always intrigued me. Is there a naughtier name in America? Just Intercourse, I think. Now we have been to both.
And – surprise – the springs are really hot! The spring-fed fountains actually steam, even on a hot day (80 yesterday).
Steaming fountain
I suppose that it is easy to like a town when the weather is perfect, as it was for our visit – crystal clear skies, low humidity, a light breeze and balmy 80 degree heat. Just beautiful. But I probably would like it in a driving rain, too. Great architecture and some steamy history involving gangsters and sports heroes – a fine combination.
It is a place that we would both like to visit again.
Maybe next time we will actually indulge in a bath. Cost: $64 for a whirlpool bath, a 20-minute massage and a loofah to take home.
Four things that caught our attention in Hot Springs:
- Bathhouse Row. This is Hot Springs’ raison d’etre, of course. Only one of the bathhouses is still offering baths, but the buildings are all still there, all are still in use in some way and all offer a view into a simpler time a century ago.
- The Promenade. This brick walk above Bathhouse Row is a fine stroll. A great place to be on a perfect day.
- The Arlington Hotel. The building is an imposing period to the Bathhouse Row sentence. And the interior is a tangible piece of Roaring 20’s art.
- Andrew’s Restaurant. We were attracted to this second-floor restaurant by the sidewalk sign that promised a “bakery bar”. Never seen a bakery bar, so of course we had to go upstairs. There we found a very authentic 1920’s dining room, reminiscent of the old Durgin Park, complete with a row of betting windows in the hall, from its days as a bookie joint. The food was good – not great – but the ambiance was amazing.
Bathhouse Row visitor center
Buckstaff Bath building
The Promenade
Jett testing the waters
The Arlington Hotel
The Arlington’s lobby bar
Andrew’s sign
Andrew’s betting window hall
Andrew’s dining room
Our home for the Hot Springs stay was Catherine’s Landing, a very nice RV park near Lake Catherine. We were not on the water, but were near the dog run, the laundry and the bathrooms. The park also has a very nice playground (though we saw no children while there), a 9-hole Frisbee golf course and a heated pool. Jett thinks it is her favorite campground yet, which, combined with our love of the town, made this a very successful stop on our journey.
The dog run
The river
Back-on sites on the river
The pool
Inside the lodge
Sitting area in the lodge
We also gave Patience a treat before we moved on: we washed her. We didn’t realize how dirty she was until the job was done and she looked (almost) new again. That $100 wasn’t in our budget, but it was worth it.
Patience, freshly washed