Hot Springs National Park

This morning I drove the hour out to Hot Springs National Park . The Park is intertwined with the City (also called Hot Springs National Park) and both share a rich history. As with many natural hot springs, people flocked to them for both recreation and healing. The Park designation derives from legislation signed by President Andrew Jackson in 1832 , making it one of the oldest National Parks

The bathhouse culture began with Victorian wooden structures, most of which burned in the great fire of 1878. This was considered a blessing as it paved the way for more solid construction which led to Bathhouse row, the buildings of which still stand today. By 1901 all of the springs had been walled up and covered to protect them and the only way to bathe in the waters was in one of the bathhouses. By the 1960s, the bathing culture had declined and many of the bathhouses had closed. The elegant Fordyce Bathhouse was repurposed as the National Park visitor center. Originally opened in 1912, the Buckstaff is the only facility on the Row that has never fully closed since it first started offering baths. The Buckstaff offers a traditional bathing experience. The Quapaw has been modernized to offer bathing and modern spa services. The other buildings still stand and have either been closed or repurposed.

I first hiked some of the trails in the surrounding area. Rain threatened all day, but fortunately did not materialize until the evening after I returned to my hotel in Little Rock. On the trails, I met Claire and Dennis from Minnosota. We kept running into each other, both on the trails, and eventually at the bathhouse. We discussed the possibility of sharing dinner, but they were staying in Hot Springs and I wanted to get back to Little Rock to beat the rain. Still, it was a nice offer.

I had just parked my car in town and was heading for the bathhouse when I ran into Lance Brownfield. He was toting camera equipment and I asked him what he was photographing. It turned out that he works for the The Sentinel-Record , the local paper, and was doing a piece on the ethnic diversity in Hot Springs, of which there is a surprising amount. I’ll link to his article when it comes out. I then explained my journey and he was intrigued enough to ask if he could write an article about me for the paper. While I avoid social media, this is local journalism, a very different animal. I decided it might be fun, and agreed, however there is still some pending coordination to manage. If an article is published, I’ll link to it in a future post.

I then chose the Buckstaff bathhouse for my soak and services. Shadow and Cooper were my attendants and provided excellent services. I then collected some drinking water from one of several public fountains and headed back. And I did beat the rain. A thunder and lightening show is currently being presented in the skies of Little Rock.

This is my last day in Arkansas. Tomorrow I head to Memphis, Tennessee.