Lee and Elaine's RV Adventures: Hot Springs, Arkansas

Monday, April 7, 2014, was a moving day - from Branson, Missouri to Hot Springs, Arkansas. We contemplated staying in Branson another day because it was supposed to rain; sometimes it is just miserable driving in rain, not to mention how filthy the motorhome and the Jeep get. But, we decided to leave and take whatever the weather brought. We were glad we did. It brought a little sunshine, warmth and a hint of spring. Hot Springs National Park has a small campground, about 40 sites, and half of them have full hook-ups, including 50-amp electrical. It's also first come, first served, so arriving on a Monday worked out well for us, we had several sites to choose from which was good because the first one we chose had an incline that in order to level, the front end of the motorhome was raised off the ground, which isn't good. So we moved to another site that was a bit flatter and got set up. The campground is next to a 2-lane highway that doesn't look like it should be busy but it is. People use it in order to avoid going through Bathhouse Row in Hot Springs National Park. As Hot Springs grew, it has surrounded the park.

People have been coming to Hot Springs to bathe in the waters for centuries and in 1832, the government created a reservation to protect a "natural resource". But, since it was not marked, individuals filed claims on the springs and the surrounding area. Crude bathhouses sprung up around Hot Springs Creek but they frequently burned or collapsed. In 1884, the federal government put the creek in a channel, put a roof over it, and then built a road over that, which is now Central Avenue. By 1887, claims had been resolved and the government took an active role in controlling the hot springs. They permitted bathhouses which ran the gamut from simple to luxurious. In its heyday, more than a million visitors a year came to Hot Springs to bathe.

Organized crime in Hot Springs got its start in the late 1800's and became quite a big thing in the 1930's when a lot of the mob used to hang out there. It wasn't until the 1960's that organized crime, and the political corruption that went along with it, came to an end. I guess I should say, sort of, since an awful lot of politicians are still not known for their honesty! By that time, the use of the bathhouses had declined and many closed their doors. In the 1980's, the National Park Service started the process of bringing Bathhouse Row back to life and it is now an on-going project.

One thing I didn't know was President Bill Clinton grew up in Hot Springs and graduated from high school there. Before entering into politics, he taught law at the University of Arkansas.

Hot Springs National Park

Hot Springs Mountain Tower

View from Hot Springs Mountain Tower

Used as an Army-Navy Hospital until 1960, it is now a rehabilitation center.

Grand Promenade

Arlington Hotel

Lobby of Arlington Hotel

Central Avenue, across from Bathhouse Row

Fordyce Bathhouse was the most opulent bathhouse in Hot Springs. Now it is the National Park Visitor’s Center. 23 rooms have been restored and furnished as they were in the heyday of the spa. Marble was used extensively throughout the facility, as was stained glass.

Lobby in Fordyce Bathhouse

Touring the facility and looking at some of the contraptions that made a spa treatment a luxury, was an eye opener and a little scary looking. The steam cabinet and sitz bath are still in use today at the two spas that are open.

Sitz bath and steam cabinet

Tubs were the same for women and men, the chair was for an attendant.

These were in the hydrotherapy room, I have no idea what they were used for!

The men’s bath hall.

It was very ornate while the women’s was extremely plain, not a fountain in sight.

The ceiling in the men's bath hall. Nope, the women didn't have a ceiling like this either.

Door to the elevator

Interior of elevator

The music room on the 3rd floor, the women's lounge was at one end, the men's lounge was at the other end.

Ceiling in the music room

The Ozark Bathhouse is now the Museum for Contemporary Art

Buckstaff Bathhouse is still an active bathhouse

Lamar Bathhouse is now the National Park store

Garvan Woodland Gardens

Garvan Woodland Gardens at the University of Arkansas in Hot Springs, was absolutely beautiful. Spring had really arrived with the blooming of tulips, azaleas, dogwood and other flowers.

In 1985, Verna C. Garvan donated 210 acres of land to the University of Arkansas Fay Jones School of Architecture envisioning a woodland garden. Her dream has certainly come true.

Bridge of Full Moon

Millsap Canopy Bridge and Singing Springs

Koi Pond waterfall

Perry Wildflower Overlook and Lake Hamilton

Flowering dogwood

Anthony Chapel is almost six stories high and has floor to ceiling windows and numerous skylights

Altar of Anthony Chapel

Looking up in the bell tower

Hwy. 7

Before leaving Branson, my idea was to drive down Hwy. 7 to Hot Springs. After a little research, I found it was twisting, turning and mountainous, and a great motorcycle road. Since our 38' motorhome is slightly larger than a motorcycle I decided it might not be a road I wanted to drive on, at least in the motorhome! So we decided to do a day trip. I was a little disappointed because I thought it would be more scenic. The motorhome would have made it but it would have been slow in a couple of places. Oh, well. There were a couple of historic areas where the CCC had camps in the 1930's but not much left except a fireplace and some foundations and a newer restroom.