Hot Springs, AR - May 11 - 23, 2006
On May 11th we high-tailed it out of Texas, bound for Hot Springs, Arkansas via Shreveport, Louisiana. We selected the southern route to avoid the violent thunderstorms that were plaguing the Dallas area, and points north. In fact, a short distance out of Shreveport we encountered a traffic jam and took the opportunity to chat with some fellows that were heading north to Little Rock to assist in restoring electrical service to a large part of the city. Hmmm, perhaps we were heading the wrong direction.
The drive to Louisiana on the secondary highways took us through many small farming towns, green fields with enormous wildflowers and the Piney Woods of east Texas. We spent the night in Greenwood, a small village outside Shreveport, and then turned north toward Hot Springs. We arrived at the appropriately named Cloud Nine RV Park in mid-afternoon. The very well maintained park sits atop of a steep hill providing a wonderful view of the surrounding forest. The hilltop location bestows refreshing breezes, for which we were very grateful after the heavy humidity of Austin. We immediately decided to extend our one-week stay, to two.
Our first excursion was to the Hot Springs National Park and the Fordyce Bathhouse on historic bathhouse row. The Fordyce has been restored to its 1920's splendor, a state-of-the-art spa that provided rest, relaxation and therapy to presidents, princes of industry, athletes and well-heeled women.
Prior to modern prescription medicines, such as penicillin and polio vaccine, hydrotherapy offered the best relief from common maladies and the greatest hope for cures. Of course, some of the therapies such as mercury rub and electro shock may have caused more harm than good. The good news is, according to the National Park Service, there were no recorded deaths due to therapeutic treatments. However, we did wonder why there were so many cemeteries in and around town.
Hot Springs is still a mecca for those seeking the waters and there are several rehabilitation facilities in town. The odorless water emerges from the earth at an average temperature of 143 degrees. There is a fountain near the visitor's center where hydrophiles may fill containers for personal use - but mind the temperature... this is the voice of experience.
The Hot Springs area is beautiful and has so much more than just hot water. The town offers many art galleries and shopping opportunities, theater, and horse racing (in season), hiking in the national park and forests and beautiful lakes such as DeGray, Ouachita, Hamilton and Catherine. Our first weekend included an art and music festival in one of the city parks. It was quite fun and the arts and crafts were impressive.
The Garvan Woodland Gardens on Lake Hamilton are not to be missed. Even though we managed to visit between blooming seasons, the 210-acre botanical garden with its streams, bridges, ponds and waterfalls was breathtaking. The gardens also had a really cool scale model railroad for enthusiasts of all ages and the biggest koi we've ever seen.
Hope, Arkansas was where President Clinton was born, but Hot Springs was his boyhood home and where he attended school. Both towns are very proud of this heritage and boast all things Clinton. Actually, it seems where ever Bill Clinton walked somebody put up a plaque to claim a little piece of him.
We drove over to Little Rock twice during our stay in Hot Springs. Once to visit the Clinton Presidential Center and historic riverfront district, and a second time to bike the Arkansas River bike path and check out the Old Mill.
The Clinton Presidential Center was fascinating and used newer technology to enhance the tour experience. However, the way they used technology presented a lot of information in a small area and we felt a bit of sensory and information overload. As with the LBJ Library, we came away with greater respect for the Office of the President. We were also very impressed with the respect and admiration expressed by leaders throughout the world for President Clinton and his diplomatic acumen.
The Presidential Center included a replica of the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room as it was during Clinton's administration, gifts received from visiting dignitaries, and artifacts and presentations on events during his presidency - including the fruitless, six-year, $50+ million Whitewater Investigation. A crowd of laughing tourist, including us, gathered around a video display of Hilary and Bill spoofing themselves on various occasions during his presidency and upon leaving office. Great stuff.
We returned to Little Rock a few days later to bike a portion of the Arkansas River Trail. When completed the path will bridge the river at two locations creating a 25-mile loop. We biked the north bank that took us through several parks and terminated across the river from the Clinton Presidential Center. Returning to the truck was exhausting in that the temperature and humidity had increased to a level that we felt we were biking through water.
After our ride we went in search of the Old Mill built in 1933 as a historic re-creation of an 1880's water-powered gristmill. The beautifully landscaped Old Mill was used in the opening scenes of the 1937 classic film "Gone With the Wind".
Next destination... Memphis, TN.
