Friday, April 18
We arrived in Hot
Springs, Arkansas. It was only 100 miles or so from Petit Jean
State Park.
While here we're staying at the
The park is aptly named as Cloud Nine sits atop a mountain...We've a
gorgeous view looking down into the valley below...
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| view from our campsite |
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| evening view |
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| clubhouse |
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| nice place to sit a spell |
After we set up, we took a ride into downtown Hot Springs to get the "lay of the land." Hot Springs is a year-round
health and pleasure resort adjacent to Hot Springs National Park.
The Hot Springs region is well-known for its
three nearby lakes—Lake Hamilton, Lake
Ouachita
(wash i taw) and Lake
Catherine -- and for being rich in quartz
crystals.
Saturday, April 19
Today we went back into Hot Springs to visit the Visitor's Center at the National Park...
The National Park encompasses one side of the street (it includes the Visitor Center, bathhouse row, as well as a small park.
The restored Fordyce Bathhouse now serves as
visitor center for
Hot Springs
National Park and museum
for the thermal bathing industry.
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| Fordyce Bath House, now housing the Visitors Center and Museum |
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| lobby |
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| women's dressing room |
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| the dressing rooms are made of mahogany |
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| ladies cooling room (a place to cool off after your hot bath) |
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| then it's off to shower |
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| and then a massage |
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| exercise room |
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| the bath houses were very ornate, utilizing marble and mahogany, along with stained glass windows |
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| the DeSoto Fountain (fountain of youth) |
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| stained glass on the ceiling above the DeSoto Fountain |
Bath House Row...
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| the Buckstaff, still in use as a bath-house |
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| hot water coming out of the springs, look closely and you can see the steam |
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| one of the springs... |
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| located on the grounds of the park |
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| another view of the park... |
Across the street from the National Park is the Historic Arts District, along with shops and eateries...
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| Arlington Hotel |
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| yep, you can even ride the ducks... |
Baseball enthusiasts can follow the Hot Springs Baseball Trail, a 26-marker walking and driving trail that denotes the history of the sport...
Easter Sunday, April 20
We awoke to a beautiful day. Highs today were in the mid-70's. Today we worshiped at First United Methodist Church in Hot Springs. The church was established in 1852. The sanctuary is simply beautiful, with a large pipe organ and lots of stained glass. They held six services today, including a sunrise service. We were very surprised that First UMC is one of three Methodist churches in Hot Springs...
Following service, we went to Cracker Barrel for lunch. Love their french toast!! As tomorrow is another travel day, we spent the rest of the day relaxing and enjoying the warm weather and sunshine!!
Monday, April 21
Overcast, drizzly day.
At least it's not windy. We're leaving Cloud 9 RV Park and are headed north...
Cooper gave this park a "paws down". The lots were all gravel. He didn't even like to go outside. The park suited our needs; however, if we were to revisit
Hot Springs we would not stay here.
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