Visiting Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas was an informative and unique experience. The area has been known as the “Valley of Vapors” since prehistoric times. Over time, rainwater penetrates thousands of feet into the earth’s bedrock and gets heated to high temperatures by the rocks. The thermal water travels along cracks, faults, and fractures in the rocks, then rises to the surface at an average temperature of 143F degrees. Rain today will emerge centuries from now at the 40+ hot springs located at the base of Hot Springs Mountain.
Indian Peoples knew the Springs’ healing powers, and they shared
the resources peacefully since the area was not a territory for any specific
tribe.
The first commercial bathhouse—a simple log cabin—was opened
in 1830. In an act of stewardship, the
U.S. Government classified Hot Springs as a Reservation in 1832, preserving 4
square miles for future recreation. The
City grew to be a hot spot (pun intended) for restorative health, rest,
and relaxation. Hot Springs became a
stagecoach stop in 1836, and the railroad established a depot in 1875. Sadly, many of Hot Springs' bathhouses and other structures burned in 1878. However, with the advent of new building
materials, the City was rebuilt. In
1921, President Woodrow Wilson changed the status of Hot Springs from a
Reservation to a National Park. And
today, Hot Springs hosts more than 2 million visitors annually.
We traversed the Grand Promenade, and I could imagine the well dressed ladies and gents of the Victorian area strolling along the venue with their parasols and canes.
We toured the Museum and the bathhouses that are open to the public along Bathhouse Row. I'll share just a few of the many photos I took.
 |
This bathhouse is now the Museum. |
 |
| The interiors... |
 | ||
...of the bathhouses within the Museum.
 |
 |
| Pretty mosaic design in the floor tile. |
 |
| The stained glass... |
 |
| ...was gorgeous. |
We visited the 216-foot high Hot Springs Mountain Tower. Constructed in 1982, the observation tower provides a bird’s eye view of the City.
The City offers unique cultural creations and some very tasty food, too.
 | ||
The historic Arlington Hotel... 
|
 |
| Phil's Restaurant, outside the tourist district, has great down home |
 |
| De-lish pies at The Grateful Head Pizza and Beer Garden. |
I had some really fun times at Hot Springs National Park, and I added another Junior Ranger badge to my collection!
It was the final leg of our travels, a mere 4-hour drive to
arrive home in Livingston. But alas, we
incurred delays—Suite Retreat’s rear passenger tire was losing air, albeit very
slowly, but it caused the tire pressure monitor to buzz. We stopped several times to locate the source
of the leak and to refill the tire pressure.
And God was good to us (again!) and got us back home safely.
We had a fantastic summer, but we are glad to land for a
bit. We will stay on our long-term leased
lot until the end of the year, completing lots of projects, repairs, and Dad’s
medical appointments.
Here’s a bit of a recap:
Total Days: 105
Number of Set-ups at Different Locations: 47
Total Number of Days Without Hookups: 36
Number of Harvest Hosts Visited: 21
Total Camping Costs (excluding purchases made at Harvest
Hosts): $3,238
States Visited: 19
Number of Miles: 7,818
Big Boomer Fuel Stats: $4,818 for 1,339 gallons of diesel (average
of 6 miles/gallon; average of $3.60/gallon)
Big Boomer’s Big Repair Bill: $3,414
Number of Miles Driving the Rambling RV Rat Pack Rubicon:
5,940 (including 641 of Mom driving the Jeep in no double-tow areas)
Rambling RV Rat Pack Rubicon Fuel Stats: $1,274 for 424
gallons of gasoline (average of 14 miles/gallon; average of $3.00/gallon)
Junior Ranger Badges Earned at National Parks/National
Monuments: 12
Frank Lloyd Wright Structures Visited: 8
No comments:
Post a Comment