Hot Springs

Another peaceful weather day allowed a drive over to Hot Springs, about 40 miles southwest of Little Rock.

Construction is nearly complete on a new visitor center for the park with a terrific old fountain front and center of the entrance.

After driving in past the huge Rehabilitation Center (formerly the Army/Navy Hospital), we found Bathhouse Row. Once immensely popular and luxurious, only a few of the bath houses are now operating, but it appeared that several were being restored.

In the roaring 20's, people flocked to these bathhouses either on vacation or in hopes of restoring their health. The buildings are quite a spectacle in their attempts to replicate classic features of the bathhouses of ancient Rome and Greece. After seeing a short video on the history and what transpires with the baths, we decided to try it ourselves.

The Quapaw, named for the friendly Indian tribe that helped the French at the Arkansas Post, offers more of a hot tub experience for groups of people in addition to the private baths.

We chose the Buckstaff since they allow children as young as 10 to participate and we didn't want anyone in our family to be left out.

No photos of the inside, as this truly is a bath house...meaning bath, not swimmin' hole. The ladies and men are in completely different areas of the facility. So, Linda went to the left and Craig and the boys to the right and we didn't all meet up again until everyone was finished, dried off and dressed!

We all received spa treatment by going first to a dressing area. Swimsuits are allowed, but the staff incorporates sheets and towels for modesty sake. First, guests are escorted to a row of large tubs, separated by privacy walls. An attendant helps you into the tub filled with swirling mineral water that mixes the 140 F spring water with cold water for a temperature around 100 F. Bathers relax in the tub for about 15 minutes, then the attendant scrubs your legs, arms and back with a loofah, then escorts you to a sitz bath where you relax again with mostly your posterior and lower back soaking for about 5 minutes. Once again, the attendant arrives to escort you to tables for hot packs. The attendant places hot, wet towels on the neck, upper back and legs. You are left lying on a table to wrapped in the wet towels for about 10 minutes. At this point, the boys reported that Craig started snoring. Next is a vapor cabinet where you are steamed for about 10 minutes. Last is a needle shower, where you are sprayed from neck to foot with cooler water. At this point, the bath is complete and you are escorted back to the dressing area. Craig spoiled Linda by purchasing a 20-minute massage for her. Very, very nice!

Here are Linda and the boys feeling very refreshed in front of a central fountain in the downtown area. Several fountains spray the hot mineral water in the area. We noticed some folks filling gallon jugs with the water at no charge. We were content with the baths and the small cups to drink during our spa treatment.

Note for those considering participating in the baths...the men (guests) were not as modest as the ladies, choosing to forego their provided sheets and towels.

Arkansas Post

When the snow passed on to the eastern states, we were able to venture out to see more of Arkansas. Heavy snows to the north and west of Little Rock prevented any trips toward the Ozarks, but we found sights toward the south. European settlements began along the Arkansas River during the 1600s so we set out to find out more.

Along the way, we crossed the river just as a large tug was pushing a flotilla of 15 barges upstream. Fortunately, traffic was light so we could stop on the bridge long enough to take the photo! After about 1 1/2 hours, we arrived at our destination in the midst of the delta region of the state.

We thought we spied beavers, but discovered a different tail! Nutrias were everywhere. We'd seen the damage these critters can cause during visits to Linda's family at Lake Brownwood in Texas. They create burrows and tunnels along the bank, destroying the root systems of trees and vegetation. We later learned from the park ranger that the nutrias were introduced in this area in an attempt to stimulate interest in their fur. That didn't work out, so years later, alligators were introduced in an attempt to curb the nutria population. As it turns out, alligators don't care for nutrias - preferring snakes and fish.

We saw many varieties of birds along our way, including this large group of white pelicans. This area is close to where the Arkansas joins the Mississippi river and bird watchers enjoy the accompanying migratory paths.

Once at the park, we took a stroll amongst the former town that was once the capital of the Arkansas territory. The buildings are long gone, primarily lost during the Confederate war, but markers guide visitors along a self-guided tour. Several exhibits explain the role of the post during early exploration, settlement, territorial squabbling amongst France, Spain, Britain, Indian tribes and the Civil War.

As we took our walking tour, we found this little guy:

He put up with us for awhile, then took a closer look at us and hopped away to the nearby cover.

The park is very serene, especially at this off-season period. We were the only visitors on this cold day and enjoyed the opportunity for the quiet of the woods and river, the silence only broken by the calls of geese and birds.

Sometimes, the best lessons are learned in the perfect stillness of God's amazing creation!

Here we are...when does it start to snow?

We had a great travel day to get us almost 350 miles further toward the east - Little Rock, AR. Around midnight after our arrival, however, here came snow again! We enjoyed horsing around in the snow a little with the guys - the wet snow was perfect for snow ball fights! The rest of the day was spent working on school, reading and enjoying the view of the Arkansas River right outside our front door.

It's beautiful and very...winter-y! We're glad to be parked under deciduous trees instead of these mighty pines! We heard some loud cracks, pops and crashes as several large tree limbs fell from the evergreens!

We're hoping for the weather to clear enough for some sightseeing tomorrow!